Confused about Dinner & Packing

[Family-of-4]

Hello all,

 

We are confused how the dinners will work on a 7-night Magic cruise. There are 3 main restaurants, so will we dine in each of these twice? What happens on the 7th night? What exactly is the pirate party and where is dining that night? Is the formal night in a specific restaurant or just on a specific night and can be in any of those restaurants? We are cruising this Saturday and starting to panic as we pack - not sure how many clothes we'll need and if it's easy to wash clothes.

 

Please help!

Family-of-4

[Dale-N-Chip]

There are 3 restaurants, so you'll loop through them for 7 nights. So your rotation might be LAPLAPL. But you'll be assigned to a dining room for every night of your cruise. (Not that you have to go to your assigned dining room, but that you can't go to a DIFFERENT dining room. You are always welcome to order complimentary-plus-a-gratuity room service, get food on deck 9, or hit Topsider's for a buffet if it's open.)

 

On Pirate Night, all restaurants have a special menu, regardless of where you are in your "rotation." After the themed dinner, there is a party on deck 9 much like the Sail Away party, only with a Pirate theme. Later that night, you'll have a buffet set up with some "pirate fare" (fajitas, turkey legs) and plenty of desserts.

 

Formal night is not by restaurant, but instead by night. So it might be Day 2 on the Eastern cruise or Day 3 on the Western. So everyone on board will have Formal Night together.

 

I am not sure I'd say washing clothes is "easy" but DCL does have laundry facilities available. Plus you can send your laundry out if you are feeling crazy. :rolleyes: The key is to hit the laundry during lulls--port days, middle of the night, as the sun rises, etc.

 

Happy sailing!

 

mk

[belle907]

Take mix and match clothes, especially for dinner. You will only be in them a couple of hours and can re-wear the majority of them.

I take a pair of either black or white dress sandals that I wear every night to dinner and then 2 more pairs of sandals. I also hold daughter to this tight shoe list.

 

The biggest packing hint is this: lay out all your clothes you plan on taking and then put half of them back in your closet as you won't need them.

[ducklite]

Take mix and match clothes, especially for dinner. You will only be in them a couple of hours and can re-wear the majority of them.

I take a pair of either black or white dress sandals that I wear every night to dinner and then 2 more pairs of sandals. I also hold daughter to this tight shoe list.

 

The biggest packing hint is this: lay out all your clothes you plan on taking and then put half of them back in your closet as you won't need them.

 

To add: If you do find that something needs cleaning, you can either do a load of laundry in the self-service laundro-mat onboard, or send it out for cleaning--the prices were quite reasonable if you only needed one or two items cleaned.

[Family-of-4]

Thank you all very much! On the ship at night walking around on the decks for a November cruise, will it be warm or chilly - t-shirt and shorts weather?

[belle907]

Thank you all very much! On the ship at night walking around on the decks for a November cruise, will it be warm or chilly - t-shirt and shorts weather?

Very hard to tell. I would pack a jacket or sweatshirt to be on the safe side and a pair of pants.

The theater and dining rooms can be cool. I usually pack a sweater to wear if I need it.

[ducklite]

We've cruised in late August and early Ocotber, and both times it got chilly on deck at night. The late August cruise I had to buy a sweatshirt for my son, I had been smart enough to pack one for the October cruise. He wore shorts but had that sweatshirt on with them.

 

Down in the Caribbean you might not need warmer clothes, but as you get into the Bahama's and then up to Port Canveral you probably will.

[Presentation]

We are cruising this Saturday and starting to panic as we pack - not sure how many clothes we'll need and if it's easy to wash clothes.

 

Please help!

Family-of-4

 

Just my opinion.

First of all, we are all in the same boat. Airlines have really gotten tight on baggage.

Second, you and ONLY you will even notice if you wear the same outfit to the dining room twice.

For a 7 night cruise, pack three dinner type outfits, one being fancier. Use the fancy one for the formal night and the night you go to Palo’s. You have 5 remainng nights. Wear one outfit 3 times, one twice. If you are really paranoid that someone will notice you wearing the same outfit, alter your accessories.

Kids – not more then 3 outfits each. Kids can really get away with one formal and one casual outfit then have the kids swap shirts. By the way, there is a semi-formal night so the kids can wear the formal outfit that night also.

Pack light, your on vacation!

[DrD]

Kids – not more then 3 outfits each. Kids can really get away with one formal and one casual outfit then have the kids swap shirts. By the way, there is a semi-formal night so the kids can wear the formal outfit that night also.

 

Pack light, you're on vacation!

 

Ha you must not have boys. 3 shirts a day is more like it.

[Presentation]

Ha you must not have boys. 3 shirts a day is more like it.

 

Family of 5 here.

 

Mom, Dad, three kids. Daugher (12) Son (8) Daugher (5)

 

If your kids are going thru 3 shirts per dinner, that’s a lot of cloths.

 

When we are on a Disney cruise, we change our cloths before dinner. During the day it’s swimwear and cover-ups or shorts and T-shirts.

 

On a cruise we will wear the cloths multiple times assuming they did not get overly sweaty or dirty.

 

 

Given the current airline policies of luggage I believe we are of the norm.