dining questions from a newbie

[college buddy]

Hi, going on first cruise in August - have found this site really, really helpful indeed.

 

Can you let me know if I am on the right track regarding dining - we have 6.30 sitting - am I correct in thinking that once on board we are given the name of our restaurant? When there are special events on like black tie, if we decide that we don't want to dress up then we have go and eat in the buffet restaurant and not our designated restaurant.

 

Many thanks for your help

[lindyloo22]

Hi, yes you are right. We have sometimes just gone to the buffet just for a change even on formal nights, just do what you want.

[Mr Blue Sky]

Hi, yes once you get access to cabin there will be a card stating

dining time, table number and table size plus restaurant, :)

Typically Formal nights are sea days if that helps, and yes Buffet

is open for those he wish to give it a miss they are generally themed

on an evening. Can not remember if speciality restuarants state you

need to adhere to dress code of that evening, maybe another poster

can help there,

[kevinyork]

Not sure which ship you are on but if its Ventura or Azura part of the buffet is turned into a waiter service restaurant where most dishes are free. You just turn up and if they cannot seat you they give you a buzzer. A good alternative to the buffet.

 

 

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[1160451]

It tells you in the daily sheet, forgotten its name, which bars and restaurants are adhering to the dress code that night.

 

Can I just give you a suggestion seeing you have never cruised.

If you are on a table for say 4,6 or 8 in the Main Dining Room and you decide not to eat there one night, it's polite to tell your table mates and or the waiter the night before so they are not waiting for you

 

Sorry if you would have done that anyway.

 

Have a great cruise, and I bet it will be the first of many.

[annieuk]

Just another small point, on the Formal evenings there tends to be an enhanced menu in the Main Dining Rooms - things like Beef Wellington, sometimes a Champagne Sorbet between courses - just so you are aware.

[1160451]

Forgot about the enhanced menu, and we only came off the Azura last week :) One of the reasons we love the Formal Nights.

Nothing better than seeing everybody dressed up then dancing at the Ball afterwards.

[college buddy]

thank you all so much for your help - much appreciated - think we will try and do the evening jacket evenings but I think black tie will be too much for my husband - he is a builder!!! We are going on the Azure during August with our children - I was hoping that it wouldn't be too formal.

[1160451]

It's as formal as you want, it's what you want. Don't worry about it, just do what you want.

Nobody is judging you on what you wear.

A dark suit is also ok for the Formal night by the way.

I think in August there will be plenty of children on the Azura.

[NauticalMiss]

Can not remember if speciality restuarants state you need to adhere to dress code of that evening, maybe another poster

can help there,

 

The dress code in the specialty restaurants matches that of the MDR; so yes if it's formal, you can't skip the MDR and use XVII, for example, unless you are dressed appropriately. We love the dressing up (yes even hubby!), but sometimes we skip a night and use the buffet or room service. Such a lot of options available.

[scifimonkey]

It's worth making an effort on formal nights and putting on a lounge suit even if your husband doesn't want to wear a dinner suit as the bars as well as the restaurants usually enforce the dress code. You will also feel more comfortable in a bizarre sort of way because P&O tends to have a fairly high take up on formal wear compared to some other lines so it is the casually dressed that stand out rather than the chap in the DJ. Maybe it's something about the British mentality?

It's not impossible to opt out but why limit yourself for the sake of a suit and tie for a couple of nights.

[davecttr]

On Azura the Planet Bar and the Blue Bar are the ones which enforce the dress code on black tie and jacket required evenings. Everywhere else the code is evening casual.

 

For evening eats you have the choice of the Venezia buffet, Veronia trattoria plus the Glass House. The Glass House charges for food but you don't have to book and you can treat it as a bar if you want.

 

For formal nights I used to wear a dinner jacket but now find a suit more flexible and with coloured shirts etc looks better than a dinner jacket imo.

 

ps - In the P&O company magazine they had an article where they dressed up a couple for formal night. The man was dressed in a navy blue suit!.

[daiB]

thank you all so much for your help - much appreciated - think we will try and do the evening jacket evenings but I think black tie will be too much for my husband - he is a builder!!! We are going on the Azure during August with our children - I was hoping that it wouldn't be too formal.

 

 

Have to say that no matter what people say on here 95% of men will be in a DJ on formal night be it August or May. You do not need a DJ a dark suit will do fine as Dave has said. Also as has been said they tend to make a bigger effort for the food on formal night.

 

The fact that your husband is a builder should have no influence at all. Builders are allowed to look good. Once you put on a DJ it is a great leveller.

 

 

 

 

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[magpieman]

I am not used to dressing up and I was very dubious about the black tie nights but I got my Tuxedo from Asda very cheap about £50 and I looked as good as anyone, tell your husband to give it a go you might end up enjoying it.

[hunnibunni123]

When in august do you go? Im going with my mom in august :)

[wilson2579]

My husband was the same. On our first cruise he wore a normal suit and when we booked our 2nd he was keen to buy a DJ which we got cheaply from M and S. Now he really enjoys dressing up.:cool: