Dress Code

[Roxburgh]

Originally Posted by won2go

Sorry Roxburgh but I agree with Lincslady. If you want to wear denim at night (no matter how fashionable it is perceived) then perhaps you should stick with the poolside grill.

Would wearing a formal shirt under the tuxedo jacket help?

[ibnoland]

Originally Posted by Roxburgh

Would wearing a formal shirt under the tuxedo jacket help?

II haven't sailed on Seabourn yet, but imagine that it would all depend on which baseball cap is worn with the ensemble, and whether the bill faced forward or backwards.

[lincslady]

Originally Posted by ibnoland

II haven't sailed on Seabourn yet, but imagine that it would all depend on which baseball cap is worn with the ensemble, and whether the bill faced forward or backwards.

Do try the recommendations by Roxburgh and ibnoland, won2go, and see the reactions!! Could possibly pass the Maitre'd (though I doubt it) but the reactions of your fellow passengers would be something to behold.

[lincslady]

[quote=lincslady;28519099]Do try the recommendations by Roxburgh and ibnoland, won2go, and see the reactions!! Could possibly pass the Maitre'd (though I doubt it) but the reactions of your fellow passengers would be something to behold.[/quote

Sorry, I should have addressed this to gkgk123ca.

[Chairsin]

Trust me I have seen exactly what Roxburgh mentioned. Two years ago on our Baltic cruise I had the unfortunate pleasure of dining with a "gentleman" and his lady friend who thought they were so rich and their strategically "torn and worn" jeans were so expensive that they wore them in the Restaurant to dinner one evening on a night when they had invited ourselves and the two other couples traveling with us to join them for a special dinner they had the chef prepare. Needless to say we were mortified.Don't remember if there were ball caps( sideways or backwards) but I do remember she was wearing a hoodie.

[lord of the seas]

Why did you stay at the table if you were uncomfortable about it?

[lincslady]

Originally Posted by lord of the seas

Why did you stay at the table if you were uncomfortable about it?

I suppose because Chairsin has good manners, even if his/her hosts didn't.

[Roxburgh]

Originally Posted by Chairsin

Trust me I have seen exactly what Roxburgh mentioned. Two years ago on our Baltic cruise I had the unfortunate pleasure of dining with a "gentleman" and his lady friend who thought they were so rich and their strategically "torn and worn" jeans were so expensive that they wore them in the Restaurant to dinner one evening on a night when they had invited ourselves and the two other couples traveling with us to join them for a special dinner they had the chef prepare. Needless to say we were mortified.Don't remember if there were ball caps( sideways or backwards) but I do remember she was wearing a hoodie.

Well, my post was supposed to be tongue in cheek. However, different people have different ideas as to what "well dressed" means. However, from what I have seen, what you describe above is very rare. That said, I would rather dine with someone who is good company than well dressed although good company and well dressed would be preferable.

["Wandering Wino's"]

Originally Posted by Roxburgh

I would rather dine with someone who is good company than well dressed although good company and well dressed would be preferable.

Agree . . . . .
I've read some books with tacky covers that provided hours of pleasure during the reading. Like wise I have read books that were smartly bond that were dull and uninteresting. That said I still believe Seabourn's dress code is easily followed just using common sense.

[JaneBP]

YO! DAN!!!

Think you are off on Azamara now, but when you get home can we have a survey about a 'sticky' on Dress Codes and Questions???

[cjbx]

I wouldn't dream of wearing jeans on a cruise. However I don't want to get involved with tuxes or suits on a cruise. Would a sport coat without a tie be acceptable on Seabourn cruises? We're looking to upgrade from NCL (only cruised once in since the mid 80's when dress codes were more prevalent and airline baggage fees unheard of) - but do like the idea of "freestyle" when it comes to dress and dining.

[ibnoland]

Originally Posted by cjbx

I wouldn't dream of wearing jeans on a cruise. However I don't want to get involved with tuxes or suits on a cruise. Would a sport coat without a tie be acceptable on Seabourn cruises? We're looking to upgrade from NCL (only cruised once in since the mid 80's when dress codes were more prevalent and airline baggage fees unheard of) - but do like the idea of "freestyle" when it comes to dress and dining.

On its web site, Seabourn says there will be some nights when Casual attire is OK, others when Elegant Casual is called for and others when Black Tie Optional is specified. These are further described by them as follows:
"Casual: Slacks with sweater or shirt for men; sundress, slacks or skirt and top for women
Elegant Casual: Jacket, but no tie, requested for men; dress, skirt or pants outfit for women
Black Tie Optional: Tuxedo or dark suit for men; evening gown or other formal attire for women"
So it sounds to me like you'll be fine with a sport coat and no tie as long as you stay out of sight on "Black Tie Optional" nights.
I haven't cruised with Seabourn yet, but the dress code as spelled out by them sounds simple and easy to conform to. I'm going to give it a try, at least.

[cjbx]

I guess we'll stick with NCL then. We don't want to have to dress for dinner on a cruise.

[JaneBP]

Originally Posted by cjbx

I guess we'll stick with NCL then. We don't want to have to dress for dinner on a cruise.

That response sounds like a petulant 5 year old to me. On the one or two Black tie optional nights there are other venues to choose, more if you are on one of the 3 'Big Sisters'. Additionally, you can be served the same menu, course by course in your suite, wearing whatever you want.
Depending on the ship and itinerary, there may be no 'Black tie optional' evenings at all.

The Seabourn experience is quite special to many of us. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

[cjbx]

I don't think that I am doing that. As I just said on the Crystal board, you can go to fine 5 star resorts around the world without even thinking about tuxes, suits or dress codes. A cruise is a vacation not a dress up event. However I don't want to ruin anyone's parade and the suites on NCL will suit me fine.

[DaveFr]

Originally Posted by JaneBP

That response sounds like a petulant 5 year old to me. On the one or two Black tie optional nights there are other venues to choose, more if you are on one of the 3 'Big Sisters'. Additionally, you can be served the same menu, course by course in your suite, wearing whatever you want.
Depending on the ship and itinerary, there may be no 'Black tie optional' evenings at all.

The Seabourn experience is quite special to many of us. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

Jane,

I'm confused about evening attire on Seabourne. The FAQ on the website says:

Attire On Board :
During the daytime, casual, resort-style attire, including shorts and jeans, is welcome in all lounges and dining venues. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for poolside, on deck or in the spa and fitness center.

Each day in the ship’s program, a suggested dress advisory designates appropriate attire for lounges and dining venues on board after 6:00 pm. It will be specified as one of the following:

Resort Casual: Slacks and a sweater or shirt for men; sundress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse for women. Jeans are not considered appropriate in The Restaurant.

Elegantly Casual: Slacks with a jacket over a sweater or shirt for men. Dress, skirt or pants with a sweater or blouse for women. Jeans are not considered appropriate in The Restaurant.

Formal Optional: While Elegantly Casual is always appropriate during the evening, a Formal Optional evening will be provided for guests who wish to dress more formally at least once each seven days.

Formal Optional attire includes a tuxedo or dark suit with tie for men, cocktail dress or other formal apparel for women. On Formal Optional evenings, we request no jeans in any of the lounges or dining venues.


The itinerary in the “Already Booked” section of Seabourn’s website, or in the preliminary document booklet, will inform you of the number of Formal Optional evenings to expect during your voyage. As a rule of thumb, Formal Optional evenings are scheduled as follows:

Cruises up to 13 days: One Formal Optional evening
Cruises of 14 to 20 days: Two Formal Optional evenings
Cruises of 21 or more days: Three Formal Optional evenings
(Note: World Cruises, Holiday voyages and crossings may be scheduled differently.)

The quoted language suggests that Elegantly Casual attire is always appropriate during the evening and may be worn in the Restaurant on Formal Optional nights. Other language on the website talks about Black Tie Optional evenings during which Elegantly Casual attire would not be appropriate in The Restaurant. Which version of the dress code on the website is correct? I was under the impression the FAQ language controlled but now I'm not sure. Please help. Thanks.

Dave

[JaneBP]

Fortunately, I can get away with a black dress and a few jackets. I think the way it is worded means that any night but Formal Optional is Elegant Casual eligible. I don't think I am making sense, but my male colleagues will chime in for sure! But I agree, it is confusing.

[lincslady]

Originally Posted by JaneBP

Fortunately, I can get away with a black dress and a few jackets. I think the way it is worded means that any night but Formal Optional is Elegant Casual eligible. I don't think I am making sense, but my male colleagues will chime in for sure! But I agree, it is confusing.

It is the 'while elegantly casual is ALWAYS appropriate' which is so confusing. This suggests that this dress is fine for formal evenings also, i.e. jacket but no tie necessary. I do wish Seabourn would pay attention, and alter their wording in the brochures etc. so that we knew one way or the other for sure - is jacket and no tie allowed for formals, or not? It seems to be a typical 'standing on the fence' attitude adopted by Seabourn and other lines. Speaking personally I like to see the men in at least a suit and tie, or dinner jacket, but that is just personal preference, and as Jane BP says, we women can get away with outfits that can be seen as formal or informal, and others that could be considered informal or casual.

[frantic36]

On our cruise in December we had two formal optional nights of which one was the second night of the cruise. The next day we were chatting to two fellow Australians and they were complaining of the "stuffiness" of having to wear a suit and tie. By the end of our 15 day cruise when we had the the second formal optional they were into the whole good feeling of the cruise and were happy to participate as it felt like a special event.
I think compromise could be the answer with a dark suit and tie on formal optional. The dark jacket, no tie, works with light trousers on elegant casual. It worked for us in the hot tropical climate. The dining room was air conditioned so it wasn't a problem and when we went dancing after the show my husband removed the jacket and tie, if worn, as the night went on.

Julie

[CLOU]

We just got our brochure for our Norwegian Fjords cruise at the end of June on the Sojourn. The dress categories were as listed above, including Formal Optional. I assumed this category meant that Elegantly Casual is appropriate but that Formal Optional is provided for guests who wish to dress more formally. I also assumed that this was Seabourn's attempt to strike a balance between eliminating formal nights, which it has done at one point last year on seven day cruises, and satisfying its loyal patrons who enjoy dressing up and bemoaned the loss of the formal evening. At 55 , I have experienced the evolution of accepted dress in general and personally. Although I was originally a little hesitant about business casual at work, I am now a staunch proponent of it. I have also seen the "casualization" of dress in finer restaurants. While I don't mind dressing up when appropriate, and have taken formal wear on past cruises, I don't relish it, and it is more of a packing hassle, since I like to minimize my luggage. Still, I want my dress to fit in with the majority of guests. The question that came to my mind when I read this policy was, are most of the guests still dressing formally on the Formal Optional nights? If that is the case, I will pack a cocktail dress. If Elegantly Casual is becoming more common, even on Formal Optional nights, I might skip the cocktail dress. If anyone has sailed recently and can give me some input, I would appreciate it.