Arghhh! What to wear on the Gala Night!

[LeanyBeany26]

Hi all you ladies out there i need your help!!! as a first time cruiser i dont know what is appropriate!

 

Do you think this dress will be ok, and be brutally honest!!!

 

thanks in advance!:o

 

[LeanyBeany26]

If you have any pics of previous cruises and dresses worn, i will be very much appreciative! :)

 

Regards

 

Leanne

[kruzseeka]

Hi all you ladies out there i need your help!!! as a first time cruiser i dont know what is appropriate!

 

Do you think this dress will be ok, and be brutally honest!!!

 

thanks in advance!:o

 

 

 

You have nothing to worry about - you look lovely! There are a range of dresses worn from long evening dresses to short dressy dresses and dressy trousers with tops - often with a bit of sparkle. I do wear a long floaty dress to the Gala night and a shorter one if we're on a two week cruise and there is a second 'formal' night but it's a definite 'mix' of long and short so don't worry. And enjoy! :)

[Dags]

Hi all you ladies out there i need your help!!! as a first time cruiser i dont know what is appropriate!

 

Do you think this dress will be ok, and be brutally honest!!!

 

thanks in advance!:o

 

 

Beautiful, you'll look fantastico! ;)

[jenny wren]

Yes ...that will be absolutely fine !!!

[LeanyBeany26]

Thanks everyone, i was getting really worried! i seem to be thinking about one thing after another, i suppose after my first cruise it will be different because i will know what to expect, but at the mo, as you can tell i'm very much clueless!!

 

Thank god for these forums, and you lovely people! i dont know what i would have done without you. :)

 

Leanne xXx

[sagalout1954]

Take a wrap/pashmina or something just in case, the air con can be bl**dy freezing in the public areas..........but you'll look just great - even WITH goosepimples!

[LeanyBeany26]

I bought one at the weekend funnily enough, thanks for the advice though! not long now, we got our tickets today, Yay!! 3 weeks to go! :D

[mtt]

We just reserved out seats yesterday on the thomson website for our flights

[dopeyngrumpy]

That dress is perfect, I wear a long summer dress with a little black cardigan and have bought 2 maxi dresses this summer to keep for the formal nights. They are not formal dresses but you will soon see an array of mixed items worn on Thomsons

 

A few men wear a tux but most just a suit and some guys turn up in just a shirt and tie (although I wish they would at least try a suit.

 

I recommend the suit dry cleaning on board - we sent David's suit off the night we arrived and it had a broken button, not only did it come back immaculate for £6 but they relaced the button and it was an exact match.

 

Make sure you get into the main restaurant on the night before it docks and be in for 7.30 - so you can see the baked alaska parade and don't miss the cholcolate midnight buffet too! ooh and the crew do a show on the last night and they are amazing

 

I'm so jealous, have a wonderful time x

 

Jan

[FiggyWig]

A few men wear a tux but most just a suit and some guys turn up in just a shirt and tie (although I wish they would at least try a suit.

 

 

Make sure you get into the main restaurant on the night before it docks and be in for 7.30 - so you can see the baked alaska parade and don't miss the cholcolate midnight buffet too! ooh and the crew do a show on the last night and they are amazing

 

I'm so jealous, have a wonderful time x

 

Jan

 

Hi Jan - (which are you - Dopey or Grumpy ?) We are doing our 1st Thomson cruise this summer (2010), only experienced one cruise before, this year aboard the much bigger and glitzier Celebrity Solstice which was fabulous, but not exactly sure what to expect this time on a much smaller, older ship. Formal night not such a problem for me since I am already kitted out with some lovely frocks, my only problem is to decide which one to take. We are doing a week ashore after cruise, so what to pack to keep within the luggage allowance needs carefull consideration. My DH will dress suited 'n' booted on formal nights to please me, if I nag at him enough, although I think he would be happier if he thought he could make do with shirt, tie and smart trousers. The 13 year old DS also enjoys the dressing up, but I have to wonder if we could save having to buy another suit for him for only one nights usage. So in short, yes I love to see everybody make the effort, but am wondering if the boys could get away with dressing down just everso slightly ?

 

Also wondered if you could advise more specifically about Celebration and the gala evenings ? What happens through the course of the evening - is it specified dining times ? what are the dining times ? what is the food like ? what night is it likely to be ?

 

Also - can you advise about the ship itself - have heard much about the greying towels :eek:, the ship vibration:eek:, we are in a deluxe cabin on deck 7 just forward of the front staircase - is there anything we should be worried about ?

 

So many questions, but you seem to be an experienced Thomson cruiser. Anybody else out there please also feel free to join in !

 

thanks

Fig

[john_l]

Hi Jan - (which are you - Dopey or Grumpy ?) We are doing our 1st Thomson cruise this summer (2010), only experienced one cruise before, this year aboard the much bigger and glitzier Celebrity Solstice which was fabulous, but not exactly sure what to expect this time on a much smaller, older ship. Formal night not such a problem for me since I am already kitted out with some lovely frocks, my only problem is to decide which one to take. We are doing a week ashore after cruise, so what to pack to keep within the luggage allowance needs carefull consideration. My DH will dress suited 'n' booted on formal nights to please me, if I nag at him enough, although I think he would be happier if he thought he could make do with shirt, tie and smart trousers. The 13 year old DS also enjoys the dressing up, but I have to wonder if we could save having to buy another suit for him for only one nights usage. So in short, yes I love to see everybody make the effort, but am wondering if the boys could get away with dressing down just everso slightly ?

 

Also wondered if you could advise more specifically about Celebration and the gala evenings ? What happens through the course of the evening - is it specified dining times ? what are the dining times ? what is the food like ? what night is it likely to be ?

 

Also - can you advise about the ship itself - have heard much about the greying towels :eek:, the ship vibration:eek:, we are in a deluxe cabin on deck 7 just forward of the front staircase - is there anything we should be worried about ?

 

So many questions, but you seem to be an experienced Thomson cruiser. Anybody else out there please also feel free to join in !

 

thanks

Fig

 

You son will be fine in a shirt and tie or even smart trousers and shirt. Most guys wear a suit or Tux but its not a problem for the kids to dress down a bit.

 

I have never noticed the vibration until I actually made a point of looking for it on my last cruise. I thought people were making it all up - lol . You will have a great time, the ships are a little old but the rest of the package makes them first choice for me.

[lynwood92]

Am going In March - our first time cruising. Not too bothered about formal wear. Buying loads of strappy/sparkly tops (you know the kind you wouldn't dream of wearing going to your local but are absolutely brilliant when you are far from home.) Team them either with a black pants or cotton trousers. Will also take a cocktail dress with me. Enjoy yourself. Have to say if I had a figure like yours and looked as well as you do in that dress I would be delighted.

[kruzseeka]

Hi Jan - (which are you - Dopey or Grumpy ?) We are doing our 1st Thomson cruise this summer (2010), only experienced one cruise before, this year aboard the much bigger and glitzier Celebrity Solstice which was fabulous, but not exactly sure what to expect this time on a much smaller, older ship. Formal night not such a problem for me since I am already kitted out with some lovely frocks, my only problem is to decide which one to take. We are doing a week ashore after cruise, so what to pack to keep within the luggage allowance needs carefull consideration. My DH will dress suited 'n' booted on formal nights to please me, if I nag at him enough, although I think he would be happier if he thought he could make do with shirt, tie and smart trousers. The 13 year old DS also enjoys the dressing up, but I have to wonder if we could save having to buy another suit for him for only one nights usage. So in short, yes I love to see everybody make the effort, but am wondering if the boys could get away with dressing down just everso slightly ?

 

Also wondered if you could advise more specifically about Celebration and the gala evenings ? What happens through the course of the evening - is it specified dining times ? what are the dining times ? what is the food like ? what night is it likely to be ?

 

Also - can you advise about the ship itself - have heard much about the greying towels :eek:, the ship vibration:eek:, we are in a deluxe cabin on deck 7 just forward of the front staircase - is there anything we should be worried about ?

 

So many questions, but you seem to be an experienced Thomson cruiser. Anybody else out there please also feel free to join in !

 

thanks

Fig

 

 

Hello Fig,

 

Lots of younger passengers attend Gala night in smart trousers, shirt and tie (or perhaps a bow tie if you want to make some concession to the more formal nature of the evening) and look great - I think paying for a suit just for this would be an unnecessary expense.

 

The Meridian restaurant is 'open' sitting although we, in common with many passengers, do return to the same table each night as we get to know the waiters - but they would need to know that you intend to go to them and the approx time as it wouldn't be possible for them to save tables on the off-chance that passengers may come. On Gala night though - it's fixed sitting (6.30 and 8.30?). you will get an invitation telling you which sitting you've been allocated. If you want to swap the Maitre D' has a table outside the main restaurant and will arrange it (we've never had a problem changing). It will tell you in the Cruise News what time he will be there. Gala Night is usually the first sea day - I think that's your first full day on board so it's likely to be then.

 

You queue up to meet the Captain and have your photo taken (sometimes not easy to by-pass this if you want to get into the showlounge). There are complimentary drinks - you can often have more than one as they come around as you sit chatting to other pax ('where do you come from?', 'is this your first cruise?' you know the sort of thing!!! :D) and also canapes although you'll be lucky to get more than one of these as they don't come round as much as with the drinks! The group play background music and then the Capt comes onto the stage to introduce his senior staff - this varies from the very entertaining to rather boring! Then you go into dinner where there is a fairly good choice from 5 courses (starter, soup, salad, main, desert followed by tea/coffee). you come out in time for the show.

 

We don't go in the area where you have a cabin (bit cheapskate - we go more often that way! ;)) but it's quiet up there and you shouldn't have any engine noise. The vibration we are used to and don't notice much at all. You aren't likely to be bothered with greying towels as I think they are progressively down-graded as you go through the cabin grades so with a suite you should have the 'best' towels - before they are relegated to the likes of us!!!!

 

As long as you are open-minded and don't judge the ship immediately you get on (it's NOT glitzy) and allow the fantastic atmosphere, service, entertainment to win you over, I'm sure you'll have a great time. It's very personal of course, but I really didn't like the big glitzy American ship we went on - it had no 'soul' and I never felt at home on there for two weeks! That's not how most of us feel about Thomson. Going back is like putting on an old pair of slippers!! :D

 

I do hope you enjoy your trip. Enjoy the planning - it's all part of the fun! :)

[FiggyWig]

Thanks Kruzseeker, lots of good info here. Having only done one cruise before, we've already gathered its the best way to travel. Especially if you want to visit lots of different places, travel by night - new port in the morning etc. etc. Admittedly we were on a pretty swish ship before, and I know the next experience wont be quite the same. But in some respects I think we will be in for a more relaxed time. When having breaks away in the UK we are equally as happy spending a weekend in a tent in a field as well as a weekend in a nice hotel.

 

I know the ship is that much older and likely to have more movement, but Im just hoping that having spent a 4 figure sum for the 7 nights, we will atleast be able to enjoy a clean room and descent towels - otherwiser DH may end up moaning that he would rather be in his tent :D:rolleyes:

[Debnjit]

Hi Can someone tell me which night the gala night is on the Red Sea Magic? Only if I make hubby take the DJacket and we are still on a coach on the way back from Petra, he will not be a happy bunny. Is it the "day at sea" day? or the first full day you are on board (Aqaba)? Help?:confused:

[mtt]

I read somewhere on here its sunday the sea day