Need Help Figuring Out When Formal Nites Might Be

[azgrandmax3]

Starting May 27th I will be doing the 28 day Europe Odyssey. Starting and returning to Barcelona. Basically it is 4 separate tours. I noticed three of the weeks have one sea day, the fourth has 2 (one of which is the day before departing ship). Is it most likely formal nights will be on the sea days? Also 14 of the ports we depart from leave 7 pm and later. Any and all advise is appreciated. Thanks CCs always have the answers.

[Colo Cruiser]

Ship? 4 separate tours? Cruises?

[fishywood]

Guessing you are on Royal Princess for the B2B2B2B Circle Mediterranean starting May 27. (No clue what "Europe Odyssey" is).

 

You have to look at each week as a separate cruise to determine which 2 nights are formal. Normal formula is (1) first sea day, and (2) last sea day other than the final night, else the night before unless a very late port. But never 2 consecutive nights.

 

With such port intensive weeks you can only guess at which two nights; often both formals will be port nights rather than sea days in order to avoid two consecutive.

 

My rough guesses for you:

Week 1: Gibraltar on Monday; Provence on Wednesday. (only two non-late ports, which contravenes the Tuesday sea day)

Week 2: At Sea Monday; Corfu Wednesday

Week 3: Olympia Sunday; At Sea Tuesday

Week 4: At Sea Monday; Naples Thursday (latter is just a guess with every port call late this week).

 

I am not a betting man but confident about Weeks 2 and 3 as the lone sea days and lone non-late port days are not consecutive nor the last day, which is an issue with Week 4. Whichever they are, eight formal nights in 28 days will seem to run together whether you prefer or dislike them. Enjoy your Med month.

[GUT2407]

Ok as a general rule (and rules were made to be broken)

 

Not first or last night, so if it's b2b2b2b that knocks eight nights out anyway,

 

Normally a sea day, but if not a day when you depart early. In particular that will apply if the sea days are grouped together.

[azgrandmax3]

Guessing you are on Royal Princess for the B2B2B2B Circle Mediterranean starting May 27. (No clue what "Europe Odyssey" is).

 

You have to look at each week as a separate cruise to determine which 2 nights are formal. Normal formula is (1) first sea day, and (2) last sea day other than the final night, else the night before unless a very late port. But never 2 consecutive nights.

 

With such port intensive weeks you can only guess at which two nights; often both formals will be port nights rather than sea days in order to avoid two consecutive.

 

My rough guesses for you:

Week 1: Gibraltar on Monday; Provence on Wednesday. (only two non-late ports, which contravenes the Tuesday sea day)

Week 2: At Sea Monday; Corfu Wednesday

Week 3: Olympia Sunday; At Sea Tuesday

Week 4: At Sea Monday; Naples Thursday (latter is just a guess with every port call late this week).

 

I am not a betting man but confident about Weeks 2 and 3 as the lone sea days and lone non-late port days are not consecutive nor the last day, which is an issue with Week 4. Whichever they are, eight formal nights in 28 days will seem to run together whether you prefer or dislike them. Enjoy your Med month.

Thanks for the time and effort you put into responding to my question. 28 Days Europe-Odyssey is the Voyage/Dest on my Booking. Information on received paperwork states 4 formal nights and 24 smart casual. So I am going to hope each falls on Sea Days. Thanks again

[joybook]

Can someone please tell me why it is so important to know well in advance when the formal nights will be? It seems to be raised on many threads and I have still to work out why people can't just wait until they get on the ship then find out. It is almost like needing to know what I am going to get for breakfast next Wednesday morning. Do I really need to know?

[floridalover5623]

Can someone please tell me why it is so important to know well in advance when the formal nights will be? It seems to be raised on many threads and I have still to work out why people can't just wait until they get on the ship then find out. It is almost like needing to know what I am going to get for breakfast next Wednesday morning. Do I really need to know?

Just because. :p

[GUT2407]

Can someone please tell me why it is so important to know well in advance when the formal nights will be? It seems to be raised on many threads and I have still to work out why people can't just wait until they get on the ship then find out. It is almost like needing to know what I am going to get for breakfast next Wednesday morning. Do I really need to know?

 

 

The most common reason is to book something else that night (not saying that's the reason here, just the one I hear most often).

[Lucky TGO]

Ok as a general rule (and rules were made to be broken)

 

Not first or last night, so if it's b2b2b2b that knocks eight nights out anyway,

 

Normally a sea day, but if not a day when you depart early. In particular that will apply if the sea days are grouped together.

 

Ditto!! I totally agree with you. :D

Tony

[I_Luv_To_Travel]

Can someone please tell me why it is so important to know well in advance when the formal nights will be? It seems to be raised on many threads and I have still to work out why people can't just wait until they get on the ship then find out. It is almost like needing to know what I am going to get for breakfast next Wednesday morning. Do I really need to know?

For me I'd like to book one of the Specialty Restaurants and would prefer to book on a non-formal night.

[GloriaF]

Regardless of which days formal nights are, I've found that on longer cruises the pax seem to tire of the formal night hoopla as the cruise progresses......especially if it is after a long and tiring port day. Of course, since yours is 4 separate cruises and likely pax will be joining and departing the ship, this may not be true. Fresh blood and fresh enthusiasm. Whatever, enjoy the cruise!

[floridalover5623]

Regardless of which days formal nights are, I've found that on longer cruises the pax seem to tire of the formal night hoopla as the cruise progresses......especially if it is after a long and tiring port day. Of course, since yours is 4 separate cruises and likely pax will be joining and departing the ship, this may not be true. Fresh blood and fresh enthusiasm. Whatever, enjoy the cruise!

Some of us tire much quicker than others. :D

[caribill]

Thanks for the time and effort you put into responding to my question. 28 Days Europe-Odyssey is the Voyage/Dest on my Booking. Information on received paperwork states 4 formal nights and 24 smart casual. So I am going to hope each falls on Sea Days. Thanks again

 

Don't believe the paperwork that says only four formal nights.

 

If I am correct, you have booked the four cruises with a single booking number. The Princess computer sees it is a 28 day cruise under that one booking number. Since a cruise of 21-28 days has four formal evenings, that is what the paperwork says.

 

However, if you had booked this as four cruises with four booking numbers, the paper work would have said two formal evenings on each 7 day cruise for a total of 8 formal evenings.

 

 

So the correct answer is that the policy is to have 8, not 4, formal evenings on your cruise.

 

I can only speculate whether or not the intensive port schedule with many departures after the dining rooms have opened will influence the decision makers on board to cut out some of the formal evenings.

 

By the way. Since these are four separate cruises, the dining room menus will repeat each week.

[DreamflightPat]

Regardless of which days formal nights are, I've found that on longer cruises the pax seem to tire of the formal night hoopla as the cruise progresses......especially if it is after a long and tiring port day. Of course, since yours is 4 separate cruises and likely pax will be joining and departing the ship, this may not be true. Fresh blood and fresh enthusiasm. Whatever, enjoy the cruise!

May I please disagree with you here. Twice I have spent 2 months on board each time on half world cruises with a lot of formal nights and it never diminished at all. Was great fun and everyone looked brilliant.

[GUT2407]

May I please disagree with you here. Twice I have spent 2 months on board each time on half world cruises with a lot of formal nights and it never diminished at all. Was great fun and everyone looked brilliant.

 

 

I may be wrong, but it appears to me that formal dress is more complied with on World Cruises than shorter ones.

[laktex]

May I please disagree with you here. Twice I have spent 2 months on board each time on half world cruises with a lot of formal nights and it never diminished at all. Was great fun and everyone looked brilliant.

Now there is a Cunarder speaking. I agree entirely.

[pablo222]

For me I'd like to book one of the Specialty Restaurants and would prefer to book on a non-formal night.

 

Sure. But, you can never actually know which nights are formal until you are on board.

They might be different -- if there is a change in itinerary, if the itinerary is operated in reverse,

if there is a holiday during the itinerary, or if the best knowledge is just a guess -- like this case.

 

It seems to me that it's easy enough to find out the formal nights once on board, and

then book any speciality resturants you wish.

 

Even if you guess and book in advance, you will still have to verify once on board.

 

This should really be in the thread for new cruisers -- what should every new cruiser know?

 

How to micro-manage every decision months in advance!

[skynight]

You most likely will not know for sure when the formal nights are on each of the 4 legs until you receive the Patter on the boarding day for each of the legs on May 27, June 3, 10 and 17. If you ask the CD on the 1st leg you may be able to find out in advance. Fishywood's response, posting #3, seems to be the best analysis. One other point, when departure times are in the evening all DR's will probably switch to open seatings.

 

 

For the past 5 years or so we have taken extended long b2b2b cruises. Our experience, is that we get tired of eating in the DR each evening, opting for other options from a burger, a sandwich, a salad or a slice of pizza. Accordingly our evening dress changes to match the weather rather than the DR code of the evening. So, knowing formal nights in advance for us isn't such an important issue, in fact it isn't an issue at all.

[Essiesmom]

First, if this cruise can be booked as one long cruise then the menus as such might not necessarily repeat. Items on the menu will repeat, but in different combinations.

Second, many people do not want to dress for formal evenings, and prefer to know so that they can book a specialty restaurant for those nights. Conversely, many people want to book a specialty restaurant but since the best menus are considered to be on the formal nights (lobster) they don't want to miss it. therefore they want to know when NOT to book another venue. EM

[floridalover5623]

First, if this cruise can be booked as one long cruise then the menus as such might not necessarily repeat. Items on the menu will repeat, but in different combinations.

Second, many people do not want to dress for formal evenings, and prefer to know so that they can book a specialty restaurant for those nights. Conversely, many people want to book a specialty restaurant but since the best menus are considered to be on the formal nights (lobster) they don't want to miss it. therefore they want to know when NOT to book another venue. EM

 

Lobster is often served on a casual evening so how do you plan for that?

[azgrandmax3]

The most common reason is to book something else that night (not saying that's the reason here, just the one I hear most often).

Some have questioned why I would care about knowing formal nights ahead? Hence starting this thread. My reason is two fold. A special celebration to be planned ahead. And second travelling from the states for this trip requires much consideration of what and how much to pack. For those responding with kindness and helpful information I thank You.