option for formal night dinner

i have always attended formal evenings on all our past cruises, but thinking about not having to fuss over dresses, suits, shoes,etc...seems appealing for our up coming new england/canada cruise on summit next year, what does one do if they decide not to attend formal nights, i know we can order and eat in room, but besides that, sounds like an answer i should know, but never having contemplating this, i need advise,thanks....:confused:

We did this on our recent Silhouette cruise in the Med in June. On the formal nights, we dined either in a specialty restaurant or in the buffet. The specialties were offering discounts of 20-30%off which was nice and we could dress 'smart casual'. The buffet was nice because we took our plates out to the aft deck and enjoyed eating outside. There is still bar service there and it wasn't crowded at all, quite enjoyable. We'll be doing the same on our upcoming Caribbean cruise in February. Also, there's Bistro on Five, with a $7 upcharge per person, food is really good just don't be in a rush because the service is sometimes on the slow side!

Enjoy your cruise!

On Formal Nights... ONLY the Main Dining Room is formal.

The Blu Dining Room (for Aqua Class Pax), and all the Specialty Restaurants are Smart Casual.

The Buffet is casual 24/7. And there is always Room Service... If you order when the MDR is open & serving you are able to order off that Menu as well... Just ask your Cabin Steward for a copy

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

thanks for the thoughts....hmmm.....decisions, decisions, lol

The buffet is casual when it is opened, but it is not opened 24/7.

The Specialty Restaurants are smart casual every night, including

formal nights. Summit has Normandie and Qsine, along with Bistro

on 5.

The buffet is casual when it is opened, but it is not opened 24/7.

Matter of semantics I suppose...

The Buffet area IS OPEN 24/7...

Just that food may not always found there around the clock... But Tea, Coffee, Juice etc and a place to sit is

Breakfast kicks off around 6:00 AM... And Late Night Eats like Pizza don't usually disappear until the wee morning hours.

Cheers!

Matter of semantics I suppose...

 

The Buffet area IS OPEN 24/7...

 

Just that food may not always found there around the clock... But Tea, Coffee, Juice etc and a place to sit is

 

Breakfast kicks off around 6:00 AM... And Late Night Eats like Pizza don't usually disappear until the wee morning hours.

 

Cheers!

Ok..lf you want to say it is opened 24/7, you certainly may.

As for the wee hours? Pizza is usually off at 1:00am. I was just letting

the original poster she cannot get food in the middle of the night

at the Buffet.

We aren't doing formals on our next cruise and have pre booked a 5 night speciality restaurant package. We've done formals for the majority of our cruises but our last one was less than four months ago and after a tiring summer and a stressful last few weeks I'm glad we made that decision. We both have to dress in business suits for work so it will make a nice change for us. :) I do enjoy formals just want to give it a miss this time!

Suggestions for other eating venues would be speciality restaurants, bistro on five, the buffet and room service, remember you can order the MDR menu in your room, ask attendant for a menu :)

The buffet is casual when it is opened, but it is not opened 24/7.

 

The Specialty Restaurants are smart casual every night, including

formal nights. Summit has Normandie and Qsine, along with Bistro

on 5.

The buffet is an excellent option to the main dining room on formal nights, just make sure you watch the times it will closes, we ate there around 8PM and it was still open. We did one formal night at the MDR, one at Qsine and one in the buffet on our Canada Cruise, out of 14 days three were formal.

We will be doing the Trans-Atlantic on Celebrity equinox next month. In the past I have always taken a Tuxedo for formal night. But I find that unless you fly Business Class, the airlines have significant restrictions with only one suitcase/passenger and a 50 lb weight limit. In addition, our trips usually last 3 weeks or more and it does not make sense, at least to me, to pack a heavy Tuxedo and a formal gown(s) for my wife which will take up weight.

By no means will I go into the dining room without a jacket, but to me, Smart Casual is more the order.

The only cruise line that I have found very significant restrcitons on dress has been Cunard.

To me if you are paying for a cruise, you should not have to avoid the MDR on Formal neight, unless you intend to dress completely casual.

I vote for Bistro on 5 and the new expanded menu w/ so many options other than just crepes and paninis.