Formal night: food for thought.

[Kurbanfan]

It seems that some people (not necessarily anyone here, just generally) are under the misapprehension that formal somehow means that you have to spend hours getting ready. I wouldn't expect anyone to do that, seeing as there are plenty of ways to look presentable without spending your whole day on it.

 

Personally, I bring a couple of dresses that don't wrinkle, throw one on, slip on some heels, brush my hair, and go. If I'm feeling motivated, I'll spend an additional 5 minutes on makeup. Once you've showered, you can easily be appropriately dressed in the same amount of time it takes to change into shorts and a t-shirt.

 

 

Oh you don't know me do ya;) :p :D

[jhsieh]

It seems that some people (not necessarily anyone here, just generally) are under the misapprehension that formal somehow means that you have to spend hours getting ready. I wouldn't expect anyone to do that, seeing as there are plenty of ways to look presentable without spending your whole day on it.

 

Personally, I bring a couple of dresses that don't wrinkle, throw one on, slip on some heels, brush my hair, and go. If I'm feeling motivated, I'll spend an additional 5 minutes on makeup. Once you've showered, you can easily be appropriately dressed in the same amount of time it takes to change into shorts and a t-shirt.

 

My thought exactly. "Dressing up" is only as hard as you make it.

 

I tend to spend a long time getting ready but I certainly wouldn't have to if I didn't feel like it.

[GoinCruisin]

It seems that some people (not necessarily anyone here, just generally) are under the misapprehension that formal somehow means that you have to spend hours getting ready. I wouldn't expect anyone to do that, seeing as there are plenty of ways to look presentable without spending your whole day on it.

 

Personally, I bring a couple of dresses that don't wrinkle, throw one on, slip on some heels, brush my hair, and go. If I'm feeling motivated, I'll spend an additional 5 minutes on makeup. Once you've showered, you can easily be appropriately dressed in the same amount of time it takes to change into shorts and a t-shirt.

 

 

I agree, I like to look nice, but refuse to spend hours getting ready... The shower is the longest part of the process... I've never understood what people are doing when it takes more than an hour to do get dressed, put on makeup and blow dry/style hair, although I've seen some that looked like they put on an entirely different face :p LOL

[faeriechick]

I agree, I like to look nice, but refuse to spend hours getting ready... The shower is the longest part of the process... I've never understood what people are doing when it takes more than an hour to do makeup and hair, although I've seen some that looked like they put on an entirely different face :p LOL

 

It normally takes me about an hour to do my makeup and hair, but that's because i have a 3 year old constantly asking me questions and begging me to put makeup on her. :) I agree though, it doesnt take any longer to put on a dress than it does to put on jeans and a t-shirt.

[Kurbanfan]

I agree, I like to look nice, but refuse to spend hours getting ready... The shower is the longest part of the process... I've never understood what people are doing when it takes more than an hour to do get dressed, put on makeup and blow dry/style hair, although I've seen some that looked like they put on an entirely different face :p LOL

 

Well some people have hair that takes awhile to dry LOL! Sharing one bathroom and getting everyone together by far takes longer then that for our group:p

[jhsieh]

Well some people have hair that takes awhile to dry LOL! Sharing one bathroom and getting everyone together by far takes longer then that for our group:p

 

I feel you about the hair that takes awhile to dry. :D I think the more you have the longer it takes.

[GoinCruisin]

Well some people have hair that takes awhile to dry LOL! Sharing one bathroom and getting everyone together by far takes longer then that for our group:p

 

 

I can see sharing a bathroom taking longer... we usually just have 2 of us, and one is in the shower while the other is primping :D Takes the 2 of us about an hour... my roomie has really long hair so I know that is a PITA... But it's still no different than wearing something non-formal... takes the same amount of time.

[Kurbanfan]

I can see sharing a bathroom taking longer... we usually just have 2 of us, and one is in the shower while the other is primping :D Takes the 2 of us about an hour... my roomie has really long hair so I know that is a PITA... But it's still no different than wearing something non-formal... takes the same amount of time.

 

 

Well I wish I could say the same for me. Usually on other nights I can throw my wet hair in a ponytail and leave. That just doesn't do my formal pictures justice if I do that lol!

But hey everyones different. I wish I was my dh who shaved his head and can get ready in 5 minutes:cool:

[funship freddy]

Celebrity allows you to order the dining room menu through room service. I am on the side of trying to please both sides. I have dressed for formal night but after several cruises..... enough. I vote for room service on the balcony or a naked dining room ! (lol)

 

:D

 

[Kurbanfan]

I am on the side of trying to please both sides.

 

 

Me too.

[travelingirl70]

Celebrity allows you to order the dining room menu through room service. I am on the side of trying to please both sides. I have dressed for formal night but after several cruises..... enough. I vote for room service on the balcony or a naked dining room ! (lol)

 

:D

 

 

 

Ditto! Well, except for the naked dining room part. That could get ugly.

[Rowan555]

the food in the dining room isn't so "to die for" that I just have to go... I just choose another dining venue... it's not like the formal night on Carnival is something you have to completely deck out for, although our group usually does... so I just don't see what the big deal is. The food on formal night is actually some of the less desirable food during the course of the week in my opinion (the lobster is more like a large prawn :

 

 

We skipped formal night a few cruises in a row, then attended it on our cruise last week. I have to agree with you - the formal night menu on the 5 day cruise is much less appetizing to me than the menus on other nights. I enjoyed it mainly because I was quite tipsy from a very successful Captain's Cocktail Party experience ;)

 

The lobster is a joke - it's just not very good at all. And if it weren't for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, we would skip dessert that night too. The selections are just not great that night.

 

We've decided it's worth dressing up for the free cocktails, but the dinner we can take or leave. If you're dressing up simply to get some lobster, you're going through a lot of hassle for nothing. I honestly think I'd prefer a room service BLT and dessert of the day to that "lobster."

[Rowan555]

I agree, I like to look nice, but refuse to spend hours getting ready... The shower is the longest part of the process... I've never understood what people are doing when it takes more than an hour to do get dressed, put on makeup and blow dry/style hair, although I've seen some that looked like they put on an entirely different face :p LOL

 

I was ready within 10 minutes on formal night, I think it took me longer to get those darn heels on than it took to get dressed and put on my makeup!

[grandmato4]

What if, on the ships with two dining rooms, they gave people a choice? On the predetermined formal nights, the same cuisine would be served in both DR's and when you book you REQUEST formal or casual?

 

It would mean that one night, your typical dining pattern would be disrupted (maybe shifting DR's and staffs).

 

Of course, the caveat to this would be that the preference would be a REQUEST, and could not be guaranteed. Just like a certain seating, if they can accommodate your request, they will, but you would have to have some tolerance for the other scenario (after all, if you don't get the dinner seating you request, you can't simply refuse to go at the other time and instead show up when you want).quote]

 

Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to "help" the controversy either unless, as other's have said, the cruise ship can accommodate in the formal dining rooms the number's wishing either option and I don't see that happening very easily.

 

I understand both sides of the controversary, but I've still never figured out why there is so much controvery- you either attend formal nights or you don't and you choose cruise lines according to their policies if it IS a really big deal for you either way.

 

Although I must admit, if it were ENTIRELY my choice ;) I do thoroughly enjoy "ONE" formal night on a 7/8 night cruise, but could EASILY live without the second formal night as it just looses some of its zing. DH loves the dining room so we do particiate both nights and we both survive just fine and on that second night as soon as dinner is finished those formal clothes are exchanged for more comfortable ones ! :)

[kgarroutte]

if you weren't guarenteed your choice, then what if you don't want to get dressed up and you don't get the dining room you want and you don't have formal clothes?

 

No offense, but I think it works just fine the way it is. Those who don't want to get dressed up either eat upstairs on the lido deck or else they just come in the dining room dressed however they want to.

 

When I say it works just fine now, I would like to make a caveat. I have never seen anyone get turned away from the dining room for improper dress. I wish that they would turn people away who wear baseball caps and other inappropriate dress, but I have never seen it happen on 20 cruises.

 

 

On our last cruise I did see someone get turned away. It wasn't on formal night, but they asked him to change. I wasn't sure how they would handle that, but he didn't seem like it was that big of an issue.

Personally, I love to get dressed up for formal night. How many chances do we really have to do that now. Also, people know ahead of time that there is a formal night, so I don't know why they don't choose another line that has casual dining. You wouldn't go to the topless deck in a turtleneck...

[Cracker Ken]

The last cruise I went on was solo, since DW had to stay with her elderly mother who had surgery. So, I decided that I wasn't doing formal nights at all. I only took what I'd call "business casual" clothes for the nights I ate in the dining room. I didn't try to get into the dining room on formal nights wearing casual clothes - rules are rules and I respect them. On formal nights, and many others actually, I went to the lido buffet. The food there isn't bad, and they had chocolate melting cake a couple of nights too. So, for those two formal nights, why not just do the buffet?

 

I'm an avid photographer, and I love taking sunset pics. Sunsets on my last cruise were around dinner time. I made my picture taking a priority, and ended up in the lido quite a bit. It worked for me.

 

I agree with the other poster about the lobster. Even if the lobster tails were done to perfection, I believe it to be the most over rated food in the world. It's OK, I eat it, but I'd just as soon have shrimp scampi or a piece of steak. I guess I just don't get it. So, no, I don't miss lobster night.

 

When I'm on a cruise, especially in hot climates, the last thing I want to do is put on a COAT (when it's not even cold), dress shirt and a tie after sweating my brains out all day long.

 

When DW is with me, we do formal nights and dress appropriately per the code. When I'm by myself, I kind of change gears and do my own thing.

 

Bottom line - just do he lido on formal nights and enjoy the dining room on casual nights. That works quite nicely. And, FWIW - I could care less if I ever go to a formal night. To me, it's just a rather pretentious affair with folks wearing their "dining costumes." Some folks like that sort of thing, and I support that, so I just abide by the rules and don't show up. I do, however, get tired of explaining why I'll be missing the LOBSTER!!! and why I won't be there on formal night.

 

Ken

[Powriv]

This will be my first time cruising ever and I am really looking forward to the whole experience except the formal nights. Not because I will have to dress up but I will be wearing really good clothes and I am not the neatest eater and can be quite clumsy.

 

The people that are having such a hard time dressing for dinner on a cruise are they the same ones that refuse to wear nice clothes to a 5 star restaurant even though the rules are clearly posted

[Cracker Ken]

Powriv - I can't speak for others, but I'm certainly not the kind of person to violate the dress codes in the dining room on the cruise ship, or at a 5 star restaurant. I have plenty dress clothes, know how to tie a tie, etc, and wear them when I have to. If I don't take dress clothes on my next cruise, I won't be in the dining room on formal night. I respect the rules, and I either abide by them or don't show up (I go to buffet). I really enjoy the casual nights in the main dining room though.

 

Sometimes there is an inference that people who don't want to dress up for dinner are low-life miscreants, red-necks, hillbillies, or whatever - that is not always the case, by far. There are a lot of people who work in dress clothes all the time, making huge sums of money, living in nice houses, who simply don't want to do that on a vacation. I don't know why some people cannot accept that. With that said, I don't think people should be intent on violating the dress code on formal night just because they dont' want to dress. I know a nice couple who can easily afford cruises, but they don't go because the guy (who is a banker) flatly refuses to dress up while on vacation. I'm trying to convince them there are alternatives to formal night.

 

Ken

[Libra14]

This will be my first time cruising ever and I am really looking forward to the whole experience except the formal nights. Not because I will have to dress up but I will be wearing really good clothes and I am not the neatest eater and can be quite clumsy.

 

The people that are having such a hard time dressing for dinner on a cruise are they the same ones that refuse to wear nice clothes to a 5 star restaurant even though the rules are clearly posted

I'm going on my first cruise as well and am a bit concerned on what to wear on these formal nights. After reading this thread I won't want to go to the lido deck because there's no way I will miss a lobster dinner.:D I love lobster and would never turn it away but that's just me.

I will have 3 children with me and the thought of getting my 2 sons all decked out is something I'd rather not think about lol. How formal is formal night on Carnival? Will my sons and husband have to wear tux's? My daughter will love it because she loves getting dressed up. Me? eh I like to dress up but can be just as happy if I don't. Actually I think the formal night sounds nice, everyone gets dressed in their finest and goes to a nice dinner together. 2 formal nights might be pushing it for us though ;)

 

Holly

[Cracker Ken]

For men on formal night, dress slacks, shirt, tie and blazer works. Dress suit is just fine, in addition to a tux. There will also be people in the dining room on formal night with casual clothes - who are violating the rules, however they are allowed in there.

 

Ken

[flyingfree]

Now I know that formal night threads sometime get a little hairy. But I am hoping not to have this go in that direction!

 

I understand that there are certain people that want a formal night, and certain people that do not.

 

What if, on the ships with two dining rooms, they gave people a choice? On the predetermined formal nights, the same cuisine would be served in both DR's and when you book you REQUEST formal or casual?

 

It would mean that one night, your typical dining pattern would be disrupted (maybe shifting DR's and staffs).

 

Of course, the caveat to this would be that the preference would be a REQUEST, and could not be guaranteed. Just like a certain seating, if they can accommodate your request, they will, but you would have to have some tolerance for the other scenario (after all, if you don't get the dinner seating you request, you can't simply refuse to go at the other time and instead show up when you want).

 

I'm sure there are logistical problems with this, but I'm curious what people think.

That looks like the perfect solution to me. Hope Carnival goes for it. Sounds like most everybody could live with that.