Specialty Restaurant on 11 Day Cruise

[BrothersThree]

We are leaving from Bayonne on the Explorer November 2013 for 11 days. This will be our first time sailing with RCCL. I want to book the Portofino one or two evenings but I don't want to book on a formal night. Does anyone know how I can find out when the formal nights will be on this cruise so I can start booking? And if you can tell me what the typical formal night food would be on an 11 day - I think there are two formal nights - is that correct? Thanks so much for your help!

[ggo85]

Usually, the first formal night is the second night of the cruise. The second one can be almost any time (other than last night) in the second half of the cruise. On our recent 11-night, it was on night 7.

 

There are 5 choices every night. Usually there is a steak (I think prime rib was offered the first formal night), a fish (shrimp comes to mind for formal night), chicken/turkey/pork, pasta, and a vegetarian dish.

 

In terms of crowds, we were told that the least crowded nights in the specialty restaurants are the first, second, and last nights. Most crowded was second-to-last night.