Would you like Celebrity to return to Casual, Semi-Formal, and Formal Nights?

[gelo7]

Smart Casual and Formal for us.

 

Same for us....

[mpbmark]

I don't know what cruise line you are talking about but it is not Celebrity...

 

The dress code is not for the evening, it is only for the Dining room. The "evening" dress is a tradition that Celebrity eliminated about 3 years ago.

 

The dress code for Specialty restaurants is smart casual every evening so going there to avoid formal in the MDR is perfectly acceptable....

 

I have not been on Celebrity in several years as and apparently the "rules" have changed. I stand corrected. :o

 

Not true. The following is taken directly from the Celebrity website under "dining"...

 

...Additionally, guests are asked to follow the "Smart Casual and Above" dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances.

 

See above. :o :o

[phoenix_dream]

I expect Celebrity to remove the formal nights within a year....to be competitive and in repsponse to the majority of their potential customers who would prefer not to have a formal night.....In fact, I would bet money on it just from looking at the competitive landscape and the number of cruise ships competing for passengers.

 

I think there is almost no chance of their going back to 3 levels of attire. Yes it was nice, but I think that folks looking for a cruise today don't want the formality of olde...they just want to relax and minimize the baggage they pack (airline fees anger everyone).

I fear you are right, although I am not so sure that the majority of their potential customers would prefer not to have a formal night. How do they know this? I'm sure there are marketing surveys and so on they can do but not sure they have. It would be interesting for them to take surveys of their current cruisers for a few months - maybe a questionnaire onboard. Granted, this does not speak to potential customers, but it would tell them once and for all what their current customers want. I know when the topic arises on these boards, which it does often, there are very passionate feelings on each side, but all in all it seems to be split 50/50 or so from what I have seen. I know times are always a-changin' as they say, but if Celebrity wants to market itself as classy and stylish, I would think a couple days of dressing up goes along with that market segment. Just my opinion.

 

I do agree that baggage is a concern, but you can still dress formal and fit a week or ten day's worth of clothing into one suitcase with careful planning and packing. I think very few people would attempt to cram everything into a carry-on regardless so most people would pack at least one full suitcase per person, although I know there are some very clever people who I guess are able to make a carry-on work. Can't for the life of me figure out how that could happen but have heard tell that it does.

[kitty9]

I'm just tired of every cruise line being "forced" to conform to be just like every other line. Just because NCL has freestyle, every line has been forced to have some sort of open seating. Just because NCL dumped formal nights, and allows their cruisers into the MDR looking like they're going to a fast food restaurant, cruise passengers now want constant casual. Why does every line have to look like every other line? Why can't one line have the cajones to separate themselves from all the rest and say, "We're not going to bow to pressure from a certain group of cruisers and we're going to stand out from the rest of the masses."?

 

With that said, it's obvious that I enjoy dressing up. I don't think it's necessary to reinstate the informal dress code because there was always confusion as to what that designation means (some passengers thought it was even more casual than the real casual night), but I do want to see formal nights continued, and ENFORCED!!!!!!!

 

As for those who use packing as an excuse for not wanting formal nights, that's just an excuse. I managed to pack for 12 formal nights on a 35 day Crystal cruise in two suitcases and a carry on. One long black sleeveless gown with various shawls, jackets, lace blouses and different jewelry makes that one

black gown into at least 7 different formal outfits. It can be easily done with a little imagination.

[Cruise Junky]

As for those who use packing as an excuse for not wanting formal nights, that's just an excuse. I managed to pack for 12 formal nights on a 35 day Crystal cruise in two suitcases and a carry on. One long black sleeveless gown with various shawls, jackets, lace blouses and different jewelry makes that one

black gown into at least 7 different formal outfits. It can be easily done with a little imagination.

 

I think a lot of what I've read on packing has been to do with the Med. and adding in a land trip.. so I challenge you to take those two suitcases and a carry on on your own and travel on trains in europe or attempt to pack that much in a european car. Ain't going to happen. Domestically, I agree with you.

[Christine Frances]

we prefer the way it is now with Formal & smart (resort) casual-- otherwise too many outfits to pack.... but it is nice to have one or two really dressy evenings!

 

I agree - We love to dress up 1-2-3 times a year- I pack as many shoes that will fit and clothes that I love that I don't get to wear except on special occasions. Our cruises are always 10+ days and My DH looks soooo good in a Tux - and half our fun is getting ready for dinner, having a drink with friends and then going to dinner for 2 hours of special treatment from our waiters. Dining on the ships is as important to us as the ports and we will be sad if that changes. We have done NCL "Freestyle" and it was everything we don't want X to become. We will enjoy it as long as it lasts.

[A Sixth?]

I agree - We love to dress up 1-2-3 times a year- I pack as many shoes that will fit and clothes that I love that I don't get to wear except on special occasions. Our cruises are always 10+ days and My DH looks soooo good in a Tux - and half our fun is getting ready for dinner, having a drink with friends and then going to dinner for 2 hours of special treatment from our waiters. Dining on the ships is as important to us as the ports and we will be sad if that changes. We have done NCL "Freestyle" and it was everything we don't want X to become. We will enjoy it as long as it lasts.

 

What's stopping you from going formal when ever you want?

[kelmac]

I think a lot of what I've read on packing has been to do with the Med. and adding in a land trip.. so I challenge you to take those two suitcases and a carry on on your own and travel on trains in europe or attempt to pack that much in a european car. Ain't going to happen. Domestically, I agree with you.

 

CJ,

 

We do it all the time. Either leave your "cruise luggage" at hotel and pick it up before leaving Europe, or our favorite:

 

Pack second tier clothing that you can live without (older dark suit; older dresses; old pair of shoes) -- place them in a old bag that you can get rid of.

At the end of the cruise give away; throw away all your cruise stuff, including the bag you packed it in. We traveled for almost three weeks, post cruise, with our Rick Steve's like backpacks on the trains of Europe.

 

Little creative planning and you can make it work!

 

Kel:)

[davekathy]

Whatever the Cruise Line suggests for the evening guideline is how we dress. So I guess we really don’t care.

[Christine Frances]

What's stopping you from going formal when ever you want?

 

It's not the same if it's just us (or a smattering of people). It is so nice when you go for dinner on those special nights and the men are in dark suits or tux's and the ladies are all dressed up. It's the overall ambiance we like - hard to explain. When we were on Azamara it was Country Club Casual with everyone dressing accordingly and we enjoyed it a lot but we still missed formal nights. We are just enjoying it while we can. I think some people think that it is "just a dinner" & get in and get out in an hour, but to us and our friends it is a big part of our cruising experience

[van-lop]

Casual Elegant for me all the way!! Easy Packing.

[SusieV]

We liked the informal nights and would love to have them back. I agree that attire has gone downhill since these nights were removed.

[Cruise Junky]

We liked the informal nights and would love to have them back. I agree that attire has gone downhill since these nights were removed.

 

I wonder if the dress code slide is the fault of informal nights going away or just Celebrity expanding so much that it's demographic has completely changed?

[A Sixth?]

I think some people think that it is "just a dinner" & get in and get out in an hour, but to us and our friends it is a big part of our cruising experience

 

The single most important part of our many cruises has been our dinner dining experiences.

 

I never let those in a hurry enter into my dining experience as I don't worry about well dressed to formal dressed diners. They simply don't influence my enjoyment of my evening.

 

Where I live, dinner is a experience never in-and-out.

 

IMHO Smartly dressed is 100% appropriate for 99% of cruisers thankful to be enjoyong fine food and a great vacation. The rest have my okay to dress to the nines!!!

[Jborosara]

I'm just tired of every cruise line being "forced" to conform to be just like every other line. Just because NCL has freestyle, every line has been forced to have some sort of open seating. Just because NCL dumped formal nights, and allows their cruisers into the MDR looking like they're going to a fast food restaurant, cruise passengers now want constant casual. Why does every line have to look like every other line? Why can't one line have the cajones to separate themselves from all the rest and say, "We're not going to bow to pressure from a certain group of cruisers and we're going to stand out from the rest of the masses."?

 

With that said, it's obvious that I enjoy dressing up. I don't think it's necessary to reinstate the informal dress code because there was always confusion as to what that designation means (some passengers thought it was even more casual than the real casual night), but I do want to see formal nights continued, and ENFORCED!!!!!!!

 

As for those who use packing as an excuse for not wanting formal nights, that's just an excuse. I managed to pack for 12 formal nights on a 35 day Crystal cruise in two suitcases and a carry on. One long black sleeveless gown with various shawls, jackets, lace blouses and different jewelry makes that one

black gown into at least 7 different formal outfits. It can be easily done with a little imagination.

 

i lack imagination, then....

[Bridge Maven]

I wonder if the dress code slide is the fault of informal nights going away or just Celebrity expanding so much that it's demographic has completely changed?

 

Cruise Junky, I think it is due to the latter because passengers dress very elegantly on upscale cruise lines that have only one dress code, without any formal nights. BTW, I don't equate dressing elegantly with dressing formally. Some people look like slobs in an evening gown while others look very elegant in casual clothes.

 

For better or worse, Celebrity made a conscious choice to broaden its demographic when it decided to build so many large ships.

[Jborosara]

if you enjoy cruising on X, you should welcome the expansion of the demographic.... but i think it is a bit of a stretch to imply that dressing down is because the demographic is somehow less refined or whatever.... the newer demographic is younger famlies where both parents work and a vacation means not being forced to do anything you don't want to do... already enough "have tos" in everyday life... at least that is the way my husband and i experience it.

[dennbr9]

Nope:-)

 

Do not mind the Formal/Casual set up with 2 formal on 7 nighter and casual the rest of the time. Since we try to book longer cruises now, would like only two formal on any length Cruise. Ties are very overated and usually I am much too warm in a suit in the Caribbean. I wore a suit and tie everyday for many years, but they add a lot of weight to the suitcase in these days of limited and costly baggage fees.

[beachgirl5]

We definitely prefer resort casual.

[4774Papa]

We liked it better on Celebrity when the dress code was categorized as Casual, Semi-Formal, and Formal. After Celebrity made the change around 2008-2009, the average dress of those onboard at dinner time went down. Everything at home is casual. We like to dress up on cruises and wish Celebrity would step it up a notch.

 

How do you feel? Are there others that share our opinion?

We are cruising with X for the first time in 6 weeks. Three formal nights is plenty. Too many categories make too much luggage and tooooooo many rules.

[kitty9]

I think a lot of what I've read on packing has been to do with the Med. and adding in a land trip.. so I challenge you to take those two suitcases and a carry on on your own and travel on trains in europe or attempt to pack that much in a european car. Ain't going to happen. Domestically, I agree with you.

 

Well, I have done it, on Med cruises, a cruise around Africa and a safari, cruises in Asia and the Middle East, with hotel stays both before and after long cruises. And I'm disabled and still manage. So, why can't able bodied persons do this?????

[Cruise Junky]

Well, I have done it, on Med cruises, a cruise around Africa and a safari, cruises in Asia and the Middle East, with hotel stays both before and after long cruises. And I'm disabled and still manage. So, why can't able bodied persons do this?????

 

I'm in my mid forties and I couldn't handle two cases and a carry on on and off trains, also every car we've ever rented we've been lucky to get both of our suitcases in the trunk..no way for four. Hotel stays are completely different

[Jborosara]

Well, I have done it, on Med cruises, a cruise around Africa and a safari, cruises in Asia and the Middle East, with hotel stays both before and after long cruises. And I'm disabled and still manage. So, why can't able bodied persons do this?????

 

Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it can be done for all of us - haven't the time to pack that meticulously or the money to buy the clothes required for it... for me, a cruise is the most cost effective vacation - it's a mental health trip in the deep of winter to get away from all of the grey and blah-nes...and since my husband and i have hard schedules...we welcome some relaxation...so worrying about packing just the right clothes, then lugging them all around just doesn't work for me

[eyeglassbrad]

personally - i think X is the best bang for the cruise buck or i wouldn't put up with the formal non-sense.... I'd go Azamara or Oceania.... but since i have three kids to put through college, I'll opt for the specialty restaurants to avoid formal dress.... Go casual!!!!

I agree 100% I hate formal night and don't put on a suite

[Project_gal]

Certainly not on my Celebrity sailing from the UK - returned recently from 16 days on Eclipse and 'smart casual' for the ladies was, in the main, extremely dressy, and the equivalent of semi-formal on Cunard: many cocktail dresses and similar, though the chaps didn't really come up to scratch, which seemed a little incongruous.

 

I packed my usual smart casual Cunard outfits and felt underdressed at times...

 

Mary

 

Mary

 

That is probably because the Celebrity dress code is "Smart Casual and above". The second part of the phrase is always dropped by those who would prefer to dress smart casual and below.

 

Sue