Advance Notice of Gala Nights - No Longer

[SLOTheta]

Hello,

I was active on this board a few years ago when I took my first cruise. I'm on to my 2nd cruise in a few weeks. I did a search for Gala nights, and there were a few hypothesis of when they were on each cruise. When I sailed 3 years ago, we were specifically told which nights they were from our PCC. This time around, she said that they no longer provide the exact nights, since they could change and people would get upset. Now, they don't tell you until you get there. This seems a bit strange. Is this really the reason?

 

Quote from our PCC: 

Unfortunately, we aren’t notified of which nights are the gala nights as they are subject to change without notice. They typically have them on the ‘At Sea” days and never the night before we get back into port on the last day. There are 2 gala nights on this sailing and my guess they will be on the 8^th of July and the 17^th of July. They stopped telling people because when the guests got onboard and the nights had suddenly been changed, the guests would get upset. So, now we don’t get the information from the ship as a result.

 

The link to our cruise is here with the various dates: 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/E9M12E/K939.html

 

 

[Cruising-along]

Maybe it's because I never asked our PCC, but after 24 cruises I've never known which nights the Gala nights would be until we were on board.  

I know the number of Gala nights can be different than what is written in our docs -- I've had that happen a few times. It was always fewer than more in those cases.

[RuthC]

In over 50 HAL cruises, I don't recall ever being told when the formal or Gala nights were. I have, though, always been told how many there were.

[Sharon in AZ]

Yes, previous posters have similar experiences as mine.  You usually know how many Gala Nights there are just not when.  Usually it is the first sea day but then after that you never know.  I do think they try to make it on a evening where your port day was not extended into the late afternoon or evening.

[SLOTheta]

Since I’ve only taken one cruise and when I asked the PCC, she told us the count and which night. Maybe it was using the educated guess that others have proposed: first sea day and not the last night. She was correct, so I guess we are lucky. We have a different PCC this time and from her email, it sounded like they used to tell people. 

 

I will go with her guess and hope it’s the 8th and 17th. Trying to plan our specialty meals to not conflict with Gala nights. I always love an excuse to dress up and use one of my 200 gowns and cocktail dresses (I go to 20+ cocktail or formal events a year). 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We don't use a PCC -- we have a TA and have never asked her to find out which nights were formal/now gala.

 

I have been able to figure them out myself and have been pretty accurate.

 

 

[rafinmd]

Being active on several forums I may be mistaken but I THINK I've seen a number of threads here asking "Which nights will be formal on ---?".

 

The one thing I HAVE seen is a list of events for grand voyages that include gala nights but I haven't seen anything like that for regular cruises.

 

Roy

[Homosassa]

In over forty years of cruising, I have only one exception to not knowing which night would be formal night.

 

The exception was our first cruise which was formal dress every night (Chandris Cruise Line). 

[Mary229]

Sometimes people on the forum or elsewhere will post the daily newsletter from their cruises. These tend to be the same cruise to cruise for the same itinerary.  You may be able to find this for your cruise.  My last cruise I had a complete agenda and menus on my iPad prior to arriving 

[wander]

For most of my/our HAL cruises we  only received the number of Formal/now Gala nights.  The exceptions have been on Grand Voyages such as World Cruises and Asia Pacific Grand Voyages.  The dates were subject to change, although most of them were held as "advertised" in my Grand Voyages.  On Grand Voyages the suggested dress for many of the Gala events  are related to the dinner theme - such as White Night, Black and Gold,  Valentines Day, etc.  Some passengers really dressed for the occasion, some did not and I did for those I had appropriate clothing options that I could bring on the cruise.  In the "old days" I know that some folks brought an extra suitcase with their theme clothes.  

[sail7seas]

On 6/12/2019 at 9:34 PM, RuthC said:

In over 50 HAL cruises, I don't recall ever being told when the formal or Gala nights were. I have, though, always been told how many there were.

Only time I ever cared was on  b -TO-B  CHRISTmas / New Years cruises  as it is not   definite NYE is formal as it could be New Years Day  Same for Chrismas Eve and Christmas. 

 

I really don't see why  it would mater to me other than  the above which days on a 'non-holiday'  cruise  would be formal...   only matters to me how many.   The comment your PCC made about people being upset if they changed the specific formal days once on   board.  Beats me why they cared.  :shrug  :

 

 

 

If you care to, would you coment why it matters to you  other than advance reservations for Pinnacle,  Tamarind, Cannaletto

 

 

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2019 by sail7seas

[Teresa Price]

I took one of my long dresses on our very recent Koningsdam 23 night cruise. It stayed in the wardrobe!  It was obvious from gala night one that there was little regard for the dress code and if I had worn it I would have stood out like a sore thumb.  Hubby wore his tux and looked very smart on all 4 nights I went more cocktail length.

Teresa 

[sail7seas]

On 6/13/2019 at 6:19 PM, rafinmd said:

Being active on several forums I may be mistaken but I THINK I've seen a number of threads here asking "Which nights will be formal on ---?".

 

The one thing I HAVE seen is a list of events for grand voyages that include gala nights but I haven't seen anything like that for regular cruises.

 

Roy

Very few women wear gowns now and FAR fewer  men wear tuxedos as they used to.  Most women  find cocktail dresses work just fine for them.   I  always used  to dress  formal but stopped  that some  years ago  as did many others.

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by sail7seas

[JeffElizabeth]

1 hour ago, sail7seas said:

Very few women wear gowns now and FAR fewer  men wear tuxedos as they used to.  Most women  find cocktail dresses work just fine for them.   I  always used  to dress  formal but stopped  that some  years ago  as did many others.

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agree. Gala night is pretty much up to you. We normally wear tuxes but our next cruise we are going casual. The wife is tired of dressing up.  

[calebandjess]

I’m assuming there is a typical formula for how many gala nights to expect? We’re doing our first HAL cruise (a 12-night in the Mediterranean) this summer but booked last summer and don’t recall being told the number of gala nights to expect. We’ll only have one sea day and end with an overnight in Venice. 

[bEwAbG]

1 hour ago, calebandjess said:

I’m assuming there is a typical formula for how many gala nights to expect? We’re doing our first HAL cruise (a 12-night in the Mediterranean) this summer but booked last summer and don’t recall being told the number of gala nights to expect. We’ll only have one sea day and end with an overnight in Venice. 

 

Most likely 2.  It will be on the document you can print before your sailing.  I believe those are available around 45 days before the cruise.

[vinonme2]

The afternoon of the day you board the ship there will be a table set up (usually in front of Pinnacle Grille) for taking specialty restaurants dinner reservations.  Find out the time this will be.  They will have the dates for the Gala nights. If you wish to change your reservations you can do so then with no problem. 

[kazu]

36 minutes ago, vinonme2 said:

The afternoon of the day you board the ship there will be a table set up (usually in front of Pinnacle Grille) for taking specialty restaurants dinner reservations.  Find out the time this will be.  They will have the dates for the Gala nights. If you wish to change your reservations you can do so then with no problem. 

 

Just to add that there is usually a Voyage Planner in your cabin which lists the dress code for each night of your cruise.

[sofietucker]

4 hours ago, vinonme2 said:

The afternoon of the day you board the ship there will be a table set up (usually in front of Pinnacle Grille) for taking specialty restaurants dinner reservations.  Find out the time this will be.  They will have the dates for the Gala nights. If you wish to change your reservations you can do so then with no problem. 

Unless you want a primo time, such as 7:30 pm. Because we are usually gifted dinners, and those days/times are assigned by HAL in advance (without our input--nor do we learn those until we enter our cabin), it can be a crapshoot.

 

We don't like to eat "out" on the first night as we like to meet our tablemates, nor on the last, for goodbyes. Nor on the gala nights as the MDR menu is typically special then. Nor on nights when we overnight/stay late in a port.  Nor if there are certain events that might overlap.

 

And almost without fail, those evenings are when we are assigned reservations, especially on the first night--whch also ironically is a "free" night in Pinnacle for 4-star or NS guests, and at a much reduced price for others.

 

And heaven forbid if we board and then want to change the assigned TIME, no matter what the day. The final voyage of the P-dam, we called upon boarding, to change Pinnacle from the assigned 8:30. But there was no availablility  at 7:30pm in ANY specialty restaurant for the length of the cruise.  In the Pinnacle,  open choices were 5:30 and 9pm. For the entire cruise.

 

So we cover this contingency by guessing which days we actaully want to eat in other places and we purchase those reservations online, well in advance. Once we board, we immediately cancel those and, because the time/date has been held for us, replace them with our assigned-by-HAL reservations.

Edited February 16, 2020 by sofietucker

[VennDiagram]

1 minute ago, sofietucker said:

And almost without fail, those evenings are when we are assigned reservations, especially on the first night--whch also ironically is a "free" night in Pinnacle for 4-star or NS guests, and at a much reduced price for others.

 

 

I'm 4 star.  Have never received a "free" night in Pinnacle on the first night or any other night.  Nor have we received a free night when we have been in a Neptune Suite.

 

[sofietucker]

Just now, VennDiagram said:

 

I'm 4 star.  Have never received a "free" night in Pinnacle on the first night or any other night.  Nor have we received a free night when we have been in a Neptune Suite.

 

Hmm. Can't explain the discrepancy. It's always a card in our room--a gift from the captain or hotel director. Thought it was de rigeur...

[sofietucker]

On 6/14/2019 at 11:29 AM, sail7seas said:

Only time I ever cared was on  b -TO-B  CHRISTmas / New Years cruises  as it is not   definite NYE is formal as it could be New Years Day  Same for Chrismas Eve and Christmas. 

 

I really don't see why  it would mater to me other than  the above which days on a 'non-holiday'  cruise  would be formal...   only matters to me how many.   The comment your PCC made about people being upset if they changed the specific formal days once on   board.  Beats me why they cared.  :shrug  :

 

If you care to, would you coment why it matters to you  other than advance reservations for Pinnacle,  Tamarind, Cannaletto

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's become a tradition with me to schedule a spa treatment the afternoon of the gala nights, so I like to know when they are in order to make my reservations. Waiting until boarding often means the spa is slammed for the gala-night days--though not so the salon! Remember when everyone got blowouts and updos that day? You couldn't get a chair, lol. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by sofietucker

[catl331]

7 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

I'm 4 star.  Have never received a "free" night in Pinnacle on the first night or any other night.  Nor have we received a free night when we have been in a Neptune Suite.

 

Ditto, except when given one from our TA

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, VennDiagram said:

 

I'm 4 star.  Have never received a "free" night in Pinnacle on the first night or any other night.  Nor have we received a free night when we have been in a Neptune Suite.

 

 

Ditto, except I am 5* and often in Neptune Suites.  Never received a ‘free’ night from the Captain or ship.  

 

I wonder if @sofietucker had Explore4 or some other package where there is a free PG dinner?  

[ATC]

7 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Ditto, except I am 5* and often in Neptune Suites.  Never received a ‘free’ night from the Captain or ship.  

 

I wonder if @sofietucker had Explore4 or some other package where there is a free PG dinner?  

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