Formal Nights on Solstice Class options to eat casual?

[Cruise Junky]

On the Solstice Class, I realize they don't have the pay restaurant in the buffet area at night. Are there alternatives other than the Buffet and Room Service on Formal Nights if you want to stay casual?

 

Tx

[dkjretired]

On the Solstice Class, I realize they don't have the pay restaurant in the buffet area at night. Are there alternatives other than the Buffet and Room Service on Formal Nights if you want to stay casual?

 

Tx

 

All the other restaurants are considered Specialty restaurants and the dress code is the same as the main dining room. Also, Celebrity does not have a full buffet for dinner on any of their ships. The buffet area has pasta, sushi,etc. but not a buffet as you would get for Breakfast or Lunch.

[Cruise Junky]

All the other restaurants are considered Specialty restaurants and the dress code is the same as the main dining room. Also, Celebrity does not have a full buffet for dinner on any of their ships. The buffet area has pasta, sushi,etc. but not a buffet as you would get for Breakfast or Lunch.

 

Thanks Don, I remember the buffet as not being too bad. I had thought I had read when Solstice was first coming out that some of the nicer restaurants were remaining casual, but couldn't for the life of me find anything on it. Looks like they are all formal. C'est la Vie!

[emeraldcitycruiser]

No one in Bistro on Five was ever dressed in formal attire on formal night when we walked by that restaurant on formal nights.

[dkjretired]

No one in Bistro on Five was ever dressed in formal attire on formal night when we walked by that restaurant on formal nights.

 

You could be right but I am just passing on Celebrity's policy as written..

 

What is the dress code for the specialty restaurants?

Subject: Dress Code

 

The dress code in Celebrity's specialty restaurants is the same as the evening dress code in the main restaurant. Please refer to the dress schedule within the "Onboard Experience" section of this website to determine the appropriate attire for each cruise length.

[shoxfan]

We ate in Tuscan on a formal night and the dress was consistently more formal.

[frisbeeace]

Despite what the Web site says the formal dress code does not apply anymore to specialty restaurants and all nights are casual. I have just disembarked from the Eastern Med cruise on Solstice where I spent both formal nights at Silk Harvest and Murano. Since I was surprised to find most people without even a coat, and some with T-shirts, I asked both restaurant managers about this and they told me what I said before. I also discussed the issue with our maitre at the main dinning room after seeing a few people with T-shirts, cowboy hats and shorts (my neighbor, twice). I'm not a fan of a strict dress code but I feel it is a pity that the standards have relaxed so much.

[kitty9]

I find that interesting because in April The United States specialty restaurant followed the dress code of the evening, as did Normandie on our other X cruise this year.

[Fblack]

It's disappointing to hear that the Solstice and I assume Equinox don't have a full dinner in the buffet. On the Constellation, they served a very nice full menu each night with a few of the same items as in the main dining room. On all my HAL cruises they did too.

 

On my upcoming cruise we expect to get back late and occasionally miss our dining time. I thought we would get a nice dinner in the buffet.

[Denny01]

It's disappointing to hear that the Solstice and I assume Equinox don't have a full dinner in the buffet. On the Constellation, they served a very nice full menu each night with a few of the same items as in the main dining room. On all my HAL cruises they did too.

 

On my upcoming cruise we expect to get back late and occasionally miss our dining time. I thought we would get a nice dinner in the buffet.

 

Solstice has many more options than the M and C Class ships. That is why there isn't the dining grill at the buffet in the evening on S-Class. At least that is what I was told about the Buffet. Someone who has actually sailed can say - we sail on Solstice in Nov!!

 

Here is an except out of an article on Solstice dining:

 

Alternative restaurants which require reservations and have a surcharge include Tuscan Grille serving steaks, Kobe beef and Caesar salad; Silk Harvest, an Asian restaurant with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Indian selections and Murano, serving continental cuisine and fine wines. The restaurant Blu will be complimentary to passengers staying in the new AquaClass category of accommodations but have a surcharge for those staying in other cabin categories. Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria will serve designer coffee, teas, gelato, pastries and chocolate truffles.

Additional dining venues with no surcharge include Bistro on Five, specializing in crepes, sandwiches and other casual meals, will be open 24 hours per day; Aqua Spa Cafe in the ship’s Solarium and the Mast Grill and Bar next to the pool.

Alternate Restaurants are:

· Silk Harvest - Asian food $20.00. Dinner/Lunch

· Tuscan Grille - steaks and Italian food. $25.00. Dinner

· Murano - Celebrity's original specialty restaurant continental cuisine. $30.00. Dinner

· Blu open primarily to guests booked in the Aqua Spa cabins & suite guests

· Bistro on Five - crepes and other goodies 24/7

· Cafe el Bacio - coffee drinks, fantastic pastries & gelatos

Other restaurants (not specialty) include:

· Grand Epernay (main dining room)

· Oceanview Café/Bar Buffet area. Lido Deck

· Mast Bar & Grill Pool Grille. Lido Deck

· AquaSpa Café. Resort Deck.

· Galleria Tastings. Entertainment Deck

Bars:

· Sunset Bar. Lawn Club Deck.

· Sky Observation Lounge. Lido Deck.

· Mast Bar. Lido Deck.

· Oceanview Bar. Lido Deck

· Pool Bar. Resort Deck.

Denny

[tom_uk]

Denny - I'm not sure how old your article is. Bistro on 5 does charge an extra fee (5$?) at lunchtime, I believe - I don't know about other times. Also I'm not sure that passengers not in Aqua or better accommodation can get into Blu at all.

[FinelyCruising]

Despite what the Web site says the formal dress code does not apply anymore to specialty restaurants and all nights are casual. I have just disembarked from the Eastern Med cruise on Solstice where I spent both formal nights at Silk Harvest and Murano. Since I was surprised to find most people without even a coat, and some with T-shirts, I asked both restaurant managers about this and they told me what I said before. I also discussed the issue with our maitre at the main dinning room after seeing a few people with T-shirts, cowboy hats and shorts (my neighbor, twice). I'm not a fan of a strict dress code but I feel it is a pity that the standards have relaxed so much.

 

In March on this ship in the Carribean there were small brass signs at the host desk that indicated the cruise itin and the evening's dress requirement.

 

I did not utilize Silk Harvest on that cruise, but I find your report disappointing at a minimum although I don't think that Silk Harvest speaks formal to me on any night due to its concept. Murano, definately does.

 

To the OP...I also suggest that Bistro on Five is a spot that you would probably find comfortable but if its the DR menu selections you are looking for the Bistro Menu is quite different and may not do it for you.

[Aquahound]

When I sailed on Solstice 3 months ago, it was my understanding that the suggested dress code for the evening applied to all dining venues, lounges, and the theater.

[Cruise Junky]

In March on this ship in the Carribean there were small brass signs at the host desk that indicated the cruise itin and the evening's dress requirement.

 

I did not utilize Silk Harvest on that cruise, but I find your report disappointing at a minimum although I don't think that Silk Harvest speaks formal to me on any night due to its concept. Murano, definately does.

 

To the OP...I also suggest that Bistro on Five is a spot that you would probably find comfortable but if its the DR menu selections you are looking for the Bistro Menu is quite different and may not do it for you.

 

Doesn't necessarily have to be dining room selections, just a nice restaurant. Princess's steak house is casual on formal nights and it's just a nice alternative if you don't feel like dressing up.

[FinelyCruising]

CJ - Bistro is more of a Soup/Salad/Crepe venue, if its a nice steak you will be wanting, that is not the place for it. There is no smart casual venue on Solstice (at least not in March) where you can get a nice steakhouse meal on Formal Night in Smart Casual. So....Maybe they do need to open Tuscan up to new ideas.;)

[Cruise Junky]

Maybe they do need to open Tuscan up to new ideas.;)

 

Oh, let's not go there ;) I'm not suggesting anything :D

[Ma Bell]

When we were on Solstice Murano and Tuscan Steakhouse followed the dress code of the evening and Silk Harvest was smart casual. The Bistro and buffet areas are always casual. In the evening on Solstice the buffet was more comprehensive than on the M-Class ships.

[Cruise Junky]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'd love to sail the Solstice Class but I think at this point we're leaning towards Azamara based on the itinerary on Azamara and lack of casual restaurants on Celebrity. One day we'll get on the Solstice Class.

[pris993]

We personally always follow the dress code or better, i.e., sometimes we simply dress up because we feel like it. For example, even if the evening is smart casual, if we feel like dressing more smartly we do. Regardless, I think Celebrity needs to provide some alternatives for those who want a more casual option especially on a ship that has 3000 passengers.

 

We will be on the Equinox in October -- very port intensive cruise -- suspect we will skip dinner a few nights because we will buy something we like in port and bring back to the ship and enjoy eating on our balcony, especially when we are in port late in the evening. So we will create our own alternatives.

 

My partner is a fussy eater, so pizza or crepes will not do. It would be nice to have a more full buffet option every evening. Maybe we need to provide feedback in our cruise questionnaires to Celebrity.

 

We do plan on checking out the steakhouse and the bistro on 5 for some variety.

[Mysticks1]

 

My partner is a fussy eater, so pizza or crepes will not do. It would be nice to have a more full buffet option every evening. Maybe we need to provide feedback in our cruise questionnaires to Celebrity.

 

We do plan on checking out the steakhouse and the bistro on 5 for some variety.

 

You also have the option of ordering items from the Main Dining Room menu as room service. I plan to do this on our upcoming Solstice cruise. Dinner on the balcony sounds really nice to me.

[FinelyCruising]

You also have the option of ordering items from the Main Dining Room menu as room service. I plan to do this on our upcoming Solstice cruise. Dinner on the balcony sounds really nice to me.

 

We have not done this and I am curious to learn how this works...is everything delivered to all at one time? I guess my question is are all the courses at one time or is the some DR formality to the timing of the room service, absent Butler Service for a non-suite.

[Cruise Junky]

We have not done this and I am curious to learn how this works...is everything delivered to all at one time? I guess my question is are all the courses at one time or is the some DR formality to the timing of the room service, absent Butler Service for a non-suite.

 

We did this when we had the Corner FV on Millennium. We were anchored off the coast of Villefranche...ahhhhh ... Everything came at once but it was lovely. You just have to be sailing in a temperature condusive to outdoor eating :)

[bardstowntraveller]

I also had a question regarding formal attire in the Specialty restaurants so I called Celebrity and was told that formal attire was required on Formal Nights in the Specialty restaurants. With that said, the Dailes from the June 5th Solstice cruise which were recently posted indicate that Smart Casual attire is acceptable every day. (See page 3 of Day One). :confused:

[obrientw]

We sailed on the Solstice in the Eastern Mediterranean in late May. Our cabin was in AquaClass so our assigned dining room was Blu. We also dined at Silk Harvest, Bistro on Five, and the buffet to mix it up, avoid formal nights, and eat whenever we wanted.

 

Bistro on Five is definitely casual - it is NOT a full restaurant, but rather a cafe with limited (delicious) menu. Smart casual was fine in Silk Harvest, and all attire was fine in the buffet. Perhaps I'm not familiar with "full buffet", but I found plenty of offerings for dinner in the buffet. In general, the buffet food was surprisingly good - fresh, healthy, tasty.

 

We look forward to open seating, which Celebrity plans to roll out soon.

[FinelyCruising]

We did this when we had the Corner FV on Millennium. We were anchored off the coast of Villefranche...ahhhhh ... Everything came at once but it was lovely. You just have to be sailing in a temperature condusive to outdoor eating :)

 

Thanks!:)