Insight on the change from formal to evening chic

My wife and I are 36 year-old D.I.N.K.’s (Double Income No Kids). We both have Master’s degrees and are successful in our careers. DW and I were both fortunate to be raised by parents who instilled strong values in us.

modesty ?

My wife and I are 36 year-old D.I.N.K.’s (Double Income No Kids). We both have Master’s degrees and are successful in our careers. DW and I were both fortunate to be raised by parents who instilled strong values in us.

 

 

modesty ?

Love it [emoji41][emoji41]

sure you are not Brits with that sense of humour amigo [emoji12]

I have a cruise booked on the Eclipse in April and only just found out the dress code change from this site. I like the dressing up side of it that's why I cruise, but I do tend to wear the not so elaborate gowns, what I would like to know is what exactly is "chic"?

Thanks

I think "chic" is in the eye of the beholder. I don't know that there is an exact definition as it would apply to cruise wear. I think it is going to be just the same as "casual" or "formal" everyone will interpret their own way. If you and your husband are both happy with the way you like you should be fine. I am thinking dressy pants and a nice blouse or a short dress. Maybe a coverup for the dining room but everyone will have their own idea and I am fine with that. Enjoy your vacation your way

I think "chic" is in the eye of the beholder. I don't know that there is an exact definition as it would apply to cruise wear. I think it is going to be just the same as "casual" or "formal" everyone will interpret their own way. If you and your husband are both happy with the way you like you should be fine. I am thinking dressy pants and a nice blouse or a short dress. Maybe a coverup for the dining room but everyone will have their own idea and I am fine with that. Enjoy your vacation your way

intrigued by the remark " if you and your husband are both happy with the way you like ....."

On behalf of the (undercover) secret association of husbands could the poster elaborate on any situation where the happiness of the husband is ever a factor in any judgement of happiness - please [emoji32]

Excellent work Agent Design. Intelligence gathering is an important part of our secret aristocratic associations activities

:D

[emoji41]

intrigued by the remark " if you and your husband are both happy with the way you like ....."

 

On behalf of the (undercover) secret association of husbands could the poster elaborate on any situation where the happiness of the husband is ever a factor in any judgement of happiness - please [emoji32]

Never.

happy WIFE happy life, hubby not mentioned at all.

My first cruise was some years ago now, 10-15 yrs maybe... with P and O out of Southampton, when booked they had formal nights, I wasn't keen.

Prior to sailing they dropped the formal nights in favour of the concept of "Dress to Impress" I was very happy.....2-3 weeks later they reinstated the formal nights as some people thought that Rugby Shirts and shorts were impressive..........Just saying.

As an aside, I am lucky to be successful in life, in fact the harder I worked the luckier I became.

I also have an MBA..........................(Massive Bank Account)

Cheers

See - I knew you had a degree even before you mentioned it :)

Hi Twentyknots,

This is nauist from the roll call on celebrity reflection sailing Dec. 5th.

there is important information about the day passes on the roll call.

Just thought I would try to reach you this way.

Steve & Celeste

It's refreshing for some of us to hear input from first-timers looking forward to trying a new line. Very surprising that three different people would post "roll eyes" symbols, "wah wah" and "bla bla bla" in response to a newcomer.

Actually it's not surprising. I would say typical of the X board.

OP I agree with your comments 100%. Very nicely stated.:)

So, an hour ago we were packing for our morning departure to head to FL for Sunday's Eclipse cruise. As is our custom, DW and I had been laying-out our clothes (in our living room) over the past few days. My Tux, formal shirt, ties, etc. where all ready to be packed when I asked DW, do you think we should even take our formal wear. Now keep in mind that we are in Aqua...where it is always Smart/Casual. DW gave me her "look" and said "I am packing my formal clothes..and you can do as you please." Obviously I quickly put my Tux in the luggage :).

Personally, I really do not care what other folks wear to dinner. But for DW and moi, we never get dressed-up at home...so it is fun to do on cruises. When we take our next X cruise, I suspect we will still dress formal on those Chic nights. For me, it is actually easier. For formal nights I just put on my tux and choose from a few formal ties. If I have to wear chic casual there would be many more choices....and being retired I hate to make decisions :).

Hank

I still do not know what "chic" is, let alone "evening chic" :confused:

 

Maybe when I know, I can have an opinion on whether I like it or not.

On Disney Cruise Line, they have "Optional Dress-up Night". I am assuming "Evening Chic" means the same thing but I applaud Disney for using language that is clear to everyone.

LOL, sorry I, of course, meant LOOK! After 46 years, it is still how I look in his eyes that matters to me. So, if he says "you look beautiful tonight", quite frankly, I don't CARE what anyone else thinks about me. I dress to please the ones I am with not the ones who seem to feel they have the right to judge all others around them. I feel like we do a pretty darn good job of dressing up without having to go to a tux and a long gown. We have done many formal functions and now choose not to have to do so on vacation. I am encouraged by the new change and I believe the vast majority of people will be well groomed and nicely dressed so we won't focus on those who aren't...it is their life and their vacation, won't affect us at all.

Leaving soon on our next cruise. Looking forward to experiencing the new formal night.

I agree also. Myself and husband will be wearing our formal wear

Well said. My Wife and I are in our 50s and couldn't agree with you more.

I agree also. Myself and hubby will be wearing our formal clothes on formal nights

With flight restrictions on weight and everything else the airlines can think of to pop you a surcharge on it just means less weight to me so I can bring more stuff back[emoji4]

intrigued by the remark " if you and your husband are both happy with the way you like ....."

 

On behalf of the (undercover) secret association of husbands could the poster elaborate on any situation where the happiness of the husband is ever a factor in any judgement of happiness - please [emoji32]

Ha. This made me laugh.

On a more serious note though. I work with marketing and demographics in my job and can tell you like it or not the Millenials are driving changes everywhere. Hotels dept stores big box stores (Target Costco) restaurants and definitely cruise ships. They crave choice above all things and that is forcing companies to find that choice in their business models. That doesn't mean that all of them feel this way but the overwhelming majority does and that is what moves the needle. The interesting thing is the older demographic has more disposable income but spend less of it than Millenials. They spend more than they should but are the largest in numbers in the US. For reference I am 47 and my daughter is 25. She will not buy clothing she needs but will go out with her friends and have that fancy martini she wants and post it on social media. It is what they do. That is just an example of a behavior they exhibit...Millenials that is. I have never cared much either way about dressing up. I have cruised for over 30 years on several lines and have seen it both ways. I have enjoyed it in the past but am at a place in my life like others where I don't care about it personally but appreciate others that do. It has never played a role in how I enjoy a vacation.

Change is inevitable and that is what we are seeing here. Companies must do what makes them the most money. Easy for some difficult for others.

BINGO. The X MDR was at one time in a different league than the other mass market lines. Service was white glove, menu was continental. No longer.

 

I can say one thing about being Chic. If you have to brag about your education, income, age or lifestyle choice that is not being considered Chic.

Wow! that nailed quite a few posters!

 

On a more serious note though. I work with marketing and demographics in my job and can tell you like it or not the Millenials are driving changes everywhere.

I agree with this. I work with a large multinational company and we are totally focussed on attracting the attention of the Millenial generation. The way we do business is changing to fit in with the preferences of the younger crowd. We don't do any marketing to the Baby Boomer generation and if our clients can't cope with our future business model then old school service offerings will be available at special pricing.

The changes we have now seen with Formal wear in the MDR is just one step in Celebrity's journey along the pathway that all business is travelling. Some companies will travel quickly towards new business models, some will take a slower path. The only ones who won't encounter moments of discomfort in this process are the Millenials - they have no idea!

I agree with this. I work with a large multinational company and we are totally focussed on attracting the attention of the Millenial generation. The way we do business is changing to fit in with the preferences of the younger crowd. We don't do any marketing to the Baby Boomer generation and if our clients can't cope with our future business model then old school service offerings will be available at special pricing.

 

The changes we have now seen with Formal wear in the MDR is just one step in Celebrity's journey along the pathway that all business is travelling. Some companies will travel quickly towards new business models, some will take a slower path. The only ones who won't encounter moments of discomfort in this process are the Millenials - they have no idea!

I would agree with what you say in almost any business but the problem with the cruise business is that the customer also has to have the time and not just the income. The cruise business would not be viable if it were not for the older folks who can take the time off to travel. They need to market to the Millennials but they better not alienate their base or they will have problems filling their ships.

I would agree with what you say in almost any business but the problem with the cruise business is that the customer also has to have the time and not just the income. The cruise business would not be viable if it were not for the older folks who can take the time off to travel. They need to market to the Millennials but they better not alienate their base or they will have problems filling their ships.

It is a balancing act for sure. But I dare say that if the older demographic was spending enough money onboard these changes would not be happening as often. They might be filling the ships but not the coffers. I don't envy them trying to figure this out. They certainly don't want to alienate their base but must also look to future growth. A tough assignment for sure. Your point is well taken.

I would agree with what you say in almost any business but the problem with the cruise business is that the customer also has to have the time and not just the income. The cruise business would not be viable if it were not for the older folks who can take the time off to travel. They need to market to the Millennials but they better not alienate their base or they will have problems filling their ships.

Running a business is like running a giant science experiment. Change something, watch and measure what happens.

I suggest they are betting that the demand from the mature client base is fairly inelastic - this means that the mature cruiser will put up with quite a bit of change/discomfort before you abandon a brand or industry. Of course they will have their own market intelligence that may or may not correlate with consensus here on Cruise Critic and that will be driving the decisions at HO.

Therefore I agree with what you say - they need to heed their existing clients but I reckon their internal marketing intelligence suggests that the bulk of the demographic won't abandon the brand on the strength of this change.