What do you do on formal night?

[exteerox]

Is formal night just a nice dinner where everybody dresses up? Is that the only difference between that and a normal dining room night or are there certain activities, food, etc.?

[dforeigner]

Is formal night just a nice dinner where everybody dresses up? Is that the only difference between that and a normal dining room night or are there certain activities, food, etc.?

 

Depending on the cruise line, one is the Captain's gala dinner and the other one is lobster night.

[KarenR_UK]

Depends on your ship and line

 

On Cunard (only done QE2, but QM2 sounds similar) they have 'balls' on formal night - for example a black and white ball. They are not compulsory and you don't have to follow the suggested dress (that is black and white) unless you want to. On QE2, they decorated the ballroom and the house band play appropriate music. Always missed this on QE2 as started half way through late seating dinner:) (but then as I have 2 left feet, not really bothered about going to the ball room dancing:D ) .

One will probably be captains welcome party / cocktail party - all the ships I have been on this has just been a half hour before dinner. Sometimes you get to meet the captain (i've not bothered, gone in the 'back' entrance to get a seat ad drink before the rush:D ), sometimes he gives a speech.

 

But on informal\casual nights you may get a deck party.

 

So the level (amount) of entertainment is the same, its just geared to the 'theme' of the evening.

 

dforeigner is right in that the meals tend to be more 'extravagant' on formal nights - sometimes there's even an extra (small ) course e.g. sorbet.

 

Karen.

[Cotton]

Exteerox - It's best to say which cruiseline or ship you'll be on. We can better answer your quesitons.:)

 

On Carnival, for instance, the second night of your cruise will be the first formal night...also called the Captain's Gala.

 

It begins with a nice cocktail party with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, passed around on trays by waitstaff. You can meet and shake hands with the Captain and Cruise Director if you choose, upon entering the party. The ship's orchestra plays, and the Captain introduces his staff.

 

When you leave the party, you'll go to dinner. This is always the night that lobster tails and prime rib are served, along with other entrees, of course. It's a very nice dinner, with usually a little performance by the waiters.

 

After dinner, you can go to the big production show. I always look forward to "Formal Night". Enjoy!:)

[hajekfam]

On Celebrity formal nights, the dinners are more formal, with sorbet to cleanse the palate served before the main course. There is usually a string quartet playing during formal dinners and the waiters are in formal dress uniforms.

Before dinner on the first formal night is Captain's Welcome Aboard toast.

On the last formal night, there is the Baked Alaska parade and Auld Lang Syne is sung.

[exteerox]

Oops, sorry, it's Carnival.

[GORDONCHICK]

Oops, sorry, it's Carnival.

 

Carnival's not as formal as some, but it is different than the other nights. I still wouldn't miss it, but I like to dress up because in my day-to-day, we don't.

[jeangeorges]

What about the Golden Princess formal nights May5 to Alaska?

[cruisinbuddy]

What do we do on formal nights? We go back to the cabin about two hours before dinner and pop the bottle of champagne that has been on ice since the am. We take our time getting ready and enjoy not being rushed. When we are ready I set up the camera and take our own formal shot holding the wine. We've done this on every cruise and will continue.

On Carnival I noticed a lot of people do dress up, do it and have some fun with it. Get a photo on the way to dinner, you'll treasure for a very long time.

[Tmeister]

In addition to dinner and a show, there will be several photographers available to take a nicely posed portrait against a formal background. There's no cost for the photo session; the photo costs $10-20 if you buy it. Photographers will be available the rest of the cruise as well, but the settings are not as formal.