Specialty Dining or MDR for formal nights?

[MTNest93]

15 hours ago, XBGuy said:

Regular readers know that I am a big fan of the UBD.  In fact we have had only one on a balcony.  There is plenty of room in a Window Suite to enjoy inside.  We have always had the UBD while at sea, and it can get pretty windy out there.  So, setting up inside has usually made more sense to us.  The one time we had it on a balcony, it was an aft cabin, and, so, the balcony was wind protected.

 

Also, your husband can order lobster tail any night for the UBD.

 

I think there is plenty of opportunity for the @MTNest93s (your screen name is pretty easy to decode) to really enjoy this cruise.  I say do both Crown Grill and the UBD.  You only celebrate a 30th anniversary once.  Blow it out. The UBD dessert is spectacular by itself.  So, I would say that you would want to get your anniversary dessert in either the dining room or Crown Grill.  If you do not enjoy being the center of attention, you can give your server a heads up not to sing the song when they bring the dessert.

 

A previous poster commented that if you do go to Crown Grill in formal attire, the headwaiter will probably make a fuss over you.  I can vouch for that comment.  In fact our very first UBD was on a formal night and we decided to dress up even though we were not leaving the room,  When the server came into our room she really gushed over us.  She just thought it was so great that we dressed up to make the occasion special--not just for us but for her and her assistant.

You’ve really got me thinking about a UBD now!  Maybe we’ll consider this option for the 2nd formal night. We’re in the small WS that doesn’t have a desk up against the window, so it they set up the dining there it would be really special! Thanks for the suggestion!! 

[AZjohn]

20 hours ago, MTNest93 said:

We are 1st time cruisers and will be celebrating our 30th anniversary....

I'm just in awe that you could put up with the same spouse for 30 years

Tip of the hat and congrats!

 

Joking aside, I'm one who thinks you might have a better celebration in the MDR with others around to celebrate with you. You get the same special treatment from the staff, I think the food is better in MDR compared to the Crown Grill (JMHO), and fellow cruisers will enjoy celebrating your special occasion with you (we always enjoy seeing others celebrating an anniversary 🙂 

[MissP22]

3 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

Joking aside, I'm one who thinks you might have a better celebration in the MDR with others around to celebrate with you. You get the same special treatment from the staff, I think the food is better in MDR compared to the Crown Grill (JMHO), and fellow cruisers will enjoy celebrating your special occasion with you (we always enjoy seeing others celebrating an anniversary 🙂 

I'm with you about the MDR, especially on formal evenings. Why not enjoy the better meal and also celebrate the next evening at the Specialty restaurants also? 

[JimmyVWine]

2 hours ago, MTNest93 said:

Our sailing is July 1-8 and our anniversary is the 3rd.

How cool.  Ours is too,  Married in Denver on 7/3.  It was an out-of-town wedding for a lot of people so we chose that date because it was a three-day weekend for most people, with July 5th being a holiday.  The other reason we chose that date is because for the rest of our lives, the day after our anniversary we would not have to go to work, or do much of anything!  Two day celebration automatically built in!

Edited March 16, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[RedIguana]

22 hours ago, MTNest93 said:

We are 1st time cruisers and will be celebrating our 30th anniversary on the 1st of 2 formal nights.  I made reservations for the Crown Grill thinking it would be more "special" for our big night.  However, I'm seeing comments about going to specialty dining venues if you don't want to dress up and the MDR having better options on formal nights.  We will be dressing up for both formal nights and really don't care what others are wearing, but in your opinion, would the MDR or Crown Grill be better for an anniversary dinner? Thanks in advance for your input!

I am in the camp of always dining in the MDR on "formal, chic, dress your best" (whatever that particular line calls it) nights. The food tends to be just a little better those nights. Just go in with the mindset that you 30th anniversary is not just one day, but the whole week. Ya know, inflation 😍. Might want to consider doing specialty dining night one, it starts your cruise off right and avoids the first night MDR fiasco.

[Marthathecakelady]

On 3/15/2023 at 11:13 AM, JimmyVWine said:

We are also celebrating our 30th in July.  Mind if I ask which day?

We won't be sailing during our anniversary, but we are considering our May cruise to be close enough.  I have toyed with the idea of adding that celebration to our Personalizer, but they want to know which date, and I don't really want them to decorate our door or make a big deal about it while dining when our actual anniversary is actually two months hence.  

Our 30th anniversary is July 25th! But our cruise is may 27th. We picked June 4th to celebrate our anniversary

[trbarton]

On 3/15/2023 at 8:22 AM, MTNest93 said:

We are 1st time cruisers and will be celebrating our 30th anniversary on the 1st of 2 formal nights.  I made reservations for the Crown Grill thinking it would be more "special" for our big night.  However, I'm seeing comments about going to specialty dining venues if you don't want to dress up and the MDR having better options on formal nights.  We will be dressing up for both formal nights and really don't care what others are wearing, but in your opinion, would the MDR or Crown Grill be better for an anniversary dinner? Thanks in advance for your input!

I’m curious as to how you know when the 1st formal Night will be?  I’ve 35+ cruises on Princess & I never knew until I boarded the ship. 
 

Tom😀

[MTNest93]

On 3/16/2023 at 9:11 AM, RedIguana said:

I am in the camp of always dining in the MDR on "formal, chic, dress your best" (whatever that particular line calls it) nights. The food tends to be just a little better those nights. Just go in with the mindset that you 30th anniversary is not just one day, but the whole week. Ya know, inflation 😍. Might want to consider doing specialty dining night one, it starts your cruise off right and avoids the first night MDR fiasco.

Oh we’re definitely celebrating all week, lol!  We just upgraded to a suite and have 3 specialty dinners reserved with one being on the 1st night!  

[MTNest93]

2 hours ago, trbarton said:

I’m curious as to how you know when the 1st formal Night will be?  I’ve 35+ cruises on Princess & I never knew until I boarded the ship. 
 

Tom😀

I’m making an assumption that the 1st sea day will be a formal night based on prior posts and Patters from our itinerary. I could be wrong and that’s okay, we plan to dress up on our anniversary regardless. 

 

 

[wowzz]

17 minutes ago, MTNest93 said:

I’m making an assumption that the 1st sea day will be a formal night based on prior posts and Patters from our itinerary. I could be wrong and that’s okay, we plan to dress up on our anniversary regardless. 

 

 

I agree - the first sea night is almost always a formal night.  

And good for you for dressing up !

[Times Prince]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:13 PM, JimmyVWine said:

We are also celebrating our 30th in July.  Mind if I ask which day?

We won't be sailing during our anniversary, but we are considering our May cruise to be close enough.  I have toyed with the idea of adding that celebration to our Personalizer, but they want to know which date, and I don't really want them to decorate our door or make a big deal about it while dining when our actual anniversary is actually two months hence.  

Princess used to say on their web based cruise personalizer that one can choose a date to celebrate a birthday or anniversary which occurred within +/- 30 days of the cruise.  IDK if their policy has changed but they don't seem to have a place in our profile for actual dates.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Times Prince

[JimmyVWine]

6 minutes ago, Times Prince said:

IDK if their policy has changed but they don't seem to have a place in our profile for actual dates.

I could have sworn that if you click on a radio button in your Cruise Personalizer stating that you are celebrating an event, it triggers a place to insert a date so that they can put some "Party City" decorations on your door.  Maybe that has gone away. Either way, I don't need the decorations or candle in my crème brulee that badly.  

Edited March 18, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, Times Prince said:

Princess used to say on their web based cruise personalizer that one can choose a date to celebrate a birthday or anniversary which occurred within +/- 30 days of the cruise.  IDK if their policy has changed but they don't seem to have a place in our profile for actual dates.

We were able to enter the date of our 40th wedding anniversary  (cue applause) on the app for our cruise,  and it must have worked as we got the ubiquitous celebration cake in the CG on the night of our anniversary. 

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

I could have sworn that if you click on a radio button in your Cruise Personalizer stating that you are celebrating an event, it triggers a place to insert a date so that they can put some "Party City" decorations on your door.  Maybe that has gone away. Either way, I don't need the decorations or candle in my crème brulee that badly.  

That's what we did for our anniversary.  No decorations on the door, just on the screens.

[a.madruga]

if you have a balcony that choice is head over heels providing mother nature helps you out BTW  next full moon April 6  happy ANNIVERSARY CHEERS

[MTNest93]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:32 AM, JimmyVWine said:

How cool.  Ours is too,  Married in Denver on 7/3.  It was an out-of-town wedding for a lot of people so we chose that date because it was a three-day weekend for most people, with July 5th being a holiday.  The other reason we chose that date is because for the rest of our lives, the day after our anniversary we would not have to go to work, or do much of anything!  Two day celebration automatically built in!

That’s so awesome!  My hubby picked the date.  I think he chose it because it’s easy for him to remember and he claims to arrange fireworks for me every year, even if they are a day late 💥😂

Edited March 18, 2023 by MTNest93
Spelling

[jeromep]

@MTNest93, I hope that you are aware that you can have MDR meals served in your suite for every meal if you feel so inclined.  It is one of the suite perks.  And then there is a separate dining room open for suite breakfast every morning.  In my experience it is usually in Sabatini's, but it can vary from ship to ship.  They are happy to do short order cooking, putting up whatever you want for breakfast.  You can create a breakfast totally off menu if nothing on the menu is to your liking.  After about the second morning of doing breakfast there they remember what you order and if you are a creature of habit you can just have that, or you can ask for something different.

 

You are also Club Class or is it now Reserve Collection, so be on the lookout for the Club Class or Reserve Collection entry door to the MDR.  That is where you will go for all of your MDR meals.  You are unlikely to experience any lines or waits at the MDR.

 

There are a lot of suite perks.  I hope you can take advantage of them all.

[MissP22]

10 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I could have sworn that if you click on a radio button in your Cruise Personalizer stating that you are celebrating an event, it triggers a place to insert a date so that they can put some "Party City" decorations on your door.  Maybe that has gone away. Either way, I don't need the decorations or candle in my crème brulee that badly.  

The door decorations are a thing of the past unless you bring your own.

On the last cruise they were far and few to be seen unless the screen display counted as one.

And yes, those special desserts are nothing to get excited about either along with the singing. 

[MTNest93]

7 hours ago, jeromep said:

@MTNest93, I hope that you are aware that you can have MDR meals served in your suite for every meal if you feel so inclined.  It is one of the suite perks.  And then there is a separate dining room open for suite breakfast every morning.  In my experience it is usually in Sabatini's, but it can vary from ship to ship.  They are happy to do short order cooking, putting up whatever you want for breakfast.  You can create a breakfast totally off menu if nothing on the menu is to your liking.  After about the second morning of doing breakfast there they remember what you order and if you are a creature of habit you can just have that, or you can ask for something different.

 

You are also Club Class or is it now Reserve Collection, so be on the lookout for the Club Class or Reserve Collection entry door to the MDR.  That is where you will go for all of your MDR meals.  You are unlikely to experience any lines or waits at the MDR.

 

There are a lot of suite perks.  I hope you can take advantage of them all.

Thanks, I did not know we could have meals in our cabin!  We just recently upgraded from the club class/reserve mini-suite to a window suite for the extra perks.  Thanks for pointing out the extras, this trip just keeps getting more exciting!! 

[BamaVol]

11 hours ago, MTNest93 said:

That’s so awesome!  My hubby picked the date.  I think he chose it because it’s easy for him to remember and he claims to arrange fireworks for me every year, even if they are a day late 💥😂

Not our wedding anniversary, but our first date was July 4 (1970j. I tell everyone I knew it was meant to be when there were fireworks on the first date.

[BamaVol]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

The door decorations are a thing of the past unless you bring your own.

On the last cruise they were far and few to be seen unless the screen display counted as one.

And yes, those special desserts are nothing to get excited about either along with the singing. 

Someone else’s door decorations helped us find our way back to our cabin every night.  Clever idea, and no effort on my part.

[Knickearth]

We have spent birthdays, anniversaries etc. with our cruising buddies at the Crown Grill and loved it.  But - many many years ago we ate at Sabatini and really loved that.  When we returned a year later to Sabatini we hated it.  But, our last cruise pre pandemic, we went back to Sabatinis and loved it so much with newer menu and room ambiance that I think we will celebrate there on our cruise.

 

the point I am trying to make is - both restaurants are special for a special occasion.  Enjoy.

 

one last thing tho, we found the crown grill to get very busy and therefore the servers are very busy.  Sabatini’s doesn’t seem to get as crowded.

 

happy anniversary

[RedIguana]

17 hours ago, trbarton said:

I’m curious as to how you know when the 1st formal Night will be?  I’ve 35+ cruises on Princess & I never knew until I boarded the ship. 

Technically you actually never know until you board, as things can always change, even within the sailing. However, there are some basic guidelines that it seems most cruise lines follow on a normal 7-11 day itinerary, with 2 formal nights, so educated guesses may be made. With the exception of the last night of the cruise (I have NEVER seen a formal night the last night, but never say never), they are typically on sea days when available.

First formal night typically the first sea day.

Second night the next sea day past mid-cruise, assuming it is not the last night.

If no sea days past mid-cruise except the last night, look at the earliest port departure past mid cruise.

On a repeating itinerary, you can usually use the lines apps to see the formal nights on the cruises before yours that are the same.

The one-off or non repeating itineraries are the tougher ones to guess, same with longer cruises.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, BamaVol said:

Someone else’s door decorations helped us find our way back to our cabin every night.  Clever idea, and no effort on my part.

They're the best kind. 😄

 

Also- Last cruise we boarded a week after valentines day to find 3 rubbery hearts stuck under the door box. I though maybe the steward had put them there as decoration. When I removed them I found the slime had permanently stained the wall paint. The steward tried everything he had to remove it but it was still there when we left the ship.

They work well on glass & mirrors but not so much on walls.

[RedIguana]

2 hours ago, BamaVol said:

Someone else’s door decorations helped us find our way back to our cabin every night.  Clever idea, and no effort on my part.

I have an 8 1/2 by 11 laminated Red Iguana picture I hang on my cabin door with 4 thumbnail size magnets (1 in each corner). Makes it simple to find cabin regardless of wine intake. It is not unusual for the surrounding cabin occupants to let us know they also use it as a reference point for their cabin 😁.

No worries about messing up the cabin door with the magnets. As long as they keep making the cabins out of a magnetic metal I am golden. If they ever switch to carbon fiber I am screwed......