Dining alternatives for formal nights on Galaxy?

[CruiserJill]

We will be on the Galaxy for the 12 night Panama Canal cruise in January (th 22nd).

My husband has a funny quirk - he refuses to dress up, for any occassion. He's had it all his life, certainly as long as I've known him. He won't wear anything dressier than black jeans and a dress shirt. No tie, no jacket. This is what he wore to his monther's funeral, and there's NO WAY I'll be able to get him into anything else.

Since our upcoming cruise has several formal nights (I'm ignoring the informal nights for right now), what are the dining alternatives (instead of going into the dining room)?

I think we can order room service and have dinner on our balcony (we have CC class balcony for now, and are wait listed for Sky suite) - would the menu be the same as the dining room menu?

What about the buffet - is that available on formal nights for people that aren't dressed formally? I thought I read there might be an additional charge for this?

We'll still tip our dining room waiter and assistant the full amount, this is not to get out of tipping, but simply something I've had to accept about my DH.

Thanks for your help!!

[hajekfam]

You can order from the regular dinner menu from room service during the dining hours. There is also casual alternative dining in the buffet area. It is not a buffet. There are two menus that alternate. You have a waiter and the tables have tablecloths. There is a $2 per person charge (at least that is what it was earlier this year) and you have to make reservations by 5pm.
Also, be aware, on some Celebrity cruises that I was on, they were not admitting those that were not attired in the evening dress to the shows. On others they did. It is hit or miss as to whether they will enforce the evening dress code.

[chessbriar]

Trying to get room service at dinner time can take a while so plan ahead. To be honest, if he refuses to wear anything but jeans, Celebrity may not be the line for you. Even trying to get jeans in the restaurant on a casual night will be difficult. Look to the alternative dinning each night. It will actually be on the back of the ship and in the rear pool area. Good Luck

[MSBYRDY]

This is a joke right? There are NO JEANS allowed in the dining room on any nights.
Marilyn

[excitedofharpenden]

Jill, if you do end up in a Sky Suite my advice as far as dining in your room is concerned is go to the restaurant during that day and check out the posted menu to decide what you would like. Your butler would appreciate some notice of your requirements if you do want to eat in-cabin some nights and you can ask him if he could serve you course by course rather than all in one go. If you don't have one of the large balcony cabins where you could eat outside and having stayed in a Sky Suite before, the space is quite limited for dining. You only have a small table to eat off.

Phil

[ccletzgo]

[quote name='MSBYRDY']This is a joke right? There are NO JEANS allowed in the dining room on any nights.
Marilyn[/QUOTE]
You would be very out of place, if you did get in with jeans on. I rarely see jeans any where on the tropical cruises. Alaska, I saw a few, but not in the dining room.

[plvogel]

You can request the dining room menu from the butler in the morning. He will bring it to you and take your order, and then serve it course by course. It's also nice if you don't want to eat as early as 6 pm, but get too hungry to wait until 8:30. We ate at about 7 when we dined in our suite.Just make sure to order everything you want, because it is difficult for your butler to go back to get you something else.

[kitty9]

It's written very plainly in the daily newspaper that no jeans or shorts in the dining room after 6pm.

To the original poster. I understand that your husband doesn't like dressing up, but also know and understand this: If you are going anywhere on the ship after 6pm (other than the very limited designated casual area), to the shows, lounges and casino, you are expected to be dressed in the dress code of the day. On our cruise on the Summit, I only saw less than 10 people in the evening not dressed according to code and those people didn't dine in the formal dining room---and a vast majority of the men wore tuxes. Unfortunately, if your husband will only wear jeans, black or otherwise, he will look very out of place in the public rooms on Celebrity on both the formal and informal nights. While I'm not trying to be mean, Celebrity is known as a more formal and premium upscale line and it's a shame that you're paying so much money and not getting the benefit of the full Celebrity experience. It just seems so sad that just because someone refuses to throw on a pair of dress slacks, shirt and jacket, that you're going to miss out on the very best part of Celebrity cruising. Hey, could you talk him into renting a tux on board? What would be the problem with that? It's not like he actually has to do anything other than showering and putting on the clothes---I mean he has to put on his skivvies, shoes, socks, slacks and a shirt anyway, so what's the problem with adding a tie and a jacket?

[nursewurmy]

I understand how your husband feels. We live in Texas, and nice jeans and a dress shirt is considered acceptable in any restaurant, no matter how formal. We have the number 3 steak house in the country, and my husband wears jeans as do most other men. However, he does abide by the dress code for dinner on cruise. He even owns his own tux before I am sacrificed to the gods. He does not own a suit, but he owns a tux lol. I have never understood why people get so upset by what someone else is wearing. As long as you are not planning on telling me what I have to wear I do not care. It is not going to ruin my evening. I also cannot see how they could enforce the dress code for the rest of the evening. You pay for the cruise and they cannot refuse to let you go to the show, and to be honest if you push the issue they will not refuse to let you in the dining room either. We were on a rcci cruise a couple of years ago and our tablemates both were jeans on formal night. Did we do that no....did I care they did that...no. As long as they take a shower and bush their teeth I do not care. I hope you both have a great cruise, and don't let other people make your husband feel uncomfortable. I know people are going to attack me for this post, but it is how I honestly feel. You are allowed to have your opinion, and I am allowed to have mine. I just hope you do not spend thousands of dollars on a cruise and allow it to be ruined because you see someone in the dining room in jeans. Of course I am talking to people who look at how worn the carpet has become, or spend months looking for the perfect cabin. Cruising is an enjoyable vacation, enjoy your and let others enjoy their own.

[hotspur]

[quote name='nursewurmy']I have never understood why people get so upset by what someone else is wearing. As long as you are not planning on telling me what I have to wear I do not care. It is not going to ruin my evening. I also cannot see how they could enforce the dress code for the rest of the evening. You pay for the cruise and they cannot refuse to let you go to the show, and to be honest if you push the issue they will not refuse to let you in the dining room either.[/QUOTE]
Well said, nursewurmy. Aren't the dress police here just a treat?

But really now, don't you think we should all be required to wear black-tie to the evening show on Galaxy to see the guy perform with his marionettes? I mean, how much more "upscale" (per kitty9) can you get? Who needs the Met, Covent Garden, or the Musikverein when you can have...well...marionettes? (Once again, where's the roll-eyes emoticon?)

[hdawson]

I wonder what kind of travel agent decided that Celebrity was the line for you. The most dressy line I've been on out of 14 cruises. I think your travel agent did you an injustice. It's a rather sophisticated menue too.

[nursewurmy]

[quote name='hotspur']Well said, nursewurmy. Aren't the dress police here just a treat?

But really now, don't you think we should all be required to wear black-tie to the evening show on Galaxy to see the guy perform with his marionettes? I mean, how much more "upscale" (per kitty9) can you get? Who needs the Met, Covent Garden, or the Musikverein when you can have...well...marionettes? (Once again, where's the roll-eyes emoticon?)[/QUOTE]


That made me laugh. People think because they feel something should be one way that everyone should just follow in line behind. Well, I am to much of a free thinker to just follow in line, but I will make sure David stays in his tux for the puppet show. lol

[nursewurmy]

[quote name='hdawson']I wonder what kind of travel agent decided that Celebrity was the line for you. The most dressy line I've been on out of 14 cruises. I think your travel agent did you an injustice. It's a rather sophisticated menue too.[/QUOTE]



I wonder what gives you the right to say what line anyone should choose to travel. I get really mad when other people try to tell me how to live my life when I am home, and it only makes me more upset when it is a vacation I pay to take. We just came off a cruise a couple of weeks ago and the patter said that tenders would not be available until a certain time because tours went first. I happened to be waiting to tender, due to helping my aunt who is in a wheelchair when a couple came down and insisted they be allowed to tender right then. For some reason they decided they were more important than anyone else on the cruise. People get so bent out of shape on a cruise, I know they cannot be relaxing. I mean seriously look at some of the reviews..."there is a frayed carpet on the southwest corner of the penthouse deck or ...the furniture looks like someone sat in it before me or ...I saw someone in jeans on formal night trying to go to the same show as I am going to be attending" They have the same right to choose celebrity as you do, and the travel agent suggested it because it is a nice cruise line.

[lougee1043]

[quote name='plvogel']You can request the dining room menu from the butler in the morning. QUOTE]

there is no butler service in the cc cabins -- butler service only comes with penthouse suites -royal suites and sky suites

[lougee1043]

[quote name='nursewurmy']. I also cannot see how they could enforce the dress code for the rest of the evening. .[/QUOTE]
they can enforce the dress code the same way a business enforces their code- if an employee shows up out of dress code they send the person home to change and if they are really lucky they wont be docked

restaurants all over the country have a dress code and if you show up out of code they might try to help you by giving you a tie or a jacket or they can simply refuse to seat you and deny your entry to any public room

[CruiserJill]

Well, I certainly didn't mean to start fights on this board, but it's obvious that some poeple will get huffy no matter what the topic. And I didn't mean this topic to turn into a "dress code" topic, I was simply looking for alternatives as we won't be dressing formally on formal nights (and wouldn't be in the dining room on formal nights).

For those of you who responded to my original question (what are the dining alternatives on formal nights), thank you.

[texasgirl]

Nursewurmy -

Well said! I chose Celebrity for my upcoming cruise because of the great price I got. Wish people could just relax and accept others as they are. As I've said before, if they are going to be so picky about a dress code for the dining room, they should make and enforce a strict dress code for around the pool! Some of the things I've seen there are much worse (and funnier) than anything I've seen in a dining room.

[hdawson]

Nursewurmy. I didn't say anyone should cruise on a different line. A good travel agent will try to match their clients to the cruise that will more likely match their style, comfort level, etc. In other words compatible. The sign on the menue board outstide Celebrity's dining rooms clearly states no jeans.
Of course all ships have the casual dining area for those that don't feel like dressing. I sure didn't mean to start a dog/cat fight.

[nursewurmy]

It just makes me upset when people decide to be a keeper of other peoples business. I also know that if you are determined to go into the dining room in jeans (that are nicely cared for with a nice shirt) that they will not refuse it. I have seen it happen. People think that they will turn them away, but just listen to what everyone posts Celebrity is out to make you happy. The dress code is the way they would like for you to dress, but it is not written in stone.

[CanTex]

I'm not going to debate that one should dress appropriately for dinner, but I'll be da**ed if I'm going to confine myself to a "very limited designated casual area" for the rest of the entire evening. What's that all about? If I want to change into something a little more comfortable after dinner or even just lose the jacket and / or tie, I WILL and won't lock myself into my stateroom because of it! Get real!

[quote name='kitty9']It's written very plainly in the daily newspaper that no jeans or shorts in the dining room after 6pm.

To the original poster. I understand that your husband doesn't like dressing up, but also know and understand this: If you are going anywhere on the ship after 6pm (other than the very limited designated casual area), to the shows, lounges and casino, you are expected to be dressed in the dress code of the day. On our cruise on the Summit, I only saw less than 10 people in the evening not dressed according to code and those people didn't dine in the formal dining room---and a vast majority of the men wore tuxes. Unfortunately, if your husband will only wear jeans, black or otherwise, he will look very out of place in the public rooms on Celebrity on both the formal and informal nights. While I'm not trying to be mean, Celebrity is known as a more formal and premium upscale line and it's a shame that you're paying so much money and not getting the benefit of the full Celebrity experience. It just seems so sad that just because someone refuses to throw on a pair of dress slacks, shirt and jacket, that you're going to miss out on the very best part of Celebrity cruising. Hey, could you talk him into renting a tux on board? What would be the problem with that? It's not like he actually has to do anything other than showering and putting on the clothes---I mean he has to put on his skivvies, shoes, socks, slacks and a shirt anyway, so what's the problem with adding a tie and a jacket?[/QUOTE]