question about dress code

[Johnthed0g]

I'm sure you haven't offended anyone, people wear a dinner suit as many times as required, funny thing cruising, especially fly cruises, you can't take much with you but are expected to dress well.

[asoowal]

I wear a suit and tie 6 days a week for work. When I am on vacation I do not wish to "dress up". It is my vacation and I will do as I please. Since dress codes became "guidelines" rather than rules, I will be smart resort for my vacation, as I have the past 6 cruises or so. I have never been turned away from any venue. I am not bringing a tie, I just don't want to. I will bring a sport coat only because flying out of the Northeast, I need to wear some sort of jacket. I have made it my practice not to interfere with those of you that wish to "put on the dog" by our going to alternative dining on the formal night. This cruise we are in Aqua class, so with Blu as an option I will not be in the MDR, and offend those of you who feel that their experience is degraded by the apparel of others.

[asoowal]

Have him borrow a jacket and tie/suit from friends or family. I am sure someone has one to loan. No one will know the difference. You may feel embarrassed for him when the majority will be in suits or tux's. This would be far worse than not trying to get him the suit/jacket or being turned away at the door of the MDR.

 

While I can certainly empathize with your situation (DH has had his entire schedule cut for the next 6 months to a total of 240 hours-less than 6 weeks work), Celebrity has a dress code. It is on their website, in their documents. I book Celebrity BECAUSE of the dress code which is part of the ambiance-the food, no or few announcements, the champagne welcome, just the little extras. No hairy chest contests, no belly flop contests, no out of control drunks as a general rule. I expect a certain level of decorum because that is what Celebrity promised me. No sense of entitlement, just want to get what I chose and paid for.

 

Borrow the jacket/suit and we will both be happy. And you will have a wonderful cruise getting all that Celebrity promised, including the formal, traditional cruise experience.

 

How absurd!

[Lola Nightshade]

Won't your partner need a suit and tie to look for a job?

 

In Seattle? For a high level mathematics/information science position? Nothing would make him look more out of step with the times!

[Karynanne]

Rich,

 

There was no offense taken whatsoever. I was only giving an opinion.

 

Asoowal, I understand that it's your vacation, etc....but why question the "guidelines"? They are stated so that the majority of passengers will know what the expected atmosphere and ambiance will be, before they board the ship. But then again, you did say you wouldn't be dining in the MDR, so this really isn't an issue for you anyway.

[TheMiz]

I can't buy airline baggage fees as a reason not to pack some formalwear. A typical European cruise starts at about $3000, plus another $1000 (minimum) for air. $25 or $50 for an extra bag is a lame excuse.

 

 

 

What airline charged for flights going out of the USA

Every European cruise I have been on ( 17 night and 14 night )

I was allowed TWO checked bags without a fee

 

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to pay $50 a suit bag for a 4 or 7 day cruise.

[Lola Nightshade]

Lola, look into booking HAL instead. You can spend formal nights having a quiet intimate dinner in the Lido.

 

HAL also has better itineraries and hasn't been banned from Glacier Bay like Celebrity.

 

Celebrity's parent company Royal Caribbean International was fined $27 million for deliberate dumping of waste in US waters so RCCL and Celebrity may never do business with the NPS in Alaska.

 

My last trip to Alaska was 10 years ago and many Pacific northwest passengers dressed in their usual nice jeans and sweaters on casual nights.

 

HAL's ships have a great Lido with no extra charge for those who choose to spend a night away from the fancy dining room. Many of the dinner choices are the same.

 

Thanks for this information. I wasn't aware of the dumping issue and the ban from Glacier Bay. That is an important bit in the decision. I had heard that Celebrity was a step above Holland and the other lines in the food department. I will look at the Holland board for some more opinions on that question.

 

Thanks to other kind responders with ideas and suggestions also. Clearly this is a hot issue for some people. I know we could pull something decent together, but it will not be a suit or a tux. I dress up anyway, don't even own jeans or a t-shirt myself. I was more concerned with the type of people that were addressing this issue. If he wears a nice jacket and slacks, and I dress up, but in harmony with his ensemble, it seems like we will still have people calling us "hicks", saying we should travel on Carnival (nothing sounds worse to me), or imagining we can't speak proper English (what is dem deese and dose?). Judging by some of the responses on this board. But there are also kind responses. I hope those are the people I meet, on whatever cruise we ultimately choose.

 

-Lola

[Johnthed0g]

 

 

Asoowal, I understand that it's your vacation, etc....but why question the "guidelines"? They are stated so that the majority of passengers will know what the expected atmosphere and ambiance will be, before they board the ship. But then again, you did say you wouldn't be dining in the MDR, so this really isn't an issue for you anyway.

 

Aren't the dress codes the same all over the ship with a minumum of smart casual in the self serve/bars/theatre??

[greatam]

This is our first cruise as we haven't been able to afford one before now. In fact most of our holidays are caravanning with a pack of dogs. We too have worked and saved hard, in all honesty I would have loved to have gone with Crystal, but based on our wants Celebrity appears the next best thing and within our budget.

The main 'want' was to have a "5 star" experience. Fellow passengers, as well as the staff, make that experience. It would hardly feel elegant if everyone decided they would just dress in the best they had - which to some may just be a clean pair of shorts! Clothes etc are the hidden costs of this particular type of holiday (although formal clothes don't need to cost the eart nowadays) and from my research there are cruise lines for all tastes and budgets for exactly that reason.

 

This is the most eloquent expression I have ever read explaining what the Celebrity experience means to so many, especially the first three sentences of paragraph 2.

 

Thanks

[dkjretired]

Aren't the dress codes the same all over the ship with a minumum of smart casual in the self serve/bars/theatre??

 

No, on formal nights the MDR and Specialty dining areas are formal, smart casual for the rest of the ship including theatre, bars, casino, etc.

[TheMiz]

All in all most of us do know the guidelines

what about the first timers.

 

Are the guidelines sent out with the cruise docs?

[dkjretired]

I wear a suit and tie 6 days a week for work. When I am on vacation I do not wish to "dress up". It is my vacation and I will do as I please. Since dress codes became "guidelines" rather than rules, I will be smart resort for my vacation, as I have the past 6 cruises or so. I have never been turned away from any venue. I am not bringing a tie, I just don't want to. I will bring a sport coat only because flying out of the Northeast, I need to wear some sort of jacket. I have made it my practice not to interfere with those of you that wish to "put on the dog" by our going to alternative dining on the formal night. This cruise we are in Aqua class, so with Blu as an option I will not be in the MDR, and offend those of you who feel that their experience is degraded by the apparel of others.

 

Dress code in Blu is the same as MDR......