Kini12

when I saw a thread here somewhere that asked what gowns people were wearing to the formal nights! With pictures!!! Hubby doesn't put much effort into the planning, he leaves it all happily to me and just says 'yes dear' usually :)

But he was dragged in to view the CC site and we both agreed that it's our cabins for us on formal nights.

For one thing, he doesn't even own a jacket except winter tweedy ones for business and certainly not a black dinner styled one. He dresses nicely for work in business shirts and pants but this formal stuff is beyond us.

For another thing we have severe restrictions on our baggage and lugging big dresses and jackets half way round the world just doesn't make sense.

 

We'll look a mass of dash on every other night and won't embarrass any of our table mates ;) I am praying they'll allow us into the Pinnacle on the first night (our 40th wedding anniversay) with him just in shirt and tie ... oh well trousers too of course.

 

I guess for us the top priority for our trip is the PLACES we'll visit and the ship is what's carrying us to these places. Having said that we are looking forward to the great food and the super people we'll be meeting. It's going to be great!

40 years! That is wonderful, congratulations.

Let's say you could sail the identical itinerary, at the same cabin price on Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and HAL. Which cruiseline would you choose and why?

 

Some of us may choose a ship based on a previous very pleasant experience. Others wants more -or less- "night life". Some people prefer a larger ship, others smaller. Some like certain types of activities or programs.

 

In other words, there are a myriad of reasons each individual chooses a particular cruiseline and ship. We always used to cruise on Carnival because they had larger OV cabins, however we began to feel somewhat out of place, based not just on our ages, but on the entire ambiance. Our first trip on Hal was pure chance, because it was an Alaskan Cruise via a tour company. We took our 19 and 20 year old children; our son was "bored silly", our daughter had a good time (she was asked out by two crew members), and we felt like we had found a "home".

 

Given any cruiseline, ship, itinerary, dinner, etc. there are a vast variety of reasons certain choices are made; then we evaluate those choices. Two people could share the exact same meal with one loving it and one hating it. Just as a quick example: I love lots of butter in my mashed potatoes, but my son-in-law will not eat anything made with butter.

 

So, what I am saying is that each cruiseline / ship develops its own "culture" and we are attracted to it -or not- by MANY reasons. What we liked yesterday, we may not like tomorrow, and it does not necessarily have anything to do with our age or any changes the cruiseline makes. Will I stop cruising with HAL if they raise prices? No, but I may cruise less frequently. Will I stop cruising with them if they eliminate Formal Night? No, although I always "dress" for dinner when we are cruising and I do enjoy having a chance to wear my "party clothes". Will I stop if there are more or less activities and programs? No because I participate in just what I want to do anyway. Just like everyone takes the same dinner menu that lists several choices for every course, and puts together an individual (and perhaps unique) dinner, we all can create an individual cruise that suits our individual "appetite". As far as attracting new cruisers goes, I would guess that "word of mouth" probably brings as many, if not more, than advertisements do!

I would choose Celebrity because of their smoking policy.

Yes' date=' we probably would consider switching cruise lines if Celebrity no longer offered formal nights. For us, formal nights on our cruises is one of the things that differentiates this type of vacation from, say, an all inclusive resort. We would never choose Oceania Crusies as they do not offer formal nights, though we are told every other aspect of cruising with them is either at par or above Celebrity. Personal choice, we realize, but there are alternatives for those who don't like formal nights.[/quote']

 

You could dress in formalwear every night if it pleases you on Oceania and I am sure no one would care. I have not had the pleasure of sailing on Oceania. However, on Azamara, as Redtravel pointed out, people were dressed in formalwear as well as business casual. Everyone fit in beautifully.