Do you have to participate...

in the formal dinners? How can you avoid it? I'm not really into getting all dressed in a suit or dress.

Eat at the specialty restaurants (with cover charge), or at the buffet (less choice during dinner), or order room serive (tip only).

 

You can also try Bistro on 5 which have all you can eat crepes, soup and salads at just 5 dollars per person.

 

Formal dress rule is only for Main Dining Room.

How will I know if it is formal dinner? Do they give a daily schedule for each day?

Thanks again!

At the start of the cruise when you board, you will see the list of nights that will be formal and those that will not. Usually it is the second day on board, the remainder depend on the cruise schedule but if you post on the board nearer your cruise time, others who have just returned may be able to tell you the exact day.

 

Dressing out is not as demanding as on some lines so have a look at the dress code as you might find you were planning to bring items that matched the formal dress code anyway

How will I know if it is formal dinner? Do they give a daily schedule for each day?

Thanks again!

 

Yes you will get a "Celebrity Today" and it has a listing of everything,

including each evening's dinner. Celebrity has "Formal" and "Smart Casual"

so it will be one or the other.

It also lists all the activities for that day....it is basically your own

ship's activity sheet.....entertainment, activities, events, etc....etc...

 

You will receive one every night for the following day.

If you don't want to eat in the specialty restaurant, you can always eat at the buffet or have room service deliver the exact same meal they are having in the main dinning room to your room. Takes about 30 minutes to get your food delivered. You also don't have to dress in formal wear to roam around the ship that night. We always just wear our smart causal things. You won't be the only people dressed in smart causal..

If you don't want to eat in the specialty restaurant, you can always eat at the buffet or have room service deliver the exact same meal they are having in the main dinning room to your room. Takes about 30 minutes to get your food delivered. You also don't have to dress in formal wear to roam around the ship that night. We always just wear our smart causal things. You won't be the only people dressed in smart causal..

 

You will have to dress smart casual for the specialty restaurants which means pants and a shirt. (no shorts) Room service and the buffet you can wear pretty much anything you want.

Just a thought-

If you decide to do the buffet and skip the main dining room for formal night,

let your tablemates (if any) and your waiter know ahead of time.

Good point -- it's always a good idea for those on traditional dining to let their servers know if they won't be in the MDR on any given night. If you are at a large table, that way they won't delay the others' meal while waiting for you to show up.

Formal is not black tie (tuxes and ball gowns-although you may see a couple) any more-it is really "after 5." A pair of black dress slacks or skirt paired with a sparkly top is fine for a woman. A man is fine in dress slacks, (like what most offices require men to wear) collared shirt and a sport coat. A tie is nice also but I have seen quite a few men forgo that.

 

Another option Celebrity gives you is room service off the dinner menu.

 

But really if you dress up even a little bit you will love your photos. It is worth it for the photos to me. You should think about it

Formal is not black tie (tuxes and ball gowns-although you may see a couple) any more-it is really "after 5." A pair of black dress slacks or skirt paired with a sparkly top is fine for a woman. A man is fine in dress slacks, (like what most offices require men to wear) collared shirt and a sport coat. A tie is nice also but I have seen quite a few men forgo that.

 

Another option Celebrity gives you is room service off the dinner menu.

 

But really if you dress up even a little bit you will love your photos. It is worth it for the photos to me. You should think about it

Sorry, your advice for the males is incorrect. It is my understand that it is tux, suit, with tie etc., and slacks with dinner jacket etc. A sport coat is not a dinner jacket. I am not suggesting that you would be denied entry if you did not conform, but your attire may demonstrate a paucity in the way of consideration for your fellow passengers.

Sorry, your advice for the males is incorrect. It is my understand that it is tux, suit, with tie etc., and slacks with dinner jacket etc. A sport coat is not a dinner jacket. I am not suggesting that you would be denied entry if you did not conform, but your attire may demonstrate a paucity in the way of consideration for your fellow passengers.

 

You are both correct, Jack is correct that what he describes is the dress code but REALISTICALLY no one is going to be turned away from the dining room with a sportscoat on.

You are both correct, Jack is correct that what he describes is the dress code but REALISTICALLY no one is going to be turned away from the dining room with a sportscoat on.

I was on a short cruise and did have a sport coat and tie, but was planning on maybe skipping the one formal night. I ended up being invited to eat with the Captain, so went in my underdressed status, but everyone was kind enough to not mention this. Made up for the night I was invited to dine with the Captain of the Mercury on a smart casual night, but with a clearly stated "jacket and tie required" - my only jacket being my tux I went in that on a smart casual night - of the four male passengers at the table, two of us were in tux.

 

Thom

You are both correct, Jack is correct that what he describes is the dress code but REALISTICALLY no one is going to be turned away from the dining room with a sportscoat on.

I can't prove it of course, but I suspect that very, very, very few passengers would look askance at someone showing up on formal night in a sport coat with a dress shirt and tie, particularly a dressier version. Jack is techinically correct as to what the dress code says. I just think there are almost no people who would look at that attire and think the person was being inconsiderate. I guess the key word is 'almost'.

in the formal dinners? How can you avoid it? I'm not really into getting all dressed in a suit or dress.

 

Not at all, and in general we do not participate either. We go to the Tuscan Grille or Murano on formal nights dressed smart casual, and have a good time.

 

On our last Caribbean cruise we had just returned from a day on St. Maarten and were tired and sunburned, and were in no mood to dress up and be social despite bringing formal clothes. So we ordered room service off the MDR menu, ate out on the balcony, and had the excellent view of the islands fading in the distance. That is one dinner I will remember forever.

 

On a recent Med cruise we didn't bring formal clothes at all.

You are both correct, Jack is correct that what he describes is the dress code but REALISTICALLY no one is going to be turned away from the dining room with a sportscoat on.

 

I think the powers that be are happy just to get people in that.

At the start of the cruise when you board, you will see the list of nights that will be formal and those that will not. Usually it is the second day on board, the remainder depend on the cruise schedule but if you post on the board nearer your cruise time, others who have just returned may be able to tell you the exact day.

 

Dressing out is not as demanding as on some lines so have a look at the dress code as you might find you were planning to bring items that matched the formal dress code anyway

 

This poster is quite right... its not that formal so I wouldn't be surprised if you happen to just bring an outfit that would be "formal"

We, discovered a long time ago that all the hype for these formal nights on what is a mass-market line is just not worth it

On our nest 28day cruise we plann to eat all but 3 dinners in the lido.

Way more casual., Way more fun, way more enjoyable.

We, discovered a long time ago that all the hype for these formal nights on what is a mass-market line is just not worth it

On our nest 28day cruise we plann to eat all but 3 dinners in the lido.

Way more casual., Way more fun, way more enjoyable.

 

By Lido do you mean the buffet? Apparently you haven't been on Celebrity much. :rolleyes: Evening meals in the buffet leave a bit to be desired.

On our nest 28day cruise we plann to eat all but 3 dinners in the lido.

Way more casual., Way more fun, way more enjoyable.

 

Tell me, please,

How can queueing up, with a tray, waiting for others to make up their mind on what they want to eat.then shuffling around looking for a table,or having each other wait while one gets something different before you can start to eat..( manners to wait)........Be more enjoyable, than sitting, relaxing, talking to new table mates, and being served course by course..??

And always served better food in the dining room..imho..;)

Sorry, your advice for the males is incorrect. It is my understand that it is tux, suit, with tie etc., and slacks with dinner jacket etc. A sport coat is not a dinner jacket. I am not suggesting that you would be denied entry if you did not conform, but your attire may demonstrate a paucity in the way of consideration for your fellow passengers.

 

Oh no, that man's pants don't match his jacket. Get the smelling salts, someone may get a case of the vapors!

 

Maybe it's because I'm 30 and from a more casual generation, but any jacket is formal enough. Until I started reading these forums I had never heard of a 'dinner jacket' as something different from a sports coat.

Tell me, please,

How can queueing up, with a tray, waiting for others to make up their mind on what they want to eat.then shuffling around looking for a table,or having each other wait while one gets something different before you can start to eat..( manners to wait)........Be more enjoyable, than sitting, relaxing, talking to new table mates, and being served course by course..??

And always served better food in the dining room..imho..;)

 

I'm going to find out if you are right this coming week on my 14th cruise when for the first time I will not be bringing appropriate clothing for formal nights. Out of respect for the other passengers I will not dine in the MDR on those two nights but will take my chances at the buffet.

 

While I do enjoy being served in the dining room I will not miss the noise level that is magnified by low ceilings, the constant singing of happy birthday by waiters and assistants and the clatter of cutlery and dishes at the busing stations.

 

Unfortunately attending too many rock concerts over much of my life has affected my hearing and the noise level in most of the ship dining rooms I have dined in prevents me from hearing much of the conversation at our table.

 

With most of the passengers in the dining room fir dinner I don't expect to be fighting for food or tables at the buffet.

While I do enjoy being served in the dining room I will not miss the noise level.................and the clatter of cutlery and dishes

With most of the passengers in the dining room fir dinner I don't expect to be fighting for food or tables at the buffet.

 

I do think dishes and cutlery will still clatter in the buffet area:D

And yes, it will still be full of people...all pushing and shoving for the last picked over scrap ....haha..:p

Sharing your space at the table with all the ones who cant be bothered to be nicely dressed...and you know who the majority of those ones are..;)

Take a jacket, wear it on the plane..and eat comfortably.:)

By Lido do you mean the buffet? Apparently you haven't been on Celebrity much. :rolleyes: Evening meals in the buffet leave a bit to be desired.

 

I wonder if the poster realizes that buffets for dinner are not the same on Celebrity as they are on other lines. Celebrity bascially does stations, not full course meals for buffet, certainly not as many choices as you can get for breakfast and lunch. What a waste not to go to the dining room for 25 days, opting instead to go to the buffet. Believe the poster will be very disappointed.

I wonder if the poster realizes that buffets for dinner are not the same on Celebrity as they are on other lines. Celebrity bascially does stations, not full course meals for buffet, certainly not as many choices as you can get for breakfast and lunch. What a waste not to go to the dining room for 25 days, opting instead to go to the buffet. Believe the poster will be very disappointed.

 

I, too, think the poster will be disappointed...and then we will hear how bad the food was...how bad the service was...blah..blah..blah:rolleyes: