Jeans??

[trrrip]

We have booked a Celebrity Alaska cruise, and unusually I didn't do my homework correctly. I researched on the ports of call, price and departure port, but not dress code (only been on 2 NCL cruises before). Whilst I have no problem with a cruise line insisting on formal dress, I had not intended dragging formal gear around in a 3 week Canadian road trip before this cruise. I chose Celebrity because it was leaving from Vancouver, and I would have had to get to Seattle for the NCL cruise. Had I been travelling on a European or Carribean cruise, I would have no hesitation in dressing up a little at nights, but my reasons for going on an Alaskan cruise are entirely different.

 

Perhaps Celebrity should be more clear about marketing on their home pages as a formal cruise.

 

This is in no way intended to annoy formal cruise lovers because I totally see the attraction in that for a nice summer or European cruise. Maybe I am worrying over nothing about the formal dress.

[Ma Bell]

Why would you think an Alaska cruise is any different?

[emcee207]

I love tight jeans........on my skinny wife.....:D

[Can'tstopcruising]

I feel bad that some (especially new to Celebrity) posters are so intimidated by others who are desperately trying to defend the dress code. It is a GUIDELINE, not written in stone. On any given cruise, you will see everything.

 

To date, we have pretty much followed the code, but I keep thinking that soon we will also decide to forgo the formal. Unlike others, I don't relish the idea of paying extra for baggage.

 

If we do a cruise plus land in Europe, I can see my DH taking a sports jacket. If it doesn't fit into the luggage, he can wear it on the plane! A few dress shirts and tie won't be a problem to pack.

 

For the women it is much easier, because what passes for "formal" is often lightweight.

 

Lighten up folks! Having said what I did, I do not consider myself an ill-mannered person! ( or whatever other name-calling which some posters seem to enjoy reiterating)

 

Go and enjoy. I am sure you will not be a slob and you will look relaxed and wonderful!

[ORCRUISER]

I was on Princess in Alaska and thought in general it was less formal. More jeans on the whole ship, I suppose because of the weather and the various excursions, but at dinner people did dress up a little more to the resort casual in the MDR and jackets and ties or suits on formal night.

[hat776]

Fair enough - the Dress Code is a guide line not something to be enforced.

But if someone doesn't want to wear a formal suit or tux surely he could wear a shirt and tie with smart trousers.

I honestly don't think wearing baggy shorts , sandals and t-shirt is suitable for the MDR even if it isn't a Formal night.

Someone once answered me on the NCL board that her brother wore jeans and t-shirt for work and just doesn't have smart trousers and shirts and ties.

Surely any one who can afford a cruise can afford a pair of casual trousers and shirt or polo shirt . Maybe it's my age but I sometimes think some ignore the dress code COMPLETELY do so just to defy.

[brigittetom]

Surely any one who can afford a cruise can afford a pair of casual trousers and shirt or polo shirt . Maybe it's my age but I sometimes think some ignore the dress code COMPLETELY do so just to defy.

 

I honestly think some people just don't care. It's the feeling of entitlement. "It's my vacation and I can wear whatever I want". That's very true of course. Logically, anyone with any sense would simply plan a vacation where they can do exactly that and not pick a cruise where dressing up is expected. :rolleyes:

 

I agree with others. You don't have to follow any code to the letter. Just dress nicely and you always fit in.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Fair enough - the Dress Code is a guide line not something to be enforced.

But if someone doesn't want to wear a formal suit or tux surely he could wear a shirt and tie with smart trousers.

I honestly don't think wearing baggy shorts , sandals and t-shirt is suitable for the MDR even if it isn't a Formal night.

Someone once answered me on the NCL board that her brother wore jeans and t-shirt for work and just doesn't have smart trousers and shirts and ties.

Surely any one who can afford a cruise can afford a pair of casual trousers and shirt or polo shirt . Maybe it's my age but I sometimes think some ignore the dress code COMPLETELY do so just to defy.

 

My age is up there, too! I really don't think anyone would bother to "plan" to defy. If anyone wears sloppy clothes, it's just because that's how they dress. Period. We each have our "comfort zone" for clothing. Although, most people are more or less, middle of the road, there are small numbers that dress at either extreme. JMHO!!

[RichS10]

I feel bad that some (especially new to Celebrity) posters are so intimidated by others who are desperately trying to defend the dress code. It is a GUIDELINE' date=' not written in stone. On any given cruise, you will see everything.......

 

[/quote']

 

I completely agree. You've hit the nail on the head with that one! I've got nothing against formal wear. I've done it myself and enjoyed it. If you want to dress 'to the nines', go for it. But times change and we are much less formal in almost all aspects of our lives.

 

There definitely seems to be a vocal minority here who want to use the "guidelines" to force other to conform to what they have determined to be "proper". For better or worse, Tuxedos are not 'de rigueur' today and that is a fact. It might be fun or interesting for some if everyone dressed as if they were going to dinner on the Titanic, but we just don't do this in our normal daily lives. Although I've worn many a Tuxedo over the years, I don't think I've ever worn one solely for the purpose of going to dinner at a five-star restaurant. Never. (And even thought I like the food on Celebrity, it ain't five-star in any event.)

 

As an aside, I've always thought those photographs we see from the turn of the last century also fail to accurately convey the realities of that time. The formal dress we see evokes what we now interpret as "the elegance of a bygone era". However, we also should remember that the men in those photos likely wore the same suit day in and day out, had it cleaned with coal tar oil, and probably bathed, at most, once a week (whether they needed it or not). I suspect they also wore the same shirt for days at a time (why else would those old shirt collars be detachable?). We're very lucky Mr. Eastman never developed Smell-O-Vision for his cameras.

 

Now, most shower every day, use deodorant, change our clothes on a daily basis, and know what it means to "dress up" in the modern sense. So I'll gladly sit next to the guy in the open collar shirt and khakis. It would be nice if he also had a sportcoat with him, but it wouldn't ruin my dinner if he didn't.

 

Rich

[Ma Bell]

Let me see if I understand this. The CRUISELINE defines their dresscode and anyone who answers the question "what is the dresscode?" is desperately trying to defend it but those who are encouraging them to do something other than what's requested are only giving their own interpretation for the benefit of others and not desperately trying to create their own dresscode. Very amusing.:rolleyes: It is what it is, but it is created by the cruiseline and not the passengers.

[eandj]

No flip-flops. I have a pair of dressy ones with a little heel and satin bow...Are they not allowed at dinner? Or is the term "dressy flip-flops" an oxymornon???

 

 

Speaking of flip flops here that are too casual are the rubber thongs or gym slides that you'd wear at the pool, beach or running errands at home.

Certainly heeled sandals, whether slides,wedges etc are perfectly fine! Don't worry!

 

You certainly do NOT have to wear closed toe shoes. (Especially in the hot Caribbean.;))

[eandj]

.

 

To date' date=' we have pretty much followed the code, but I keep thinking that soon we will also decide to forgo the formal. Unlike others, I don't relish the idea of paying extra for baggage.

 

[/quote']

 

 

This is an idea that a lot of newbies think....That to pack for a couple formal nights means adding baggage. I really don't get that. :confused: It is not a fact, but used often as an "excuse" for not wanting to follow basic guidelines.

Who in their right mind would pay extra for packing an outfit for formal nights? Unless someone is packing 2 or 3 long beaded ball gowns with matching shoes, long gloves and a tiara, along with a couple full tuxedos with different colored vests, shirts etc for the gentleman, there is absolutely NO WAY that including an outfit appropriate for a formal night is going to add more luggage or expense. Get real. This is Celebrity. Not Cunard or the Titanic!:rolleyes:

[Can'tstopcruising]

This is an idea that a lot of newbies think....That to pack for a couple formal nights means adding baggage. I really don't get that. :confused: It is not a fact, but used often as an "excuse" for not wanting to follow basic guidelines.

 

Who in their right mind would pay extra for packing an outfit for formal nights? Unless someone is packing 2 or 3 long beaded ball gowns with matching shoes, long gloves and a tiara, along with a couple full tuxedos with different colored vests, shirts etc for the gentleman, there is absolutely NO WAY that including an outfit appropriate for a formal night is going to add more luggage or expense. Get real. This is Celebrity. Not Cunard or the Titanic!:rolleyes:

 

Perhaps you are a wiser packer than I am! My goal in life is to succeed at Travelling Light!

 

If you read my post, I did say that for women, we can manage with lightweight "formal" outfits. It's the man's tux/suit that is heavy. We travel for 3 weeks at a time, and if we use only one suitcase each, the tux takes up a lot of room/weight that we need for the rest of our clothes and sundries.

 

Please don't tell me to "Get real". That was not a necessary remark to make.

[Ma Bell]

If your goal in life is traveling light and you wish to travel for three weeks with one suitcase that's your business. You will obviously have to make cuts in what you bring. You won't be able to carry what's requested for a cruise. That's fine if it's what you like to do but that doesn't mean it's something we should all do.

 

Most Celebrity cruisers enjoy the ambience created on board and wouldn't be there if they didn't. We very frequently travel for three weeks at a time as well, but we bring what's appropriate and have no problem getting everywhere we want to go with more than one suitcase. If I want a completely casual vacation, I pick something other than a Celebrity cruise.

 

Until they change their dresscode, we'll continue to abide by it. It helps make the experience what it is.

[RichS10]

For me, the ambience of a cruise ship has a lot more to do with the ship, itself, and the general demeanor of the passengers rather than how closely my fellow passengers adhere to the "dress guidelines".

 

Although I've never been on a Carnival ship, I've avoided that line because I've heard the ships were very "glitzy" and the passengers more of a party crowd. I enjoyed Royal Caribbean for years since their ships were elegant but not stuffy, and the passengers were more my age. Since I don't party like I used to, I've moved to Celebrity for the beautiful ships (Infinity, Mercury, Century and soon, Equinox) and the more sedate and relaxing atmosphere. Originally, there was a bit more formality on Celebrity, but IMO, this has lessened substantially over the last 6 or 7 years.......both on the part of the line and the passengers.

 

IMHO, on this board, this whole "dress code" thing is a very overblown issue. Once on the ship, it becomes a very, very small part of the reasons why most of us choose to cruise with Celebrity.

 

My advice: Don't be intimidated by some of the posts here and just use some common sense about your wardrobe. I think it safe to assure you that under no circumstances will you feel out of place if you pack some nice dresses for the lady and a sportcoat, slacks and tie for the guy.

 

Rich

[Johnthed0g]

As I see it the dress code is intended as a theme for the evening, not just the restaurants, mainly the restaurants I agree, but a theme nevertheless.

[Johnthed0g]

Nothing people wear actually offends me as such ...BUT I do cringe with embarrassment on their behalf sometimes, wrong thing completely, over the top dress looking like a Xmas tree, one partner looking great the other like a sack of s.....rubbish. I also have no real preference about dress, go with the flow, if it's casual then it's casual....formal ...fine all the same to me. You have to wear something, you are surely going to wash & change for dinner so what does it matter whether you put on a jacket or just a shirt, & if it's a jacket then a dinner jacket is just a jacket.

[eandj]

IMHO, on this board, this whole "dress code" thing is a very overblown issue. Once on the ship, it becomes a very, very small part of the reasons why most of us choose to cruise with Celebrity.

 

My advice: Don't be intimidated by some of the posts here and just use some common sense about your wardrobe. I think it safe to assure you that under no circumstances will you feel out of place if you pack some nice dresses for the lady and a sportcoat, slacks and tie for the guy.

 

Rich

 

Agree with you Rich. The discussion here becomes argumentative when some new cruisers don't see the reason for choosing to pack even what you note above. Many saying ... it will cause them to pack an extra suitcase or others that they believe any kind of dress guidelines have no place in their vacation.

 

X is a wonderful line, as you note. Dress code isn't that big of a deal as it is easy to do without a whole lot of effort and with a touch of fashion and common sense. ;)

[Johnthed0g]

It's a jacket & a pair of trousers basically....how much room does it take? in the Caribbean people won't be taking a lot of heavy stuff anyway.

[Bridge Maven]

Why do so many people assume that people on Carnival don't know how to dress well? The main difference is that their formal night is optional and they call it elegant night instead of formal night. When we took a Carnival cruise in 2008 I didn't know what to expect, but even though their elegant night dress code was optional we saw a significant number men in suits and many others with very nice sport jackets. Most of the women were dressed in either a nice cocktail dress or crepe pants with a fancy top, even a few decided not to observe the optional elegant night.

[RichS10]

One solution to packing the sport coat or blazer is to wear it on embarkation day. I've done this before and, while I don't wear a sport coat on a regular basis, it was actually ok. It went right into the overhead on the plane. The jacket didn't get me upgraded to business class, but I looked pretty spiffy, if I do say so myself!

 

I also want to make clear that I DO NOT favor abolishing Formal Nights. At times over the years, I've enjoyed the "interpretations" certain passengers have given to the term "formal dress". I know, I know.....Evil on my part, but just priceless.

 

"If you don't have something nice to say about someone, come sit by me."

Rich

[Nancyquilts]

We never cruise with more than two medium-sized suitcases between us and one or two carryons. And sometimes, if we're lucky, we cruise for more than a month. We take formal wear, including a dinner jacket for dh.

There's always laundry on board, either send-out or self, depending on the line, and one doesn't need to wear something different every day and night.;) No one notices or cares.:D

[gloce]

I have to say that reading these boards on dress code has cracked me up quite a bit. I am 40, my husband 45, and we have travelled the world, including Australia, Europe, and SE Asia extensively with very small 30 litre backpacks for a month at a time and love this type of travel. We do laundry more often for sure, but there is a freedom to travelling light and easy on your feet. I generally hate being burdened with luggage.

NOW, having booked our first cruise, with a sky suite on the sky deck, departing for Alaska in July from our hometown of Vancouver, I find myself needing to buy luggage...because I plan to pack my A** off!

Moo oooo ahhh ahh ahhhhhhhhh!!:D

[gloce]

One solution to packing the sport coat or blazer is to wear it on embarkation day. I've done this before and, while I don't wear a sport coat on a regular basis, it was actually ok. It went right into the overhead on the plane. The jacket didn't get me upgraded to business class, but I looked pretty spiffy, if I do say so myself!

 

I also want to make clear that I DO NOT favor abolishing Formal Nights. At times over the years, I've enjoyed the "interpretations" certain passengers have given to the term "formal dress". I know, I know.....Evil on my part, but just priceless.

 

"If you don't have something nice to say about someone, come sit by me."

Rich

 

I love it!!!!!

[eandj]

For the gentlemen, even packing one suit or sport jacket takes up a lot of space that could otherwise be used for several other outfits. Jackets are heavier, they are bulkier, and they require being put on a hanger. My suitcase has one of those "suit holders", where you put the suit in and then fold it in half and zip it into the top compartment. If I weren't bringing a suit, I'd be able to put a lot more stuff there.

 

I have never heard my dh say he'd like to take more outfits!! And bring along "a lot more stuff! He'd rather pack a smaller bag or better, do a carry on. :D Sounds like you're overpacking.;)

 

The only type of cruise that requires heavier clothes are to Scandanavia and Alaska. Now those are naturally tougher to pack for because of all the layers and heavier shoes/boots needed.:eek: I'll attest to that.

But the Caribbean and even to Europe thru Sept. ,you are packing light weight clothes that can easily be mixed and matched. I've learned after about 3 cruises, that most everything can be worn more than once since you never wear anything longer than a few hours anyways. Just takes time to figure that out. You don't need tons of outfits.

 

PS Why not just wear your sports jacket and have it hung up on the plane. That will give you more room in your bag for your "stuff".;)