NCL Pearl formal night?

telstar DeleteThis @tbaytel.net wrote:
> I know I could probably get this answer directly from the NCL website,
> but this site is much more fun and interactive! So the question is: We
> are sailing NCL for the first time, the Pearl on Feb 8/08. Are there
> any formal evenings? I will miss that part of a cruise if there isn't,
> but I was very curious to try the whole "Freestyle" experience. Thanks
> in advance!

On the Star last week there was one night designated in the bulletin as
"Formal Optional." Maybe 10% of men and 20% of women went formal, very
few tuxes at all. More people dressed up in the upscale specialty
restaurants like Soho, Bistro, Cagney; fewer in the traditional dining
rooms. Go formal if you want to, by definition "Freestyle" should mean
doing as you like. And, they do take formal-style photos.

EF
 >> Stay informed about: NCL Pearl formal night? 

telstar.TakeThisOut@tbaytel.net wrote:
> I know I could probably get this answer directly from the NCL website,
> but this site is much more fun and interactive! So the question is: We
> are sailing NCL for the first time, the Pearl on Feb 8/08. Are there
> any formal evenings? I will miss that part of a cruise if there isn't,
> but I was very curious to try the whole "Freestyle" experience. Thanks
> in advance!

Since you are sailing on NCL for the first time, please come back and
tell us how you enjoyed the NCL Pearl.

Becca
 >> Stay informed about: NCL Pearl formal night? 

Becca wrote:
> telstar RemoveThis @tbaytel.net wrote:
>> I know I could probably get this answer directly from the NCL website,
>> but this site is much more fun and interactive! So the question is: We
>> are sailing NCL for the first time, the Pearl on Feb 8/08. Are there
>> any formal evenings? I will miss that part of a cruise if there isn't,
>> but I was very curious to try the whole "Freestyle" experience. Thanks
>> in advance!
>
> Since you are sailing on NCL for the first time, please come back and
> tell us how you enjoyed the NCL Pearl.

Not to burst NCL's bubble, or ruin their cute commercial with all the
passengers in lockstep--but for our first time, the "Freestyle"
experience a couple of weeks ago differed very little from the typical
cruise experience.

True, no formal night as such, and very casual clothing was the norm at
dinner. However, the trend seems to "dress down" on most mass market
lines anyway. "Dine when you want, with whom you want" applies either
at 6:00 or 8:30. Unless you're a suite guest or a Gold level Latitudes
member, reservations are hard to get at other times. In the traditional
dining rooms, people tended to line up at exactly the same times as they
would with fixed seating. The specialty restaurants served much of the
same food that used to be served in the main dining room on other ships.

Same showtimes as other lines, 7:30 and 9:30 or 8:00 and 10:00. Same
art auctions, detox and other spa seminars, port shopping talks, trivia,
walk a mile, bingo, bridge, "not so newlywed game," etc. in the daily
program. A "Freestyle" touch was added to the daily program, a
statement to the effect that "you don't have to do any of these things
if you don't want to."

IMHO, it's a cute marketing gimmick, and our cruise was enjoyable, but
it was not different in significant ways from other mass market cruise
lines. Towel animals yes, dancing waiters no (thank you NCL.)

EF
 >> Stay informed about: NCL Pearl formal night?