Abolish All Formal Nights - all in favor speak up!

[kidless]

I am starting a movement to get formal nights removed from cruising. I know it is controversial, but worth the effort.

 

All that should be required in the evenings is resort casual or country club casual or better. If one chooses to dress in tux and gowns than it would be their prerogative. As my mom says you can never really be too overdressed.

 

Not having a formal night is a more fair system. I pay the same amount as the others and because I don't like to dress up like I am going to work while I am on vacation I am forced to pay to eat in the specialty restaurant or the hideous buffet or be sequestered in my room.

 

The cruiselines read these boards and lets send them a great message!

 

If I don't get a response in my favor I will start showing up in ripped jeans and t-shirt on formal nights. As we all know poorly dress people are never asked to leave. ;)

 

Why get rid of formal nights? If you don't like dressing up go ahead and wear your ripped up jeans and dirty Walmart T-shirt into the dining room. The staff won't say a word to you and it will give the rest of us something to talk about on the these boards when we get back................LOL:D

[Aubiecruiser]

Well, I am a bit embarrassed to actually admit this in public, but the costume party was my idea. Actually, I am blaming the fact that we were drinking heavily at the time, but at our last party I said it would be fun to have a SNL party where everyone has to be their favorite SNL character. Like I said there was a lot of drinking going on, and so I am actually hosting this party. I will be wearing black leotards, black bike shorts, a black and yellow striped top, 2 banderleros of amunition, a sombrero, and a head piece with two slinky kind of things with a tennis ball on the end. You tell me what I am going to be.:confused:

 

Poor Aubie is stuck in second grade again!:D

 

jc

 

Land shark is out of the question, I got it, "Killer Beez":D

Aubie

[BrianTom]

The system is already designed to accomodate your desire. On the two formal nights those who want to dress like they're going to their local restaurant franchise can eat in the Windjammer. No raised eyebrows.

 

 

Jimmers:)

 

Not fair. We who don't like to wear formal clothes, not jeans and t-shirts, on vacation don't get to eat in the dining room. It is not a fair system in my opinion.

 

BTW that is why I went on the NCL Pearl and I am booked on it again in the spring. No Formality. These two RC cruises were booked prior to the NCL sailings.

[BrianTom]

Ooops, I don't think you mean me. I have nothing against dressing up in a costume. I am one of those in favor of dressing up - costume or formal. :D :D

 

Your right!!! Ugh. I hate the costume thing too. I dont think we would enjoy the same parties.

[reallyitsmema]

Your right!!! Ugh. I hate the costume thing too. I dont think we would enjoy the same parties.

Now THAT is funny.....

[Tranquil Waters]

Land shark is out of the question, I got it, "Killer Beez":D

Aubie

 

Whew! Thank you for the save! I knew you weren't really stuck in second grade again.....

[xpcdoojk]

Not fair. We who don't like to wear formal clothes, not jeans and t-shirts, on vacation don't get to eat in the dining room. It is not a fair system in my opinion.

 

BTW that is why I went on the NCL Pearl and I am booked on it again in the spring. No Formality. These two RC cruises were booked prior to the NCL sailings.

 

Seriously, until you deal with the root cause of your problem you are not going to find happiness. ;) If you show up as I imagine you will nobody will say a word to you and if you are dressed nicely nobody will even notice that you are not dressed formally. Of course, we have to get to that marital bliss thing and that means putting on the tuxedo. This really has nothing to do with RCI for you.:D

 

jc

[Tranquil Waters]

Your right!!! Ugh. I hate the costume thing too. I dont think we would enjoy the same parties.

 

Well, you might be half right. You do seem to limit yourself more.

 

I, on the other hand, am a more open-minded individual. :D I would probably enjoy your type party very much. I just also enjoy formal and costume. I like to experience lot of different things .....

[glgolfer]

1. The tux I had made for me a few years ago is the most comfortable "suit" I own. I have some interesting cumberbund & tie sets including a bright orange one with palm trees and other tropical figures on it. I also have one with a number of fish. I do not wear the typical black set.

 

2. Don't care what anyone wears to formal night. They can come naked for all I really care.

 

3. I will sit with most anyone as long as they are interesting and positive. If you are negative or complain all the time, go somewhere else.

 

4. If you're wearing anything just to make a statement about how it's "my vacation and I'll do what I want", you may go away, too.

 

5. If you wear what you're comfortable with and don't make an issue of it, you're welcome anytime.

 

Now, if you meet me on a cruise, you know what to do.

[BrianTom]

Sorry, but you will certainly find that you are in the minority.

 

Please step aside.

 

I am a minority on the RCCL thread. But not in the cruise industry. and I am not going to go away that easily. It is too important....oh, 5:15pm on a friday afternoon, got to run...tell RC to change the policy for me if you get a chance...

[dak_friendly]

The system is already designed to accomodate your desire. On the two formal nights those who want to dress like they're going to their local restaurant franchise can eat in the Windjammer. No raised eyebrows.

 

(please note, heavy sarcasm)

 

Which franchise? I dress nicely when I go out to dine. You must be a cretin in your real life versus the faking you do on the cruise...

 

---

 

People pay for their cruise. They pay for their meals. They pay for the food in the dining room if they choose. Royal Caribbean enforces policy.

 

You ALL do not PAY to exclude others. You ALL do not PAY to banish people from your sight. Keep your face down looking at your plate and you'll be less offended.

 

Or MAYBE you should just ALL lighten up and realize... it is all moot. The cruise line wants your money, the dining room staff wants your tips, formal dress/T-shirt&Jeans... you'll both be welcome in the dining room to drop off your $$$.

[MariTenor1]

I am a waiter on a cruise ship.

 

Can I change my table please?

[glgolfer]

BT - How did you like the Pearl. What are the "courtyard"? cabins like?

[Ocean Boy]

Well, I am a bit embarrassed to actually admit this in public, but the costume party was my idea. Actually, I am blaming the fact that we were drinking heavily at the time, but at our last party I said it would be fun to have a SNL party where everyone has to be their favorite SNL character. Like I said there was a lot of drinking going on, and so I am actually hosting this party. I will be wearing black leotards, black bike shorts, a black and yellow striped top, 2 banderleros of amunition, a sombrero, and a head piece with two slinky kind of things with a tennis ball on the end. You tell me what I am going to be.:confused:

 

Poor Aubie is stuck in second grade again!:D

 

jc

 

JC..... maybe it is time to consider alcoholics annonymous??;)

[CoronaCpl]

If I don't get a response in my favor I will start showing up in ripped jeans and t-shirt on formal nights. As we all know poorly dress people are never asked to leave. ;)

 

 

Why not cruise Burger King? Then you can have it your way.

[BrianTom]

BT - How did you like the Pearl. What are the "courtyard"? cabins like?[/quote

 

Pearl was Awesome!!! Courtyard cabins are amazing. We had a suite and it is the best suite experience I have experience on ANY ship I have been on.

 

The negative is that they offered a optional formal dining night ;). Seriously the negative part of the ship is their standard balcony cabins. Friends of ours had it and it was THE smallest balcony cabin I have ever seen. Smaller than Princess's balcony cabins if you can believe that.

 

Lastly, my decision was that I will only go on a NCL in a Penthouse Suite or better (similar to a JR Suite on RC). Once in the suite, I had never experienced service like that except at high end land based resorts.

[Tranquil Waters]

JC..... maybe it is time to consider alcoholics annonymous??;)

 

shhhhhh.....we try not to talk about his problem.:o

[BrianTom]

Why not cruise Burger King? Then you can have it your way.

 

 

Because that is where I go when I dress formally for dinner.

[RachieLnnn]

RachieLnn, if you are going on NCL's newer ships (Pearl or Jewel) you will really like their dinner and dress policy.

 

Thanks! I'm actually going on the NCLA ship Pride of Hawaii. It is fairly new as well.

 

Like I said, I enjoyed Royal Caribbean, but I think I'm also going to enjoy taking it easy and not dressing up on this trip for these reasons:

 

First, because I will enjoy not having to go at a set time, unless we make a reservation (after all, it will be our honeymoon, there is a chance we might get distracted in our room. Hee hee) :o

 

Second, because I don't want to lug with the extra suitcases. For example, no extra garment bag! Wee! Formal night is so hard to do when you are severely limited by luggage restrictions when flying.

 

Third, I will have many, many different restaurants I am "allowed" in on ANY night I want. I love "the dress up or not night". Do it if you want to, but feel free to come in your casual dress, too. No one is going to be giving you the stink eye. (Yes, you could argue that one could dress casual on Royal, but then you wouldn't be following the rules and might be subjected to stink eye and be talked about on these threads when you get home.;) )

[Trainman-2]

I vote to retain Formal Nights! :eek:

[agabbymama]

OK, it is a case of semantics. Nagging, fussing, cajoling, b*tching etc.. Let's say a wife is getting dressed in a formal gown and the husband refuses to do it (funny though how you think it was a grown man that would be refusing to dress for formal night) you don't think there is any bullying going on there? And what if he does not dress appropriately? I would suspect NO marital bliss after the dinner.

 

Nope, not true at all. My husband and I have different likes and dislikes. He prefers the buffet, because there isn't usually a lot of waiting, the food is prepared, he can get as much of what he wants without waiting and go back for more if he wants. He doesn't own a suite or tux.

 

I like being waited on and seeing what's on the menu and dressing up.

 

SO we usually go our separate ways, when we are cruising together. I would join him once in awhile, and he joined me for lunch ONCE in the main dining room. On our Alaska cruisetour I did buy him nice slacks and a sports coat, so we did get some formal photos, but they he went right back to the room to change and go to dinner in the Lido, while I went to dinner in the main dining room.

 

It has nothing whatsoever to do with marital bliss after dinner. We've been married 43 years and respect each others choices.

[glgolfer]

BT - Thanks for the info. I might have to try that sometime.

 

You should do all or part of the Mariner of the Seas repositioning around the horn on January/February of 09. As long as you read my rules and stay positive and enjoy life.

[xpcdoojk]

shhhhhh.....we try not to talk about his problem.:o

 

JC..... maybe it is time to consider alcoholics annonymous??;)

 

Do you know the worst things about making internet friends?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That would be having internet friends!:p :p

 

jc

[MakinGold]

My question is, if you like the NCL concept, and enjoy cruising on that line, why not just stick mostly to that line, rather than thinking other lines should conform to your preferences? I like formal night, but I don't feel the need to lobby on the NCL board for them to institute formal dining.

[BrianTom]

Thanks! I'm actually going on the NCLA ship Pride of Hawaii. It is fairly new as well.

 

Like I said, I enjoyed Royal Caribbean, but I think I'm also going to enjoy taking it easy and not dressing up on this trip for these reasons:

 

First, because I will enjoy not having to go at a set time, unless we make a reservation (after all, it will be our honeymoon, there is a chance we might get distracted in our room. Hee hee) :o

 

Second, because I don't want to lug with the extra suitcases. For example, no extra garment bag! Wee! Formal night is so hard to do when you are severely limited by luggage restrictions when flying.

 

Third, I will have many, many different restaurants I am "allowed" in on ANY night I want. I love "the dress up or not night". Do it if you want to, but feel free to come in your casual dress, too. No one is going to be giving you the stink eye. (Yes, you could argue that one could dress casual on Royal, but then you wouldn't be following the rules and might be subjected to stink eye and be talked about on these threads when you get home.;) )

 

I had to Laugh out loud when I read the "stink eye" on boat or on the threads. It is true. You will enjoy the NCL experience, but the rooms are small but I dont know anyone on their honeymoon that really cared about room size.

 

Secondly, all the die hard Formal People will have to realize that the more the airlines keep charging for baggage (that is the direction they are all going) the more endangered the formal nights will become. I feel like a mad scientist finally creating his destructive formula as I write this....It is just a matter of time. The guests will not want to pay the airlines extra fees to carry the extra luggage needed for formal nights and the cruiselines will be forced to do away with it!! ha hahahahahahhahahahahah...........