Prediction: Formal Nights gone by 2020

With formal nights gone on Celebrity and Holland America, replaced by "chic" and "gala" nights and the popularity of optional theme nights 1X per cruise like Norwegians Night Out, I think by 2020 the standard 2 formal nights per 7 day cruise will be gone, replaced by what I think will be 1X per cruise "Royal Evening" or something similarly worded.

 

I'd imagine it would be an optional designated dress to impress night with Captains photos, maybe some additional pre-dinner pomp open to anyone who wants to participate, to replace the past guest/top tier parties that have gone missing, and 1X per cruise midnight buffet like have been gone from most ships of any cruise line the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, I think they will follow the NCL model of no included lobster, so there won't really be a special / better meal in the MDR, per se, without an upcharge. But rather than being just an MDR and Done sort of thing I'd imagine a sequence of themed events through the night as described above.

 

This could work much better with demands for flexibile dining times increasing, provide different events and activities, evoke some of that "special" feel; but I think the current formal format will die first.

My bad, wrong forum.

I would love for RCCL to do away with formal nights. We have cruised long enough for it to lose its appeal. Having just go off Azamara, which has a resort casual dress code, not having a formal night was wonderful.

 

I do understand newbies wanting to dress up, though.

I thought they had gone already on just about every cruise line.

As it was, it was like forcing everyone aboard to take the same excursion at a port, or having the option to pay the same for excursion at the port regardless of whether you went flight-seeing or shopping.

 

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I think by 2020 the standard 2 formal nights per 7 day cruise will be gone, replaced by what I think will be 1X per cruise "Royal Evening" or something similarly worded.

 

There will be a $7,95 charge to participate!:D;p

I would love for RCCL to do away with formal nights. We have cruised long enough for it to lose its appeal. Having just go off Azamara, which has a resort casual dress code, not having a formal night was wonderful.

 

I do understand newbies wanting to dress up, though.

 

Not just newbies... We enjoy "dressing up" one or two nights. We have been on over 25 cruises and while I never had a tux, I always bring a suit and tie.

 

I see where the direction is going, but I never understood why there isn't room for both desires. One night (or two) out of 7, in one dining venue -- doesn't seem like an imposition to me to have a more formal experience.

 

 

mac_tlc

If you've been on Celebrity, you'd know that "chic" still translates into semi-formal. There are still plenty of people who dress formally and semi-formally. We saw more tuxes on Celebrity than we've seen on any cruise in a few years. Since the cruise industry has decided to appeal to the common man, what we've seen is what we'll get.

I've been on several cruises and we enjoy formal night once or twice on the cruise. The last few years my tux has been gathering dust. It doesn't make sense to bring it anymore because nobody else is wearing one and I am tired everybody thinking I'm the maître d'. LOL. I do think that a dress code for the MDR is important. Even with a dress code many people come to the dining room in the same clothes they wore earlier in the day by the pool (except for maybe a pair of long pants). Dressing for dinner has become a thing of the past.

 

 

 

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Fine by me. Formal night was ok when it was just my wife and I (although we did pass on our last Princess cruise), but now that we have kids, its too much of a hassle, both in packing and in child wrangling. We don't use the MDR much as it is, but trying to get a couple of toddlers to sit through a long(ish) meal in nice clothes sounds like a nightmare.

With formal nights gone on Celebrity and Holland America, replaced by "chic" and "gala" nights and the popularity of optional theme nights 1X per cruise like Norwegians Night Out, I think by 2020 the standard 2 formal nights per 7 day cruise will be gone, replaced by what I think will be 1X per cruise "Royal Evening" or something similarly worded.

 

 

 

I'd imagine it would be an optional designated dress to impress night with Captains photos, maybe some additional pre-dinner pomp open to anyone who wants to participate, to replace the past guest/top tier parties that have gone missing, and 1X per cruise midnight buffet like have been gone from most ships of any cruise line the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, I think they will follow the NCL model of no included lobster, so there won't really be a special / better meal in the MDR, per se, without an upcharge. But rather than being just an MDR and Done sort of thing I'd imagine a sequence of themed events through the night as described above.

 

 

 

This could work much better with demands for flexibile dining times increasing, provide different events and activities, evoke some of that "special" feel; but I think the current formal format will die first.

 

 

 

I am agreeing with you. The number of people interested in a "formal night" is dwindling. Perhaps a "formal night" can be held in the steakhouse or another specialty restaurant as a one time event. For that one night of the cruise the specialty restaurant would not be available for those "casual folks" and free for those who come dressed up.

.

 

 

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It was gone for us 5 or 6 years ago.

Losing formal night would be disappointing. I have been on several cruises and I love the one or two nights to dress up. Our lives at home are very casual, the only time we ever dress up is on a cruise. For me it is part of the whole cruise experience and I love that.

We enjoyed formal nights as it made the evening special, but we also realize that times change and you have to learn to be ok with that. And the industry has to continue casting a wider net to stay profitable. As it stands, still having them but making them so optional leads to all these people on board looking like they are on their way to different events. Some in tuxes, some in suits, some in swimwear and t's. If the idea of formal nights was to make it a special evening it fails if only some participate.

A one night optional event for formal night would be nice.

 

That way you can partake or not.

 

Not forced into it.

 

Safe travels.

I am agreeing with you. The number of people interested in a "formal night" is dwindling. Perhaps a "formal night" can be held in the steakhouse or another specialty restaurant as a one time event. For that one night of the cruise the specialty restaurant would not be available for those "casual folks" and free for those who come dressed up.

.

 

 

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The Windjammer would be a great place. After all, the "we like to dress up crowd" is always telling those who don't to dine there.

We enjoyed formal nights as it made the evening special, but we also realize that times change and you have to learn to be ok with that. And the industry has to continue casting a wider net to stay profitable. As it stands, still having them but making them so optional leads to all these people on board looking like they are on their way to different events. Some in tuxes, some in suits, some in swimwear and t's. If the idea of formal nights was to make it a special evening it fails if only some participate.

 

 

 

You are right. However if a separate venue were provided for formal night and those that wanted to dress up went there and and the dress code was strictly enforced for that venue on that one night, it would be special for those that attend. It doesn't work because you have a minority of people "dressed up" and several more "dressed down" all sitting together in the main dining room.

 

 

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We enjoyed formal nights on our first couple of cruises, but since we became more adventurous, taking longer, more distant cruises with pre and post cruise stays, the idea of lugging formal wear around has lost its appeal.

Smart casual every night suits us. We don't want to wear shorts and flip flops in the dining room, but what others choose to wear doesn't worry us.

We really liked the dining on the anthem a couple of years ago with the grand dining room. We prefer not to dress formal so we skip the dining room on formal night. It was nice to just avoid the grand dining room instead missing a couple of nights in the mdr.

I would love for RCCL to do away with formal nights. We have cruised long enough for it to lose its appeal. Having just go off Azamara, which has a resort casual dress code, not having a formal night was wonderful.

 

I do understand newbies wanting to dress up, though.

 

Not sure what newbies has to do with anything. Most of the CCers supporting formal night aren't for the most part newbies. Even on Celebrity's 'Evening Chic' we still do the tux and cocktail dress so renaming it won't effect us much. Wear what you want as long as it doesn't ruin my appetite. :D

There are still other lines out there if you want dress in formal attire for the evening. P&O expect formal attire to be worn in all areas of the ship from 6pm, except for the buffet and 'pub'. Definitely no shorts in the majority of public areas including bars and certainly not in the MDR nor speciality restaurants.

 

MSC still have a formal attire dress suggestion and have at least 2 'gala' evenings on a 7 night sailing where this is appropriate in the MDR.

 

I believe Cunard still have a more strict dress code where even jackets are still required on 'smart casual' evenings.

 

You'll have to weigh up your priorities if you wish for a more formal experience, choose either the 'bells and whistles' of RCI at the expense of a more casual dress experience or move to a more formal line which won't have the facilities offered by RCI.

I am agreeing with you. The number of people interested in a "formal night" is dwindling. Perhaps a "formal night" can be held in the steakhouse or another specialty restaurant as a one time event. For that one night of the cruise the specialty restaurant would not be available for those "casual folks" and free for those who come dressed up.

That idea would be more feasible from a business perspective if it was cordoning off a portion of the MDR rather than deflecting a revenue-generating venue such as a specialty restaurant.

 

The Windjammer would be a great place. After all, the "we like to dress up crowd" is always telling those who don't to dine there.

But "we who are seeking a truly fair solution" recognize both how ridiculous it is for the "we like to dress up crowd" to suggest that the "we like to dress down crowd" eat at the Windjammer instead of the MDR, and how ridiculous it is for the "we like to dress down crowd" to suggest that the "we like to dress up crowd" eat at the Windjammer instead of the MDR, and that's why the idea of cordoning off a portion of the MDR is the best possible compromise between the three parties involved (the third party being the "we who have a fiduciary responsibility to the owners of the cruise line crowd").

 

Not sure what newbies has to do with anything. Most of the CCers supporting formal night aren't for the most part newbies.

I agree. Across the forums for all the cruise lines I follow, it seems pretty consistent that most intransigent attachment to what was" is held by those who have cruised the most in the past. Edited March 28, 2017 by bUU

Why not have cruisers select "formal" preference when booking their cruise and set aside one (or more if appropriate) level of the MDR for those preferring a formal dining experience?

If you've been on Celebrity, you'd know that "chic" still translates into semi-formal. There are still plenty of people who dress formally and semi-formally. We saw more tuxes on Celebrity than we've seen on any cruise in a few years.

 

I agree re: Celebrity but it is all about the demographics. Celebrity got it right with no shorts, tank tops or flip-flops in the MDR and specialty restaurants (enforced) and everyone we saw was dressed nicely and smart casual to semi-formal was what we observed on chic night, along with many dressed more formally than we have seen on any RCI cruise in awhile.

 

IMO formal night on RCI is over-rated; banquet hall food, a harried wait-staff and tables crammed close together does not feel like an occasion worthy of packing (and paying the associated luggage fees) true formal attire. I would miss the lobster night but that has nothing to do with dining attire and everything to do with cost. Again, it's the demographic that RCI is attracting; families and younger travelers do not equate formal attire with vacation - I'm not young, but I still have to dress for work, and I have never enjoyed the formal night falderol - even suits and evening dresses are tiresome and increase luggage weight.

Edited March 28, 2017 by NemoCrownie

Why not have cruisers select "formal" preference when booking their cruise and set aside one (or more if appropriate) level of the MDR for those preferring a formal dining experience?

A similar concept (one restaurant was formal every night) was tried on Quantum class, and people still came in non-formal dress. Perhaps they can try it again since all the restaurants have the same food now, maybe it will work better.