dining, captain's dinner?

[blue_water]

The freestyle dining looks like a superb option for the Bermuda cruise (or any cruise for that matter) since you can enjoy your time on the island and not have to worry about a 6:30 dinner. But is there a captain's dinner as on the Carnival cruises? This is 1 of the 2 elegant dining nights on the Carnival and other cruise lines, just wondered if this still took place with the freestyle dining?

Thanks!

[Don Haynes]

Yes, sort of, but not necessarily in the main dining rooms. Plus the Captain invites, usually passengers having fun that have caught his notice, and of course the VIPs in the suites. Resort casual wear is always welcomed with NCL, there is no requirement to dress up.

 

Hint to get invited: don't walk about the ship complaining about everything! The Captain isn't interested dining with sour pusses....

[blue_water]

Interesting Don, sounds like the old days of cruising.

I see you've cruised Carnival as well - do you have any comparisons to make between the two lines as far as staterooms, service, quality of food, etc?

Thanks!

[njhorseman]

The freestyle dining looks like a superb option for the Bermuda cruise (or any cruise for that matter) since you can enjoy your time on the island and not have to worry about a 6:30 dinner. But is there a captain's dinner as on the Carnival cruises? This is 1 of the 2 elegant dining nights on the Carnival and other cruise lines, just wondered if this still took place with the freestyle dining?

Thanks!

 

Yes, sort of, but not necessarily in the main dining rooms. Plus the Captain invites, usually passengers having fun that have caught his notice, and of course the VIPs in the suites. Resort casual wear is always welcomed with NCL, there is no requirement to dress up.

 

Hint to get invited: don't walk about the ship complaining about everything! The Captain isn't interested dining with sour pusses....

 

 

To the OP:

 

By the "Captain's Dinner" do you mean the name that is attached to one of the formal nights on many cruise lines as opposed to actually being invited to dine with the Captain? Very few are afforded the honor of the latter on any cruise line.

 

If it's the former, NCL does not have any formal nights. They do have "dress up or not nights", but dressing up is entirely optional. The majority of passengers do not.

[blue_water]

Yes I was referring to the traditional formal nights on other lines, and how NCL's freestyle compared to them.

 

On Carnival you have 2 formal nights - 1 is the Captain's dinner, and you're served cocktails and snacks before dinner in the lounges and may meet the captain as you enter the dining room. You don't sit with the captain unless you are very lucky indeed. On the 2nd formal night they have pre-dinner cocktails for past guests.

 

It sounds like guests can dress formally for the main dining rooms if they desire but there is no pre-dinner cocktail party as above. Is that accurate?

Thanks!

[lambs2]

There has been no pre-dinner cocktail party on a dress-up or not night on any of our NCL cruises. The only free drinks party is for Latitude members.

[time2cruise1]

There has been no pre-dinner cocktail party on a dress-up or not night on any of our NCL cruises. The only free drinks party is for Latitude members.

 

You need to book a penthouse. ;) That is normally when they host the VIP cocktail party.

[Don Haynes]

I am of the opinion the cruise lines are more alike than they are different, although there are differences. While I might like NCL for one thing, with another thing I might like Carnival... I believe its all evens out eventually...

 

And while many have preferences for food, I have enjoyed the food on every ship and line more or less the same. While Carnival may have better pizzas, NCL has better buffalo wings and nuggets... Its all so subjective when it comes to food.... What I like may not be what you like....

 

As for the cabins, I have found that Carnival may have a foot wider cabin or so, but as far as being functional NCL cabins are just as well laid out.... I don't miss that extra foot of width....

[garycarla]

Since there are no formal nights, there is not a Captains Night or Dinner.

 

Which means you do not go stand in some silly line waiting to shake he hand of some guy who has other things to do - like be a Captain.

 

Then you add in all the germs that are spread from shaking hands.

 

Guess you may notice I love NCL and the eat when and where you want idea, and not choking on a damn tie!

[sottovoce]

Thankfully, there are no "formal" nights--where passengers are required to dress up for no good reason--on NCL. Like "freestyle" dining, I suspect this will become the norm on all mass-market cruise lines shortly. Interesting that supposedly more "upscale" lines like Oceania and Azamara also have no formal nights.

[rrobynec]

At the M&G there was an opportunity for anyone to sign up for the Officer's dinner.

Later that week, there was an announcement in the Freestyle Daily (the Daily newsletter with all the activities) that there would be a lottery for dining with the officers.

I think that everyone who signed up at the M&G were automatically included (there were only 4 of us that I saw sign up), and everyone else had to try their luck.

I was fortunate and dined with Hugo, the Hotel Director. What a wonderful man. He is very gracious, and you can tell he REALLY loves his job!

Also, it must vary widely from sailing to sailing--but there were a lot of people dressed up (although not in evening gowns and tuxes) for the dress up or not night....

They were sitting right next to a girl with cut offs and a sweat shirt though.....