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Not dressing for formal nights


jeanlyon
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Just back off Balmoral 13 night cruise and was so surprised at the number of people not bothering with formal attire. The bar was full of people in really casual clothes and considering the age group, found it really unusual. I wonder if the age of formal nights is on the way out.

 

We had free drinks and grats and it was very nice to leave the ship with a zero balance!!

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Some changes I noticed were no shampoo or body lotion or conditioner in the cabin. Tea & coffee, but no biccies.

 

It is a number of years now since they stopped providing conditioner and body lotion and they never have provided biccies, have to take your own :rolleyes:

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Disappointed to hear that dressing for formal nights is becoming less than the norm. We are heading for our first ever cruise in March - on Braemar to Norway - especially to enjoy something a little different to the usual everyday lack of style in dining out these days. Surely this is all part of the special experience of cruising.

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As a regular on Fred. Olsen I have noted that an increasing minority of passengers aren't dressing on formal nights. There are also fewer of these formal nights than there were in the past. I think it is a great pity but I fear it is a sign of the times.

On the recent Christmas and New Year cruise on the "Balmoral" the number "dressing up" was a little better but it was spoiled by many immediately changing into casual wear immediately after dinner.

Gone are the days when all passengers on liners (not cruise ships) wore evening dress on all evenings at sea!

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I wonder if it is also something to do with the dining arrangements. Many people did dress up on Boudicca a few weeks ago but there were some who didn't - or changed.

The ship wasn't full and there were many empty places at our late dinner sitting with diners preferring to choose self service.

It was a lovely cruise with good food and service which we enjoyed very much though.

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Just back off Balmoral 13 night cruise and was so surprised at the number of people not bothering with formal attire. The bar was full of people in really casual clothes and considering the age group, found it really unusual. I wonder if the age of formal nights is on the way out.

 

We had free drinks and grats and it was very nice to leave the ship with a zero balance!!

 

The formal night is just another cruising tradition that is gradually disappearing. The midnight Buffett and afternoon tea traditions are a mere shadow of their former selves and who can remember mid morning bullion. When I first started cruising in the early 90's a cruise was something special but now with cruise lines trying to sell an ever increasing number of cabins they are more interested in a younger clientele who perhapse are not interested in the formalities of traditional cruising. Our last cruise was with Viking Oceans where,shorts excepted, there seemed to be no dress code whatsoever at dinner which is one of the reasons we have come back to Fred Olsen for our next cruises.

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Yes I think elegance is a dying thing. I was surprised to see it on Fred Olsen, as the passengers on this cruise were certainly not younger than 60! I must have been wrong about the body lotion and shampoo. Must be confusing it with P&O who do still provide them and also biccies.

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Well, we are new to cruising so we shall be doing our best to uphold the tradition on two FO cruises this year. We are of an age that seems to fit in with the majority of FO passengers and are looking to get away from the unpleasantness that pervades other forms of travel (especially flying). Thanks for the tips on shampoo etc.

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I also have just returned from Fred Olson 'Winter Warmth' on the Balmoral, (Cruise number L1701) just a few points to note from a first time cruiser.

I had a 'Superior Inside' on deck 9 cabin number 9034 and paid £1,800

1 No over head reading light

2 No Radio (such as BBC World Service)

3 Not easy to find the switch to turn off the bed side light, which does not illuminate the bed.

 

The Ballindalloch Restaurant, in very pretentious and on the first night out was quite crowed, by the second night quite a lot were eating in the Palm Cafe, where one is able to choose excellent HOT food, always a very good salad at each meal time (well not breakfast) admittedly it is a very large buffet of self service. The waiters clear the tables very quickly. By the first Monday night we had to queue for a table it was so busy.

As a 69 year old I would NEVER cruise with FO again, it seems that the ship always arrives at Arrecife, Lanzarote. On a SUNDAY when the whole town is shut, not even a local bus service operates, the tourist information opens especially for the Fred Olson ships that always dock on a Sunday, no other cruise line calls on a Sunday.

Edited by bartonhillbum
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I also have just returned from Fred Olson 'Winter Warmth' on the Balmoral, (Cruise number L1701) just a few points to note from a first time cruiser.

I had a 'Superior Inside' on deck 9 cabin number 9034 and paid £1,800

1 No over head reading light

2 No Radio (such as BBC World Service

3 Not easy to find the switch to turn off the bed side light, which does not illuminate the bed.

 

The Ballindalloch Restaurant, in very pretentious and on the first night out was quite crowed, by the second night quite a lot were eating in the Palm Cafe, where one is able to choose excellent HOT food, always a very good salad at each meal time (well not breakfast) admittedly it is a very large buffet of self service. The waiters clear the tables very quickly. By the first Monday night we had to queue for a table it was so busy.

As a 69 year old I would NEVER cruise with FO again, it seems that the ship always arrives at Arrecife, Lanzarote. On a SUNDAY when the whole town is shut, not even a local bus service operates, the tourist information opens especially for the Fred Olson ships that always dock on a Sunday, no other cruise line calls on a Sunday.

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Thanks for the 'new cruiser' review. Have been reading lots of very mixed reviews of FO ships - we are 72/70 and hope that the style and size of ship will suit us. We are on Braemar to Norway and Black Watch to Iceland. It may be the start of something special - or maybe not.:confused:

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Good Day, Just a quick note:)

I was on the FO cruise 'Winter Warmth' from Southampton.

I have never owned a 'Penguin Suit' although I have dined with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh on two separate occasions, once in Kenya and once in Barbados. As well as Princess Anne on many occasions at differing venues within the U.K.:):)

I was brought up to always dress for dinner, in a suit, clean shirt and tie, on the aforementioned cruise I dressed in suit, shirt and tie every night,with a different shirt and tie every night.

A Penguin Suit, can be a badge but of what ? That one can afford £99 suit from M&S, ;)

Clean and tidy and showing respect to all marks the man, I was always taught.:D:D

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Hi, same cruise as us. I didn't necessarily expect a penguin suit, although my husband wears a cream tux and black trousers. What i didn't expect was jeans and loud Hawaiian shirt etc. etc. on a formal night. There was rather a lot of that.

 

Re Lanzarote, what a bloody awful place. Thought we had landed on the moon. Having checked the cruise excursions, we took a local bus to Teguise Market, which is the old capital. There was a 15th century church and some old buildings, but the market was just full of tat, mostly with Africans selling fake Gucci etc. Won't be going there again.

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Hi Jean

I had never cruised before, unless one counts crossing from Liverpool to the Isle of Man 1960 or the Mersey Ferry to Bebbington. :D

The formal nights were a joke,:D in the Palm Cafe, I commented on a man and woman in slacks and a polio, "we are having starters here as we are on second sitting and will dress for the Avon, was her reply he said nowt, perhaps they thought as those eating in the Palm were just the 'steerage' (like on the Titanic).

I met some really nice people on the cruise - pity it, the cruise, did not live up to my expectations.

I was the 'Nutter' running around (walking very quickly for the first week or so) as I had not walked for a few years due to a stroke, and my Daughter and Grandchildren not letting me - I left my power wheelchair in my mates van, so I had to walk, by the end of the voyage I was walking O.K.:) So that is something I have to thank Fred for, if nothing else:(

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Just back off Balmoral 13 night cruise and was so surprised at the number of people not bothering with formal attire. The bar was full of people in really casual clothes and considering the age group, found it really unusual. I wonder if the age of formal nights is on the way out.

 

We had free drinks and grats and it was very nice to leave the ship with a zero balance!!

 

I would hazzard a guess you were on early sitting for dinner, and yes, there will be a number of people in the bar not formally dressed and had I been on the cruise, I would have been one of them. Not because I don't dress formally, but being a late diner would not be going to my stateroom until well after 6:30 which would be after the early diners have entered the dining room.

 

I have cruised many many times with FO and have always been impressed by how few men dress informally on a formal night, and it is not a penguin suit it is a dinner suit, quite a bit different. IMO a penguin suit has tails.

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I would hazzard a guess you were on early sitting for dinner, and yes, there will be a number of people in the bar not formally dressed and had I been on the cruise, I would have been one of them. Not because I don't dress formally, but being a late diner would not be going to my stateroom until well after 6:30 which would be after the early diners have entered the dining room.

 

I have cruised many many times with FO and have always been impressed by how few men dress informally on a formal night, and it is not a penguin suit it is a dinner suit, quite a bit different. IMO a penguin suit has tails.

 

Nope, I was on second sitting. We usually go to the bar at about 7.15 FOR drinks and the state of the other people around was really disappointing, but each to their own. I have never seen this before and have done a number of FO cruises and also P&O. Hee hee agree about penguin suit.

Edited by jeanlyon
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Hi Jean

I had never cruised before, unless one counts crossing from Liverpool to the Isle of Man 1960 or the Mersey Ferry to Bebbington. :D

The formal nights were a joke,:D in the Palm Cafe, I commented on a man and woman in slacks and a polio, "we are having starters here as we are on second sitting and will dress for the Avon, was her reply he said nowt, perhaps they thought as those eating in the Palm were just the 'steerage' (like on the Titanic).

I met some really nice people on the cruise - pity it, the cruise, did not live up to my expectations.

I was the 'Nutter' running around (walking very quickly for the first week or so) as I had not walked for a few years due to a stroke, and my Daughter and Grandchildren not letting me - I left my power wheelchair in my mates van, so I had to walk, by the end of the voyage I was walking O.K.:) So that is something I have to thank Fred for, if nothing else:(

 

I was surprised by this post as I was under the impression that slacks and a polo shirt was perfectly acceptable in the Palms.

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We have just cruised in the Carribean on the Thomson Discovery. Wanted more entertainment then Fred offers.

We cruise with Fred and P&O also.

If you are worried about dress standards then don't go on Thomson.

They have a dress to impress one night per week.

Most of the ladies on the cruise made an effort on that night but some of the men!!!!!!

Probably 10% in Tux 10% in suits the rest ranging from beach wear through gardening attire thro ultra casual to casual.

To carry on the grumble, hairy, tattooed, fat guys in sleeveless vests in the Buffett I can really do without.

 

Also for anybody who grumbles about food and service in Freds MDR I dare you to try Thomsons 😄

 

The Thomson AI package is the best we have ever had. Cocktails and branded drinks included.

 

Now to be fair we did understand our usual standards for cruising would not be the same on Thomsons and we have had a fantastic time.

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We have just cruised in the Carribean on the Thomson Discovery. Wanted more entertainment then Fred offers.

We cruise with Fred and P&O also.

If you are worried about dress standards then don't go on Thomson.

They have a dress to impress one night per week.

Most of the ladies on the cruise made an effort on that night but some of the men!!!!!!

Probably 10% in Tux 10% in suits the rest ranging from beach wear through gardening attire thro ultra casual to casual.

To carry on the grumble, hairy, tattooed, fat guys in sleeveless vests in the Buffett I can really do without.

 

Also for anybody who grumbles about food and service in Freds MDR I dare you to try Thomsons 😄

 

The Thomson AI package is the best we have ever had. Cocktails and branded drinks included.

 

Now to be fair we did understand our usual standards for cruising would not be the same on Thomsons and we have had a fantastic time.

 

 

Not quite sure what you are saying about food & service on Discovery? Worse or better than Fred?

 

What did you think of the evening shows if you went to any?

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Hi jules...sorry I wasn't obvious.

Thomson food and dining service doesn't compare with Fred.

On Fred as you know, you have fixed dining, you can get thro a starter, soup, salad, main, sweet and coffee in a couple of relaxed hours.

Plenty of choice and we enjoy the food. Plus the same waiters.

Thomson, all open dining, so you turn up get a table, 2 4 8 or 10. You choose. At 8 pm you will wait for any table. Then it's three courses with no coffee unless you ask. 4 choices for mains. The three courses took over 2 hours minimum and 2 hours 40 minutes one night. You lost the will after so long.

Some nights the food was excellent some nights abysmal.

Now we knew it would be open dining but we thought it would be better.

 

Evening shows.....well the Discovery has a large show lounge with huge stage. Freds shows are intimate and low key.

The Thomson Shows attempted larger productions. Some came off some didn't. I admired their attempts. The Shows were full every night.

With Fred I recognise the Dancers etc through the cruise as you are so up close. Thomson they were more just singers and dancers.

 

If it wasn't for the dining experience we would try Thomson again in the Carribean. In fact we are booked in May on the Dream out of Corfu so will see if that's the same Thomson experience.

 

We did miss the feel of returning home to Fred, but we need more fun entertainment in the Carribean.

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