Formal Nights

[Bennett'sCruise]

Question: we have friends who will be cruising with us. The guy doesn't own a suit or even a sport coat. If they decide not to "dress" can they still eat somewhere on the ship for dinner during formal night?

 

~D

[Boo's Mom]

D ~ One option...is that they can order from the dining room menu and have the meal delivered to their cabin. No charge. Only a tip.

 

This is not advertised anywhere...to my knowledge.

 

They call Room service...and find out what is on the menu...and then it is ordered and delivered.

 

On a recent RCI cruise, the Room Service person on the telephone told us that the menu was posted on one of the stations on the TV. We never were able to find it. He just told us what was on the menu.

 

Formal Night...Lobster.... order 2-3 of them! (small portions) :D Lobster in Bed...watching TV! .....how often does one do that?

[Bennett'sCruise]

D ~ One option...is that they can order from the dining room menu and have the meal delivered to their cabin. No charge. Only a tip.

 

This is not advertised anywhere...to my knowledge.

 

They call Room service...and find out what is on the menu...and then it is ordered and delivered.

 

On a recent RCI cruise' date=' the Room Service person on the telephone told us that the menu was posted on one of the stations on the TV. We never were able to find it. He just told us what was on the menu.

 

Formal Night...Lobster.... order 2-3 of them! (small portions) :D Lobster in Bed...watching TV! .....how often does one do that?[/quote']

 

Thanks Boo'sMom. Sounds like a good idea. Is the Windjammer Buffet open for dinner on formal nights?

 

~D

[Boo's Mom]

D ~

On our recent Enchantment cruise it was.

 

6:30 - 9:00 pm

[WeLuvVacation]

Joyce Gleeson-Adamidis, who pens Cruise Critic's original "Under the Captain's Table" series of stories, knows the ins and outs of onboard life -- both as a cruise ship staff member and as the wife of Celebrity Cruises' venerable Captain Adamidis. In "Under the Captain's Table," Joyce will tackle, in her own candid way, a variety of topics -- offering an absolutely behind the scenes perspective on issues ranging from advice for first timers to the burgeoning debate about challenges ships face in handling family travelers.

 

 

Do you wish to look like a million dollars? Those who have it, will. Those who don't, still can anyway! Take your best basic black dress and your favorite shoes, and splurge on a good onboard hair stylist. Put on your favorite jewelry, bring along your favorite shawl and you will look terrific. Men, put on your best suit, a conversational tie and go to the casino or disco. Whoops, haven't a suit? Take along a sport jacket.

 

On a mega ship, you will see everything from Yves St. Laurent to Nikes with Bermuda shorts and then some. Though it is respectful to the Captain and crew to dress for formal evenings, on many ships you don't have to -- there are casual dining options available to you. But for those who want to live the glamour, go all out.

 

One of the strangest -- and most fascinating -- lessons I've learned is how passionate cruise travelers can be about fashion. I've seen raucous debates from passengers about whether ships should casual-ize dressing standards. Actual fist fights with comical ramifications have broken out because of comments made about one's attire. One time, a man walking through the lobby made a comment to his wife about another poorly dressed couple. Overhearing him, the shabby bloke retorted to the dandy guy to "button up."

 

The dressed one responded with an epithet. Next thing you know, a bow tie was tossed, a tennis shoe was flung over the deck and a black tuxedo pant somehow got wrapped around two ankles. What started with a shot and ended in a flash had other passengers running in all directions, pressing hands against mouths to stifle impossibly held giggles.

 

Bottom line? Do what's right for you. Onboard you will see many types of people with many wishes. Just worry about fulfilling yours.

 

And while I'm on the subject, cruise lines rarely offer guidance on what to wear in ports of call. It's important, though -- very important -- to wear appropriate and respectful clothing, depending on the port of call.

 

Does he have a regular collared shirt? Not a polo shirt? If so A tie will look better and he'll be ok, no tie slacks and the shirt will still get you in.

 

As long as you don't dress like a slob you are ok!

 

And don't let anyone else tell you different!

[Ohunion Cruzers]

Yes-Alternative Casual dining may be experienced in the Windjammer.

 

Otherwise,

 

The following expectation can be found on RCI’s Web Page:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/lifeOnboardFaq.do;jsessionid=00003r7uyfPObwi9-KWfJ3UFI4U:v2mocc7o#8

 

What are the dress codes onboard?

There are three distinct types of evenings onboard: casual, smart casual and formal. Suggested guidelines for these nights are:

 

Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women

Smart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women

Formal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women

 

3 to 4-night cruises include one formal night and two or three casual nights.

5 - nights include one formal and four casual nights.

7 to 9-night cruises include two formal nights, one smart casual night and four to six casual nights.

10, 11, and 12-night cruises include two formal nights and two smart casual nights, all other nights are casual.

14+ -night cruises include three formal nights and four smart casual nights. All other nights are casual.

 

We appreciate your usual parental guidance and cooperation in observing these easy guidelines with your children.

[Bennett'sCruise]

Thanks, everyone.

 

Ohunion: I'm not quite sure what you are implying by your last post. ( or, indeed, if it was all said "tongue-in-cheek".) We have cruised and have seen everything. No judgement from us. We have finally talked our friends into cruising .. they have been skeptical. I think this "formal" thing has been one reason. We've told them it's not an issue (and on NCL it's not ... but other cruiselines have different guide lines .. that's why I asked this question in the first place).

 

The fellow in question is a well-respected retired fire chief who has lived his life saving lives. He is from a small community where "formal" is a foreign word (not to mention the West Coast which is more relaxed anyway). While my husband and I enjoy "dressing to the nines" on occasion, this fellow does not. But, we are just very happy that they have decided to enjoy a cruise with us.

 

Hopefully no one will suspect them as "Al-Qaida" ... my goodness, there's a word that shouldn't be bantied about without care!:o

 

I do appreciate your info on the Windjammer. I will consider this thread CLOSED.... thanks everyone.....

 

~Dianne

[BaltoTraveler]

Gracious! I'd be a member of al-Qaeda if I wore a blazer and slacks on Formal Night. ("If we allow the mandatory tuxedo rule to fade away, the terrorists will have won.") *grin*

 

That suggestion by Boo's Mom of three lobsters in bed (I think I'll eat mine on the balcony, thanks) is sounding better all the time!

[SJS]

Dianne, I had a hard time convincing my husband to cruise and the formal dining was one of his issues. I suggest your friend buy a sports jacket and tie from a used clothing store and bring it along in case he decides he does LOVE the dining room and doesn't want to miss any of the nights there. By the way, my husband loved cruising and we now try and take one every year and he doesn't mind dressing up in his suit (although he does change right after dinner!).

[kg4pit]

We have been on the Sovereign 2 times and Enchantment once. All 3 times on formal night my DH and DS wore dress pants and a button up shirt. You won't be thrown to the wolves for not wearing a sport coat or a suit. Although according to some, people will look at you like you have 3 eyes. For the most part, people are there to enjoy their vacation and don't even notice what people are wearing. Like I have said on other boards as long as you are neat and clean (no shorts, jeans or tanktops, please) you will look fine on formal night. :)

[CRUZIN BRAD]

BENNETT--

 

What you said is just fine.

Dress is not a RULE it is a suggestion.

 

If someone else is paying for your ticket, then you may want to honor their wishes.

But, your tickets, you do as you wish.

 

I have not taken dress clothes on cruises with me in years. I do not feel out of place at all.

I pay for a cruise ticket and it's my vacation to enjoy. Not make others happy.

 

Someone has a problem with it -- TOUGH

[VernRDH]

Currently in the U.S.A ., G.B. and a few other countries around the world, there are groups who do not want to follow the rules. All they want to do is disrupt the world. Cause turmoil and chaos everywhere. They try to see what they can ‘get away with’, without being caught. Currently, we call these people Al-Qaida.

 

People who do not follow the rules or wishes of the cruiseline, such as allowing underage people in the casino, bars, pools, etc. and those who do not follow the dress code, allow underage people in the specialty restaurants, etc., - you are just like Al-Qaida to the majority of the cruise-world.

 

I find this offensive.:mad: How can you possibly equate someone who does not dress as YOU wish with Al-Qaeda terrorists? The person may have a number of reasons for not dressing (possibly their luggage was lost and hasn't caught up yet?) and that should not affect you. If you care that much about what others wear to dinner, then I suggest you cruise on the higher end lines.

 

BTW, DH may not wear a suit on our cruise on SOS in 5 days. Would you like to alert Homeland Security that he is a "cruiseline Al-Qaeda"? How about minding your own business instead.

[TheBeachBears]

I will be taking only semi-formal cloths with me on this upcoming cruise, if some one has a problem with that they can eat somewhere else. It’s your vacation you should be able to enjoy yourselves. A polo shirt and slacks are fine with me. That have been said I will be renting a tux for my JOS cruise for pictures that way we have nice Christmas pictures. But that is my choice. Go and “break the rule” maybe the clothing police will lighten up here eventually.

[cmecompute]

Dianne, I was on Enchantment 2 years ago, on formal night I got all dressed up, put on my jacket and was so Hot that the jacket never made it with me to dinner. I was wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie. By the time I sat down to dinner, the tie was slightly loosened. Much to my surprise, about 1/4 of the people were dressed like the "Love Boat", full length evening gowns, tuxedos, ect. the other 3/4 of the dining room were in an assortment from suits / dresses, to slacks and polo shirts. If he were to show up without a tie and jacket I honestly don't think he will stand out at all. Not everybody owns a Tuxedo, I wouldn't worry about it at all. And I am sure your party will not be looked upon as terrorists, we weren't. In fact, at our table of 10, on formal night, there were 2 of the 6 men in suits. The rest were dressed nicely, but not to the extent of tuxedos or suits. Just have fun, and enjoy the experience, that is what it is all about.

 

Bob & Carol

[piphigoddess]

I foresee the downfall of glamorous cruising. Oh wait! It's here already.

 

Why do you think they added casual dining to the ships? It is for those who want to miss the one or two formal nights in the main dining room(s).

 

Besides, what is so bad about dressing up and looking nice for ONE night? I personally haven't done it since Prom in high school so I look forward to it every time we go.