Celebrity Dress Code Discussion Thread

[keithm]

And I have no desire to sail with a shipload of Hyacinth's! Those who do could always sail with Cunard;)

Actually we used to always sail Cunard. They just stopped most of the Caribbean trips. We found the Celebrity Eclipse to be a good fit for us. They seem to dress more formally than the rest of Celebrity. Probably because of the 14 day trips we take. These seem to have a more formal(or elderly, if you wish)crowd. Though we're younger, we like sailing with those who take a little pride in how they dress. Obviously, if you think Cunard is full of Hycinths, you have no idea what Cunard is like,I'd say!

[keithm]

The brand Celebrity has chosen is Modern Luxury. Look at their marketing material, no one over 50 , no one in a tuxedo, no signs of bingo or string quartets and piano bars (going by memory on that last one).

 

The reality is somewhat different...whilst the line seems to be pitching to a group of people who may sometimes be described as DINKYS, maybe new cruisers. These are not "onslows" as has beens suggested. The current make up of passengers still on many cruises is very different, much older and many people used to the traditional way of cruising.

Sorry, but I never suggested Celebrity was like that. I take some offence to those who would dumb down Celebrity to a "booze" cruise level.

[keithm]

The late great Geoffrey Hughes (came to fame in a British Soap, Coronation Street) but here playing Onslow in BBC's Keeping Up appearances. Some seem to believe that anyone who doesn't want to wear a tux is an Onslow and should clear off to another cruise line.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2180326/Geoffrey-Hughes-dead-Corrie-actor-68-dies-year-battle-prostate-cancer.html

No, not at all! I wore tuxes on Cunard(not all the time,by any means)On the Eclipse we wear a few suit coats,ties, nice slacks & decent shoes.On formal nights. The rest of the time we're fine in the Smart Casual dress code. I just don't want Celebrity going the way of Carnival/NCL, where dressing down seems to be the norm.

[tip]

... Obviously, if you think Cunard is full of Hycinths, you have no idea what Cunard is like,I'd say!

 

And I would say that if you think NCL and Carnival are full of Onslow's, you have no idea what NCL and Carnival are like!

Edited March 24, 2015 by tip

[gek]

Sorry, but I never suggested Celebrity was like that. I take some offence to those who would dumb down Celebrity to a "booze" cruise level.

 

I agree. However you are mistaking how one dresses for how one behaves. Allowing smart casual on formal night is not suddenly going to turn Celebrity passengers into a bunch of boorish hooligans.

[dbsb3233]

I agree. However you are mistaking how one dresses for how one behaves. Allowing smart casual on formal night is not suddenly going to turn Celebrity passengers into a bunch of boorish hooligans.

Exactly. All it does is turn many into exactly what they already are the other 11 nights of a 14 night cruise.

[gek]

And I would say that if you think NCL and Carnival are full of Onslow's, you have no idea what NCL and Carnival are like!

 

Celebrity, NCL and Carnival are all mass-market lines so they are essentially targeting the same market - i.e. everyone. The amenities, atmosphere and activities of each ship will have an effect on how people behave, but the main demographical difference I can see is that NCL and Carnival will attract more families.

[Ma Bell]

I agree. However you are mistaking how one dresses for how one behaves. Allowing smart casual on formal night is not suddenly going to turn Celebrity passengers into a bunch of boorish hooligans.

 

Wouldn't you say that allowing smart casual on formal night is an oxymoron? That would just be eliminating formal night. Then begins the battle for casual instead of smart casual. By the way, most people do behave a bit differently when they're all dressed up. It's just human nature.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Ma Bell

[dbsb3233]

Wouldn't you say that allowing smart casual on formal night is an oxymoron? That would just be eliminating formal night. Then begins the battle for casual instead of smart casual. By the way, most people do behave a bit differently when they're all dressed up. It's just human nature.

Not necessarily. It's not uncommon for cruiselines to have theme nights where they're encouraged (but not required) to dress to fit a theme. They could just turn manditory formal nights into "Golden Age of Oceanliners" optional theme nights instead (or "High Society" nights), and those that chose to get all fancied up could.

 

At first I was thinking "Titanic" night, but I suppose that might scare some people away. :D

[vulcan1971]

Hopefully I am not speaking out of turn, but people like Ma Bell and others have been saying for a while that there are always those folks that try to get away with pushing the limits (on the low end) of the dress code requirements. So... if there is a repeal of "formal nights", next there will be more downhill slide to push the limits of "smart casual", and so on and so forth.

 

When I look at the FAQ for details on the dress code requirements, it says "formal" or "smart casual and above". I assume it says "above" to encourage people dressing up (not down).

 

At the end of the day, rules/guidelines should be enforced by ship crew, not decided upon by the passengers to do as they please hoping to skirt all the rules (no pun intended by "skirting" the rules). :D :eek: :cool:

[DYKWIA]

Wouldn't you say that allowing smart casual on formal night is an oxymoron?

 

No more than "smart casual" itself is an oxymoron

[dbsb3233]

Hopefully I am not speaking out of turn, but people like Ma Bell and others have been saying for a while that there are always those folks that try to get away with pushing the limits (on the low end) of the dress code requirements. So... if there is a repeal of "formal nights", next there will be more downhill slide to push the limits of "smart casual", and so on and so forth.

 

When I look at the FAQ for details on the dress code requirements, it says "formal" or "smart casual and above". I assume it says "above" to encourage people dressing up (not down).

 

At the end of the day, rules/guidelines should be enforced by ship crew, not decided upon by the passengers to do as they please hoping to skirt all the rules (no pun intended by "skirting" the rules). :D :eek: :cool:

For the most part I agree with this. Yes, the cruise lines should enforce their dress codes, no matter what those dress codes are. The fact that they often don't (or do so inconsistently) is why people come to places like this to discuss what's ACTUALLY allowed in practice, so we know what and what not to pack within our limited luggage space.

 

Will some people try to get by with more casual dress than the dress code states (regardless of whether it's "formal" or "smart casual")? Sure. That's always going to be the case. That's not a reason NOT to eliminate mandatory formal nights, IMO. It's simply a reason to enforce the dress code (no matter what it is).

 

At the same time, though, we'll always have people coming to these forums to give their opinion on what they would PREFER the dress code be. Just like we express what we'd like on a hundred other things regarding cruises. Some people like formal nights, and think everyone else wanting into the MDR for dinner those nights should be forced to dress in a suit or tux (for men). While others would rather not have to dedicate 10% of their precious luggage space to bring a suit and dress shoes that are only going to be used a few hours during the trip. No right or wrong, just preferences. :)

Edited March 25, 2015 by dbsb3233

[patty1955]

 

While others would rather not have to dedicate 10% of their precious luggage space to bring a suit and dress shoes that are only going to be used a few hours during the trip. No right or wrong, just preferences. :)

. I wonder how many of those people waste their space on other things they don't use often. We bring our own snorkel equipment and use it for a very brief time.

[dbsb3233]

. I wonder how many of those people waste their space on other things they don't use often. We bring our own snorkel equipment and use it for a very brief time.

No doubt there's some of that. We all have some "just in case" stuff we pack.

 

For us it's not as much the luggage space/weight flying TO the vacation, it's the FLYING HOME part that's the bigger issue after we buy souvenirs to bring back home.

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

People behave differently when dressed up?????? Are we on the set of Pygmalion?

 

For those who haven't noticed, Celebrity doesn't have shipwide formal nights. The new suite's restaurant, blu, and the specialty restaurants are all smart casual. The theater is also smart casual. And the remainder of the ship is casual casual. So those in "non-premium" cabins who do not wish to pay extra at the specialties (or eat the pitiful buffet offerings) must pack dress clothes to wear the 2 hours they are in the MDR. That just seems silly.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[hbrote]

I have cruised with Carnival for a number of years and have seen dress in the Main Dinning Room go down hill rapidly. Smart Casual is now shorts and a wife beater as I have seen this first hand. I respect myself more and hopefully it show in my dress. I wore suits for work for years and have never tired of them. I pack at the very least a dinner jacket for formal nights and have a sport coat on for the other evenings. I am comfortable with this and never feel "I have to get out of these clothes as soon as I can". Even when traveling to Europe I will carry my formal wear and it never takes up to much room. I do believe that dress is very "Generational" and you can see this in the dress of younger folks. I, for one, hope that Celebrity upholds is dress requirements as I do believe that it lends itself to decorum of its guests.

Edited March 25, 2015 by hbrote

[cle-guy]

Greetings

 

People behave differently when dressed up?????? Are we on the set of Pygmalion?

 

For those who haven't noticed, Celebrity doesn't have shipwide formal nights. The new suite's restaurant, blu, and the specialty restaurants are all smart casual. The theater is also smart casual. And the remainder of the ship is casual casual. So those in "non-premium" cabins who do not wish to pay extra at the specialties (or eat the pitiful buffet offerings) must pack dress clothes to wear the 2 hours they are in the MDR. That just seems silly.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

 

Or eat in buffet, or order room service which serves the same menu as served in MDR.

 

It just seems silly that anyone who doesn't appreciate a formal night dress code still sails on Celebrity rather than some other line who does not have such a policy. It's kind of like someone who doesn't enjoy wine booking a party at a wine bar.

 

The only "dress clothes" one needs to pack is a Jacket for a man (no tie is even needed). Jacket with nice jeans and white polo shirt is all that's needed.

 

Somehow I managet to drag 2 tuxedos, dress shoes, casual shoes, tennis shoes etc. and have no problems getting it all on and off the ship. It's not really that difficult.

[flames9]

Or just eat in a specialty restaurant or go Aqua class, and you don't have to worry about it.......

[dbsb3233]

Or just eat in a specialty restaurant or go Aqua class, and you don't have to worry about it.......

It always seemed backwards to me to pay extra to NOT dress formal.

 

I always thought it made more sense for the high end resturants (Murano, Tuscan, etc) to have the fancier dress codes, not the routine restaurant that's included with your cruise fare (the MDR). In the real world, the more expensive the restaurant, the fancier the dress (usually).

 

But of course, this way they probably get more people paying extra than they would the other way around. They're OK creating restrictions to drive people away from the "free" restaurant but not the ones that generate revenue.

Edited March 25, 2015 by dbsb3233

[vulcan1971]

No more than "smart casual" itself is an oxymoron

 

I'd prefer "smart" casual to "sloppy" casual.

[LijeBaley]

After seven or eight years of using my wife's CC account, I thought I should open one of my own, especially for this topic.

 

There was a time I packed a tux and the ridiculous accompanying shoes for each cruise we did. As we've learned (and sometimes been required) to pack less and lighter, the tux became an unwanted burden. On our six-week cruise, with a large number of formal nights, it made sense to pack a tux, but otherwise, it did not.

 

I'm retired now, but for most of my career I wore a coat and tie daily. A tux, while a step upscale, feels like work clothing to me. We've recently cruised several times on Azamara. There are no formal nights on Azamara ships, but there is smart casual, with even a tie (one of fashion's most absurd creations) thrown in occasionally. Maybe the clientele is different, but I've not observed boorish, loutish behavior due to the lack of tuxedos and gowns in the MDR.

 

I understand, slacks and a sport coat will meet the MDR requirements for "formal" dress (I think), but wished to express my opinion (which many here share, and many do not) that continuing a formal night, especially when passengers may have several weeks of non-cruising travels coupled with a cruise, and need luggage space for non-cruise activities, is silly.

Edited March 25, 2015 by LijeBaley

[dbsb3233]

Or eat in buffet, or order room service which serves the same menu as served in MDR.

Do people really order the 3-4 course MDR meal to eat in their tiny cabin? I can't imagine doing that, unless I had a suite with a real table and chairs.

 

In a regular cabin, you'd practically have to lay all the food out on the bed and sit on the floor to eat it. :eek:

[davekathy]

Do people really order the 3-4 course MDR meal to eat in their tiny cabin? I can't imagine doing that, unless I had a suite with a real table and chairs.

 

In a regular cabin, you'd practically have to lay all the food out on the bed and sit on the floor to eat it. :eek:

 

Now that's funny. IF we ever chose not to dress according to the MDR evening dress guidelines we would never eat anywhwere else but the MDR. Unless one of the Celebrity staff at the MDR entrance advised us differently.

Edited March 25, 2015 by davekathy

[vulcan1971]

For the most part I agree with this. Yes, the cruise lines should enforce their dress codes, no matter what those dress codes are. The fact that they often don't (or do so inconsistently) is why people come to places like this to discuss what's ACTUALLY allowed in practice, so we know what and what not to pack within our limited luggage space.

I would tend to agree with you, but unfortunately most of the people coming here to discuss what's ACTUALLY allowed in practice are setting the stage (purposefully or otherwise) for lowering the dress standard by talking about preferences and occasional sightings of inappropriate attire in the MDR. Since no person is on every cruise of every ship all year long, it's a gross generalization to say that trends are forming from the few comments that come back here.

 

The amount of luggage a person chooses to travel with (and what they choose to pack) is a personal choice and should have no bearing on the dress code of any particular cruise line. Luggage space is only as "limited" as you choose to make it.

Will some people try to get by with more casual dress than the dress code states (regardless of whether it's "formal" or "smart casual")? Sure. That's always going to be the case. That's not a reason NOT to eliminate mandatory formal nights, IMO. It's simply a reason to enforce the dress code (no matter what it is).

I agree, it's NOT a reason to eliminate formal nights.

At the same time, though, we'll always have people coming to these forums to give their opinion on what they would PREFER the dress code be. Just like we express what we'd like on a hundred other things regarding cruises. Some people like formal nights, and think everyone else wanting into the MDR for dinner those nights should be forced to dress in a suit or tux (for men). While others would rather not have to dedicate 10% of their precious luggage space to bring a suit and dress shoes that are only going to be used a few hours during the trip. No right or wrong, just preferences. :)

This thread was made a "STICKY" by forum moderators for a reason. It was intended to be a place for people to come to and get information (not opinion or "preferences"). Each person can have their own "preference" for what they will or won't pack. However, it shouldn't be a "preference" to decide if/when you will or will not follow the cruise line code of conduct, crew directives/guidelines, or stated dress codes as they pertain to the different venues (including the MDR).

[tunaman2011]

Or eat in buffet, or order room service which serves the same menu as served in MDR.

 

It just seems silly that anyone who doesn't appreciate a formal night dress code still sails on Celebrity rather than some other line who does not have such a policy. It's kind of like someone who doesn't enjoy wine booking a party at a wine bar.

 

The only "dress clothes" one needs to pack is a Jacket for a man (no tie is even needed). Jacket with nice jeans and white polo shirt is all that's needed.

 

Somehow I managet to drag 2 tuxedos, dress shoes, casual shoes, tennis shoes etc. and have no problems getting it all on and off the ship. It's not really that difficult.

 

Greetings

 

I'm glad you are such an efficient packer but many prefer to travel lighter. Each cruise line has its good and bad. Choosing Celebrity for a vacation involves much more than appreciating the dress code. And just for reference, your description of "only dress clothes" does not meet the written Celebrity guidelines for formal nights. You are describing what many would call smart casual.

 

Good Sailing

Tom