Hard to decide...

[nevadabadgirl]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, and my first cruise will be in December of this year. Here is my dilemma....60 y/o mother, 40 y/o (me) and my 18 y/o son. We know we want to have a mini-suite (at the least), and we wish to skip "formal night". Do all cruise ships have an alternative restaurants that are casual, even on formal night?

 

I work in a 4 star, 5 diamond resort and have to dress up a lot for work purposes, and my idea of a vacation is NOT dressing up :)

 

I am sure I will have lots more questions, and thanks for all you help!

[carlmm]

In general yes but it depends a bit on how you define "casual" and what else you want to do,

Some cruiselines allow almost everything, some ask for smart casual, some require that you follow the dress code in all other public rooms like bars or theatre. Also on some nights the buffet might be closed.

Would be Oceania something for you? On the one hand no formal nights on the other hand not anything goes but, as many say, "country club casual".

[nevadabadgirl]

Hi Carlmm, and thanks for replying. Actually, Oceania is not for me :) I will be sailing to the Mexican Riviera (my son's choice, it's his graduation trip)...I have 5 or 6 cruises to choose from:

 

NCL Star Acapulco, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas

Carnival Spirit, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Manzanillo

RCCL Vision of the Seas, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta

HAL ms Oosterdam, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta

Princess Dawn Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta

Golden Princess Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta

 

I like the idea of "freestyle cruising" so will probably go with NCL...unless someone can steer me otherwise :)

 

My idea of "casual" is dockers/hawaiian shirt for my son, and blouse/slacks for my mother and myself...possibly a sundress.

[GORDONCHICK]

If I were you, I would choose NCL. Their formal nights are optional, but they do have a specified dress code. On most ships, there is a buffet, but I'm not one for buffet food so that would be up to you.

[mousey]

I cruised NCL for the first time last year aboard the Dream. It was our first experience with freestyle dining. We loved it. Formal night is optional. However, most people dressed in their "Sunday Best" rather than formal. There were a few dressed formally, but most people were casual. You can't wear jeans or shorts. Otherwise, I saw people in Hawaiian shirts and dockers, tuxes, and everthing in between on formal night! So you might want to think about NCL. My DS wore long Dickies pants w/collared polo shirt for formal night. The DH wore a suit and I wore a nice black skirt and top that I got from TJ Maxx and plan to wear again on our cruise this year to the Mexican Riviera. The DH is doing away with the suit and wearing dress pants and a nice shirt. We will be cruising on he NCL Star.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

I understand that your career requires you to dress up in order to do your job, but if I may, getting dresssed up for formal night is a different situation. I say this because I want you, your mother, and your son to enjoy your first cruise as much as possible.

 

Formal night is a special night on a cruise ship. The idea of dressing for dinner was a tradition on ocean voyages, and although we live at a different time, part of the fun of a cruise is to be part of that tradition if only for one or two nights. Also, a cruise ship comes alive with music, special entertainment, the chef's best from the kitchen, and the officers waiters, and other ship personnel are in their formal uniforms. And it seems like such a waste to eat in the buffet, when the dining room is festive and alive with friendship. love, and laughter.

 

As for clothes, you will see some tuxes and gowns but you will look great in something you already have in your closet. The idea is to look nice. And for one or two nights, to make his mother and his grandmother proud, for your son to wear a coat and tie.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[newmexicoNita]

We would never choose a cruise based solely on the dress code, but things being equal we would choose NCL. Even their formal optional nights are pretty much gone. Does this mean you can eat in the dining rooms after 6 in shorts? Nope, but capris, docker type pants for the guys, etc is perfectly acceptable . You have your choice of places to dine and the time you prefer. Do remember, like a land based restaurant, if you choose to eat in a main dining room at 7 or 7:30pm you may have a 10 of 15 minute wait.

 

I hope this helps some, all the mass marketed lines are similar I may add, but NCL does offer the relaxed dining. I know Fred memtioned part of the cruise experience is dressing for dinner a couple of nights. That works for some and he is right, but for many of us, it just isn't worth it to drag all the stuff with you for formal dining.

 

NMnita

[cruisin'mama]

I was on the NCL Star last month and the "rules" for the dress code have changed for dinner. Jeans are now NOT on the unacceptable list for dinner. In otherwords, even jeans can be worn in the dining room for dinner. Just no shorts, tank tops, or beach attire allowed after 5pm.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Please remember that you do not have to take a lot of additional clothes to enjoy formal night. And there is a magic about a cruise ship on formal night that you should experience at least once on your first cruise. Formal nights are not for everyone but as a first timer (and especially for your mother) you should participate at least once.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred