Do You Visit MDR for Any Formal Nites?

[SoALcruiser]

We always eat in MDR on formal nights. We enjoy dressing up even if just for dinner---and as several mentioned---it's a great time for family pics. Next month on the FOS , we plan to eat in Sabor first night and Chops another night. We sometimes eat in Windjammer on the last night----probably because we're pouting about having to leave the next morning.

And, as always, happy cruising to all!

[Bookish Angel]

so we don't go to the MDR on formal night unless it is on our anniversary, which has been once.

[cb at sea]

We always go...it's fun to look your best!

[kalliekae]

We will eat in the MDR 2 nights on our upcoming cruise. The first formal night will be in Chops and the second formal night will be in the MDR. We aren't fans of the MDR banquet type food and prefer the specialty restaurants. We always dress up on formal night and get a picture, but have been known to change clothes around 10 or 11pm since dh likes to start cocktails around 5pm and that's long enough to be in formal clothing. May as well be comfortable for the rest of the evening.

[seaman11]

dress for both nights. i dont want to sit all formal and see a guy walking in shorts or a tee shirt. turns me off.

i saw one guy where jeans and a tank top undershirt with a sports jacket on. lol to him that was formal.

Edited September 9, 2015 by seaman11

[mad-dog74]

There is certainly a snooty someone here this evening. You should go polish you C&A lapel pin cause I would bet money you are one who can't travel without it. .... So comedic seeing how someone who has been on a few cruises thinks they are something.

[LMaxwell]

I was just interested in hearing some opinions from other RCI cruisers after having a discussion with some friends. Do any of you go to the MDR for both formal nights, one night, or none of them? For me even though formal nights don't appear to be really FORMAL these days, the only time I typically get to eat lobster and my key lime pie is on formal night #2. My friends say they don't really care about it anymore and would opt for specialty or Windjammer. What are your thoughts?

I usually go to the MDR. I like MDR food. I think it's good quality and I've paid for it already.

I'd be tempted to skip if there was a unique theme night in Windjammer that interested me but generally eat in MDR probably 85% of the time.

[nbsjcruiser]

I was just interested in hearing some opinions from other RCI cruisers after having a discussion with some friends. Do any of you go to the MDR for both formal nights, one night, or none of them? For me even though formal nights don't appear to be really FORMAL these days, the only time I typically get to eat lobster and my key lime pie is on formal night #2. My friends say they don't really care about it anymore and would opt for specialty or Windjammer. What are your thoughts?

 

We usually book a specialty dining room on formal nights. We used to dress up and all that but nowadays with the fees airlines charge for baggage, we don't bring excess clothes.

[CaptData]

I try to make formal nights. I do get dressed up. I love getting pics around the ship on those nights.

[EatonDoolittle]

LOL...As I read this, I was imagining Gilda Radner as Rosanne Rosadanna. You kids won't remember it. SNL circa 1970s.

 

I remember, thanks for the smile.

 

"Dear Mr. Fader....."

 

She was incomparable, for certain.

I still remember her riff on polyester, how it turns colors and "smells like it doesn't even belong to you".

[George C]

Even though we eat half our dinners in specialty restaurants, we almost always do formal nights in MDR , we still dress up and I still wear a Tux.

[TYSONBOXER]

I go on a cruise to be on vacation, which means casual dress. We went to the second formal night to have the lobster. I did not get dressed up and was not turned away. I wore a button down shirt with pants. There were a lot of people that did not dress up.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LMaxwell]

I didn't realize that this was even about dressing up or not until I read more responses. OP mentioned food and asked if people went to the MDR or elsewhere. Did OP ever mention clothing at all?

[bigque]

We dress up for both formal nights just because we like to do it and take the pictures. We have one formal night picture from every cruise. We don't care if others dress up or wear shorts or whatever they choose to wear and it don't spoil it for us. After dinner we may walk around for a bit and then we will go and change back into something comfortable. To avoid extra baggage fees (if we are not on Southwest) and extra weight fees when flying, we carry my one suit and the wife's two outfits in a garment back and have that as one of our carry on bags! We also like MDR food. I'm not saying that everything I have ever ordered I liked but if I don't like something I ask for something different and keep it moving. There has never been a time when I didn't find something on the menu to satisfy me! We do Specialty Dining just to do something different and not because we don't like MDR Food!

 

LMaxwell that is a good question......I just went with the flow of what I saw in responses!

:cool:

Edited September 9, 2015 by bigque

[alaska_planner]

I was just interested in hearing some opinions from other RCI cruisers after having a discussion with some friends. Do any of you go to the MDR for both formal nights, one night, or none of them? For me even though formal nights don't appear to be really FORMAL these days, the only time I typically get to eat lobster and my key lime pie is on formal night #2. My friends say they don't really care about it anymore and would opt for specialty or Windjammer. What are your thoughts?

 

we go to the MDR, but we don't dress in formal wear. No room in the luggage.

We dress the same as other nights - cruise casual.

I should note that we sit in the MTD area where it seems more people dress like us than in the regular MDR area.

[Sherri914]

.....I'd be tempted to skip if there was a unique theme night in Windjammer that interested me ....

 

Okay... I know this sounds like a dumb question, but where does one find the Windjammer theme information? Is this something that changes daily? I'm guessing this is something in the Compass that I've completely overlooked in the past ???

[LMaxwell]

Okay... I know this sounds like a dumb question, but where does one find the Windjammer theme information? Is this something that changes daily? I'm guessing this is something in the Compass that I've completely overlooked in the past ???

 

I've never seen it posted but have asked during lunchtime.

 

They really should do a better job publishing the information.

[Sherri914]

I've never seen it posted but have asked during lunchtime.

 

They really should do a better job publishing the information.

 

Thanks. Good to know. Normally I'm pretty observant and was feeling pretty silly for having missed this. I've seen others posting about WJ themes and figured I would ask. Thanks again.

[Sherri914]

Thanks. Good to know. Normally I'm pretty observant and was feeling pretty silly for having missed this. I've seen others posting about WJ themes and figured I would ask. Thanks again.

 

Well, now I do feel silly. Apparently this is posted in the Compass. I just looked a copies of a recent Compass, and right there under the Evening Activities on Page 5, it tells what the MDR menu for the evening will be, then beside the "Windjammer" dinner times it says "Theme Dinner xxxxx night". Each day of the compass showed a different "theme" for the Windjammer. Good to know!

[BillOh]

What are your thoughts?

 

I'll enjoy reading some of the other thoughts. I enjoyed doing the whole formal night thing up till our 2009 cruise on Navigator. It was the only cruise I took with my sister and her husband. We bought the photos and gave those to our mother. She died a few months later so I no longer have need for the photo opportunity. This was also about the time airlines started charging for baggage. That is when we took our been there done that attitude. We also travel light. If we do go to formal night, we will make a minimal effort.

 

 

IF we are cruising with friends and they want to do formal night we make the minimal effort. My picture sharing site is down I was going to show a picture of us with me in black pants, white shirt, tie, and appropriate shoes. My wife would be in a nice mid length dress and some also appropriate shoes. Both of these wardrobe easily fits in our luggage and we find paying a minimal charge to have them pressed on the ship easier than dragging a extra garment bag around.

 

On our 2 of our recent cruises were we were traveling alone we ate at a specialty restaurant one night and the WJ another. That brings up another point. Royal is pretty inconsistent from ship to ship or even month to month. On May 2nd, 2011 we were on Allure and it was formal night. We ate at Chops that night and it said right in the compass SPECIALTY RESTAURANT ATTIRE IS SMART CASUAL. On May 2nd 2013 we were again on Allure and it was formal night and we didn't notice till later that that week's compass said SPECIALTY RESTAURANT ATTIRE FOLLOWS the MDR schedule. That night I'd say about 75% of the people in Chops were formally attired to some extent and the rest in smart casual. Nobody cared and everyone was served. The next evening the waiter asked how our Chops dinner was. We mentioned we wouldn't be there for the next formal night because we didn't bring any formal attire. He said we would be welcomed as we were that night. We declined out of respect for those who choose to partake.

[BillOh]

I didn't say it was better, I am just able to get it easily at home. I eat lamb or duck because those are foods I don't get at home!

 

Well, you should have waited till the 5th post, you violated the unwritten 4 post rule!

[kike368]

I didn't say it was better, I am just able to get it easily at home. I eat lamb or duck because those are foods I don't get at home!

 

I agree, but just to do my part in ending the discrimination against Caribbean lobster I have it too! I'm a pig what can I say. Lol

[LMaxwell]

Well, now I do feel silly. Apparently this is posted in the Compass. I just looked a copies of a recent Compass, and right there under the Evening Activities on Page 5, it tells what the MDR menu for the evening will be, then beside the "Windjammer" dinner times it says "Theme Dinner xxxxx night". Each day of the compass showed a different "theme" for the Windjammer. Good to know!

 

That has been reported as happening, but I have never seen it in a daily compass or posted anywhere in the WJ. Have always had to ask.

[BillOh]

Haven't been to a formal night since the days they actually enforced the dress code. Seemed silly to get dressed up only to go back to the room immediately afterwards to get back into "vacation" clothing. Now it's our tradition to do specialties those nights.

 

Point well taken, we usually try to work in a show or a visit to Rising Tides, or some other lounge for a little while to avoid the "put it on, eat, take it off scenario"

[BillOh]

Well, now I do feel silly. Apparently this is posted in the Compass. I just looked a copies of a recent Compass, and right there under the Evening Activities on Page 5, it tells what the MDR menu for the evening will be, then beside the "Windjammer" dinner times it says "Theme Dinner xxxxx night". Each day of the compass showed a different "theme" for the Windjammer. Good to know!

 

I guess after 11 cruises I quit reading the compass as closely as i used to, I don't remember reading that. Ok, one of my goals for my 12th cruise will be to make sure I spend just a few minutes a day more thoroughly reading the compass looking for new things. I think my wife grabs it up and carries it with her.