number of formal nights

[kevboy]

Can anyone clarify how many formal nights there will be on Britannia`s return to international cruising. I have always known there to be 4 on a fourteen night cruise but recent readings seem to indicate that these will be reduced to only 2. 

[davecttr]

P&O mentioned a couple of years ago that Iona would have 1 formal (now celebration) night per week but no mention of Britannia. The the cruise lowdown site says Britannia will be the same as Iona, 1 formal night for a 7 night cruise and 2 formal nights for a 14 night cruise.

 

we will know in a month or so

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

The the cruise lowdown site says Britannia will be the same as Iona, 1 formal night for a 7 night cruise and 2 formal nights for a 14 night cruise.

 

And so the "dumbing down " continues !

Whats the betting that Our Vera just has a "dress to impress " night.

[BestGuessed]

My husband and I will be sailing on Britannia this Saturday and I too have pondered the question of how many formal nights there will be and what I should pack in the way of extra elegant evening wear.
However, one thing I do know for sure is that it isn’t worthwhile trying to contact P&O to ask the question as there is no hope whatsoever of anyone answering the phone or responding to an email …. I will just resort to taking a few different options and hope I get the opportunity to wear the more elegant dresses.
I sincerely hope that P&O do not go the route of cutting down the formal nights.

[soulstar]

So sad to hear about yet more 'dumbing down'. Always enjoyed the formal nights. Wonder if P&O asked the cruisers for their views on formal nights 🤔.

[sagaris]

We recently did a weeks seacation - Sunday to Sunday and there was one celebration night and one formal. The only difference was a free glass of champagne on the celebration night.

[L751]

I spoke to someone on Saturday from p and o and he said there would be 4 formal nights on Britannia on the 9th Oct

[BestGuessed]

29 minutes ago, L751 said:

I spoke to someone on Saturday from p and o and he said there would be 4 formal nights on Britannia on the 9th Oct

That’s helpful thank you.  I will hope that we will have four formal nights on this cruise from Saturday then !! 👍🏻😁

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, soulstar said:

So sad to hear about yet more 'dumbing down'. Always enjoyed the formal nights. Wonder if P&O asked the cruisers for their views on formal nights 🤔.

P&O always say changes are made as a result of customer feedback but like any commercial organisation, I am sure they know how to pose questions that get the answers they want...

 

[Jennizor]

I’m with you BestGuessed. I have got my 4 formal dresses hanging on the wardrobe doors waiting to be packed on Friday. I will be very disappointed if formal nights are reduced to 2 on Britannia. We are booked on Iona next year and I know there will only be 2 and that’s fine, but looking forward to 4 this time.

[Ardennais]

4 hours ago, soulstar said:

So sad to hear about yet more 'dumbing down'. Always enjoyed the formal nights. Wonder if P&O asked the cruisers for their views on formal nights 🤔.

I always fill in the post-cruise questionnaire and always say that I would prefer fewer formal nights. They ask, I respond! 

[L751]

8 hours ago, Jennizor said:

I’m with you BestGuessed. I have got my 4 formal dresses hanging on the wardrobe doors waiting to be packed on Friday. I will be very disappointed if formal nights are reduced to 2 on Britannia. We are booked on Iona next year and I know there will only be 2 and that’s fine, but looking forward to 4 this time.

They always said that Iona would only have 1 formal night per week

[soulstar]

I also responded to the  post cruise questionnaire. 

It's worth remembering that formal dress is only required in the main restaurants. Alternative restaurants,  not requiring formal dress are available.

[Bazrat]

I have found especially on this site the more cruises some people have done with p&o the more they wish there to be less formal nights, we being new to cruising the more the merrier because it’s not obligatory to go to them, we too have 4 formal nights coming up beloved got her dress’s me a new suit so happy.

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, soulstar said:

I also responded to the  post cruise questionnaire. 

It's worth remembering that formal dress is only required in the main restaurants. Alternative restaurants,  not requiring formal dress are available.

Quite right. That’s what we do, so it’s no deal breaker either way! 

[davecttr]

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

I have found especially on this site the more cruises some people have done with p&o the more they wish there to be less formal nights, we being new to cruising the more the merrier because it’s not obligatory to go to them, we too have 4 formal nights coming up beloved got her dress’s me a new suit so happy.

Agree, I was on a world segment a few years ago and the chat aboard was attendance at formal nights declined steadily amongst those doing the whole circumnavigation.

 

I used to do all the formals but not any more, I now only have myself to please. The advantage of the new mega ships is there is plenty of choice of venues for formal or evening casual.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Agree, I was on a world segment a few years ago and the chat aboard was attendance at formal nights declined steadily amongst those doing the whole circumnavigation.

 

I used to do all the formals but not any more, I now only have myself to please. The advantage of the new mega ships is there is plenty of choice of venues for formal or evening casual.

Similar experience on roundtrip Caribbean cruises, we got tired of the formal nights on the outgoing journey, and did not bother again til the last formal night.

[Britboys]

6 hours ago, Bazrat said:

I have found especially on this site the more cruises some people have done with p&o the more they wish there to be less formal nights, we being new to cruising the more the merrier because it’s not obligatory to go to them, we too have 4 formal nights coming up beloved got her dress’s me a new suit so happy.

I've done over 15 cruises with P&O plus another 10 or so with other lines, all of which have had formal nights. Not getting remotely fed up with them and hope P&O do stick to 2 per week on Aurora and Arcadia.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Similar experience on roundtrip Caribbean cruises, we got tired of the formal nights on the outgoing journey, and did not bother again til the last formal night.

That I can understand.

[Denarius]

Formal nights are ok provided that there is a reason for them to be formal. The captain's reception, the black and white ball, the gala dinner. But having them on a evening with nothing to distinguish it from any other just to fulfill the quota seems pointless. Perhaps the solution is to have 3 during the 14 night cruise for the special occasions listed above.

[Britboys]

9 minutes ago, Denarius said:

Formal nights are ok provided that there is a reason for them to be formal. The captain's reception, the black and white ball, the gala dinner. But having them on a evening with nothing to distinguish it from any other just to fulfill the quota seems pointless. Perhaps the solution is to have 3 during the 14 night cruise for the special occasions listed above.

Add a special Farewell Dinner and that makes 4...😀

[zap99]

17 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I always fill in the post-cruise questionnaire and always say that I would prefer fewer formal nights. They ask, I respond! 

How many formal nights don't bother us in the slightest. 0, or 4 we don't care. I think it is best say that we put up with them, rather than look forward to them. Celebrity have 0 formal nights and the cruise doesn't seem ' dumbed down '.

[Son of Anarchy]

Off the top of my head I don't think we've ever not gone to a formal night.  The most we've had on one cruise was six, which was a 24 nighter.

[Bazrat]

2 hours ago, Denarius said:

Formal nights are ok provided that there is a reason for them to be formal. The captain's reception, the black and white ball, the gala dinner. But having them on a evening with nothing to distinguish it from any other just to fulfill the quota seems pointless. Perhaps the solution is to have 3 during the 14 night cruise for the special occasions listed above.

You don’t need a reason to get dressed up

[Dermotsgirl]

5 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Similar experience on roundtrip Caribbean cruises, we got tired of the formal nights on the outgoing journey, and did not bother again til the last formal night.

On longer cruises, each time a formal night rolls round, I do get to thinking ‘oh no, not another one’.

 

Formal nights are no longer an important part of our cruise experience. We adhere to the dress code, but our preference is for smart casual nights now. I hope this doesn’t make me ‘dumb’ !