Dinner solutions

[Clarksfan1]

It's an age old topic.

Do we really need to dress up for dinner, even on the informal nights?

And yes it is easy to see and understand both sides of this controversal topic.

There are those people who say "when i'm on vacation and I want to dress however I choose" And this is clearly a valid reason. After all people do pay a good deal of money and deserve to dress how they wish.

Then there are the people who say that when they go on a cruise they want to have the "True Cruise Experience" that being they want to dress up for dinner. And who can blame them. Not many of us have the opportunity to wear suits and dresses to our friendly neighborhood Applebees. I personally enjoy dressing up because it reminds me of my wedding night, or prom night with my wife. And I do it so few it's a nice change of pace.

Now to my solution.

Since there are more than one floor on most cruise ships for dining, why don' they have one of the floors set aside for the "less formal" diners? When they take your reservation instead of just asking first or second seating. Why not ask if they would like formal or informal seating. Then seat them accordingly. I know this sounds alot like segragation. But it's not. Segragation is when it is forced upon people, and these people would clearly have the opportunity to eat in either setting.

This way the people who are dressed to kill can eat their dinners and pretend they are on the classic ships of years past. And the other people can enjoy the dining room experience.

Just my idea

Add or subtract as you wish

Peace

[cruzntori]

intresting idea

Tori

Monarch Nov02
Sovereign May03
Mariner Feb04
Nordic Empress Feb05

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[bUU]

Sounds like a great idea.

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RCI - Serendade of the Seas (S. Carib.)

[xpcdoojk]

Well this is not the first time that this "solution" has been offered in this forum.

I still think the reason why the formal night exists is because the first formal night is the Captain's cocktail gathering. I know tradition doesn't mean much to us cruisers, but the naval traditions, superstitions are only changed with great reluctance on the part of sailors. Meeting the captain is always a formal affair as a showing of respect for the captain.

If you have a few months you might want to read Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Mauturin series of 20 books. This is the series of novels that lead to the movie Master and Commander. Captain Aubrey is the consummate naval captain and Stephen Mauturin is his spy/surgeon who is constantly at a lost to figure out the naval traditions. It is a very enlightening study of the naval traditions, and why they exist and why landsmen don't get it. Not to mention a damn fine read.

jc

[This message was edited by xpcdoojk on 06-21-04 at 11:26 AM.]

[NYDee]

They started dinner in the Windjammer to accomodate people who wanted to be more casual with dining and not be on a ridgid schedule. What is wrong with just going there when you don't want to dress for the dining room? Why set up yet another alternative. Or go on a ship that does not ask that people dress for the dining room.

[bUU]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by NYDee:
They started dinner in the Windjammer to accomodate people who wanted to be more casual with dining and not be on a ridgid schedule. What is wrong with just going there when you don't want to dress for the dining room?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I had asked about this early-on, or perhaps in another thread. I said then that I suppose such an alternative would hinge on the menus being the same. I haven't gotten a real clear answer, yet, about what are the actual differences between the menus, except that lobster is limited to the main dining room. Given how special some folks consider lobster (not me, though), I can imagine that's why some would be resistent to your suggestion.

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RCI - Serendade of the Seas (S. Carib.)

[AdrieneAGD]

Here I am donning my flame-proof suit... [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

To build on what Bicker just said, if I personally feel lobster to be a "special" meal, then why wouldn't I want to dress up for it?

And other than the lobster, the menu in the Windjammer is pretty much a mirror of what is served in the dining room. Just in the Windjammer, it's served buffet-style.

Sovereign of the Seas, 2/27/2003

Celebrating my husband's 30th birthday on the Mariner of the Seas, 9/5/2004

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[bUU]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by AdrieneAGD:
To build on what Bicker just said, if I personally feel lobster to be a "special" meal, then why wouldn't I want to dress up for it? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Ask a Mainer! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>And other than the lobster, the menu in the Windjammer is pretty much a mirror of what is served in the dining room. Just in the Windjammer, it's served buffet-style.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Thanks so much for that confirmation. Great to know!

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RCI - Serendade of the Seas (S. Carib.)

[Brad1185]

I dont think you will be able to get a floor of people for the restaurant that dont want to dress up. I am very much in the minority for not wanting to dress up. You idea would never work. My guess is out of 1800 passangers, there is probably not more than 50 to 100 who dont want to dress.

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[Lil_Bit]

I think the idea of seperating the floors of dining room to formal/casual is an excellent idea. There is no reason why you can't be served by dining staff just like the other casual nights on a cruise.

Windjammer should still be casual and flexible timing...

We need a Holiday...

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[winncove]

I like the idea! Why not enjoy being served in the dining rm [vs. runnng around a buffet ]without having to wear formal clothes? Not all of us need or want to buy cocktail or formal dresses just for a cruise. I think the % would be much higher for a "dressy" DR floor/area. IMHO. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

8/29 Mariner
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[pd9845]

I agree. This is a GREAT idea!

Personally, just becuase I don't want to get dressed up and I want to be relaxed in my regular clothing doesn't mean that I want to eat at a buffet. I, too, in my comfortable clothes want to have a plated dinner and have the food served to me. Windjammer is NOT an EQUAL subsititution. It is convenient for those people that want a quick bite or flexibility. But, just because I don't want to wear a ballgown and my husband likes to wear jeans does not mean that we should be banned from the main dinning hall.

Mariner of the Seas - August 29th 2004
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[bUU]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brad1185:
I dont think you will be able to get a floor of people for the restaurant that dont want to dress up. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I believe the main dining room on our ship (Serenade of the Seas) has two side-rooms, that may fit the bill.

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RCI - Serendade of the Seas (S. Carib.)

[Clarksfan1]

I can tell you that I do believe you would be able to fill an entire floor if it was an option.(Because You have people eating in the windjammer who may attend)

Another thing to think about is this. Lets say you have 2 dining times, with 2 floors. Thats 4 possible eating areas. Lets say you only have 350 people sign up for formal'ess dining. Then just have it available during first or second dining. I know someone may want to eat 2nd and it's only available first. However, it is an alternative.


And NYDEE you stated that they started dinner in the Windjammer for this reason. That is great. However, it has not solved the problem. You know as well as I do that RCCL will never tell people they cannot eat in the dining room. I have been on ships and the waiters have told people it doesn't matter what you wear on formal nights just come.(may be for their own personal tips?)

So rather than people sit on these boards disguested because someone came to formal dinner in such and such. Why not create a solution. That way people can eat their dinners and feel like they are kings of the world without having to look at the less impressive.

So if they took one of the four possible dinings. (on voyager there are 6 possible dinings) and offer it, then RCCL could tell the people who should not be at formal night. They are going to need to sit on the such and such level.

[yarlenna]

I love your idea! They could carry that right through to the public areas of the ship as well. On formal nights, a section could be reserved for folks who want the illusion of being in the golden age of ocean travel, dressed to the nines and another for folks who want to wear their casual comfortable togs. This wouldn't cost anyone anything and just might keep both the fashion police and the political correctness police happy at the same time. Brilliant!

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[travellady]

I believe you'd find enough people as well. I will dress up for the Voyager formal night but if I had the option of not going formal and eating in the dining room, I would.

[pcur]

DH and I ate in the Windjammer for the first time ever last November on the Grandeur. I think it was because it was a back-to-back, and we really didn't want to watch the waiters parade again.

Anyway, we thought the 'Jammer was wonderful, much quieter, lighting was softer, food was like the dining room, and we liked the fact that we could control our portions: get more of what we liked, pass on the stuff we didn't like.

All in all, I don't think the 'Jammer is a step down at all; it's just casual.

Peggy - RCI since 1973

[Mercury]

One of the reasons I like the formal evenings is that the whole atmosphere on the ship is formal (i.e. wherever you go everyone is "dressed up"). If you split the dining room this would still mean that in all the public rooms there would be a variety of dress and this would defeat the object. What I am saying is that its lovely to see everyone dressed up throughout the ship and if there were 50% of people who were just separate in the dining room this would only solve the issue in one room. What about alll the other rooms?

Formal nights are very few on the ship compared to informal and casual so IMHO it's great to get into the atmosphere for these few nights.
Dressing up opportunities are so rare!