Insight on the change from formal to evening chic

[HawaiianShirtDay]

Although you may not like this, it may give you more understanding why I believe X made this transition.

 

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.

 

We LOVE to cruise. We feel it is the most relaxing way to travel. To date, we have only cruised RCCI and earned Platinum status in the C&A Society. We booked our first X cruise for 2016 and as we’ve heard great things of X’s level of service.

 

We get dressed up for work daily and I wear tailored suits to the appropriate occasions. Personally, I’m most comfortable in jeans and a shirt not tucked in. (For comparison sake, I’ll tell you that this is much different from my father, who only wore jeans on the weekend and always tucked in his shirts.) When we go out to a fancy restaurant or a Broadway show, I tend to wear dark jeans, a polo shirt, and a sports jacket or blazer. I never feel out of place. No one’s ever made negative comments towards my attire. I’ve never been told I’m underdressed for an establishment. Additionally, I’ve never worn shorts to the MDR for dinner.

 

We only participated in formal night on our first cruise. Since then, we usually go to Johnny Rocket’s or specialty restaurants on formal nights. Why? As I stated earlier, we enjoy cruising because we feel it is the best way to relax. We totally unplug. No Wi-Fi. In fact, I would pay to NOT have internet access on a cruise (insert GASP here).We’re not big fans of the RCCI buffet so one concern we had about trying X is there are less dining options and we may need to resort to that for dinner on formal nights. After doing subsequent research, I’ve learned the buffets on X aren’t too bad (thanks CC).

 

Then, the X announcement came. Evening Chic. Hallelujah! We were pretty psyched. To me, packing a suit and putting on a tie are not part of a relaxing vacation. I could be wrong, but I think most people my age feel the same way.

 

Brands change to keep up with the times. I think X wants everyone to enjoy their sailings. However, my demographic may be the customer they want for the next 20 years and I think this change was influenced by that philosophy.

 

You can still wear your tuxedo on formal night. You can get amazing pictures with your loved ones taken by professional photographers and enjoy the best meals you’ve ever had followed up by an amazing show. Just don’t turn your nose up at the person next to you in jeans. You’ll have a much more enjoyable vacation if you learn to let go of what you can’t control. I began this post by saying you may not agree with this, but I hope it gave some insight.

 

Cheers and enjoy your next sailing!

[Caribbean Chris]

I do agree. You are where we were 30 years ago. Two high-pressure jobs. Back then, we cruised and loved it, but to really unwind we went to a friend's house in the Caribbean or a small, cheap Mexican beach hotel - no neckties, makeup, hair dryer. It was heaven.

 

Just about every ship in the 1980s had formal nights and only one dining room, so there was no other choice (like a buffet or specialty) except room service. Very few people in their 30s cruised often anyway compared to today. Cruise lines meanwhile built bigger ships with thousands of beds and worked hard to escape the newly-wed/nearly-dead profile.

 

When we got older, we "aged into" cruising and had the dressy clothes, so brought it along. My husband would even pack his tuxedo on our one-suitcase, month-long trips to Europe tied to a Trans-Atlantic one way. He did look wonderful.

 

Cruises were almost the only place I could wear fancy jewelry and sparkly clothes, so I kind of enjoyed the novelty. But the more we cruised, the more tedious to haul it along and have to dress up so much in clothes we NEVER wore elsewhere.

 

You know what? We've made at least 30 cruises on some top of the line ships, and it took about five minutes for me to embrace the end of formal nights.

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

Although you may not like this, it may give you more understanding why I believe X made this transition.

 

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.

 

We LOVE to cruise. We feel it is the most relaxing way to travel. To date, we have only cruised RCCI and earned Platinum status in the C&A Society. We booked our first X cruise for 2016 and as we’ve heard great things of X’s level of service.

 

We get dressed up for work daily and I wear tailored suits to the appropriate occasions. Personally, I’m most comfortable in jeans and a shirt not tucked in. (For comparison sake, I’ll tell you that this is much different from my father, who only wore jeans on the weekend and always tucked in his shirts.) When we go out to a fancy restaurant or a Broadway show, I tend to wear dark jeans, a polo shirt, and a sports jacket or blazer. I never feel out of place. No one’s ever made negative comments towards my attire. I’ve never been told I’m underdressed for an establishment. Additionally, I’ve never worn shorts to the MDR for dinner.

 

We only participated in formal night on our first cruise. Since then, we usually go to Johnny Rocket’s or specialty restaurants on formal nights. Why? As I stated earlier, we enjoy cruising because we feel it is the best way to relax. We totally unplug. No Wi-Fi. In fact, I would pay to NOT have internet access on a cruise (insert GASP here).We’re not big fans of the RCCI buffet so one concern we had about trying X is there are less dining options and we may need to resort to that for dinner on formal nights. After doing subsequent research, I’ve learned the buffets on X aren’t too bad (thanks CC).

 

Then, the X announcement came. Evening Chic. Hallelujah! We were pretty psyched. To me, packing a suit and putting on a tie are not part of a relaxing vacation. I could be wrong, but I think most people my age feel the same way.

 

Brands change to keep up with the times. I think X wants everyone to enjoy their sailings. However, my demographic may be the customer they want for the next 20 years and I think this change was influenced by that philosophy.

 

You can still wear your tuxedo on formal night. You can get amazing pictures with your loved ones taken by professional photographers and enjoy the best meals you’ve ever had followed up by an amazing show. Just don’t turn your nose up at the person next to you in jeans. You’ll have a much more enjoyable vacation if you learn to let go of what you can’t control. I began this post by saying you may not agree with this, but I hope it gave some insight.

 

Cheers and enjoy your next sailing!

 

Very well said. You summed it up quite well. I am 32 hubby is 40 he hates 'dressing up'. I dont mind it if in the mood but we would never go to any restaurant or the mdr lookin like slobs. To those who do, that's their own problem. Its their vacation, they worked hard to save their $$ and pay for their cruise. We also worked hard to pay for our cruise. Its our money, our vacation. Common sense is the rule of thumb be it you are on a cruise or at a local eatery. Some lack common sense. To each his own. Not my problem and no way would it ruin my dining experience or cruise. They look foolish all on their own.

 

Off to find my ripped jeans and tank top for first MDR dinner on our upcoming cruise....:D (kidding)

 

P.S. We never connect to internet either. Bye bye real life and hello vacation!

Edited November 22, 2015 by JERSEYGIRL1983

[ronrick1943]

Your 100% right on, the less you have to over dress the better........How else can you enjoy a relaxed cruise.

[FoxyD2003]

DH and I are a bit younger (30 and 31), but we are in the same boat.

 

On our Europe cruise, we were in a suite and had access to Michael's. The other passengers weren't thrilled with our choice of attire during the day even...one person referred to our jeans as "scruffies".

 

Personally, I have no interest or room in packing a formal gown and everything that goes along with it, and I can't even get DH to wear a tie outside of work. We just have chosen to avoid the MDR on those nights, opting for a specialty restaurant or other venue in the past. It will be nice to have the additional options now.

[gizmodog]

Agree

[DavidYYC]

Good Lord I am sick of this "I dress up every day"

 

Wah wah

[Janet524]

We always enjoy donning our formalwear when we cruise. That said, we don't care what others wear on formal nights. To each his own. Life is too short to be the fashion police.

[Cruise Raider]

I wholeheartedly agree. We started cruising back at a time when it was 'the newlyweds' and the 'nearly dead'....and did have to dress up for all formal nights and 30+ years later, had booked Aqua Class and tried Blu! What a treat ... a nice sit down dinner in smart casual clothing! We haven't taken formal wear since and are so happy we can clean up and dress nicely, not formally, and still have a nice sit down dinner without breaking the bank.

 

So happy Celebrity made this change ... and am looking forward to the other lines follow suit.

[DavidYYC]

I was probably too terse.

 

Dress up, or don't....your choice entirely. But, I have 3 "Millennial" children and it annoys me that you want to speak for an entire generation.

[az_tchr]

Interesting discussion but do not understand what is the big deal! Formal has not been required in years. I always wore a dress shirt and sports coat - tie optional - just like I would do for a very nice dinner out at home. DW wore a black top and black pants. We both always wore sandals. Never got a look or comment.

[bigbenboys]

I agree also. We cruise 3 or 4 times a year. We both work and I have a very good income. I also can take time off anytime I want. I'm 58 and wear Polo or Ted Baker jeans on and off the cruises. I've never had to wear a tux. I have 2 black suits and I have only worn them on formal nights on cruises. Do I dress nice yes. I have less than 400 days until I retire. We have started looked at higher end cruise lines. They seem to be more formal at dinner and even after dinner. We book Aqua cabins now and with new new changes in Sky suites we have started to look at them.

[Ordinary Chef]

Although you may not like this, it may give you more understanding why I believe X made this transition.

 

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.

 

We LOVE to cruise. We feel it is the most relaxing way to travel. To date, we have only cruised RCCI and earned Platinum status in the C&A Society. We booked our first X cruise for 2016 and as we’ve heard great things of X’s level of service.

 

We get dressed up for work daily and I wear tailored suits to the appropriate occasions. Personally, I’m most comfortable in jeans and a shirt not tucked in. (For comparison sake, I’ll tell you that this is much different from my father, who only wore jeans on the weekend and always tucked in his shirts.) When we go out to a fancy restaurant or a Broadway show, I tend to wear dark jeans, a polo shirt, and a sports jacket or blazer. I never feel out of place. No one’s ever made negative comments towards my attire. I’ve never been told I’m underdressed for an establishment. Additionally, I’ve never worn shorts to the MDR for dinner.

 

We only participated in formal night on our first cruise. Since then, we usually go to Johnny Rocket’s or specialty restaurants on formal nights. Why? As I stated earlier, we enjoy cruising because we feel it is the best way to relax. We totally unplug. No Wi-Fi. In fact, I would pay to NOT have internet access on a cruise (insert GASP here).We’re not big fans of the RCCI buffet so one concern we had about trying X is there are less dining options and we may need to resort to that for dinner on formal nights. After doing subsequent research, I’ve learned the buffets on X aren’t too bad (thanks CC).

 

Then, the X announcement came. Evening Chic. Hallelujah! We were pretty psyched. To me, packing a suit and putting on a tie are not part of a relaxing vacation. I could be wrong, but I think most people my age feel the same way.

 

Brands change to keep up with the times. I think X wants everyone to enjoy their sailings. However, my demographic may be the customer they want for the next 20 years and I think this change was influenced by that philosophy.

 

You can still wear your tuxedo on formal night. You can get amazing pictures with your loved ones taken by professional photographers and enjoy the best meals you’ve ever had followed up by an amazing show. Just don’t turn your nose up at the person next to you in jeans. You’ll have a much more enjoyable vacation if you learn to let go of what you can’t control. I began this post by saying you may not agree with this, but I hope it gave some insight.

 

Cheers and enjoy your next sailing!

 

I applaud your comments regarding how you respected RCCI's dress code by eating in the buffet or other places where the formal dress was not required. As you, I too enjoy dressing casually, whether that is jeans, shorts or khakis. I am considerably older than you, but based on your post I would think we would relate well. As I assume you have, I respect the dress code on Celebrity and dressed as the intended policy states. I will respect the new "chic" dress code, but also know that those who ignored the the previous dress code will also ignore the new chic dress code. Whatever the dress code is for a Celebrity Cruises, what I find offensive is those who ignore the stated standard, because they paid for their cruise, and they can do whatever they want. But then, those who do whatever they want regardless of what the stated dress code or policy is, will not affect my enjoyment of my cruise. However, they will detract from the ambiance that was anticipated based on the stated dress requirements when we signed up for the cruise.

[SeaCBear]

Totally agree with the OP's post, and the comment below. My

husband and I are 56 (but of course, we are a YOUNG 56 :) ).

 

Cruises were almost the only place I could wear fancy jewelry and sparkly clothes, so I kind of enjoyed the novelty. But the more we cruised, the more tedious to haul it along and have to dress up so much in clothes we NEVER wore elsewhere.

[DYKWIA]

and "insight" from someone who has yet to sail on Celebrity :rolleyes:

 

Target group they may be, typical age on a Celebrity ship unlikely

[grandgeezer]

Based on the drop in quality of the food and service in the main dining room over the last couple of years, the dress code should be the same as a regular restaurant.

[Caribbean Chris]

and "insight" from someone who has yet to sail on Celebrity :rolleyes:

 

Target group they may be, typical age on a Celebrity ship unlikely

 

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.

[Hflors]

I don't have a master's degree, but I also think there is another reason for this slow moving away from formal to in formal to now chic. I think the time of the big beautiful dining rooms are also going to be going the way of the formal dress. I think in time the cruise lines are going to be having a buffet for free and the dining venues will be for fee. Want a good meal with sit down service there will be an extra charge. These big beautiful dining rooms do not add one cent to the bottom line. Like formal I think it will be a thing of the past!

[morbihan]

I shall be taking my pretty dresses.

 

You can wear what you like. I don't mind. You won't spoil my cruise. We went to the buffet formal nights to not ruin the ambience for the others.

 

What I did find off putting on Silhouette the last time was being in the Passport Bar having my pre-dinner tipple and people walking past going to their cabins in swimming wear. It somehow seemed wrong:D

[Jane2357]

Well said.

 

I also fail to see what's new here. Should everyone who has an opinion start a new thread? Why isn't this posted on the main thread? I'm young, have a Masters Degree, dress up for work, cruise to unwind, bla bla bla but do think dropping formal nights is a huge shame and the next step in the ongoing carnivalizarion of Celebrity. It would never cross my mind to start a thread about my opinion under the banner of "it should help you all understand Celebrity's decision" and "insight". No it doesn't help me understand and it most definitely isn't "insight" - it's your individual opinion and nothing more. To each his own.

 

Totally agree - I find the OP's post to be more of a lecture - on why X has made the change in the dress code so that us older, ill informed people can try to understand. Great - their opinion and everyone is entitled.

 

I'd remind the OP that we were all 36 once, many of us also went to work in suits, many of us have degrees, and were successful in our careers. I'd ask what has that got to do with anything? And for the person that has to tell us the brand of their jeans - who cares - they sell at Nordstroms by the way. :cool:

 

While I applaud X for looking down the road and trying to attract a younger more "chic" crowd - every cruise on X that I've ever been on -- the vast majority of cruisers were in an age group that was OLDER, much older than 36. At 58 - on a Celebrity cruise - I still feel pretty young. Celebrity would do well not to alienate the large majority of it's cruisers. ;)

[goody1]

I don't have a master's degree, but I also think there is another reason for this slow moving away from formal to in formal to now chic. I think the time of the big beautiful dining rooms are also going to be going the way of the formal dress. I think in time the cruise lines are going to be having a buffet for free and the dining venues will be for fee. Want a good meal with sit down service there will be an extra charge. These big beautiful dining rooms do not add one cent to the bottom line. Like formal I think it will be a thing of the past!

 

I think that you are probably right. I was watching a programme on Discovery about the the new NCL mega ships and their multiple dining spots. Some of them looked quite interesting and I think it is the way the Industry is heading.

[pinkrosesdeb]

I am 65 years old and am thrilled with the new "chic" dress code. I think for those of you noting that Celebrity should not be alienating their large majority...where & when does that change to the "new generation" of Celebrity. As much as we don't want to deal with it, we are getting older and our days of being the "majority" are becoming numbered. So, I see this as looking to the future whether we like it or not. I welcome the younger cruisers just finding the total enjoyment we have always had onboard. We have had some incredible times meeting these new young friends. Let's hope we can all find something to love on our cruises. I certainly won't let the way anyone else chooses to dress affect my good time.

[cpj]

Based on the drop in quality of the food and service in the main dining room over the last couple of years, the dress code should be the same as a regular restaurant.

 

How true

[kenevenpar]

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.

[DZalumni]

The issue here is that as a society we have gotten more casual. And many of us see this blue jean cue as this. Next thing we know activewear will be permitted in the MDR....:rolleyes: