andrew cooper

Not sure what you're referring to, but I was referring to the picture posted in post 33 on this thread :-

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?p=50527430#post50527430

 

So, no idea what your "it" actually is.

'IT ' in my case is the Celebrity Today daily programme that was delivered to our cabin on the Eclipse sailing 31st July to 14th August .

I know this won't happen either but I'd love to know why on our Eclipse cruise the official Celebrity Today paper stated Celebrity Chic to be tuxedo, dinner jacket or suit for men etc.

 

I know you've seen a picture of it too posted by someone on the same cruise. Maybe they just like to keep us all on our toes...

It actually says that those still wishing to still dress formally can continue to do so but alternatively guests can ' Dress to Impress ' less formally in a chic style without a jacket and tie for the guys .

Also in answer to a previous post Eclipse 14 sailings out of Southampton continue to include 3 Evening Chic evenings .

I hate it. Very few dress up anymore. I can tell you from my personal experience I have been complimented, stared down, and asked why I am dressed up. So expect almost anything. You will the exception so be prepared. I plan on after 30 cruises with Celebrity moving to another line like Cunard or HAL where the tradition cruise experience still exist. Good Luck.

Just returned from a 2 week Baltic cruise on the Eclipse . This was the 4th consecutive year that we had completed this cruise and the 1st since the dress code has been in Celebrity' s own words ' re- booted ' . As a family of 4 and part of a larger party of 9 who generally like to dress smartly and formally on the 3 nights now rebranded as Evening Chic we were interested in seeing how our fellow passengers would present themselves . We were pleasantly surprised to see that many had still retained dinner suits , tuxes etc and family groups in particular had made an effort . The appearance of some others however made a complete dog's breakfast of these evenings . I spotted guys in t- shirts , 3 button vests , cheesecloth shirts ( I wore one in 1982 and now use it to clean the car ) , creased jeans and open toed sandals amongst other things . Dress to Impress ? In fairness all the ladies looked quite smart . As for the Smart Casual dress code there appeared to be no code at all and some people seemed to have walked in direct from a trip complete with rucksacks in some instances .

Now I can appreciate that lugging a full dinner suit / tux from say Australia is not practical but surely bringing a couple of decent shirts and trousers is not too much of an ordeal ?

In conclusion the standard of dress had definitely dropped - by some but not by all .

If you book directly through Celebrity UK or through a UK travel agent then no, they wont honour price drops, you would need to cancel and rebook (losing your deposit) so it would only be worth it for a significant drop. If you book via a US travel agent then you can get the price drops.

Can someone explain to me how this is fair and reasonable ? If someone from the US books the same 14 day cruise to Europe sailing from Southampton as myself how can the American guy have a price drop honoured by Celebrity yet we can't ? Why does the simple fact that I booked in the UK have any relevance ?

I know this question has been asked many times but I still havn't read a convincing reply or explanation .

easy way out: use a US based TA and put the money on a $ account to be shure you have no exchange rate fluctuation....

That is indeed an option .

But wouldn't it be easier if Celebrity did the decent thing and honoured their own price promise ?

Does Celebrity adjust pricing for a booked cruise (before final payment has been made) if a lower price is available?

A particularly annoying issue in our case . We are in the UK and early booked a 14 day Baltic cruise sailing this July in an Inside grade cabin - so no perks included or applicable . As we don't drink this is no big deal for us . The price of our cabin has now been reduced BY CELEBRITY on their website by 600 dollars , approx. £400 . We have contacted Celebrity and asked them for either a refund or obc to the value of the difference . Celebrity's booking terms and conditions state that if THEY , CELEBRITY . reduce your same grade cabin price prior to final payment date they will refund the difference . NOT SO !

Despite this information being clearly stated on both their UK website and in their UK / Europe brochure they will only honour this promise to either US or Canadian bookings . And if you try and claim it online via their claim form a drop down box appears requesting country of origin and only accepts US or Canada !

Despite a raft of e-mails to Celebrity Public Relations they refuse to budge , use every excuse in the book and just say ' Tough ' .

In all honesty it the principle at stake here not the money . Why should we in the UK be penalized and not subject to the same booking terms and conditions for the same cruise as our US fellow cruisers ?

No. I will be one of those dressed in a Tux on formal night and will sit in the MDR. Not because I want to make a point, not because I want Celebrity to bring back formal nights but because I have a choice. I choose to wear formal wear on special evenings on a special vacation.... What others choose to wear is up to them and is nothing to do with me. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it.

And that is exactly what our party will be doing and for the very same reasons . And we won't give a monkey's regarding other peoples choice of dress . Pay for a separate area ? No way !

So will we. I'll still wear my Dinner Suit on our forthcoming Eclipse Baltic Cruise in July, and to be honest I couldn't care less what others think.

And so will I and the 9 other people in our party - I think we may be on the same cruise as you actually . And like you we won't give a monkey's what anyone else wears - each to their own seems to be the new dress code .

Some people seem to think that the old formal nights - now called ' evening chic ' or some such ridiculous name - occur every night . There are only 2 or 3 on a 14 day cruise and consequently 11 non formal nights . Is it that big a deal to make those 2 or 3 evenings that little bit different from the other 11 and wear a jacket and , heaven forbid , a tie ?

Getting back to the OP comment re Speciality restaurants - did people really pay out 100 dollars just to avoid using the MDR and being required to wear a jacket and a shirt with a collar for approx. 1 hour ? Seriously ?! .... And the winner was - Celebrity !

Having witnessed my father , a smoker from the age of 14 , ignore advice and pass away painfully aged 55 due to a smoking caused illness - yes Smoking Kills by the way , there is no more anti - smoking individual than myself . However as long as those who wish to shorten their lives and smoke observe the rules of the ship and keep to the dedicated areas for smoking I have no problem with that . Celebrity seem to have got the balance exactly right by banning it on balconies and inside the ship and nominating specific areas on deck for smokers . No reason to alter anything in my opinion .

Don't let some slob like individual spoil your enjoyment and just laugh at any sarcastic comments they may make . These people are pathetic I just wish they would stay at home and dine at the place they have dressed for - McDonalds .

I voted "I don't care " because , wait for it , I don't care what others wear . I usually take a suit but might just take a jacket . Jettisoning a tie will be the next step down my personal road to slovenly attire . :D

 

Like many (most ?) of you , there isn't a single restaurant near me where one is obliged to dress up.

Just out of interest I work for the NHS here in the UK . Tomorrow we are holding a ' Dress Down Day ' . Basically this is a free for all day and staff will be allowed to turn up for work in anything they want - ripped jeans , trainers with knee length white socks , baseball caps , sleeveless tops , cheeky sun dresses , cowboy hats etc . Not one tie will be seen on this day . In return we are asked to make a donation to a charity for the Homeless and down and outs .

How about a similar thing on the new Evening Chic Nights ? Seems to me that a decent collection could be raised !

Only joking folks ...

I hope you post your thoughts after Thanksgiving. I wouldn't feel embarrassed if I was you though. You dressed smartly as is your right to do so. If this is what pax are wearing on a supposed Formal night, then who knows what they will be wearing once Evening Chic kicks in.

This is exactly what concerns those amongst us who do make an effort and treat our cruise as an opportunity to look good and dress well . Will this just become a free for all where no-one gives a toss about dress codes ? Clearly some already do . We are after all on a multi million dollar so called 4/5 star ' modern luxury ' cruise ship - apparently . Just how difficult is it to ditch the jeans , trainers , baseball caps and t- shirts for a couple of nights out of 14 ?

Clearly many now just see a cruise vacation as no different than say a bucket and spade week in Benidorm or a trailer holiday .

And I have read some comments that amaze me . Do people really book an Aqua cabin and pay hundreds of dollars extra just to avoid wearing a jacket ? Is wearing a collar and tie a form of medieval torture ?

I have no problem with evening chic or whatever fancy name is given to this new dress code as long as individuals do not totally spoil things and dress like slobs - all the time . And before anyone says it I do accept that I have no right to tell you how to dress on your ' vacation ' and I am not doing so .... the choice is yours !

Meanwhile my dress suit is neatly pressed along with my silk union jack bow tie in readiness for our cruise to the Baltic on the Eclipse next year . And the other 8 people in our party will similarly still adhere to the old formal code on the 2/3 appropriate nights .We will keep the faith ...

Obviously time will tell how this pans out and there are far more important things going on in the world at the moment than Celebrity dress codes .

And long may you continue to look the epitome of cool :). Everything you say above is true ..... but ..... and we are older than you (slightly!) and from the UK also, but wearing formal stuff on VACATION (or holiday to us, lol) is just not what we want to do. Thank heavens for the change - you can continue to emulate James Bond and we can continue just to 'dress up a bit' without feeling that we are contravening some 'rules' ;)

Agreed . People treat their cruise experience differently . For us it is an escape from everyday life of work , kids and school and the chance to wear the best clothes in our wardrobe and fine dine etc . For others it is a ' vacation ' and no different than say 2 weeks in Majorca . Each to their own .....

I have no problem with this .

Incidentally if we ever meet mines a Vespa Martini , shaken not stirred ....

Agree-I cringe when I see a man in a tux.

How uncomfortable.

Well you will cringe if you are on the Eclipse next July with me pal because I will definitely be wearing my Italian ' designer ' tux / dress suit on what were the old formal nights !

Also it appears I am a cruising freak of nature as I can comfortably fit into the same size clothes as I did age 20 - which is 41 years ago .

I have read several times on here that some people consider a tux / dress suit to be an outdated item of clothing worn by sad old wrinkly types . Really ? Is that not one being worn by Daniel Craig in the latest Bond films ? How come they are on display and for sale in all the top menswear shops and on websites everywhere ? How come Hugo Boss , Calvin Klein , Ralph Lauren etc all design and sell dress suits / tuxedos ? Type in tuxedo on google and see what appears .....

Over here in the UK the dress suit will always be worn at ' black tie ' functions and at many special occasions and parties particularly at this time of year . A designer dress suit is an essential part of every discerning guys wardrobe and when worn with a crisp shirt , silk tie , nice watch and a decent pair of shoes is in my opinion - and my wife's ( and that is the one that matters ) the epitomy of ' cool ' .

In the words of ZZ TOP - ' IS EVERY GIRL CRAZY 'BOUT A SHARP DRESSED MAN ' .

Well even the lobster is dumbed down. It's nothing but a defrosted rubbery blob of meat the size of a prawn. The meals in the main dining room are no longer worth getting dressed up for. I would rather save the money that we would spend on formal attire and use it to pay for a specialty restaurant on those nights which are always smart casual on any given night.

Goodness me - where will this all end !

May I suggest a minutes silence for the passing of the Celebrity Lobster ?

I think I will cash in my dinner jacket , wear my string vest in the MDR and book a few meals in Murano .

Are things really this bad ?

Just another step down the slope to mediocrity. They didn't enforce Formal so don't expect then to enforce what I will call Classless Chic. A sundress? So we expect not to see torn jeans? LOL You give people an inch and they will take a mile. I like Carnival although we don't cruise them any longer but I predict that soon the dining room on Celebrity will closely resemble those on Carnival. What a shame.

I am with you on this one . We will just have to see how it pans out .

We are on the Eclipse out of Southampton next July and by then the ' updated ' dress recommendations will be in full swing . Will good standards of dress be maintained or will the Clampetts have taken over the ship ?

Will I be the only guy in the MDR on lobster night in an Italian designer dress suit , Calvin Klein dress shirt , Armani socks and silk bow tie ? Will I be surrounded by a sea of ill fitting blue denim , designer bum cracks and hideous chic ' sundresses ' worn by tattooed botox filled cougars ? I am having nightmares already .

Seriously for those like my family who view their annual cruise vacation as a chance to step up and enjoy an upmarket experience let us hope that this is still possible . I shall remain positive and believe that the vast majority of those who cruise Celebrity do take pride in their appearance and will continue to do so regardless .

Tipping - here we go again .

We pay a daily gratuity to be shared between all staff . We then pay 18 % (recently increased from 15% ) service charge on drinks etc . These charges are added ' for our convenience ' and are there to reward staff .

Celebrity's brochure tells me that in return I will receive exceptional service throughout my cruise . So what is there beyond exceptional ? In my opinion I am already paying for top level service and I see no reason to carry on tipping and especially in a vulgar manner waving dollar bills around at bars .

Obviously if others feel the need to tip extra that is their prerogative and I respect their wishes .

Disrespect from staff regarding gratuities / tips however should not be tolerated .

Here in the UK we have had no pay rises for 5 years - 1% for the forthcoming year . Our cruise budget has therefore remained static but Celebrity's prices have steadily risen . We are a family of 4 and so the overall cost rises quicker . As the prices have risen we book a lower grade cabin to compensate and spend less on board , do our own trips , not use speciality restaurants etc . We have gone from a balcony cabin to an inside during that time and the cost is the same if not more . Next year if prices rise - and they have - we may be looking to book one of the lifeboats on deck 5 for 2 weeks in July !

.

It always amuses me when this subject is discussed and someone suggests booking 2 cabins instead of one 4 berth cabin . For anyone like myself with 2 kids this would basically increase the price of our cruise by £3000 !

We shall be on our fourth cruise on the Eclipse in our 4 berth cabin in July . With a little bit of careful planning and as long as you do not take caseloads of clothes a 4 berth cabin is fine .

It's a no brainer - take a couple of your favourite bottles - screw top type - with you as permitted for drinking on your balcony . Wine glasses should be in your cabin . Celebrity will charge you circa 48 dollars plus 18% for the same bottle of wine that you can get for 12 dollars ....

The people who have asked us about cruising costs havn't got round to checking brochures or cruise company websites at that point ....... they are just at the curious stage .

Gee - there seems to be a massive difference in tipping habits between us !! Is there anything you don't tip for ??!!

We cruise annually as our main holiday and sail out of Southampton in the UK . We therefore meet many Brits on these cruises which have been mainly with Celebrity , Cunard and RCCL . We come across some who just do not tip - you will see them at the pursers desk on the 1st day removing gratuities . These people are not all Brits , there are quite a few from other European countries as well . We also meet many like ourselves who do pay gratuities but do not hand out extra tips as we consider that we have already paid for the 1st class service that the cruise company tell us that we should expect as the norm .

At home we have several friends who have not cruised before but have asked us for advice on costs . When we tell them about the tipping system and that as a family of 4 they will also be expected to pay around £440 extra in gratuities , 18% service charge per drink and will be given envelopes for additional optional tips they are shocked . All say the same - why is there just not a single cruise price that avoids the need for all this nonsense and staff are paid a fair rate in the 1st place ?

Many of these friends are put off and instead take a land based all inclusive holiday where costs are fixed . Others have taken a cruise but where all costs and tips are included eg with Thomsons .

Tipping is one of the biggest bones of contention for cruisers here in the UK . Routine tipping is just not part of the UK culture . Yes we may tip for exceptional service in a restauraunt but to tip someone for pouring you a drink or taking the screw top off your bottle is not the norm .

I have been on plenty of cruises where the guys from the UK have removed all gratuities . We do pay the daily gratuities but not for our 2 kids - paying 4 lots of tips for one shared cabin is just too much . Instead we give the staff in the kids club a tip in an envelope .

Many people who we speak to who may be considering their 1st cruise find it difficult to understand why a ship sailing all summer out of the UK has an American tipping procedure - they would much rather just pay a one off price and not have all this gratuities nonsense to contend with !

And my wife , award winning economist in our house , also said that when greed takes over and your custom is taken for granted , it may be time to look elsewhere ....

Celebrity , we will probably still book with you in 2016 . But if your prices continue to rise I do not expect to find cutbacks , falling standards or penny pinching when we are on board .

Fully agree with 1st post - prices have definitely and noticeably gone up for 2016 in particular and more than exceed the cost of any so called inclusive ' free ' 123 packages . And it is even worse for anyone like ourselves with a couple of kids who can only cruise during out of school term times as 3rd / 4th person / kids prices have virtually doubled in 2 years . Anyone with kids is now an easy target .....

This is all well and good if wages have increased accordingly in that time . However we both work for the NHS . We have had no wage rise for nearly 5 years and are even having to strike to try and get a 1% rise next year !

We will still probably book for 2016 but as a family of 4 we work to a budget and to offset these price rises we will now book a lower grade cabin , give speciality restaurants a miss , avoid the casino , book our own trips and not use the internet on board .

In fairness to Celebrity it ain't just them ..... RCCL family prices are shocking .

:D:D:D