Formal Night w/ Kids

[AtlFamilyof4]

we are going on 5 night in March 2014 and will have our 3 yr and 7 yr old with us. the hubby and i have always enjoyed formal night, but this will be the first cruise we will have our kids. on a cruise with kids, do you typically see a lot of those parents (w/the kids) in the dining room on formal nights? i kinda wanted to get the kids all dressed up, but wanted to see if there are any other parents who have done this and what your experience was.

[boulders]

I really don't see any parents avoiding formal night on cruises. We've always gone. Just this afternoon, I bought a tux for my 8 year old for our next cruise. My oldest is going off to university next year, so it might be our last all together. I want some good pictures! There's nothing so cute as kids in formal wear.

[Sunshine101]

Yes, we have always done formal night with our kids in the dining room. Formal night or not, the waiters and waitresses treat them like little kings and queens. There were always a fair amount of kids in the dining room when we were there. Take your kids, it's great for them to experience!

[Zigggypup]

From what I have seen in the past, the little girls seem to enjoy the Formal Nights more than the boys. The boys seem to be uncomfortable and always tugging at their collars.......lol. I've seen more boys have melt downs than girls. But a lot of them look pretty cute all dressed up.

[trev71]

Ive seen kids in the MDR during formal night wearing a shirt and tie.

[Ourusualbeach]

Our kids have always done formal night with us (favourite meal is the filet) they are 10 and 12 and up til now they have both worn nice clothes but for this year we just went out and bought my son his first suit.

[readytolose]

My kids loved formal night! We don't have a whole lot of opportunity at home to get really dressed up so they really enjoyed it!

 

Here's a picture of my kiddos on formal night!

 

[AtlFamilyof4]

My kids loved formal night! We don't have a whole lot of opportunity at home to get really dressed up so they really enjoyed it!

 

Here's a picture of my kiddos on formal night!

 

 

oh that is so cute!

yeah, i think i will take them! i know my daughter (3 yr) will enjoy it only because she will think she's a princess. like some have said, though, my son probably won't like it as much. but the days i pick out his clothes, i just tell him "sometimes mommy would like for you to look nice, so please just wear it!"

 

And am I right in that on a 5 night there is only 1 formal night? There were 2 on the other 7 nights I have been on.

[satxdiver]

Last RCCL cruise we had taken along out DS, DIL and DGD who was 4 at the time. We took her with us to formal night and she did well as the waiters were quite amused by her. She simply wore a nice dress, nothing fancy.

 

I have never understood dressing young children up like miniature adults. Do you all think of them as your dolls like you played with as young girls.

[sky0000547]

I don't think you will need to go OTT with the kids attire. Sure if you want them to but if not just dress them smartly for formal. It is an extra expense just to purchase tux or suit for the cruise that they will likely to grow out of by next cruise.

[Sydneycruiser2013]

I'm on a nye cruise with my kids (5 &7) and I've bought them both really nice party dresses for the three formal nights. The dresses are only from target but both girls were super excited to buy them :) I'm looking forward to getting a nice photo for the night too :) to each his own or whatever that saying is :)

[RubyDog08]

Here's one of my favorites taken on Sovereign of the Seas in 1993:

[Ourusualbeach]

oh that is so cute!

yeah, i think i will take them! i know my daughter (3 yr) will enjoy it only because she will think she's a princess. like some have said, though, my son probably won't like it as much. but the days i pick out his clothes, i just tell him "sometimes mommy would like for you to look nice, so please just wear it!"

 

And am I right in that on a 5 night there is only 1 formal night? There were 2 on the other 7 nights I have been on.

 

You are correct. On a 5 night cruise there is only one formal night.

[Ourusualbeach]

I don't think you will need to go OTT with the kids attire. Sure if you want them to but if not just dress them smartly for formal. It is an extra expense just to purchase tux or suit for the cruise that they will likely to grow out of by next cruise.

 

Actually you can get some very inexpensive tuxes for kids. Less than $50. Probably would not stand up to being worn on a weekly basis but not a huge outlay either. Again, not necessary but some great photo opportunities.

[RSLeesburg]

I envy you. We bought a nice blue blazer for our son (4), but he hated the MDR so much the first night, we had to leave early. We tried to back the second night and he would not ever walk in, so we ended up at WJ most nights. We are hoping for better results next cruise when he is a year older.

[teddie]

I envy you. We bought a nice blue blazer for our son (4), but he hated the MDR so much the first night, we had to leave early. We tried to back the second night and he would not ever walk in, so we ended up at WJ most nights. We are hoping for better results next cruise when he is a year older.

 

Wow! Hope so too!

 

Teddie

[AtlFamilyof4]

Oh I definitely wasn't planning on spending a bunch of money. Target is totally fine for a girl's dress! plus, with all the deals coming up around Thanksgiving, I should be able to get something cute for $25 or so. I am thinking maybe a cute little sport coat for my son since that would be more reasonable than a tux and he can wear it to weddings, etc. in the future. But, I would love the photo opportunity with them dressed up, so maybe that's why I want to see them dressed up :)

[Sherlock43031]

I envy you. We bought a nice blue blazer for our son (4), but he hated the MDR so much the first night, we had to leave early. We tried to back the second night and he would not ever walk in, so we ended up at WJ most nights. We are hoping for better results next cruise when he is a year older.

 

hard to believe a 4yo would be in charge.

[RSLeesburg]

hard to believe a 4yo would be in charge.

 

A wise man once told me to pick my battles. With a toddler, you cannot always force them to do what they do not want to do. At home, you have a bit more flexability, as if they throw a tantrum, you are in the privacy of your own home. But when you are about to enter a dinning room with a few hundred people dressed in their Sunday best, we felt that it would be better to not subject them to a tantrum. So, was he in charge? Yes, in a way he won that battle. However, was it the right decision? Absolutely. If we had dragged him in, we would probably be the subject of another email thread - "why do people insist on bringing screaming children into the MDR." :eek: We knew before we booked the cruise that our son does nota like crowded or very noisy places. He is on his third set of tubes, and spent most of his first year or two with clogged ears, so everything was muffled. After he got his tubes, he could hear better, but was super sensitive to loud noises. For this reason, we booked a suite so we could eat in our room if WJ and MDR were too much for him. Turned out, he loved sitting outside WJ, but hated the MDR.

[Jenjer]

Don't let the clothing worry you.

 

My DS hates ties so he wears a dress shirt and dress pants...he looks great and is comfy. A comfy kid is a happy kid.

 

My DD loves wearing her special dresses so she does.

 

It makes them feel special to dress up with mom and dad and get pictures taken.

 

I don't stress over what other people wear and just enjoy my family.

[Sassy19305]

My DH and I love seeing the little ones all dressed up. The girls are like little princesses; some of the older girls too. You can tell the ones that really enjoy it.

You do not have to dress up, it's really up to you and your family.

[Jasp 0401]

I'm on a nye cruise with my kids (5 &7) and I've bought them both really nice party dresses for the three formal nights. The dresses are only from target but both girls were super excited to buy them :) I'm looking forward to getting a nice photo for the night too :) to each his own or whatever that saying is :)

Target has some lovely party dresses and are just perfect for formal night. You will love doing a NYE cruise we did it a couple of years ago and doing it again this year.:)

[Jasp 0401]

Oh I definitely wasn't planning on spending a bunch of money. Target is totally fine for a girl's dress! plus, with all the deals coming up around Thanksgiving, I should be able to get something cute for $25 or so. I am thinking maybe a cute little sport coat for my son since that would be more reasonable than a tux and he can wear it to weddings, etc. in the future. But, I would love the photo opportunity with them dressed up, so maybe that's why I want to see them dressed up :)

Target has some lovely party dresses and will be just perfect for formal night.And I seen boys wearing some lovely smart sports coat,buttoned shirt and pressed pants on formal night. Some boys wear ties and some don't either way they still look great.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Jasp 0401

[Jasp 0401]

A wise man once told me to pick my battles. With a toddler, you cannot always force them to do what they do not want to do. At home, you have a bit more flexability, as if they throw a tantrum, you are in the privacy of your own home. But when you are about to enter a dinning room with a few hundred people dressed in their Sunday best, we felt that it would be better to not subject them to a tantrum. So, was he in charge? Yes, in a way he won that battle. However, was it the right decision? Absolutely. If we had dragged him in, we would probably be the subject of another email thread - "why do people insist on bringing screaming children into the MDR." :eek: We knew before we booked the cruise that our son does nota like crowded or very noisy places. He is on his third set of tubes, and spent most of his first year or two with clogged ears, so everything was muffled. After he got his tubes, he could hear better, but was super sensitive to loud noises. For this reason, we booked a suite so we could eat in our room if WJ and MDR were too much for him. Turned out, he loved sitting outside WJ, but hated the MDR.

Absolutely you did the right thing. As parents we always have to pick our battles when dealing with small children.And sometimes we know we can't win so its just better to walk away.

[At Sea 4Ever]

I've been doing formal nights since I was 8 and I'm almost 30 now lol! I always loved them as a kid and still do! The MDR is a great experience in my opinion for kids because they learn proper table setting and get to experience multiple food choices without the worry of not liking something. It's a good life learning experience and a great way to make unforgettable family memories!