Formal dinners on the Royal, not in the MDR?

[canadarocks]

We've decided to forgo our formal wear next year on the Royal. Our 20 day B2B says there's only 3 formal nights (surprising, and I know likely to change).

 

I know that both the Crown Grill and Sabatini's are smart casual all the time, and obviously Horizon Court is an option. Is dinner available at Alfredo's every night? Are either the Fondue or the Crab Shack options offered for dinner on Formal nights?

[-Lew-]

Alfredo's is open every night. I can't recall for sure, but I doubt Fondue or Crab Shack are open on formal nights.

 

Lew

[Pia1913]

Fondue and crab to my recollection, were not on formal nights.

[chrysalis]

I think that you will find that since the cruise is really two 10 day cruises, that there will be 2 formal nights on each leg, and 4 in total.

[Pam in CA]

We had some really good dinners in the Horizon Court on formal (and other) nights on the Royal. I'm not a big fan of big slabs of beef but I was able to get a couple of thin slices of Beef Wellington, for example, which were delicious. Even though it's a buffet, I felt that the food options were great and I wasn't giving up anything to eat there rather than the dining room. Other than getting my food, everything else was tableside service, including retrieving our bottles of wine.

[dorisis]

We did a B2B on Royal un Feb. and found formal wasn't very formal. many were smart casual or men with a shirt, tie and no jacket.

[Mom33]

We had dinner at the Crab Shack on the Friday formal night on the Royal. The Crab Shack is available 4 nights in the week.. Alfredos is open on formal nights too. You do not need to dress formal for these venues.:D

[Happy ks]

We were on Royal last week. The first formal night I attended with my sister, niece, aunt and sil, it was fine, typical cruise food. My husband and bio went to the Crab Shack in the buffet and loved it.

 

So, the second formal night, most of us went to the Crab Shack...it was the best meal of the whole week. The area is a cordoned off spot in the buffet, the charge is $20 per person. Appetizer of hush puppies and shrimp (like a tempura battered) soup was a fish stew (I didn't eat it, my tummy couldn't take the acid or spice last week) but everyone else enjoyed it. We all ordered the same dinner, a bucket of crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob. So much better than a formal night cruise dinner. If we had it to do over again, I'd go both nights.

[canadarocks]

Good to know we'll have lots of choices those evenings. Thank everyone! :)

 

Quick question.....are escargots available in the Horizon Court the night they're on the MDR menu?

Edited April 19, 2014 by canadarocks

[Mom33]

Here's a picture....

 

 

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Edited April 19, 2014 by Mom33

[rdsqrl]

Here's a picture....

[ATTACH]309939[/ATTACH]

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I think something or someone is trying to crawl out . . .

[Mom33]

I think something or someone is trying to crawl out . . .

 

:D:D but it didn't get away ;)

[Pia1913]

Good to know we'll have lots of choices those evenings. Thank everyone! :)

 

Quick question.....are escargots available in the Horizon Court the night they're on the MDR menu?

 

Escargot is never in Horizon Court.

 

And to those who had Crab Shack on formal night, sorry. You now know how observant I am. :o

[caribill]

We've decided to forgo our formal wear next year on the Royal. Our 20 day B2B says there's only 3 formal nights (surprising, and I know likely to change).

 

I think that you will find that since the cruise is really two 10 day cruises, that there will be 2 formal nights on each leg, and 4 in total.

 

Ah, the wonders of computer programming.

 

The Princess computer sees "20 days" and assumes that means 3 formal nights which would be correct for a single cruise of 20 days in length.

 

The software needs to be fixed to recognize the number of formal days when a single booking number is really for multiple segments.

[satxdiver]

The Royal HC is awesome and above the HC on the other ships. We spent on formal night in the HC and loved it. We went to Alfredo's on the afternoon we boarded and later on one of the formal nights. We loved it.

 

Formal nights are a misnomer. Men can enter the MDR wearing a pair of pants (Dockers will do) and a long sleeved shirt with collar. Ties and coats are not required and you will not be alone. Since we always of late spend one night in Sabotini's, we do it on the first formal night. What once was viewed as formal has changed with the times.

[chrysalis]

 

Formal nights are a misnomer. Men can enter the MDR wearing a pair of pants (Dockers will do) and a long sleeved shirt with collar. Ties and coats are not required and you will not be alone. Since we always of late spend one night in Sabotini's, we do it on the first formal night. What once was viewed as formal has changed with the times.

 

Making sweeping statements can sometimes be a mistake.....read post #4 of this thread....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2029216

 

Also, since the Royal will be doing 10 day cruises in the Caribbean, one might find that formal night is more formal than when it did the 7 day cruises.

[Pam in CA]

Formal nights are a misnomer. Men can enter the MDR wearing a pair of pants (Dockers will do) and a long sleeved shirt with collar. Ties and coats are not required and you will not be alone. Since we always of late spend one night in Sabotini's, we do it on the first formal night. What once was viewed as formal has changed with the times.

You are right that times have changed and what was once very, very formal with ball gowns and tuxes isn't any more. But it's still very dressed up. I very rarely see any gentleman in the dining room without a jacket. If we don't feel like getting dressed up, we go to a specialty restaurant or to the buffet. We don't feel like we're missing out on anything other than atmosphere as often, many of the same menu items are available in the buffet, particularly on the Royal.

[canadarocks]

We did the formal dinners in the MDR on the Emerald last month, and both DH & I were kind of underwhelmed by both the food and the lack of atmosphere. It was our very first Princess cruise, and that was truly one of the only aspects of cruising on Holland America that we preferred.

 

That's why we decided to forgo formal nights in the MDR on the Royal next March.