What to expect on Formal night

[eddmel]

We have never been on a cruise before and are interested in a 10 night cruise on the Century (Norway/Ireland). Apparently we could expect half the evenings to be formal/informal where the dress code is at least a jacket and tie. Is this dress code for all public areas? Are there any restaurants or areas where casual attire would always be acceptable? What proportion of the passengers dress up?

[kitty9]

Celebrity asks that you remain in the code of the evening for the entire evening if you're going to be in any of the public venues, other than the lido deck, after 6pm. I would say that Celebrity has the highest percentage of people who follow the dress code of any of the mass market lines---I would say at least 85% if not higher. You will notice that European cruises, because of a higher percentage of non-Americans who cruise, tend to be a little more dressy than cruises in the Caribbean. If you don't want to dine in the formal dining room, you can go to the reservation only restaurant up on the lido deck where they turn the buffet area into a regular sit down restaurant. You don't get the same food, but it is a casual place for dinner.

[Rev22:17]

eddmel,

 

We have never been on a cruise before and are interested in a 10 night cruise on the Century (Norway/Ireland). Apparently we could expect half the evenings to be formal/informal where the dress code is at least a jacket and tie. Is this dress code for all public areas? Are there any restaurants or areas where casual attire would always be acceptable? What proportion of the passengers dress up?

 

Yes, Celebrity still maintains the tradition of "informal" evenings in addition to "formal" evenings -- but the line actually modified the dress code so that the tie is now optional on the "informal" evenings. The "formal" evenings still require "modified formal" dress, meaning either "black tie" (dinner jacket outfit or "tuxedo") or a dark -- and I do mean DARK, though not necessarily black -- dinner jacket.

 

As to what to expect, Celebrity does everything to make the "formal" evenings really special. The dining room pulls out all the stops with its very best menus and extra touches that you won't see on other evenings. The cast puts on its best shows in the Celebrity Theater. On these nights, there are often special events as well that I won't describe to avoid "spilling the beans" on the surprise.

 

Celebrity does offer "alternative casual dining" with full table service in a section of the buffet restaurant, for a service charge of $2.00 per passenger, with reservations strongly recommended. Nonetheless, you probably will find that your entertainment options are quite limited if you opt for the "casual" alternative on the "formal" and "informal" evenings. If you don't want to dress up for the evenings, you would be better off booking on another line.

 

Norm.