What will we miss if we choose not to attend formal nights?

[gsb]

On our upcoming October cruise on the Radiance, we will eschew formal nights; and, we will, on those nights, eat in the WJ. However, we will dress smart casual, which will allow us to attend the evening show with dignity.

 

DIGNITY?? Wow. I think you'd be just fine in slacks and shirt--short sleeve or long. Most guys who do "dress" for dinner run to the cabin as soon as it's over and get into something comfortable.

[bluegirlum]

If you enjoy the Luby style dinner, then hit the buffet. If you enjoy the service, the time spent in covernsation, the music, the menu, then save Luby's for when you are home.

 

What's Luby's? Some of us don't live in Texas.

 

Also, isn't it dark during the shows? Who checks out what other people are wearing? I'm watching the show.

[Teamv]

Thank you for all of your responses. I have been reading this forum regularly while we consider whether we want to try a cruise and there are alot of opinions here regarding MDR that I have not really seen before. I appreciate your comments.

 

Interesting to hear that some people don't feel that the MDR food is superior to the other dining options. Good to know. As for missing some of the specialty meals we do have access to great food in our city and on other vacations. Our kids also have had lots of fine dining experiences and they do enjoy it. We just prefer our vacations to be casual and relaxed. I also worry about the luggage situation. We need to transfer planes once and are staying in 2 different hotels before we board the ship and I think less luggage will make for a more relaxing trip.

 

Although many say that casual clothes are fine even for formal night , we agree with HeavySurf: "So out of respect for those who do want the experience of formal attire and lobster, we eat elsewhere on at least one formal night, sometimes both."

 

To Mark K: "People say "worth dressing up for" as if it's some huge burden. Is it really that hard to tie a tie and put a coat on? Or to put on a dress instead of a skirt and a top?" I just asked my DH and boys, and yes, when they are in bathing suits all day soaking up the sun and enjoying warm tropical weather, they think it would be a burden for them. LOL

 

Thanks again for all comments. I feel confident that we won't be missing an essential, "only on a cruise" experience if we forgo the MDR or formal nights. Also, I have been reading long enough to worry that the topic of dress code can start a war of words, so thanks for all who didn't let this happen! LOL

[foureyedbuzzard]

You won't miss much. On formal nights they have special meals; but most of the time whatever they serve in the main dining room; you can get in the windjammer. On formal nights the wait staff will put on a show; its no big deal. You can still wear casual to the dining room on formal nights. Even though most passengers will have tux's or suits on, there will be people who are dressed in pants and regular shirt. so don't worry about what people think, enjoy yourself and have a great time.

I'd have to disagree. On our recent cruise on Navigator I was one of very few who wore a tux. Perhaps 15 - 20% wore a suit, and another 30 - 40% a blazer. The rest ranged from shirt and tie all the way down to a tee shirt. Can't say I'm in favor of what I saw, but that's the way things seem to be going.

[negc]

It's a burden in that it comes with lugging extra shoes, etc to go with the nicer dress/coat and tie. It's extra space in the suitcase, which these days are at a premium. And sitting through the bad service and ridiculous "performances" by the waiters are a waste of time.

 

If we go to formal night in the MDR, we will dress accordingly. We just don't think it's worth the bother.

 

Sounds like you should probably skip the MDR completely (not only on formal nights) if you automatically expect to receive bad service and you are offended by the sight of the wait staff parading through the dining room and singing at one point during the meal. We expect and usually receive excellent service in the dining room and don't let what you describe as the "ridiculous performances" by the waiters ruin our enjoyment of our meal or the company of our table companions.:rolleyes:

[JustUs275]

As far as I am concerned you won't be missing much except getting dressed up in uncomfortable clothing. We have become so unimpressed with the main dining room that we stopped eating any meals there several cruises ago. There is just too much noise and commotion in there for me.

 

First time cruiser here...wow - I was surprised to read that there is a lot of noise and commotion in the MDR! My assumption was the opposite, that the MDR would be quieter and maybe a bit more elegant than WJ. So now I'm trying to figure this out. Is it simply because there are so many people in the MDR at appointed times, whereas in WJ everyone just comes and goes resulting in smaller numbers of people at any given time (equals less noise and commotion)? My curiosity is piqued!

[bluegirlum]

Sounds like you should probably skip the MDR completely (not only on formal nights) if you automatically expect to receive bad service and you are offended by the sight of the wait staff parading through the dining room and singing at one point during the meal. We expect and usually receive excellent service in the dining room and don't let what you describe as the "ridiculous performances" by the waiters ruin our enjoyment of our meal or the company of our table companions.:rolleyes:

 

I'm not offended by their performances--I didn't say that at all. I simply think the songs are silly and that, combined with the fact that the food is not that great and not everyone dresses up anyway, makes it no better than your average banquet hall. If I want fancy dinners and gourmet food, I'll go on another line. I know the waiters work hard. We did expect excellent service on our last cruise, but unfortunately we received quite the opposite. We might actually skip the MDR completely on this cruise. We cruise to be with each other and the rest of it is gravy. We're perfectly content with the WJ and the other dining options. We are not cruising for gourmet food.

[negc]

I'm not offended by their performances--I didn't say that at all. I simply think the songs are silly and that, combined with the fact that the food is not that great and not everyone dresses up anyway, makes it no better than your average banquet hall. If I want fancy dinners and gourmet food, I'll go on another line. I know the waiters work hard. We did expect excellent service on our last cruise, but unfortunately we received quite the opposite. We might actually skip the MDR completely on this cruise. We cruise to be with each other and the rest of it is gravy. We're perfectly content with the WJ and the other dining options. We are not cruising for gourmet food.

 

Sorry if I misinterpreted your remarks. I guess the terms "bad service" and "ridiculous" performances, confused me. :rolleyes:

[Debde]

Love the WJ for dinner.

Dress as you like.

many choices to pick from

although buffet-you do have a server to assist you if need be. Sit in the same section each night-you'll have the same server.

nice quiet atmosphere

Truly MTD

Included in your fare

 

IMO=can't go wrong!;)

[Grandiva]

First time cruiser here...wow - I was surprised to read that there is a lot of noise and commotion in the MDR! My assumption was the opposite, that the MDR would be quieter and maybe a bit more elegant than WJ. So now I'm trying to figure this out. Is it simply because there are so many people in the MDR at appointed times, whereas in WJ everyone just comes and goes resulting in smaller numbers of people at any given time (equals less noise and commotion)? My curiosity is piqued!

 

 

Correct. The dining room is at least 2 floors, more on larger ships. So having 2000 conversations going on, even at normal tones can get noisy. It is more elegant than the WJ. However, the WJ atmospher changes in the evening. Dim lights, table cloths, soft music (i think).

[tispwisp]

DH hates dressing up for dinner, but I like it. We compromise and every other cruise we take our formal attire. On our last Freedom cruise, we ate in the MDR the first night (we had anytime dining) and the Windjammer on the second (formal). We enjoyed the Windjammer so much that we ended up eating there every night thereafter. We ate in the same section with the same waiters and IMHO seemed a lot less rushed. We enjoyed our waitstaff in the Windjammer so much that we actually tipped them extra! I did miss the lobster & escargot though!

[Teamv]

Thanks for more great responses. I am feeling really comfortable with the WJ and other restaurant options. Our boys love buffets - they try lots of new things, without the worry that they will waste food and can still eat their favourites. Also like the idea that we can eat when we like and the boys can wear shorts!!

Thanks for the tip about sitting in the same section, so as to have the same wait staff.

One question though. Do we have to sign up for a MDR option? Should we sign up for My Time Dining? We would not want to sign up for a sitting in the MDR and just never show, but would like the option to eat in the dininr room, just in case....

[Bakincakes]

Thanks for more great responses. I am feeling really comfortable with the WJ and other restaurant options. Our boys love buffets - they try lots of new things, without the worry that they will waste food and can still eat their favourites. Also like the idea that we can eat when we like and the boys can wear shorts!!

Thanks for the tip about sitting in the same section, so as to have the same wait staff.

One question though. Do we have to sign up for a MDR option? Should we sign up for My Time Dining? We would not want to sign up for a sitting in the MDR and just never show, but would like the option to eat in the dininr room, just in case....

 

 

Sign up for MTD.

 

You can come and go as you please. But once you sign up for MTD your seats in the MDR for traditional will be given to other pax.

[katiel53]

Now I don't want to start another debate about what people feel is appropriate to wear in the main dining room, as a search of this forum can tell me all I want to know (and more) about that!

 

My questions is, what will my family be missing if we do not attend formal or smart casual dinners in the main dining room? We are a casual family of 4 planning a Freedom cruise. Dressing up is easier for me as I can wear clothes that are dressy but comfortable, but not so much for the guys. DH enjoys dressing up occasionally, but not on a warm weather vacation. Our teen boys love wearing shorts in the winter, as we live in Canada.

 

So before we plan not to bring dressy clothes, is there something that you feel we will be missing?

 

I am amazed at how many people posted with advice on the dress code when you specifically said not to. I don't know why the question couldn't be answered without telling you how to dress/not dress etc.

 

You won't be missing much by not going to the MDR on formal nights. Not everyone likes lobster and the prime rib that is also served is usually served the first night of the cruise. The first formal night has steak, but if that is important to you, you could go to Portofino or Chops if your ship has one/both restaurants. Or, you could pay extra and order the Chops steak another night in the dining room.

 

You know what you want to do for your family and I totally respect that and your attitude. Enjoy!

[Debde]

Thanks for more great responses. I am feeling really comfortable with the WJ and other restaurant options. Our boys love buffets - they try lots of new things, without the worry that they will waste food and can still eat their favourites. Also like the idea that we can eat when we like and the boys can wear shorts!!

Thanks for the tip about sitting in the same section, so as to have the same wait staff.

One question though. Do we have to sign up for a MDR option? Should we sign up for My Time Dining? We would not want to sign up for a sitting in the MDR and just never show, but would like the option to eat in the dininr room, just in case....

 

I don't sign up for MTD. I go to the MDR first night and tell the wait staff and my tablemates we will not be joining them on formal nights. Always seems to work fine.

yes-when we dine in the WJ on first formal night-we tell the wait staff-see you next formal night and they will welcome you by name just like the MDR!.

[Ocean Boy]

First time cruiser here...wow - I was surprised to read that there is a lot of noise and commotion in the MDR! My assumption was the opposite, that the MDR would be quieter and maybe a bit more elegant than WJ. So now I'm trying to figure this out. Is it simply because there are so many people in the MDR at appointed times, whereas in WJ everyone just comes and goes resulting in smaller numbers of people at any given time (equals less noise and commotion)? My curiosity is piqued!

 

As someone already posted, imagine a 2-3 floor dining room with servers trying to get 1500 meals out and everyone having their own conversations. Now throw in an occasional paride of waiters singing songs, etc.......

 

In the Windjammer you have people coming and going any time between 6:30-9PM. It tends to be very low key. And I much prefer buffets. I like getting my own food and picking and choosing what I want. We also can spend as much or as little time eating as we want depending on what we want to do in the evening. I am not always up for a 1.5 hr meal.

 

Some people would never miss a meal in the MDR and can't stand the Windjammer for various reasons and I can respect that. However, the Windjammer is just perfect for us.

[isujim]

As someone already posted, imagine a 2-3 floor dining room with servers trying to get 1500 meals out and everyone having their own conversations. Now throw in an occasional paride of waiters singing songs, etc.......

 

In the Windjammer you have people coming and going any time between 6:30-9PM. It tends to be very low key. And I much prefer buffets. I like getting my own food and picking and choosing what I want. We also can spend as much or as little time eating as we want depending on what we want to do in the evening. I am not always up for a 1.5 hr meal.

 

Some people would never miss a meal in the MDR and can't stand the Windjammer for various reasons and I can respect that. However, the Windjammer is just perfect for us.

 

I agree with you........and as RC continues to build larger and larger ships it will only get worse in the MDR.

 

However, it should be pointed out that Vision Class ships, Radiance Class ships aren't quite as bad. In fact if you want a real dining room experience like cruising used to be, one should try a smaller ship. We did just that last August on the Pacific Princess..........heck the dining room only held 700 people TOTAL.........how nice it was to remember what a dining experience used to be like on cruise ships.

 

I think Dining Room experiences are in transition........it just has to be with these larger ships.......it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out as some passengers want to hold on to traditional experiences, while newer ships make it harder to do so.

 

One nice thing about cruising.........whether it is Windjammer or Main Dining Room........the cruise lines are desperately trying to find something for everyone.

[momofmab]

On our Liberty spring break cruise a week or so ago, we dressed up for formal nights, but not in black tie attire and honestly, for a full ship, there seemed to be a relatively equal mix of black tie people, shirt & tie people and shorts & tees people. And my family is "one of those" who run back to our room to change into something more comfy for the shows :D On both formal nights in the MDR I saw a handful of people in jeans and quite a few in shorts. It's your vacation, I think you should be comfortable and dress the way you want! I think I'll join in with those who leave their formal attire home for our next cruise!

[Ocean Boy]

I agree with you........and as RC continues to build larger and larger ships it will only get worse in the MDR.

 

However, it should be pointed out that Vision Class ships, Radiance Class ships aren't quite as bad. In fact if you want a real dining room experience like cruising used to be, one should try a smaller ship. We did just that last August on the Pacific Princess..........heck the dining room only held 700 people TOTAL.........how nice it was to remember what a dining experience used to be like on cruise ships.

 

I think Dining Room experiences are in transition........it just has to be with these larger ships.......it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out as some passengers want to hold on to traditional experiences, while newer ships make it harder to do so.

 

One nice thing about cruising.........whether it is Windjammer or Main Dining Room........the cruise lines are desperately trying to find something for everyone.

I actually found dinner on Serenade to be extremely noisy. I am not sure if it was because we were sitting in an area where the ceiling was low (we were under the second tier) or what the issue was. We had two dinners there and that was the end of our MDR experiences. It has been the Windjammer ever since.

[Theresa522]

I agree with 99% of the other posters. You will be missing nothing other then a few different items on the menu. Not a big deal at all.

[isujim]

I actually found dinner on Serenade to be extremely noisy. I am not sure if it was because we were sitting in an area where the ceiling was low (we were under the second tier) or what the issue was. We had two dinners there and that was the end of our MDR experiences. It has been the Windjammer ever since.

 

We are in agreement..........maybe I should have said "less noisy than the Oasis":p.......sounds like your experience on the Serenade however wasn't very pleasant at all.

 

Talk about noise..........I now wear hearing aids..........it's just amplified..........but at least I hear now.:p

[Ocean Boy]

We are in agreement..........maybe I should have said "less noisy than the Oasis":p.......sounds like your experience on the Serenade however wasn't very pleasant at all.

 

Talk about noise..........I now wear hearing aids..........it's just amplified..........but at least I hear now.:p

 

You made me laugh!:D When we cruise I always take my parents as their Christmas present. My mother says the same thing about her hearing aids. Now she is selective as to where she wears them. So I am never quite sure initially what tone of voice to speak to her in. She either tells me to stop yelling or says... What did you say?:p

[wing2003]

Thanks for this post! We've been wondering how to pack for formal and 10 days of casual AND not pay the airline for over weight luggage! Good to know there are options. :rolleyes:

[MikeNJ1109]

Now I don't want to start another debate about what people feel is appropriate to wear in the main dining room, as a search of this forum can tell me all I want to know (and more) about that!

 

My questions is, what will my family be missing if we do not attend formal or smart casual dinners in the main dining room? We are a casual family of 4 planning a Freedom cruise. Dressing up is easier for me as I can wear clothes that are dressy but comfortable, but not so much for the guys. DH enjoys dressing up occasionally, but not on a warm weather vacation. Our teen boys love wearing shorts in the winter, as we live in Canada.

 

So before we plan not to bring dressy clothes, is there something that you feel we will be missing?

 

Sorry to jump into this thread late, but just to add our 2 cents ...

 

We've been on six cruises -- RCL's Explorer, Mariner, Brilliance, Voyager, and Liberty, and NCL's Dawn -- and other then our honeymoon cruise (Brilliance), we've always "given up" our main dining room table when first boarding the ship. We don't like to have to be at dinner at a certain time, and would much rather have a leisurly dip in the hot tub or the solarium, or extra time in port, without having to rush back just to eat.

 

So what do we miss on the formal evenings? Nothing at all. We have each other, which is why we're on vacation for anyway. We have much the ship to ourselves. We have the WJ or the specialty restaurants or the Royal Promenade if we're hungry or want something to drink. We enjoy watching everyone in their penguin suits lining up to get pictures -- the same pictures we have too many of at home, and wouldn't want to pay ship's prices for. We've got nothing against those that enjoy formal night, regardless of whether one gets dressed up or not. There is so much to do for us onboard that we just don't miss the formailites of formal night.

 

Michael & Silke

[wayne_trisha]

The main dining room has become no better than a McDonald’s lobby. The slow degradation of coming to a formal dinner properly dressed has been cheered and jeered by many here. Makes me wonder if the service has become McDonladesque because no one feels like dressing properly for the occasion. Sadly a fine meal with fine service in the main dining room may become like the dodo bird, extinct. If no one wants to dress for the occasion, why provide equivalent service?

 

You won't miss anything if you skip dinner in the MDR.