Formal Nights-Yes, No, Maybe?

[FLGolfer]

When you add those who want the same food to those who do not want to dress you get around a third of the people. I would like to point out on the larger ships with 2 anytime dining and 1 traditional restauraunt Princess could turn one anytime dining restaurant casual and the other 2 formal and satisfy ALL of their passengers.

 

Until then Princess must realize they are poorly serving a large minority of their passengers and the alternative of defecting to NCL is always a better option for some. Why Princess wants to poorly serve such a significant minority is harder to understand.

[taxmantoo]

When you add those who want the same food to those who do not want to dress you get around a third of the people. ... the alternative of defecting to NCL is always a better option for some.

 

If the only issue is wanting the same food and not dressing up, then I believe HAL has truly found the answer. They offer the same food at the Lido Buffet (with waiters to boot) as in the Main Dining Room for dinner, so casual dressers can enjoy there. The Main Dining Room menu is also available for room service (all cabin classes - no suite required).

 

If the issue is wanting the same food, not dressing up AND sitting in the Main Dining Room, then we are back to square one!

[cruisergal 1]

Yes for formal nights. It is one of the things I look forward to on a cruise. I love dressing up and seeing DH look so dashing and handsome all dressed up. It's the only opportunity we get, other than the occasional wedding to really get dressed up, and we love it! We're also suckers for taking formal portraits, and probably wouldn't take them if it was not for dressing up.

[Clutterlady]

Ok, wasn't going to chime in on another dress thread.....but here's my take on the subject.

 

We didn't do formal nights on the Emerald, the CB in September or do we plan to do it on the Island in March. We choose to do the specialty dining or the buffet on formal nights. We would never think of trying to get into the MDR on formal nights in resort casual. We respect the dress code and wouldn't think of trying to buck it!! The Caribe Cafe is all decked out on formal nights with cloth napkins, lobster tail, beef wellington and all the trimmings.....good enough for us!!

 

Perhaps we'll do formal night again in the future, but for right now casual cruising is all we want to do:)

[1 HappyCruiser]

If the only issue is wanting the same food and not dressing up, then I believe HAL has truly found the answer. They offer the same food at the Lido Buffet (with waiters to boot) as in the Main Dining Room for dinner, so casual dressers can enjoy there. The Main Dining Room menu is also available for room service (all cabin classes - no suite required).

 

If the issue is wanting the same food, not dressing up AND sitting in the Main Dining Room, then we are back to square one!

 

The only problem with your logic about HAL is that I've got all my time built up in Princess & it's to late to change now. Maybe Princess will change to a full dr selection at their buffet in the future but as it stands now I'll have to stick with dressed down option on the Princess ships.

[1 HappyCruiser]

The Caribe Cafe is all decked out on formal nights with cloth napkins, lobster tail, beef wellington and all the trimmings.....good enough for us!!

 

Unless they've changed things since late last year, they didn't offer lobster tails at the buffet when we were there although beef wellington was.

[Clutterlady]

The Caribe Cafe is all decked out on formal nights with cloth napkins, lobster tail, beef wellington and all the trimmings.....good enough for us!!

 

Unless they've changed things since late last year, they didn't offer lobster tails at the buffet when we were there although beef wellington was.

 

Sailed on the CB in September. There was a big tub filled with small lobster tails and they were yummy...:)

[1 HappyCruiser]

 

Sailed on the CB in September. There was a big tub filled with small lobster tails and they were yummy...:)

 

If you're referring to the sail-a-way seafood buffet, I've been reading that they're a thing of the past.

[Clutterlady]

 

If you're referring to the sail-a-way seafood buffet, I've been reading that they're a thing of the past.

 

No, there wasn't any sailaway seafood buffet. It was I believe on one of the formal nights in the Caribe Cafe!!

[Cruisin Bob]

Poll shows casually minded cruisers being poorly served. Princess is not stupid and this explains why they do not question casually dressed cruisers when dining in the MDR on formal night.

 

With airline bag fees, people going more casual in general, and the suit is in the lost luggage as an excuse, I think we will be seeing increasing numbers of casual cruisers as time goes by. It simply is not the 20th century any more.

[billet]

 

Sailed on the CB in September. There was a big tub filled with small lobster tails and they were yummy...:)

 

Same on the Sapphire on the last Formal night

[hansi]

No, we are in the 21st century but that does not mean we have to "dress down". One of the highlights of cruising for me is dressing up. Sadly, most of the world is dressing down!

[bjkTX]

Voted "No" on one more formal night poll :-) I don't enjoy wearing the outfit and will go to great lengths to avoid it. That doesn't mean I'll break the "rules" or go into the MDR in my jeans, I either rent a tux, bring a suit or we stay out of the MDR. I've had the lobster - it's way down the list of things that could make me want to spend the night strangled by a tie :-) I'm happy for those who enjoy the tradition, and I'm glad there are at least limited options on Princess for those of us who don't.

[doverite]

Friends of ours always choose to cruise with the higher-priced cruise lines because they dont have the formal nights. All nights on these smaller ships are smart casual. Interesting....

[Alycidon]

I like formal nights. Those who don't have several options. To me, it's not worth the hassle of packing my tuxedo if I can wear it only one night. I remember back just a few years ago when some cruise lines had informal nights--where men were requested to wear jackets--in addition to formal nights. Thankfully that has stopped.

 

Not on every line. There are lines that not only request but require Gentlemen to wear a jacket in the dining room. Every night.

 

I would never wear anything less formal than a suit and tie for dinner on board.

[deniuh]

DH and I have only cruised four times and we are heading out next week for our 5th - our first on Princess. We use to enjoy getting dressed up for formal night but have elected not to for this cruise. Dressed up for us means a Tux, lovely dresses etc. This time around DH will wear slacks and a nice shirt and I will wear slacks and a nice top. I donot want to lug alot of clothes around Europe for 17 days and we don't plan to take any formal pics. I am sick of them - our house looks like a shrine with all those pictures. We are early 30's and enjoy cruising with Celebrity - a line that people tag as "stuffy". We have also sailed with RCCL. Formal night is a tradition and if the cruise industry wants to keep that in place, then that is fine. Where the judgement comes in is when you have fellow cruisers who get upset because someone else is "violating" the dress code. Who cares really? I don't care what anyone wears to the dining room. I honestly don't think people purposefully show up in the MDR dressing like a bum to be under the scrutiny of their fellow cruisers. As long as they are not affecting my dinner - they can do whatever they want. It is up to the Cruiseline staff to determine if that person can eat in the MDR. Once they get clearance, then who are we to judge? How does someone wearing shorts affect how good your steak is? As we say in the Carribean..."don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright!!"

[billet]

Not on every line. There are lines that not only request but require Gentlemen to wear a jacket in the dining room. Every night.

 

 

Cunard rules!

[westcruzer]

Considering we have young children (9 & 6) my wife and i don't get to go to formal dates. Getting a date alone is a feat in itself. So having the opportunity to see my wife dressed up looking beautiful is ALWAYS nice. And if you don't like formal go to another dining option. That's what is great about cruising. There are so many options.

[Mom33]

Considering we have young children (9 & 6) my wife and i don't get to go to formal dates. Getting a date alone is a feat in itself. So having the opportunity to see my wife dressed up looking beautiful is ALWAYS nice. And if you don't like formal go to another dining option. That's what is great about cruising. There are so many options.

 

I feel that way about my husband. He is so handsome in a tux or suit. Seems like weddings are the only chance we get, besides cruising, to dress up.

I am happy to see we are not alone in enjoying formal nights.

[cruisencarol]

I feel that way about my husband. He is so handsome in a tux or suit. Seems like weddings are the only chance we get, besides cruising, to dress up.

I am happy to see we are not alone in enjoying formal nights.

 

It is great you enjoy formal night.

 

But my cave man (DH) is also entitled to a decent dinner as well.

 

The suggestion to have one anytime dining room formal and one casual on the large ships seems to allow you your formal night and others to enjoy a casual dinner. I see no reason for Princess not to make a change to allow both groups to have a nice evening.

[kooljamming]

I feel that way about my husband. He is so handsome in a tux or suit. Seems like weddings are the only chance we get, besides cruising, to dress up.

I am happy to see we are not alone in enjoying formal nights.

 

Why not your anniversary? The celebration of that occasion is so much more worthy of a nice outfit and high heels than a formal night on a cruise. We are surrounded by so many opportunities to look wonderful before stepping on deck, so why wait. Lock the kids in the house and use duct tape, if it means having a dressed up evening together. You have the outfit already from the last cruise. I wore my black dress to a Christmas party before wearing it on a cruise and the experience was more memorable.

 

deniuh- I agree, don't worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be all right. Or simply don't worry, be happy;)

[Mom33]

Why not your anniversary? The celebration of that occasion is so much more worthy of a nice outfit and high heels than a formal night on a cruise. We are surrounded by so many opportunities to look wonderful before stepping on deck, so why wait. Lock the kids in the house and use duct tape, if it means having a dressed up evening together. You have the outfit already from the last cruise. I wore my black dress to a Christmas party before wearing it on a cruise and the experience was more memorable.

 

deniuh- I agree, don't worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be all right. Or simply don't worry, be happy;)

 

Actually Kooljamming, we have spent two of our last three anniversaries on a cruise.

We have been married 40 wonderful years and we never take for granted how lucky we are.:D

[Mom33]

It is great you enjoy formal night.

 

But my cave man (DH) is also entitled to a decent dinner as well.

 

The suggestion to have one anytime dining room formal and one casual on the large ships seems to allow you your formal night and others to enjoy a casual dinner. I see no reason for Princess not to make a change to allow both groups to have a nice evening.

 

Yes, it would be nice to have one anytime dining room for casual diners on formal evenings, but there isn't enough room for all those that participate in formal night in ONE anytime dining room. The 2 anytime dining rooms are packed on formal night.

 

As for a decent meal, sometimes you get clunkers in the dining room. I have been at seafood buffets on the ship that were ten times better then the "surf and turf" in the dining room.

[kooljamming]

Actually Kooljamming, we have spent two of our last three anniversaries on a cruise.

We have been married 40 wonderful years and we never take for granted how lucky we are.:D

 

Congrats, an ocassion worth the nice dress, tux and heels:D.

We always do the anniversary dress up thing but luickly the last one and the next will be on a cruise. I would die if I had to wait for a cruise to dress up. You should see me sometimes at a steakhouse or even Walmart;)

[jackdiamond]

I voted yes. We always do black tie.