When will formal nights be known?

[Carnevale]

It has been some time since we were last on HAL and this is the first time we've booked directly with them rather than through a TA, so I need to rely on CC members to help me with the planning - great to be able to post questions and get help from others!

I'd like to plan for some dinners in the special dining areas but I'd like to know when the formal nights will take place (we like to dine in the MDR on formal nights). When will we learn which of the nights of our 11 night cruise will be formal nights?

[Krazy Kruizers]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=5]What ship and date will you be cruising? People here can look at your itinerary and help you with what "might" be your formal nights.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=5][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=5]Otherwise, you won't know them until you get on the ship.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[POA1]

Echoing what KK said, if you share your itinerary, I'm sure people can offer up their best guesses or perhaps even better if they've sailed the same schedule. The most obvious candidates are sea days.

[sail7seas]

[B]For an 11 day cruise, you likely will have three formal nights.

Let us know what time you leave port each day and which days are sea days and we can probably tell you the most likely formal nights.
[/B]

[DaveOKC]

Another tip is to read reviews of others who have been on your same ship and itinerary - they often post what days are formal and if you are lucky, they might even post the ship's newsletter and/or menus.

DaveOKC

[Cleo1611]

[quote name='Carnevale']
I'd like to plan for some dinners in the special dining areas but I'd like to know when the formal nights will take place (we like to dine in the MDR on formal nights). When will we learn which of the nights of our 11 night cruise will be formal nights?[/QUOTE]

I'm just back from 11 night Sunfarer cruise to Panama Canal and the 3 formal nights were the evening of the sea days - formal night will never be your last night on the ship...hope that helps

[sail7seas]

[B]Nor will formal night ever be the first night on the ship. :)
Now you are down to 9 possibilities.

[/B]

[Carnevale]

Thanks to everyone who replied. We are on ms Veendam on the Oct 11 sailing from Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale. Here is the itinerary:

SAT 11OCT14 Quebec City, Quebec, CA (0vernight)
SUN 12OCT14 Quebec City, Quebec, CA 4:00pm departure
MON 13OCT14 Cruising Gulf of St. Lawrence (sea day)
TUE 14OCT14 Charlottetown, Prince Edward CA 8:00am 5:00pm
WED 15OCT14 Sydney,Canada 8:00am 4:00pm
THU 16OCT14 Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA 8:00am 4:00pm
FRI 17OCT14 Bar Harbor, Maine, US 3 8:00am 5:00pm
SAT 18OCT14 Boston, Massachusetts, US 7:00am 4:00pm
SUN 19OCT14 Sea Day
MON 20OCT14 Sea Day
TUE 21OCT14 Port Canaveral, Florida, US 8:00am 8:00pm
WED 22OCT14 Debark Ship Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US 7:00am

Any guesses on when the formal nights will happen will be great to get (although I understand that they can change right up to the time one boards).

[DaveOKC]

[quote name='Carnevale']Thanks to everyone who replied. We are on ms Veendam on the Oct 11 sailing from Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale. Here is the itinerary:

SAT 11OCT14 Quebec City, Quebec, CA (0vernight)
SUN 12OCT14 Quebec City, Quebec, CA 4:00pm departure
MON 13OCT14 Cruising Gulf of St. Lawrence (sea day)
TUE 14OCT14 Charlottetown, Prince Edward CA 8:00am 5:00pm
WED 15OCT14 Sydney,Canada 8:00am 4:00pm
THU 16OCT14 Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA 8:00am 4:00pm
FRI 17OCT14 Bar Harbor, Maine, US 3 8:00am 5:00pm
SAT 18OCT14 Boston, Massachusetts, US 7:00am 4:00pm
SUN 19OCT14 Sea Day
MON 20OCT14 Sea Day
TUE 21OCT14 Port Canaveral, Florida, US 8:00am 8:00pm
WED 22OCT14 Debark Ship Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US 7:00am

Any guesses on when the formal nights will happen will be great to get (although I understand that they can change right up to the time one boards).[/QUOTE]

Almost certainly Oct 13 and 19.

[POA1]

[quote name='DaveOKC']Almost certainly Oct 13 and 19.[/QUOTE]

Sure... Pick the easy ones. ;) I'd guess Halifax for the 3rd one. (Bear in mind that my record of success is pretty limited...)

[sail7seas]

[B]I guess October 13, 16 and 20.

Have fun. :)
[/B]

[sail7seas]

[quote name='DaveOKC']Almost certainly Oct 13 and 19.[/quote]


[B] There's a good chance they will have the third formal night on the second of the end of cruise sea days. When practical, they try to have next to last night as formal and that is possible on this itinerary.

None of us know for sure, of course. :)

[/B] Edited April 21, 2014 by sail7seas

[JerseyJaguar]

I've been trying to figure this out for my 11 night Meditteranean cruise, our sea days are the 5th and 10th nights. Our shortest shore day is the 3rd night (4pm), would they have a formal night then and then have another two nights later?

[Carnevale]

Many thanks for taking a stab at what might happen. The pattern of a formal night on the first and last days at sea make sense.

I guess the best thing is to pick some nights for special meals and then make changes once we are onboard if we end up picking something that is a formal evening (recognizing that the special dining options do get booked up fast).

[CGYCruisingFamily]

Have you tried inquiring directly with HAL? They might be able to shed some light on it too. We have always found that it isnt the first or last night. There are almost always ones on at sea days so what the pp's said are likely right.

We are on a 12-night Mediterranean cruise this summer and have no clue when ours will be either seeing that we have only one at sea day. Our guess is the second and second to last night and maybe our one day at sea. I am packing 2 dresses and will rewear one but are counting on three in total for the length of cruise. We had 4 on a 14 night cruise a few years back (but that was over Christmas and New Years).

[sail7seas]

[quote name='CGYCruisingFamily']Have you tried inquiring directly with HAL? They might be able to shed some light on it too. We have always found that it isnt the first or last night. There are almost always ones on at sea days so what the pp's said are likely right.

We are on a 12-night Mediterranean cruise this summer and have no clue when ours will be either seeing that we have only one at sea day. Our guess is the second and second to last night and maybe our one day at sea. I am packing 2 dresses and will rewear one but are counting on three in total for the length of cruise. We had 4 on a 14 night cruise a few years back (but that was over Christmas and New Years).[/quote]


[B]
I suggest if you ask three reps, you will get three different answers. :D
Sadly, we do not always find the reps consistently correct about a number of things.

[/B] Edited April 22, 2014 by sail7seas

[CGYCruisingFamily]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B]
I suggest if you ask three reps, you will get three different answers. :D
Sadly, we do not always find the reps consistently correct about a number of things.

[/B][/quote]

True but they should be able to at least inform you of how many there will be during the cruise.

[POA1]

[quote name='JerseyJaguar']I've been trying to figure this out for my 11 night Meditteranean cruise, our sea days are the 5th and 10th nights. Our shortest shore day is the 3rd night (4pm), would they have a formal night then and then have another two nights later?[/QUOTE]

Without seeing the whole itinerary, I'd guess that you are correct with your prediction.

[JerseyJaguar]

[quote name='CGYCruisingFamily']True but they should be able to at least inform you of how many there will be during the cruise.[/quote]
Not sure how far ahead you need to know, I assumed from reading the board I'd have three and that was confirmed on my official documents once I'd checked in online (about a month ahead of time).

[quote name='POA1']Without seeing the whole itinerary, I'd guess that you are correct with your prediction.[/quote]
It will be interesting to see if I guessed right. Only two weeks till I find out.