Formal Night

[Sailaway487]

Seems to be general consensus then that most do go, but the reception need changing.

[Little Nell]

Seems to be general consensus then that most do go, but the reception need changing.

 

Good poll, Sailaway :)

[Amerryscot]

We like to dress up, so formal night is right up our street.

 

Besides, we only ever wanted to eat in the MDR rather than the buffet.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[kalos]

Over our last few cruises like a lot of other posters we have "Been there ,done that " and have gone from skipping the captains photo shoot and reception and now decide to eat at the self service for the evening meal as we only eat light meals at night anyway .

 

This has never stopped us from dressing up though and I take my lightweight suit that looks good with tie or dickie bow and we will always dress up for the formal night and it stays on my person all night ...We enjoy seeing peeps in their glad-rags and others who are dressed up smart for the occasion .

 

So to answer your question Sailaway .. The answer is ..No , we dont do the formal anymore but we do support the night by getting dressed up for it and then enjoy the shows and bars of the ship for the night .

 

This weekend the dickie bow and suit will be getting an airing . Must be the nice weather putting us in cruise mode ;).

We have chose to have a night out at Liverpool and then dump the car and sail back to Liverpool from Avonmouth on the Boudica (See how Fred Olsen do it ) ..

It's only one night but we have made it into a long weekend, Fri- Sun and looking forward to it :).

Edited June 26, 2014 by kalos

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Willl be interested to see what you think of Fred :)

[Little Nell]

I have now changed my mind about not going to formal night in the Caribbean ;)

 

I had a lovely dress delivered today for our next cruise that deserves to go to the Caribbean. DH has been informed :D

[rookery]

We always go to the formal night but usually miss the photo's and reception for the same reason as others. I like to wear a dinner jacket and Mrs R likes to dress up too. Alas it is less formal these days with some chaps not even wearing a tie. Maybe I'm old fashioned but to me smart casual is not appropriate for a formal night.

[Minitigra driver]

We always dress up and go to formal night but as many other forum members we don't bother with captain's reception or photo now.

It's lovely to see many people making an extra effort and dressing to impress but sadly there does seem to be an element of smart casual creeping in to formal night on Thomson ships :rolleyes: It will be interesting to see what formal night will be like on our first ever Royal Caribbean cruise in October.

[slhw]

Every time I read a post that says that you don't need to dress up on formal night to go into the mdr, then I think to myself that there is another nail in the coffin. I have also read some posts that have given the impression that it is far more casual than it actually is and my heart sinks. For myself and my husband, who loves to wear his kilt, formal night has always been a highlight of the cruise and I hate to see this dumming down. Why, for one night, cannot it be compulsory to dress for mdr dinner. It is a tradition and what is wrong with that? You can never please everyone all of the time and 6 nights in every week on Thomson ships are not formal - surely enough to please all of those that prefer that approach. Why not, on one evening a week, please the people to whom formal night is a major part of the experience?

 

Like many on here, we now skip the photographs and possibly just slip in at the end of the reception but that is because we have done it so many times before. I think that it is important that the reception etc. still happens so that the new and fairly new cruisers can still experience it. I do think, however, that Thomson themselves have taken backward steps - do you all remember when the tables in the mdr would all be decorated up (I particularly remember an African theme one cruise) and there was definitely a slightly more special menu. Thomson should take steps to encourage people to observe formal night for the sake of those passengers to whom it is important.

 

If we lose this tradition, what will be the next to go? I have got to admit that after our May cruise on Celebration, when we weren't too impressed with the food, we are starting to look to other companies and any more slackening up of the one evening of real dressing up would probably put the top hat on it - so to speak. What on earth is wrong with, for one night in seven, feeling elegant and special?

 

Sandie

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Well said Sandie :) Quite agree, the buffet is always available if you don't want to dress up :)

[Julessmiles]

Over our last few cruises like a lot of other posters we have "Been there ,done that " and have gone from skipping the captains photo shoot and reception and now decide to eat at the self service for the evening meal as we only eat light meals at night anyway .

 

This has never stopped us from dressing up though and I take my lightweight suit that looks good with tie or dickie bow and we will always dress up for the formal night and it stays on my person all night ...We enjoy seeing peeps in their glad-rags and others who are dressed up smart for the occasion .

 

So to answer your question Sailaway .. The answer is ..No , we dont do the formal anymore but we do support the night by getting dressed up for it and then enjoy the shows and bars of the ship for the night .

 

This weekend the dickie bow and suit will be getting an airing . Must be the nice weather putting us in cruise mode ;).

We have chose to have a night out at Liverpool and then dump the car and sail back to Liverpool from Avonmouth on the Boudica (See how Fred Olsen do it ) ..

It's only one night but we have made it into a long weekend, Fri- Sun and looking forward to it :).

 

 

Kalos - I am going on that one with Topsey from here - we are leaving our OH's at home & having a 'girls night' - very much looking forward to it! We have booked into 2nd sitting for the meal. I am going to have to walk around asking if Kalos is onboard now!

[Jim The Scot]

Every time I read a post that says that you don't need to dress up on formal night to go into the mdr, then I think to myself that there is another nail in the coffin. I have also read some posts that have given the impression that it is far more casual than it actually is and my heart sinks. For myself and my husband, who loves to wear his kilt, formal night has always been a highlight of the cruise and I hate to see this dumming down. Why, for one night, cannot it be compulsory to dress for mdr dinner. It is a tradition and what is wrong with that? You can never please everyone all of the time and 6 nights in every week on Thomson ships are not formal - surely enough to please all of those that prefer that approach. Why not, on one evening a week, please the people to whom formal night is a major part of the experience?

 

Like many on here, we now skip the photographs and possibly just slip in at the end of the reception but that is because we have done it so many times before. I think that it is important that the reception etc. still happens so that the new and fairly new cruisers can still experience it. I do think, however, that Thomson themselves have taken backward steps - do you all remember when the tables in the mdr would all be decorated up (I particularly remember an African theme one cruise) and there was definitely a slightly more special menu. Thomson should take steps to encourage people to observe formal night for the sake of those passengers to whom it is important.

 

 

Sandie

 

From someone who has never and has no intention of attending captain/formal night I think your post is spot on sandie

[kruzseeka]

From someone who has never and has no intention of attending captain/formal night I think your post is spot on sandie

 

 

I agree with Sandie too and it's really good to hear Jim that although you are from the 'other side' of this debate that you are supportive of her point of view too. :) Pity there isn't more tolerance and appreciation of respecting varying opinions in general in society these days. Such a pleasure to discuss issues on here with people having different shades of opinion but able to enter into a civilised discussion (at least for 99% of the time! :D )

[holiday ahoy]

Yes, I have to agree as well. Although we have decided it is not for us, we respect that others like this and wouldn't dream of going into the MDR iif we weren't dressing up on the formal night. To be honest, I'm still looking forward to seeing all those who have dressed up, it's a nice tradition.

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Every time I read a post that says that you don't need to dress up on formal night to go into the mdr, then I think to myself that there is another nail in the coffin. I have also read some posts that have given the impression that it is far more casual than it actually is and my heart sinks. For myself and my husband, who loves to wear his kilt, formal night has always been a highlight of the cruise and I hate to see this dumming down. Why, for one night, cannot it be compulsory to dress for mdr dinner. It is a tradition and what is wrong with that? You can never please everyone all of the time and 6 nights in every week on Thomson ships are not formal - surely enough to please all of those that prefer that approach. Why not, on one evening a week, please the people to whom formal night is a major part of the experience?

 

Like many on here, we now skip the photographs and possibly just slip in at the end of the reception but that is because we have done it so many times before. I think that it is important that the reception etc. still happens so that the new and fairly new cruisers can still experience it. I do think, however, that Thomson themselves have taken backward steps - do you all remember when the tables in the mdr would all be decorated up (I particularly remember an African theme one cruise) and there was definitely a slightly more special menu. Thomson should take steps to encourage people to observe formal night for the sake of those passengers to whom it is important.

 

If we lose this tradition, what will be the next to go? I have got to admit that after our May cruise on Celebration, when we weren't too impressed with the food, we are starting to look to other companies and any more slackening up of the one evening of real dressing up would probably put the top hat on it - so to speak. What on earth is wrong with, for one night in seven, feeling elegant and special?

 

Sandie

 

 

Totally agree - well said !!

[Jim The Scot]

I agree with Sandie too and it's really good to hear Jim that although you are from the 'other side' of this debate that you are supportive of her point of view too. :) Pity there isn't more tolerance and appreciation of respecting varying opinions in general in society these days. Such a pleasure to discuss issues on here with people having different shades of opinion but able to enter into a civilised discussion (at least for 99% of the time! :D )

 

The other side? :D;) Like it

 

While I`m on I would like to see Thomson enforce the dress code "smart" for the MDR`s outwith the Formal nights/s

[Huddersfieldtourist]

The other side? :D;) Like it

 

While I`m on I would like to see Thomson enforce the dress code "smart" for the MDR`s outwith the Formal nights/s

 

 

The adult only cruises seem to just about manage the "smart" evening code in the MDR with some borderline cases and one or two below - however the non adult only cruises tend to have more issues.

 

It is all about standards and those need to be maintained - Formal night is formal night - I heard a couple grumbling a little when the table for 8 they had contained 6 in formal wear and two in smart.

 

Smart is smart - and it is up to the Maitre D to ensure the Head Waiters also enforce this without any risk of comeback from a complaint to reception.

[dronnygirl]

I agree Huddersfieldtourist - the Head Waiters should be allowed to refuse people into the MDR unless they are suitably dressed. This should be made clear at the point of booking. We always dressed up on formal night but the last 2 cruises haven't bothered as we have seen men in short sleeved shirts and no jacket in the MDR - it doesn't seem the same if some join in and others don't. I must point out that on the non-formal nights this year there was one guy who always wore a football shirt and jeans in the dining room - personally I don't think this counts as smart-casual.

I must say though, that we were on Princess Cruises once and their formal night was worth dressing up for. There was a reception with the Captain before dinner and then music in the atrium all night with dancing and champagne fountains etc. It really was a special night and everyone dressed up.

[Langtoncouple]

All the waiters dress so smartly in the MDR both on formal night and other evenings and I think it is respectful that passengers also appear smartly dressed.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

We had a CHOCOLATE fountain on Crown Princess .yummy :D

[kruzseeka]

We had a CHOCOLATE fountain on Crown Princess .yummy :D

 

Also one on the last sea day on Celebrity in the self service :) I was surprised to see it as it didn't seem to be connected to any special event. Hope it wasn't there every day and I missed it! :eek::eek::eek:

[028snowball]

Hi just reading through these posts I never even thought about the formal night is there one aboard the celebration? I have 2 young kids so not sure they'd have the patience for all the waiting about. Do all men wear dj or can you wear trousers and a smart shirt?

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Most men wear DJs or a suit.

 

If you don't want to dress up you can go to the buffet that night , which might your children better :)

[gillhalfpint]

There was a couple with 2 children one in a pushchair at formal night on Majesty and they were fine. My OH doesn't have a suit or DJ, but can still look smart enough for the evening. If you want the experience of it, don't miss out. We don't do the reception now, but still love being part of the evening's formal do in the main dining room.