skipping formal nights

[rmmm]

How many of you skip formal night in the dining room and eat in your cabin or in the Lido? I have done both ( dressed up on first cruise and also skipped it and ate in the Lido on the second) and I am thinking of skipping the formal nights and just eating in the Lido this time around. In part it is because it is my first solo cruise and I don't really look forward to getting all dressed up and going into the dining room alone (I don't have fixed seating) and partly to simplify packing. I wouldn't go to the dining room if I wasn't dressed properly and it really isn't that big of a deal to me to eat elsewhere on those nights. Anyone else feel this way?

[Andee]

When we're on a ship that has formal nights, we always dress up and eat in the main dining room.

[rjm1cc]

I would go to the dinning room. I like eating with a few others. I would prefer not to have a formal night, espicaly sicne it would help on the packing, but prefer the dinning room to the Lido.

[RI-Sailor]

On my cruise (first one and solo) I picked a ship that had (at least at that time) traditional dining so I'd meet tablemates and most likely have them to sit with for formal night! But, if I was solo on a ship without traditional dining, I think I'd throw a cocktail dress in my suitcase and go with whatever I felt like doing that night. If I'd found friends to sit with, I'd be formal-night-ready! :)

[CowPrincess]

Personally I'd do whatever necessary to avoid having dinner in the Lido. But that's just me. I'd suck it up, get dressed up and have meaningless conversation with strangers in the dining room. Or order room service (which I've enjoyed doing previously).

[Happy ks]

I think I'd go with the attitude that those people sharing the table will become my friends :)

 

It would be a shame if you didn't pack something to wear and then feel like you shouldn't attend because of your clothes. Perhaps tuck in a little black dress?

 

Oh, we've never skipped dinner in the dining room with the exception of eating at a specialty restaurant. We cruise to enjoy not only the ocean, but to be served. I'm a bit of a buffet snob and don't care for it, no matter what meal I'm eating.

[Lois R]

Hi:)

 

I always sail solo and enjoy dressing up on all my cruises.:)

I don't equate going on my own to casual only. As for packing,

I bring one checked bag and one carry on bag and have never

exceeded the weight limit~and that includes 2 formal outfits.

I never have the chance to "dress to the 9's" here at home and

I love it on a cruise:D

 

Cowprincess...suck it up? LOL Some of us love eating with

those strangers;) Actually, I love traditional dining and have

become good friends with some of those past tablemates!:)

 

RI Sailor, I agree with you and love a large table whenever

I sail solo! The wait staff is usually awesome and getting

all dressed up is fun for me!

 

To the OP~there are folks who eat at other venues and don't

like getting dressed up. There are usually quite a few other

choices on the ships these days. I feel like you are missing

out on a wonderful evening by skipping formal night....I agree with

the other gals....at least try it for one of the evenings. Black

slacks and a pretty top would be fine if you prefer something

simpler. Some nice jewelery and shoes and you would look great!

 

Enjoy your cruise:)

[jkudzu]

How many of you skip formal night in the dining room and eat in your cabin or in the Lido? I have done both ( dressed up on first cruise and also skipped it and ate in the Lido on the second) and I am thinking of skipping the formal nights and just eating in the Lido this time around. In part it is because it is my first solo cruise and I don't really look forward to getting all dressed up and going into the dining room alone (I don't have fixed seating) and partly to simplify packing. I wouldn't go to the dining room if I wasn't dressed properly and it really isn't that big of a deal to me to eat elsewhere on those nights. Anyone else feel this way?

 

DH and I have had some very nice dinners in the main dining room just the two of us, with a table of new friends, and in the buffet. We eat where the mood strikes us. Enjoy yourself no matter what you choose to do. Attitude is everything. :)

[not2old]

We agree! My DH is 6'7" and over 300lbs so his formalwear is almost 1 suitcase! We have cruised twice, done the formal night x1 each cruise but have decided, No More! We enjoy eating in the Windjammer on RCCL and just being on vacation! From a female point of view, I love the new maxi dresses, they make you feel somewhat dressy but are sooo comfortable! Don't think they are going to work for me this Sept in Alaska, though! :-)

[Nebr.cruiser]

We always go to the dining room on Formal nights and enjoy dressing up for a change. I don't mind the buffet for lunch and breakfast, but we've never eaten there for dinner. I'm not saying we never would; things happen, such as being very tired, very late, etc., but I don't find dressing for dinner that hard or time-consuming.

 

Most of my formal wear (except for one ball-type gown, which I don't always take) packs quite easily. My husband's tux and shoes are what take up the room. We usually each take a 25" suitcase and small carryons. Often we add one smaller suitcase for shoes and misc. junk, especially if he's taking the tux. (20").

 

One BIG advantage to almost always flying using airline miles is that we have no restriction on the weight or number of bags. It also helps to be AAdvantage Gold, for the same reason. We're never overweight anyway, but sometimes have more than one bag each.

[iheartbda]

Lois,

Does Celebrity still have the alternative dining in the buffet area where you are seated, served the same choices in the main dining room but you can dress casually? Many times that's the complaint that people cannot get the same entrees as the MDR.

 

Although Celebrity is still our favorite and we have the most cruises with them, we have not been on them for 3 years because they weren't going where we wanted to go.:(

[vowsatsea]

My husband and I have never done a formal night. Too much packing, too much effort...I like to be comfortable on vacation.

[ger_77]

Both DH and I love to dress up for formal evenings; DH in a tux and me in my sparkly things. Sabrett, you said you like to be comfortable on cruises - so do we; formal clothing doesn't have to be uncomfortable. If clothing fits properly, it will be comfortable. We've dined in the Lido and in the dining room on formal nights and we much prefer the dining room.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[iheartbda]

ger_77,

There, there's another thread where Darcie asks why people equate formal clothes with uncomfotable. Many are in agreement with you....me too.;):)

[Lois R]

Lois,

Does Celebrity still have the alternative dining in the buffet area where you are seated, served the same choices in the main dining room but you can dress casually? Many times that's the complaint that people cannot get the same entrees as the MDR.

 

Although Celebrity is still our favorite and we have the most cruises with them, we have not been on them for 3 years because they weren't going where we wanted to go.:(

 

Good morning:) They do offer alternative dining but no, there

are not as many choices as the main dining room. The food

is quite good though:DI ate there on CENTURY in April with

friends I met through the roll call. We had 7 of us go on the

last evening. I think they had 3 entree choices...could be 4.

They offered soups, appetizers, salads and dessert. I had plenty

of choices and found it really nice.

The wait staff in this area are all in training.

[Lois R]

My husband and I have never done a formal night. Too much packing, too much effort...I like to be comfortable on vacation.

 

Hi,:) It never takes up any more space for me to pack formal

clothes.

And I am always comfortable on vacation.:)

[Travel Bliss]

I actually look forward to the formal dining night. It's the one night I can get all dressed up, have nice photos taken, eat a fabulous meal and then go right back to the room and change out of the dressy clothes....all in under 3 hours, lol....

[Lois R]

I actually look forward to the formal dining night. It's the one night I can get all dressed up, have nice photos taken, eat a fabulous meal and then go right back to the room and change out of the dressy clothes....all in under 3 hours, lol....

 

Why would you change?:eek::confused:

I love getting dressed for the evening and having that meal too

with pre-dinner drinks in the Martini Bar:D

I see no reason to change out of those dressy clothes~they fit,

I feel pretty and it is formal night:)

[noteasilyimpressed]

I don't know. I absolutely LOVE dressing up, but truth be told, my face gets itchy from more makeup than usual, and so I also LOVE the part of the evening when I change back into my PJ's and have a squeaky clean face...and reflect on the evening's adventures. I do think I'd manage to stay in my formalwear for most of the evening, though...part of the fun (IMHO) is walking around the ship and 'seeing and being seen'.

 

PS in terms of shoes, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Tory burch patent wedges. The patent is dressy under flowy pants or a long dress, and they are SO comfortable I could wear them all day!

[cb at sea]

Never! Why skip something where you look so damn good? Dressing "formally" really doesn't take any more time than putting on pants, shirts, shoes, etc.....and you look so hot!

[cruisemom42]

Although I usually cruise with DS (now a teen), I sometimes dine on my own because he's off with friends and/or prefers to eat "on the fly" at the buffet. I, on the other hand, like the main DR and enjoy Anytime dining because it's a good way to meet others and enjoy dinner and conversation.

 

That said, we are planning a Med cruise next summer and may skip formal night as we are trying to travel very light. Skipping formal night will let me eliminate a skirt, top, a pair of shoes, and a purse that I'd otherwise pack. And I know DS won't care at all about missing it (although I might..... a little....:o).

[WOWJr1]

How many of you skip formal night in the dining room and eat in your cabin or in the Lido? ... I wouldn't go to the dining room if I wasn't dressed properly and it really isn't that big of a deal to me to eat elsewhere on those nights. Anyone else feel this way?

 

We adhered to the formal night traditions on our first three cruises. But beginning with cruise 4, we decided we had had enough of that. [interestingly, my wife was the one who wanted to stop dressing up. I know it's more often the man, but not in my case.] On formal nights we now eat in alternative venues which cater to more casual dressers. We aren't sloppy and wear "resort casual" styles, such as slacks and collared shirt for myself.

 

Initially we thought we might be missing something by staying away from the MDR on formal nights. We have been pleasantly surprised that we quite like the casual alternatives, at least on RCI and HAL. We find the Windjammer and Lido, respectively, are both much less noisy and much more intimate environments than the MDRs on formal nights. Avoiding pesky photographers who interrupt us has been a plus. We definitely do not miss the singing wait staff or parade of desserts. [The last RCI formal night we attended was so loud we quite literally had to cover our ears.]

 

All in all, we find the casual alternatives on formal nights to be our cruise "date nights". For example, the second formal night on one recent cruise happened to fall on Valentine's Day. We celebrated our 26 year marriage in the HAL Lido with a wonderful dinner on cloth-covered tables by candlelight, thoroughly enjoying our own company.

[Jane110]

I actually look forward to the formal dining night. It's the one night I can get all dressed up, have nice photos taken, eat a fabulous meal and then go right back to the room and change out of the dressy clothes....all in under 3 hours, lol....

 

Why would change out of dressy clothes after dinner? The dress code is for the evening, not just the dining room.

Why bother packing and getting "all dressed up" if you're only going to look dressy at dinner.

 

To the OP, I agree with the advice to bring a simple black evening dress, or evening pants and dressy top and see how the mood strikes you. You may meet some nice people who all want to have a casual dinner at the Lido, or you may meet a group who want to have a formal dinner. Be prepared for both and enjoy your evenings!

 

Have a great cruise!

[Jane110]

We adhered to the formal night traditions on our first three cruises. But beginning with cruise 4, we decided we had had enough of that. [interestingly, my wife was the one who wanted to stop dressing up. I know it's more often the man, but not in my case.] On formal nights we now eat in alternative venues which cater to more casual dressers. We aren't sloppy and wear "resort casual" styles, such as slacks and collared shirt for myself.

 

Initially we thought we might be missing something by staying away from the MDR on formal nights. We have been pleasantly surprised that we quite like the casual alternatives, at least on RCI and HAL. We find the Windjammer and Lido, respectively, are both much less noisy and much more intimate environments than the MDRs on formal nights. Avoiding pesky photographers who interrupt us has been a plus. We definitely do not miss the singing wait staff or parade of desserts. [The last RCI formal night we attended was so loud we quite literally had to cover our ears.]

 

All in all, we find the casual alternatives on formal nights to be our cruise "date nights". For example, the second formal night on one recent cruise happened to fall on Valentine's Day. We celebrated our 26 year marriage in the HAL Lido with a wonderful dinner on cloth-covered tables by candlelight, thoroughly enjoying our own company.

 

I think it's great that while you've chosen to forgo formal wear, you don't have an "it's my cruise, and I'll wear what I want" and show up in the MDR in casual clothes.

Thank you!

 

BTW, DH and I would do the same thing, however, our last two cruises were on Oceania who doesn't have any formal nights.

 

The dessert parade!!! UGH! So tasteless and classless! If we're on a ship that does this, we make sure we're out of the dining room before it begins.

[Jane110]

 

 

One BIG advantage to almost always flying using airline miles is that we have no restriction on the weight or number of bags. It also helps to be AAdvantage Gold, for the same reason. We're never overweight anyway, but sometimes have more than one bag each.

 

Yes, as a Gold flyer, they stick to traditional notion that people that fly have bags and it should be included in the price of a ticket.

 

However, are you *sure* that flying on FF miles assures no extra charges for luggage???

 

In Biz or First, there's never a fee for luggage, no matter how the tkt was paid for - cash or FF miles.