Dress code changes

[CathyCruises]

We were on Solstice Nov 4, 2011 in the MED and on all formal nights we saw many men in short sleeve shirt and slacks. NO JACKET, TIE and no one said a word to them. We did not have any virus.

 

This is one of the problems with each cruise, ship, staff. There are so inconsistent that they - STAFF - who represent cruise line, create the problems by not enforcing the dress code and other rules such as kids in the adult pools, etc.

 

Wait a minute!! I was on that cruise! I didn't see anyone dressed like that on formal nights!!!! Everyone I saw was appropriately dressed--and I was paying attention, too. We sat at the Martini Bar before dinner and a whole parade of folks passed by--everyone looked lovely. Same thing in the MDR. Weird.

[bradpole]

So, these people are "shocked that dress codes still exist"? Do they think it doesn't exist in many work environments? How about at a wedding, a funeral, the opera, church? To claim ignorance about proper dress in 2011 is just that, ignorance. Anyone who has been enticed by advertisements for cruising has to be aware that the experience is much more special than a back yard BBQ.

 

They were shocked that FORMAL dress codes still existed on vacation!

 

I said in my post they knew how to dress properly, .... although I didn't specifically state it, they had no intention of dressing like they were going to a BBQ

[after rereading my post I don't know why you'd assume I was saying they were going to dress like going to a bbq. I stated they had no intentions on wearing jeans or shorts]

 

My fault for not making my posting longer, and perhaps a little more clear that I wasn't advocating dressing for a day at the pool, but why is when there is room for interpretation with someone's post (such as mine) that the absolute extreme has to be taken? It is possible when someone advocates casual the dress can still be respectable (such as "smart" casual).

 

For the record...

The couple I was referring to had packed smart casual, basically the same dress code we have at work, Dress Pants and Dockers for him with Polo shirts and Dress shirts. They were shocked that there was the expectation that some nights would be more formal, like a wedding, while on vacation.

[davekathy]

I wasn't planning on going on a cruise for a few years because my wife and I had a baby boy last April and it wasn't in the budget. On December 15th our daycare provider put our 7.5 son down for a nap and after only sleeping for 20 minutes he passed away from SIDS. Needless to say our whole world has been turned upside down. When my wife and I booked our cruise on the Eclipse in April the last thing we thought about was dress code. We both need some sun and something to relax our nerves. Like I said in a previous post I plan on wearing a nice shirt and tie on formal nights and I really don't care what anyone has to say about it. Life is too short to get stuck on something like dress code.

 

The fashion please Cruise on these forums not the Cruise ships. Enjoy your Cruise.

[sarahc78]

Laughable? To your narrow view of cruising, perhaps. Everyone I know takes vacations for the experiences they will gain, not just for price and itinerary. They book in hotels they will be comfortable in, not just the cheapest they can find. The book flights to airports that are convenient to them, not just the cheapest they can find. They select activities that will enrich their travel experience, not just the cheapest thing they can do. They dine in nicer restaurants, not just the cheapest dive they come across. Get the picture? And I believe that most cruisers use very similar criteria when choosing a cruise line - yes, one of them even the "dreaded" dress code, which for them makes the dining experience more of a special experience than taking the family to Applebee's or a Burger King.

 

EVERY cruise I have been on has been determined by many factors, in this order: what the itineraries are; the time of year; the style the cruise line has adopted; the amenities on the ships; and lastly, the price. I place too much value on the total experience than to just book on itinerary and price alone. That is why I am writing this on the Celebrity board, and not one of the budget cruise lines - where I'm sure the price would be lower, but at what cost to the total experience?

I really feel sorry for you, that you would let something so menial as whether or not someone is following Celebrity's dress code get you this worked up.

 

Like I said in previous posts, we follow the dress code and actually enjoy dressing up. We dont however look down on other passengers who choose not too.

I wasn't planning on going on a cruise for a few years because my wife and I had a baby boy last April and it wasn't in the budget. On December 15th our daycare provider put our 7.5 son down for a nap and after only sleeping for 20 minutes he passed away from SIDS. Needless to say our whole world has been turned upside down. When my wife and I booked our cruise on the Eclipse in April the last thing we thought about was dress code. We both need some sun and something to relax our nerves. Like I said in a previous post I plan on wearing a nice shirt and tie on formal nights and I really don't care what anyone has to say about it. Life is too short to get stuck on something like dress code.

So sorry to hear about your son. :hugs: Sounds like you and your wife definitely need a cruise.

 

Seriously dont worry about the dress code one bit. My first Celebrity cruise I was sooooo frazzled worrying whether or not we would be "accepted". I was worried for nothing. We had a wonderful cruise. For some reason some people on this board get pleasure by intimidating others on what they think is acceptable.

 

Also my DH has worn a shirt and tie each formal evening on our Celebrity cruises and was never out of place. Could be our sailing choice (Bermuda) I would say 50% or more wore shirt and ties those evenings.

[robertcls97]

 

Like I said in previous posts, we follow the dress code and actually enjoy dressing up. We dont however look down on other passengers who choose not too.

 

 

 

Nice to meet another cruiser that shares our view of cruising. My wife and I adore dressing formally on the formal nights. We even dressed formally on NCL when they had their Formal or Not nights. We were certainly in the minority, but the other people dressed casually around us didn't impact our evening one bit!

[AdamKnows]

I really feel sorry for you, that you would let something so menial as whether or not someone is following Celebrity's dress code get you this worked up.

 

Like I said in previous posts, we follow the dress code and actually enjoy dressing up. We dont however look down on other passengers who choose not too.

 

So sorry to hear about your son. :hugs: Sounds like you and your wife definitely need a cruise.

 

Seriously dont worry about the dress code one bit. My first Celebrity cruise I was sooooo frazzled worrying whether or not we would be "accepted". I was worried for nothing. We had a wonderful cruise. For some reason some people on this board get pleasure by intimidating others on what they think is acceptable.

 

Also my DH has worn a shirt and tie each formal evening on our Celebrity cruises and was never out of place. Could be our sailing choice (Bermuda) I would say 50% or more wore shirt and ties those evenings.

 

Thanks Sarah

[boogs]

I really feel sorry for you, that you would let something so menial as whether or not someone is following Celebrity's dress code get you this worked up.

 

Thank you for your concern! It makes my day :D

 

Actually not "this worked up". I'm just stating my bafflement of why people buy an expensive product without knowing what that product is.

 

Like I said in previous posts, we follow the dress code and actually enjoy dressing up.

 

I apparently missed those posts, and am glad you feel that way. Sorry for assuming you didn't.

 

However, I still don't understand those people who take a holiday and don't bother to learn beforehand what experiences and culture they will be exposed to. :confused:

[Mathguy42]

Adamknows,

so sorry for you loss. Indeed this does put everything into perspective.

 

For some of us, a jacket, dress shirt and tie is about as formal as we get. No one is going to throw anyone overboard for dressing like that on formal night. We go on cruises to relax and have a great time, not to get worked up about dress codes. However, reading the posts on this thread has indeed been an education... At least now I'll know what to wear to a state banquet when the President of Iceland visits ;)

 

Finally, if a cruise line is serious about dress codes in the MDR, then shouldn't they adhere to the policy?

[DonRobertoSanJuan]

To me, not willing to dress up for a special (formal) night, but insisting to dine in the MDR is similar to going to a nice restaurant in shorts and flip flops. It shows lack of class, but some people just dont care. :eek:

[sarahc78]

Thank you for your concern! It makes my day :D

 

Actually not "this worked up". I'm just stating my bafflement of why people buy an expensive product without knowing what that product is.

 

 

 

I apparently missed those posts, and am glad you feel that way. Sorry for assuming you didn't.

 

However, I still don't understand those people who take a holiday and don't bother to learn beforehand what experiences and culture they will be exposed to. :confused:

No worries I 'll let it slide since you live in San Jose! I used to live in Gilroy and Milpitas ;)

Finally, if a cruise line is serious about dress codes in the MDR, then shouldn't they adhere to the policy?

^^^This^^^

 

I agree 100%.

[Mathguy42]

I'm sorry but in the world I live in, there is no equation that balances flip flops, shorts and t-shirts on the one hand, and on the other, a dress shirt worn with dark slacks, a tie and a dark jacket. :confused:

[Oxo]

Wait a minute!! I was on that cruise! I didn't see anyone dressed like that on formal nights!!!! Everyone I saw was appropriately dressed--and I was paying attention, too. We sat at the Martini Bar before dinner and a whole parade of folks passed by--everyone looked lovely. Same thing in the MDR. Weird.

 

We had a table with a man and woman sitting right by the window next to our table for one. Then behind our table was another. Then there was a bigger table by the window with at least 4 men. So, that is 6 men at 3 different tables on 6:30pm MDR. There are many things some people don't see themselves. It was very obvious when you see the same peole every night in the MDR. You really didn't miss much. LOL

 

You probably didn't see us either. However, we did see you sitting at the Martini Bar. You had a drink in your hand. LOL

[ohhbother]

I wasn't planning on going on a cruise for a few years because my wife and I had a baby boy last April and it wasn't in the budget. On December 15th our daycare provider put our 7.5 son down for a nap and after only sleeping for 20 minutes he passed away from SIDS. Needless to say our whole world has been turned upside down. When my wife and I booked our cruise on the Eclipse in April the last thing we thought about was dress code. We both need some sun and something to relax our nerves. Like I said in a previous post I plan on wearing a nice shirt and tie on formal nights and I really don't care what anyone has to say about it. Life is too short to get stuck on something like dress code.

 

We'll be on that same cruise. And we won't worry at all about what you or anyone else is wearing. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful trip that brings you some peace and comfort. Best wishes.

[Waterlily777]

Whew! Nothing gets a site going like dress code questions and comments. I say wear what you want when you want. Those of you that don't approve, look the other way. If you want to dress up - do it! Dress down - do it! Life is too short to worry about what someone else is wearing to dinner.

 

I knew when I clicked on "show all posts" that this was going to be someone who usually posted on threads other than Celebrity.

 

If Celebrity is not your cruise line of choice, why would you want to give advice to people who come here to get an honest answer about the dress code on Celebrity?

[Tudorcruisers]

We tend to cruise in Sept and we have always found approx 75% of the men have been in tuxes or very smart dinner jackets and the ladies have all been nicely dressed.

 

I am very disappointed to read that Celebrity let ladies in pyjamas and jogging outfits into the MDR in the evening. They should have been sent to the buffet.

[jackdiamond]

I knew when I clicked on "show all posts" that this was going to be someone who usually posted on threads other than Celebrity.

 

If Celebrity is not your cruise line of choice, why would you want to give advice to people who come here to get an honest answer about the dress code on Celebrity?

That is very interesting. How do you do that?

[ramman]

That is very interesting. How do you do that?

 

 

left click on the user name, it is in the pull down menu that pops up.

[Waterlily777]

I wasn't planning on going on a cruise for a few years because my wife and I had a baby boy last April and it wasn't in the budget. On December 15th our daycare provider put our 7.5 son down for a nap and after only sleeping for 20 minutes he passed away from SIDS. Needless to say our whole world has been turned upside down. When my wife and I booked our cruise on the Eclipse in April the last thing we thought about was dress code. We both need some sun and something to relax our nerves. Like I said in a previous post I plan on wearing a nice shirt and tie on formal nights and I really don't care what anyone has to say about it. Life is too short to get stuck on something like dress code.

 

I am so sorry to hear about your tragic loss. My heart goes out to you and your wife.

[Oxo]

I knew when I clicked on "show all posts" that this was going to be someone who usually posted on threads other than Celebrity.

 

If Celebrity is not your cruise line of choice, why would you want to give advice to people who come here to get an honest answer about the dress code on Celebrity?

 

We cruise HAL, X, Princess, RCI, MSC, Costa, NCL, etc. Do we have a favorite line? Last year we cruised 3 of them. So, does that mean we should not have an opinion and should not post on anyone of these CC forums?

 

Why should anyone not be able to post about their experience on a specific ship/cruise line even if it is not their cruise line of choice?

 

That is what these forums are for - to get information and opinions on your cruise experiences.

[wildwoods]

I for one love to dress up for formal night, I love to shop before hand for it too. I wear suits and business wear every day at work so I ensure my cocktail dress is coulourful ;) my hubby wears a tux or his kilt..................because we can. We generally have the late dining as we are from the Uk and I remember us returning to our cabin in our day time wear to lots of tuts from the early diners in formal wear (it was 7.00 !!!) needless to say when we were "dressed to our nines" by 8.00 I made every attempt to find the "tutters" and strut by them in my full length ORANGE gown, my DH in his Kilt, our DD (21)in her cocktail gown and DS (18) in his tux. And we smiled and chatted with any one dressed formally or dressed casually because we don't make assumptions.

[excitedofharpenden]

 

Finally, if a cruise line is serious about dress codes in the MDR, then shouldn't they adhere to the policy?

That Celebrity aren't consistent with enforcement doesn't make it any more right to disregard what they request of you. Those who choose not to comply are just putting the crew in an awkward position. In a competitive market they don't want to upset anyone, just as they use the word "request" in their literature rather than "obligatory" and "must". They trust that people understand and will do as they are requested.

 

Giving advice that it doesn't matter how you dress does a disservice to people coming here for advice and to passengers on the same cruise who do respect the dress code.

 

Phil

[Nonna and Papa]

So the main driving force for when you book a cruise is the dress code??? Really?? Thats laughable!

 

It was for us - and it was one of the primary reasons we switched from RCCL to Celebrity. We looked at several cruise lines before we chose Celebrity, based in part on the fact that they were a cruise line where people dressed more appropriately for the occasion that some of the other lines did, And that's what we were looking for - a vacation where we could dress as part of a more elegant atmosphere and surroundings, a more special place than we experience on a day to day basis.

 

Some people don't seem to know how to dress for an occasion or a situation anymore. When I go to a wedding or a funeral, occasions where I would think respect should be shown, and see people dressed as they would to go to Walmart, then our society has really changed. Casual Fridays are fine for kids in school (especially if they have to wear uniforms as my grandchildren do), but when I go to the doctor's office or to the bank or other professional setting and see folks wearing football shirts hanging down to their knees, that takes casual a bit far, and make me think that some people have no concept of what is appropriate for certain settings.

 

I've worked with children, younger ones and teenagers most of my adult life, and I interact well with them. But please don't lump me into the same category as one of their peers. Again, behaving in a manner appropriate to the situation.

 

Some of us just think that we need to get back to basics. Dressing appropriately for the occsion on a cruiseline like Celebrity, is just one way to do this.

 

Mary

[tally10]

Laughable? To your narrow view of cruising, perhaps. Everyone I know takes vacations for the experiences they will gain, not just for price and itinerary. They book in hotels they will be comfortable in, not just the cheapest they can find. The book flights to airports that are convenient to them, not just the cheapest they can find. They select activities that will enrich their travel experience, not just the cheapest thing they can do. They dine in nicer restaurants, not just the cheapest dive they come across. Get the picture? And I believe that most cruisers use very similar criteria when choosing a cruise line - yes, one of them even the "dreaded" dress code, which for them makes the dining experience more of a special experience than taking the family to Applebee's or a Burger King.

 

EVERY cruise I have been on has been determined by many factors, in this order: what the itineraries are; the time of year; the style the cruise line has adopted; the amenities on the ships; and lastly, the price. I place too much value on the total experience than to just book on itinerary and price alone. That is why I am writing this on the Celebrity board, and not one of the budget cruise lines - where I'm sure the price would be lower, but at what cost to the total experience?

 

I think what you stated as your determining factors for your choosing a cruise may be vastly different than what someone else may look for. Itinerary is the most important, I agree, but price is right up there with it unless you are wealthy. Celebrity is NOT a premium line and their prices are sometimes cheaper than other mass market lines. I do not consider RCCL, Princess, Carnival, etc. as budget lines. Comparing cruises, you will find Celebrity even cheaper than those lines listed above. The experience for us has always been wonderful on all of the cruises we have done.

[tally10]

I wasn't planning on going on a cruise for a few years because my wife and I had a baby boy last April and it wasn't in the budget. On December 15th our daycare provider put our 7.5 son down for a nap and after only sleeping for 20 minutes he passed away from SIDS. Needless to say our whole world has been turned upside down. When my wife and I booked our cruise on the Eclipse in April the last thing we thought about was dress code. We both need some sun and something to relax our nerves. Like I said in a previous post I plan on wearing a nice shirt and tie on formal nights and I really don't care what anyone has to say about it. Life is too short to get stuck on something like dress code.

 

Please accept our condolences on your loss. I would not worry too much about what people think on these boards, both pro and con. Thankfully, you will not hear any dress code comments from your fellow passengers when you are on your cruise. Enjoy and relax and de-stress on your trip!

[Grumpy100]

We were on Solstice Nov 4, 2011 in the MED and on all formal nights we saw many men in short sleeve shirt and slacks. NO JACKET, TIE and no one said a word to them. We did not have any virus.

 

This is one of the problems with each cruise, ship, staff. There are so inconsistent that they - STAFF - who represent cruise line, create the problems by not enforcing the dress code and other rules such as kids in the adult pools, etc.

 

We were on the cruise following yours and we got the norovirus about four days into the cruise. My husband and I did not get it but they ended up making the staff hand out everything at the buffet. The hostess did let us in and was nice about it and said the next formal night she would have a jacket for him but she let us in again anyway. Like I said DH will be bringing a jacket this time.

 

I think our cruise left Nov 16th.