Formal night in MDR

[blambition]

Please no hate response, just need the real low down on this question. We will be on the Silhouette in early Dec. and my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms? I am thinking we will do at least one night in an alternate dining room, but might like to dine on a regular evening. We always dress up for dinner, just not true formal as we have been there, done that too many times. We have not sailed on Celebrity in so many years, I do not know what to expect. Most of our cruises in the past years have been on Princess, with Azamara mixed in between.

Also has anyone done dinner in the buffet? I don't care for buffets even for lunch so this would not be my choice, but thinking we could do it, or even have room service on our balcony.

Thank you in advance for you replies!

[ghstudio]

I think you know the dress code so the answer is you may or may not be admitted into the MDR...depends on the specific cruise and who's at the door. They will either say nothing, offer him a jacket to put on or say sorry, you'll have to dine somewhere else. You won't know until you show up.

[dkjretired]

Please no hate response, just need the real low down on this question. We will be on the Silhouette in early Dec. and my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms? I am thinking we will do at least one night in an alternate dining room, but might like to dine on a regular evening. We always dress up for dinner, just not true formal as we have been there, done that too many times. We have not sailed on Celebrity in so many years, I do not know what to expect. Most of our cruises in the past years have been on Princess, with Azamara mixed in between.

Also has anyone done dinner in the buffet? I don't care for buffets even for lunch so this would not be my choice, but thinking we could do it, or even have room service on our balcony.

Thank you in advance for you replies!

 

One of three things will happen, they will be refused entry, they will be given a jacket to wear or they will be let into the dining room. It will all depend on who is at the door and how strictly that ship enforces Celebrity's dress code which requires a jacket. I was on Silhouette in Dec. and they were offering jackets. Choice of course is yours.

 

Buffet is much better than it used to be, they have stations with various items like pizza, sushi, etc. You can also get a steak cooked to order. Dining room food is not served in the buffet.

 

You may get the dining room menu delivered to your room during regular dining room hours. Many will give their opinion on your question but I tried to be realistic on what you will have to deal with.

[MR_T]

Hi,

 

We did the silhouette in dec 2012 and a couple of other celebrity cruises since...

 

I'm also not a fan of wearing a jacket for dinner but I think your find your not allowed in the MDR without one... I have heard of people seeing people go in without one but never seen myself, I have seen them handing out a jacket or 2 so I think you would need one to get in... I normally have one on to go in the MDR then take it off when I sit down and never had a problem doing that! I also don't wear a tie as that's not just me...

 

Now along with the celebrity cruise fashion police I'm sure there will be a few haters on this thread saying things like "maybe you should try another line" as some people are just not willing to accept change....

 

It's your holiday and enjoy it as you feel... Your paying for it not anyone else! You might not be able to eat in the MDR but there are other options to choose from,

 

We have eaten in the Buffett a couple of times in the evening and it's been fine, it's never going to be to the same standard of the MDR but once or twice over a 2 week cruise is fine!

 

Enjoy

[cruisestitch]

Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms?

 

Will you have problems? You might, as noted above. So why not start off with a plan for alternate eating those nights, just so you don't have to worry. Try Bistro on 5, (for $7 per person) or one of the more pricey specialty restaurants. Plan a pizza night, order room service and have the MDR food delivered there.

[jkgourmet]

One of three things will happen, they will be refused entry, they will be given a jacket to wear or they will be let into the dining room. It will all depend on who is at the door and how strictly that ship enforces Celebrity's dress code which requires a jacket. I was on Silhouette in Dec. and they were offering jackets.

 

And when we were on the Summit, they were not requiring jackets. One of our group wore a long sleeved shirt and tie, and had no problem at all - in fact, quite a few men were dressed similarly. Another night, the same gentlemen (along with MY husband) wore a jacket, long sleeved shirt and no tie. Again, there were others who did the same.

 

I think a lot of the dress code stuff depends on the itinerary. I suspect Caribbean and Alaska cruises will be less formal than Asia and the Med.

 

Personally, I think a nice tie and long sleeved shirt looks a helluva lot classier than a ill fitting, cheap suit.

[JEDIKNIGHT]

FWIW…

 

Was on Summit 1 week ago. On both formal nights, the table next to ours (6 adults) were totally casual. As in island shirts, etc.

 

Next time I won’t be packing formal. Celebrity is more like NCL “Freestyle” now, so I’m going with the flow. Kinda nice, less packing.

 

YMMV because I hear some Maitred’s enforce it, but that was not the case on my recent cruise.

[blambition]

I can try to get my DH and friend's DH to pack a jacket, however I doubt it will happen. I will say, this is a Caribbean itinerary and we have not been on one in about 20 years! We have been doing Bermuda, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, and Canada/New England so we thought it was time to head back to the Caribbean, lol I do know what is expected as we have been on over 100 cruises, just have not done Celebrity in so long. Last one was on the last sailing of the Horizon if that tells you it has been a while. We will have to discuss our choices, as I know the husbands would most likely not accept a jacket at the door. Sounds like making reservations for the upscale dining alternatives might be the way to go on those nights! I know I would like to try the Lawn Grill, and we could pick another one for the 2nd formal night. Once I started thinking about it I don't think the balcony would work that well, even with the fact that we have ones that connect.

[Jane2357]

I think you are getting the picture that you may get in, may not get in or get in wearing a loaner (and yuck - who knows where that has been :cool:)

 

My Feb. cruise in the Caribbean was VERY dressy and some people on cc will say that Caribbean cruises are more casual - so I do believe that it varies from cruise to cruise, itinerary to itinerary. If the guys are adamant that they won't wear a jacket why not save the stress of what might or might not happen and book that specialty or make the arrangements for dining on your balcony. Then it is all good times ahead.

[TheMediaman]

...my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms?

 

In 4 cruises I have never experienced a refusal to the MDR for not wearing a sports jacket. That being said I always, at minimum, wore dress slacks, dress shoes and a collared long sleeved dress shirt. I would think that it may be a 50/50 for admittance on a formal night but on my last cruise (May 18-25 on Century) I observed the full range from tux to kilt to suits to "dressy casual" on the formal night. For the most part everyone was in formal attire.

 

If DH and DH best friend will not pack a jacket under any circumstances perhaps the dash of advice my wife gives me is in order "Suck it up princess. Life's rough...wear a helmet."

 

Tell them they are not dressing for themselves but for the benefit of the DW's that have put up with them for all the years of marriage. :)

 

Enjoy!

Edited May 27, 2014 by TheMediaman

[Ma Bell]

It's Formal Night, what do you think you should do?

[NLH Arizona]

Please no hate response, just need the real low down on this question. We will be on the Silhouette in early Dec. and my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms? I am thinking we will do at least one night in an alternate dining room, but might like to dine on a regular evening. We always dress up for dinner, just not true formal as we have been there, done that too many times. We have not sailed on Celebrity in so many years, I do not know what to expect. Most of our cruises in the past years have been on Princess, with Azamara mixed in between.

Also has anyone done dinner in the buffet? I don't care for buffets even for lunch so this would not be my choice, but thinking we could do it, or even have room service on our balcony.

Thank you in advance for you replies!

If you don't want to dress up, you can try to get into the MDR (I've seen men on formal night in long sleeve shirts, no tie and jeans), but be prepared to accept a jacket if given or go to the buffet to eat. Sorry, I've never done dinner in the buffet.

[Ma Bell]

You will always see a few people who manage to get in anywhere they go. Most of the people who go to the dining room on Formal Night do as they are supposed to. There are always times when we may not feel like dressing up and we appreciate having so many other options for those times. I wouldn't think of disappointing the people who brought their formal wear and were expecting a lovely formal evening.

[zoncom]

Saw a guy in shorts sneak in at next table when MaitreD was engaged elsewhere. At one time X had really special formal night menu. Now not so, maybe Lobster 2nd formal night. Consider alternative restaurants , book early.

[C Cruise Dude]

Please no hate response, just need the real low down on this question. We will be on the Silhouette in early Dec. and my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms? I am thinking we will do at least one night in an alternate dining room, but might like to dine on a regular evening. We always dress up for dinner, just not true formal as we have been there, done that too many times. We have not sailed on Celebrity in so many years, I do not know what to expect. Most of our cruises in the past years have been on Princess, with Azamara mixed in between.

Also has anyone done dinner in the buffet? I don't care for buffets even for lunch so this would not be my choice, but thinking we could do it, or even have room service on our balcony.

Thank you in advance for you replies!

I just completed my first Celebrity cruise (Equinox) and for the first time rented a tux. It was nice to not pack the jacket. My steward brought it to my cabin on the first night and I returned it after the last formal night. I think that I might do this again. They also rented dinner jackets (alternative). Google Tuxedo rental on Celebrity Cruises and the page will come up. In the MDR I only notice the men mostly in suits and some in a tux. I don't recall any without a jacket (does not mean that none were there).

[ClaudiaB]

Well we haven't logged nearly as many cruises as you (and probably never will -- wow, 100!!!) BUT we have long since stopped feeling like the MDR is so very "special" on formal night. So those are the nights we always do Tuscan Grill, Murano, Qsine, etc. Not the buffet, not dinner in our room, not Bistro on Five--those don't seem "special" at all! We do dress *nearly* formally on formal nights but we choose to have a more special dinner in the nicer specialty restaurants. We feel like we "fit in" well in the pre- and post-dinner venues with the formally-dressed, but we prefer to not do the MDR. I can't stand that waiter parade and napkin waving and all that. But we like the more intimate feel of the specialty restaurants. We also go to those on the first night of any cruise while the dining rooms get themselves all sorted out.

So leave that jacket at home but don't try and see what you can get away with -- just don't go those nights. It's always smart casual in the specialty restaurants and although you'll see people dressed up more on formal nights there, it is not required except in the MDR.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Please no hate response, just need the real low down on this question. We will be on the Silhouette in early Dec. and my DH and best friend's DH will not pack a jacket under any circumstance! Will we have any problems getting into the MDR (we will be nicely dressed) or do we need to plan those nights for alternate dining rooms? I am thinking we will do at least one night in an alternate dining room, but might like to dine on a regular evening. We always dress up for dinner, just not true formal as we have been there, done that too many times. We have not sailed on Celebrity in so many years, I do not know what to expect. Most of our cruises in the past years have been on Princess, with Azamara mixed in between.

Also has anyone done dinner in the buffet? I don't care for buffets even for lunch so this would not be my choice, but thinking we could do it, or even have room service on our balcony.

Thank you in advance for you replies!

 

you should be fine with long sleeved shirt .

[Shake]

Not a big fan of formal night as well but I have found it best to just wear my coat into the MDR and hang it the back of my chair. Problem with me is I'm usually warm and wearing a coat over long sleeves during dinner is not my idea of cool bliss. Just tell your husband to man it up since most others guys are not crazy about coats either. :cool:

[Ma Bell]

you should be fine with long sleeved shirt .

 

On which cruise line?

[blambition]

I would like to thank many of you for your gracious responses. I think someone missed my very first sentence where I asked for no hateful responses I was simply asking for facts of how they ran the dining room on the Silhouette. Since we have cruised so many times in the past and it is our husbands vacation as well I am sure we will just go to the alternative dining rooms for dinner, and to let the one person know we do always dress very nicely for dinner, gentlemen in long sleeve shirts, and dress slacks with dress shoes. Even on formal nights I will say we go to the casino after dinner, and I choose to go and change into more casual attire as I am not going to stay dressed up all night to sit at a card table! I do not sit in judgment of other people and what they choose to wear. I would be much more critical of people who are loud and obnoxious and, or drunk near me than how they choose to dress the only thing that would ever give me a problem is if they were wearing shorts, and flip-flops in the dining room not whether they bought their clothes at Walmart or at Saks fifth Avenue. I'm sorry I just feel like one of the comments suggested that everyone on the ship had to dress for everyone else's approval.

 

 

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[blambition]

Ma Bell my comments were left for you

 

 

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[LetsGetWet!]

We will have to discuss our choices, as I know the husbands would most likely not accept a jacket at the door.

Wow, it's one thing to not want to pack a jacket, but quite another to make a scene by refusing to accept one graciously offered by staff at the door in order to conform to the dress code. If the men in your group would really make a scene like that, I'd definitely recommend going to an alternative venue.

 

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[HappyTvlr]

I've tried staying silent on this issue because there is no resolution, but here goes my best effort at a response. The dress code is clear, and the fact that passengers choose to disregard it and that staff does not enforce it does not change the policy. To me it is the same as a smoker asking if they can get away smoking in non-designated area. Those of us that like the dress code and non-smoking policy choose Celebrity for these among other reasons. We should not have to get used to the changing times because as long as the policy exists as it does things should not change. If and when the policy changes, then perhaps I will consider alternate cruise lines. Until then I expect people to follow the rules or find alternatives. I am not a hater but simply an adult that follows rules, and it seems that the OP is simply looking for support for violating the policy.

[blambition]

I didn't say the husbands would make a scene and not except the jacket at the door I merely meant that they would not like to wear a jacket that was not their own, I didn't mean to offend anyone by that comment.

 

 

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[Ma Bell]

Ma Bell my comments were left for you

 

 

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Do you consider my response hateful? In what way? I'm sorry if telling you what we do when we don't care to dress formally is considered hateful. If you want to try getting in that us up to you. I thought you might actually want to know that the vast majority of people will be dressed according to the dress code and there are plenty of other options. I guess that wasn't why you asked the question.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Ma Bell