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

[Grandiva]

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.

 

 

I tried to make this point on another thread. You said it so much better.

[Teamv]

OP here again. Thanks again to everyone for your comments. As "dress code in the MDR type" threads go (and I have read them all!) this one is very civilized. LOL I appreciate the different opinions here about the MDR food and experience. There is a perspective here that is not often seen in this forum.

 

I think requesting MTD and making friends with the wait staff in the WJ will fit with our vacation style. Maybe packing one dressier outfit (OK, casual dressy) to keep open the option of trying the MDR and seeing for ourselves, if I can pry the shorts and t-shirts off the guys.

 

Maybe surprising to some, the only hesitation that we have had about trying out cruising has been about dining, and yet I know that it is a big part of the cruise experience and we do want to enjoy that aspect. Just want to make it work for us. Your comments have really helped!

 

PS thanks Katiel53 for your kind words. I am jealous of your Freedom cruise in 7 days. It will be about 9 months for us!

[Cruising Forever!]

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?

 

My wife and I do formal dining dress up stuff on cruises that are special occasion cruises... for instance, our celebration of her 50th birthday last month on Oasis.

 

If it's just the two of us on a cruise, or if we're cruising with our cruise buddies Steve and Kim, we often skip the formal nights and eat in either the Windjammer (which serves the Main Dining Room menu in a buffet style) or a Specialty restaurant (which even on formal nights only specify "smart casual" or "casual"... shorts would not be allowed in specialty restaurants at dinner but would be just fine in the Windjammer). We've had some very romantic Windjammer dinners... they really tranform the place; those aft windows (assuming you are on one of the newer RCCL chips) can have gorgeous views of the Moon and the ship's wake!

 

Btw, the line between casual and smart casual is a very fine one. A Tommy Bahama silk shirt can be worn sans tie with dockers and shoes on smart casual nights. I usually wear a nice button up shirt, a tie and dockers, but no coat on smart casual. They really just don't want shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, bathing suits, etc in the MDR or specialty restaurants at any dinner (actually, bathing suits at no meals in the MDR or SR). I think they have a more liberal policy for kids. But there's no reason that caual or smart casual should mean stiff and uncomfortable.

 

We are planning a 13nt Trans Atlantic on Nav of the Seas next year and we are probably going to ditch the formal nights... even though this cruise is to celebrate me catching up to Diane (my wife) in age! :D

 

It's up to you. You don't really miss out unless there's something specific on the menu in the MDR that isn't in the Windjammer though. It's an elegant night... but is it fun if the guys are going to be fidgetting for 3 to 4 hours during that week? (two formal dinners on a 7 nt cruise, each MDR dinner lasting about 1.5 to 2 hours)

 

Another alternative is just to pack for one of the formal nights... that way you can have your formal night and the guys will just have to grin and bear it for one night! (check the menus for each to choose which one) :D Advantage here is less to pack and lug around!

 

Cheers,

Paul

[Mark_K]

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.

I've seen the dress and shoes my wife takes for formal night, I doubt they weigh two pounds put together. And all it really does is change what she takes for that evening, not how much she takes. As for me, I rarely fill my suitcase anyway.

[azpilot]

 

My questions is, what will my family be missing if we do not attend formal or smart casual dinners in the main dining room?

 

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

 

Dinner and dressing nice is about all you will miss. I don't like dressing up at all, we usually will go do one dinner maybe and I wear a shirt and tie. So far out of 4 cruises we have been to 2 formal nights and the rest we just ate at the buffet. Didnt' appear that we missed much on either one.

[tip]

So what do we miss on the formal evenings? Nothing at all... we just don't miss the formailites of formal night.

 

Michael & Silke

 

Sums it all up for us as well! For those who like it, go for it.

[bigasufan]

3 things:

 

1. We go dressed up because my wife likes it.

2. If you come in in shorts and a shirt and want to sit at our table, you are more than welcome. It does not affend us at all.

3. I realize now that I was raised in a very backwards atmosphere because some of you say the MDR food is just ok. In all our cruises, I have been able to find something on the menu every night that was to die for. I never had that kind of food growing up, and I find it hard to believe that some of you think the food is just ok. Sure, I could probably go to Ruth's Chris or somewhere extremely expensive and find something a little better, but when you're used to eating Golden Corral and Western Sizzlin', the MDR is magificent. Just saying.....

[Puffinater]

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.

 

I have to agree with this. Same experience.

 

To OP I also agree you really do not miss much. You will miss the service of being waited on and the "special menu".

[CSloan]

Do they have baked Alaska on formal nights?

[Ocean Boy]

Do they have baked Alaska on formal nights?

 

The last time we had baked alaska (when we used to eat in the dining room) it was nothing more than some ice cream between two stale pieces of cake. It isn't what it used to be.

[WOWJr1]

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.

 

A bit more elegant, perhaps. Quieter, no way.

 

On our last Radiance cruise we did not pack any formalwear and went to the Windjammer on the 1st formal night (over protests of our MDR server). We found it quiet and intimate with plenty of seating choices, great for a "date night" meal, in our opinion.

 

On the 2nd formal night, the server practically begged us to come to the MDR. We acquiesced and it turned out to be a mistake. In addition to the parading and singing staff, the sound level of the piped-in music was so loud we literally had to cover our ears because it hurt not to. Honest.

 

For us, if we want a show we go to the theater. When in the MDR, we expect to enjoy a nice dinner, especially on formal nights. In this case, we would have been much happier in the WJ, and that opinion has absolutely nothing to do with dress code.

 

Even on non-formal nights, the MDR tends to be a bustling place and tables are packed pretty close together. That makes for a lot of ambient noise. When one's desire is for a "quiet dinner," the WJ (and perhaps some of the paid restaurants, can't comment because we rarely use them) is a great alternative to the MDR.

[TEXASMUNK]

My wife looks stunning when she is wearing an amazing formal attire!

 

She looks great anytime, but she turns heads when she is "dressed to the nines!"

[cuti]

We skipped the 1st on the Oasis, and went to the 2nd for the lobster. Yum.

 

We did not dress up - the head waiter said "formal is suggested - not required" - you just cannot wear shorts. My husband wore khakis and a Tommy Bahama shirt. My kids and O wore sundresses. We were on the casual end - but some were more casual than us.

[mommywholuvstocruise]

My wife looks stunning when she is wearing an amazing formal attire!

 

She looks great anytime, but she turns heads when she is "dressed to the nines!"

 

TexasMunk, your comment was the nicest things I've read on CC today.:D

[Bakincakes]

We skipped the 1st on the Oasis, and went to the 2nd for the lobster. Yum.

 

We did not dress up - the head waiter said "formal is suggested - not required" - you just cannot wear shorts. My husband wore khakis and a Tommy Bahama shirt. My kids and O wore sundresses. We were on the casual end - but some were more casual than us.

 

 

I'm sure.

 

We've see wayyyyyyyyy casual...my favorite was the guy with a "tropical shirt" and what appeared to be pajama bottoms.

 

Very classy...:rolleyes:

[BecciBoo]

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. quote]

 

McDonaldesque:confused:

 

Not hardly:cool:

 

[beachnative]

Thank you for asking your question.

 

By reading these responses my wife and I now have the motivation to try the WJ in the evening.

 

Although we love to dress for dinner and/or the theater and actually feel every bit as comfortable dressed formally as casually, we will now try the WJ...maybe even dressed formally.

 

To those who have stated that the MDR has lost some of its charm/dignity, etc...we totally agree.

 

Thank you OP for starting a thread that will probably add a new dimension to our cruises.

[MikeNJ1109]

Thank you for asking your question.

 

By reading these responses my wife and I now have the motivation to try the WJ in the evening.

 

Although we love to dress for dinner and/or the theater and actually feel every bit as comfortable dressed formally as casually, we will now try the WJ...maybe even dressed formally.

 

To those who have stated that the MDR has lost some of its charm/dignity, etc...we totally agree.

 

Thank you OP for starting a thread that will probably add a new dimension to our cruises.

 

Just wanted to add my 2 cents here ...

 

My wife and I are in total agreement regarding the WJ. We have found ourselves absolutely enjoying dinner in the WJ. It's quiet ... the lights are turned down ... we get caught up on life ... the food is very good for us, and we get dynamite service ... and we get to dress casually ... and don't forget the killer view of the wake!! Totally romantic overall. And it allows us the chance to keep the most flexible schedule, regardless of wheter we want to swim, hot tup, spa, or spend some extra time in port.

 

For us, giving up our dining room table on day 1 just makes sense overall.

 

Michael

[Teamv]

Thank you for asking your question.

 

By reading these responses my wife and I now have the motivation to try the WJ in the evening.

 

Although we love to dress for dinner and/or the theater and actually feel every bit as comfortable dressed formally as casually, we will now try the WJ...maybe even dressed formally.

 

To those who have stated that the MDR has lost some of its charm/dignity, etc...we totally agree.

 

Thank you OP for starting a thread that will probably add a new dimension to our cruises.

 

 

You are welcome! And thank you to everyone who responded. I really do appreciate all the comments. Thank you to Becciboo for the great picture of the dining room. (vs the golden arches LOL). This discussion has really calmed my only hesitation about trying a cruise and I think we are going to go for it! Great to know that we can enjoy wonderful dining even if we decide to go for comfort and lighter luggage!

 

What a wonderful resource this forum is. Already thinking about my next post. :)

[Ocean Boy]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents here ...

 

My wife and I are in total agreement regarding the WJ. We have found ourselves absolutely enjoying dinner in the WJ. It's quiet ... the lights are turned down ... we get caught up on life ... the food is very good for us, and we get dynamite service ... and we get to dress casually ... and don't forget the killer view of the wake!! Totally romantic overall. And it allows us the chance to keep the most flexible schedule, regardless of wheter we want to swim, hot tup, spa, or spend some extra time in port.

 

For us, giving up our dining room table on day 1 just makes sense overall.

 

Michael

 

I remember commenting to my family after the first cruise that we usued the Windjammer exclusively about how relaxing that cruise seemed to be. Looking back on it I think not having to watch the clock and be at meals at a certain time as well as eating at out own pace was a big contributor to making the cruise more relaxing that previous cruises when we were having dinners in the MDR.

 

When we sailed Explorer in the Western Caribbean I remember we were in Cozumel and returned to the ship a hour earlier than we needed to just to make dinner on time. Looking back on that I realize how stupid it was to give up an hour in port when we were having such a good time. And sail-a-way occured right in the middle of dinner so we missed that. I will NEVER do something so stupid as that on a cruise again.

[CSloan]

The last time we had baked alaska (when we used to eat in the dining room) it was nothing more than some ice cream between two stale pieces of cake. It isn't what it used to be.

 

Bummer! Used to be, that was he best part - at least on Princess and Celebrity. I've only been to one MDR formal night on RCL, and it wasn't anything different from the other nights, except that people were more dressed up.

[octagonmike]

I remember commenting to my family after the first cruise that we usued the Windjammer exclusively about how relaxing that cruise seemed to be. Looking back on it I think not having to watch the clock and be at meals at a certain time as well as eating at out own pace was a big contributor to making the cruise more relaxing that previous cruises when we were having dinners in the MDR.

 

When we sailed Explorer in the Western Caribbean I remember we were in Cozumel and returned to the ship a hour earlier than we needed to just to make dinner on time. Looking back on that I realize how stupid it was to give up an hour in port when we were having such a good time. And sail-a-way occured right in the middle of dinner so we missed that. I will NEVER do something so stupid as that on a cruise again.

 

 

This has helped us make our mind up to totally avoid Formal nights on our cruise next month and possibly even the MDR altogether although we are MTD and I have made a reservation for 8:15 on first night, so we will stick to that reservation but from then on I think WJ and maybe one time each at Portofino, Chops and JR.

 

The laid back approach is also why I am about to book a 14 night cruise on NCL Epic for September.

[JustUs275]

On our last Radiance cruise we did not pack any formalwear and went to the Windjammer on the 1st formal night (over protests of our MDR server)...On the 2nd formal night, the server practically begged us to come to the MDR.

 

May I ask, how did your server know you were not going to be dining in the MDR on those 2 nights? Are you supposed to notify someone ahead of time if you won't be dining there?

[Bakincakes]

May I ask, how did your server know you were not going to be dining in the MDR on those 2 nights? Are you supposed to notify someone ahead of time if you won't be dining there?

 

 

Yes.

Especially if you have table mates. That way they won't be waiting for you to show up for dinner and they can get on with their meals.

[Rala]

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.

 

Bluegirl....you mean you would actually sit in the dark with NO dignity???!!! Shocking!