alternative dining?

[shirley]

We are leaving on the Sun Princess to Alaska on Aug. 29th. We don't want to pack dress up clothes for formal nights. What other options for resturants do we have? Is the Sterling Steakhouse good? Thanks for all the info I have received on this board it has really helped as we are first time cruisers.

I'm taking the Dawn to Mexico in Oct and asked the exact same question and was told that even if you dine in the Sterling Steakhouse on formal night you have to dress up there too which means since I am not dressing up at all, I will probably eat in the Buffet Grill which they tell me has a menu also or the pizza parlor or room service. I dislike formal nights.

[LisaK]

formal night attire applies to the main dining rooms and all of the alternative (pay) dining rooms. Your casual options are buffet, pizzeria, grill or room service.

[OLD MAN]

You should dress up to be proper on formal nights.. It's only fair to the other people on the ship who have dressd up.. I don't buy the idea that "it's my vacation and I'll do what I want"...OM

Dear OLD MAN: Using your logic, people should dress down because its only fair to the other people on the ship who do not choose to dress up. What you are saying is dictitorial and leaves no room for alternative opinions or actions. IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE TO DRESS UP FOR DINING THEN DO NOT GO TO THE FORMAL DINING ROOMS. But, do not tell me to dress up just to wander about the ship because other say I must. I must not. I will not. Thank you.

You may have room service if you don't want to bring a party frock.

I've seen some people simply wear casual black clothing on formal nights. That works out fine, too.

I don't really see people in jeans as "ruining it" for those in formal attire. But personally I would feel horribly awkward if everyone were dressed up and I wasn't and I was mixing among them. It's not respectful of decorum or tradition. But I suppose "doing my own thing" is so common now.

We had 2 absolutely fantastic meals in the Sterling Steakhouse- definitley well worth it in our opinion.

[CONVERT94]

I won't go formal on the ship period and would not dream of going into any formal dining room on those nights. On formal dining nights I will find informal dining venues. My point is that formal night to me means in the dining rooms and certainly not the entire ship.

[OLD MAN]

Formal night is the whole ship, which adds class to the trip in the dinning rooms and through out the ship on thoes special evenings.. OM

[shirley]

Alaska is about seeing the scenery not about the food and what someone is wearing. Like in general is alot more casual now than it used to be. Some people get away to have fun and experience different surroundings not about clothes.

Class is what you have not what you wear

If formal night pertains to the entire ship and not just the formal dining rooms then hundreds of cruisers on the 8 cruises I have been on in the past 23 years are in violation of those policies.

I look forward to formal nights and so happy there is three of them on
the panama cruise...I live in jeans, shorts etc... month after month with no where to go to dress up.....I can't Wait!