Specialty restaurant on formal night

[FLJudi]

What are the pros and cons of eating in the specialty restaurants on formal nights instead of the MDR? I can justify going to both places: all dressed up and want a special dinner menu and environment or stay in the MDR to see everyone else dressed up. Help me decide.

[KruzPrincess]

I've read that you don't have to dress formal in the specialty restaurants on formal night. Is that correct? If so, that's an advantage to me since I often don't go to the MDR on every formal night.

[Miss SeaBee]

Oh, I hope we are not the only ones dressing up in a specialty restaurant for formal night! We are going to check everyone out in the MDR the first formal night, and then we booked Murano for the second formal night to make it even more special. I'm saving my favorite dress for this night!

[swigso]

On our last cruise we dined in the wine cellar in Ocean liners

on the Connie, the formal wear made it an even better experience.

we plan to do the same again this time.

I did not really see many who were not wearing Tuxes on our last cruise on formal nights.

[SusieV]

I believe the dress code is the same in the specialty restaurants as it is in the MDR.

[Cruise Junky]

I believe the dress code is the same in the specialty restaurants as it is in the MDR.

 

Two different statements on Celebrity's website now. One says it's smart casual other says it's the same as the MDR...reports back are saying it's smart casual.

[kitty9]

I've read that you don't have to dress formal in the specialty restaurants on formal night. Is that correct? If so, that's an advantage to me since I often don't go to the MDR on every formal night.

 

That's definitely not true. The specialty restaurants follow the same code as the MDR. In all reality, the specialty restaurants are very formal in atmosphere with the waiters in either tuxes or tails. While you'll see the patrons in the dress code on formal nights, you'll also see those who dress up very nicely even on casual nights. We always dress in a semi formal way on casual nights because we feel the whole atmosphere calls for it.

[lvcruiser]

That's definitely not true. The specialty restaurants follow the same code as the MDR. In all reality, the specialty restaurants are very formal in atmosphere with the waiters in either tuxes or tails. While you'll see the patrons in the dress code on formal nights, you'll also see those who dress up very nicely even on casual nights. We always dress in a semi formal way on casual nights because we feel the whole atmosphere calls for it.

 

Sorry Darcie, but what was stated above is true. There are two different statements made on the Celebrity website in different locations: one says formal, the other says smart casual, and those who care to not follow tradition are taking full advantage of it. Smart casual is now the dress of the specialty venues on every night of the cruise.

 

Personally, I completely agree with what you said about dressing for the venue. I feel that if you're going to go to an upscale restaurant, on land or sea, be served by a formally dressed wait staff, and pay extra money for a usually superb dinner, I would feel totally out of place if I dressed casually. But that's just me - I don't judge others for differing opinions.

[topsailgirl]

I always thought same dress code applied. That being said, my hubby and I got all decked out (me in a long dress, him in a tux) on formal night and went to Muranos and felt like a celebrity! It was really special in my opinion - the setting is very intimate and you get lots of attention. I did not mind at all that not all the other people in the restaurant were in formal attire. Everyone was nicely dressed however, even if not "formally" dressed.

 

We have also gone formal route in MDr and that is cool in its own way. But I think going formal in a specialty restaurant has a totally different feel to it. I plan to spend formal night in a specialty restaurant on our next cruise and we will be dressed formally!

[sdbmd]

I'm currently on the Solstice and last night was our first formal night. Ate in Silk Harvest and would say everyone I saw eating there was dressed for formal night. I saw no tuxedos but all the men were in suits and the ladies were dressed up quite nicely.

 

That said, i'm still not seeing consistent enforcement of the dress code. I went to the Captain's welcoming toast in the Solstice theater, where a sign outside clearly says formal apparel only, no shorts/cutoffs/flip flops. Despite a couple of crew members right at the entrance, I saw at least 2 or 3 men in my immediate vicinity in shorts and T shirts.

[matt0148]

The invitation card we received for the Tuscan Grille the morning of the reservation said the dress code was smart casual every day.

 

We still dressed in our formal wear as did most people.

[dkjretired]

This thread is the same as the the Jeans thread. Many dress a certain way and unfortunately cannnot accept the fact that Celebrity has changed their rules for the ship.

 

Based upon my cruise and the comments of numerous coming back, the dress code for specialty restaurants is definitely smart casual every night. Now Celebrity needs to remove the inconsistencies in their web site...

[sdbmd]

One thing to be mindful of is even if the dress code for your dinner destination is going to be smart casual, you might feel a wee bit awkward wandering around the ship dressed as such, surrounded by men in suits/tuxes and women in gowns...

 

...at least I would :)

[Albert Ross]

One thing to be mindful of is even if the dress code for your dinner destination is going to be smart casual, you might feel a wee bit awkward wandering around the ship dressed as such, surrounded by men in suits/tuxes and women in gowns...

 

...at least I would :)

We went to Qsine on formal night and the maitre d' told us not to wear formal wear. That aside, for exactly the same reason as given above, DH did wear his tux but undid his tie, James Bond style ;), and I wore my least dressy long dress. I would say that it was 50/50 on tux versus smart casual.

[dkjretired]

One thing to be mindful of is even if the dress code for your dinner destination is going to be smart casual, you might feel a wee bit awkward wandering around the ship dressed as such, surrounded by men in suits/tuxes and women in gowns...

 

...at least I would :)

 

The dress code for the rest of the ship is smart casual and if my experience from my recent cruise is an indicator, you will not feel at all out of place...Very few men were in tuxes and even fewer women were in gowns...

[ConnieCane3]

I think it also depends on the time of year you sail. For the past two years, we've takenholiday cruises and on both formal nights the dress was observed in both MDR and specialty restaurants. On a Solstice cruise this summer, the overall dress was a lot more casual. But, most all did get a little more dressed up on formal nights, suits for the men and dressy outfits for the women. I love formal nights, they seem to add to the festive and special feeling, which we all can use sometime.

[gotcha3]

One thing to be mindful of is even if the dress code for your dinner destination is going to be smart casual, you might feel a wee bit awkward wandering around the ship dressed as such, surrounded by men in suits/tuxes and women in gowns...

 

...at least I would :)

 

You seem to care about what others think......I certainly do not.

[excitedofharpenden]

What are the pros and cons of eating in the specialty restaurants on formal nights instead of the MDR? I can justify going to both places: all dressed up and want a special dinner menu and environment or stay in the MDR to see everyone else dressed up. Help me decide.

Hi Judi. We ate in Tuscan Grille on one of the formal nights on the last cruise. I enjoy the MDR on formal night, but have done enough of them that it was a nice change to do the Specialty dining one formal evening. I'd do it again. We dressed formally and didn't feel out of place.

 

Phil

[labatsman]

The invitation card we received for the Tuscan Grille the morning of the reservation said the dress code was smart casual every day.

 

We still dressed in our formal wear as did most people.

 

 

We did the same as all other diners in the restaurant.

 

Best meal we have ever had on board anywhere

[eandj]

I don't really know why cruisers want to avoid the specialties on formal nights. :confused: They are so much nicer than any MDR as far as food and service. Lots of people dress up to eat dinner there, even on smart casual nights. Lots of anniversaries are celebrated with a romantic dinner especially in Murano's on the S class ships.

[Chill&Will]

Who cares what others are wearing.

 

It's your vacation! Dress how you wish. But certainly stay within the dress code.

 

I personally go on vacation to get away and relax. That to me is definitely my view and probably varies from a lot of other peoples viewpoints. If I wish to not wear a tux or suit that is my right. Then I will not enter a venue where that would be inappropriate to not be dressed formally. I just choose to dress in a smart casual way, and not have to worry about formal attire. I see nothing wrong with a nice pair of dress pants and a collared dressier shirt.

 

If what others are wearing effects your cruise... Let me ask you this... How do you leave your house every day??????

[Lsimon]

We enjoy the elegant setting of the specialty restuarants when we've been there on formal nights - despite what the dress codes say or don't say we've always found the dress in Murano's or the specialty restuarants on the M class ships to be more dressy, not less, than the main dining room.

 

I guess it is kind of like at home - when we go to a nicer, elegant, restuarant we tend to dress up despite the fact that most now allow patrons in if they are dressed casually.

 

I don't really know why cruisers want to avoid the specialties on formal nights. :confused: They are so much nicer than any MDR as far as food and service. Lots of people dress up to eat dinner there, even on smart casual nights. Lots of anniversaries are celebrated with a romantic dinner especially in Murano's on the S class ships.

 

Our biggest concern about going to the specialty restaurant on formal nights is that they also tend to have some of the best menus in the main dining room those nights. Still, we occasionally do go on formal nights because the elegant settings of these restuarants make the experiance so special