Formal Night Question

[themutis]

Hi

 

I just saw this on the Celebrity Website:

 

What is the dress code for the specialty restaurants?

The dress code in Celebrity's specialty dining restaurants, including Blu for AquaClass® guests, is "Smart Casual and Above" for every night of the cruise, regardless of the evening dress code in the main restaurant.

 

We are either eating in Blu every night or a specialty restaurant (and not the MDR)... so does that mean that we don't need to wear formal attire on formal nights to eat at Blu... anyone with first hand experience - I'd love to hear from you.

[Gig103]

Hi

 

I just saw this on the Celebrity Website:

 

What is the dress code for the specialty restaurants?

The dress code in Celebrity's specialty dining restaurants, including Blu for AquaClass® guests, is "Smart Casual and Above" for every night of the cruise, regardless of the evening dress code in the main restaurant.

 

We are either eating in Blu every night or a specialty restaurant (and not the MDR)... so does that mean that we don't need to wear formal attire on formal nights to eat at Blu... anyone with first hand experience - I'd love to hear from you.

 

That is absolutely correct. We dressed a little smarter on those nights than the other nights, but there is no requirement. I did notice men wearing suits despite the official attire, but it was not required.

[phoenix_dream]

Be advised we have had issues in getting into the theater on the night of the Captains toast the first formal night without men having a jacket. On one cruise we were prevented from entering at all wearing dressy casual. On another they required formal wear on the main floor, but let people wearing dressy casual on the upper floor. I don't think this is right, but it happened to us.

[gek]

There are occasional variations from ship to ship on how the dress code is interpreted and enforced. The dress code on the website is the official line and this is what should apply on all ships.

 

On our recent Solstice cruise there were no problems with access to the theatre. In Blu most people dressed up on formal nights but there was everything from tuxedos to polo shirts on display and plenty of jacketless or tie-less men. As mentioned previously just dress a little better than you normally do any you will fit in.

[Lsimon]

On our Equinox Caribbean cruise last March the majority of men were wearing suits or tuxes even though it is not required in Blu. At the same time there were enough dressed in nice smart casual apparel that one wouldn't feel out of place dressed either way.

[dkjretired]

Hi

 

I just saw this on the Celebrity Website:

 

What is the dress code for the specialty restaurants?

The dress code in Celebrity's specialty dining restaurants, including Blu for AquaClass® guests, is "Smart Casual and Above" for every night of the cruise, regardless of the evening dress code in the main restaurant.

 

We are either eating in Blu every night or a specialty restaurant (and not the MDR)... so does that mean that we don't need to wear formal attire on formal nights to eat at Blu... anyone with first hand experience - I'd love to hear from you.

 

You are absolutely correct and if these boards are any indication more and more people are doing what you propose.

[The Mommy]

The simplest way to avoid any issues is to dress up a touch on the formal nights, that way you will not be embarassed or experience any upset if you are refused entry into one of the formal areas.

I must admit it has always been my understanding that it was OK to follow the casual code if you are not using the MDR but I thought entry into public areas required the dress code of the evening as indicated on your daily news sheet.

This would make sense really.

[Skyrules]

We were on Millennium at Christmas and we went to Q-Sine on the 3rd (final) formal night. Since it was formal night, and we had our Tux's, we wore them. Our view was that Formal night is more than just about the dining, it's the whole evening.

[dkjretired]

The simplest way to avoid any issues is to dress up a touch on the formal nights, that way you will not be embarassed or experience any upset if you are refused entry into one of the formal areas.

I must admit it has always been my understanding that it was OK to follow the casual code if you are not using the MDR but I thought entry into public areas required the dress code of the evening as indicated on your daily news sheet.

This would make sense really.

 

The formal dress code only applies to the MDR. Formal dress in public areas on formal night was eliminated about 5 years ago with the change from 3 to 2 types of dress. Unfortunately as you say sometimes they still put it on the dailies, someone hasn't received the memo in five years but that at times is typical of Celebrity and their lack of consistency.

[The Mommy]

We were on Millennium at Christmas and we went to Q-Sine on the 3rd (final) formal night. Since it was formal night, and we had our Tux's, we wore them. Our view was that Formal night is more than just about the dining, it's the whole evening.

 

We totally agree and would always wear formal dress on a formal night out of respect for the special evening and for our own total enjoyment but this is why we will continue to see a mixture of styles and more than a little confusion from new cruisers about what is expected.

Personally - I would hate to be under dressed so would always cover every eventuality.

X should be consistant really and state clearly their expectation on heir web site and in the dailies. Can't see it anytime soon though Lol!

[dkjretired]

We totally agree and would always wear formal dress on a formal night out of respect for the special evening and for our own total enjoyment but this is why we will continue to see a mixture of styles and more than a little confusion from new cruisers about what is expected.

Personally - I would hate to be under dressed so would always cover every eventuality.

X should be consistant really and state clearly their expectation on heir web site and in the dailies. Can't see it anytime soon though Lol!

 

Formal night is not the entire evening, has not been for five years, that is very clear on their web site. Problem is some on board don't follow corporate rules. Had the same problem a couple of weeks ago when one of the ships decided to unilaterally make those going to specialty restaurants dress formally. This was quickly cleared up by corporate.

 

The ship is not like it was years ago when you either dressed formal for dinner or you didn't eat. No specialties, buffet or room service meals to which you do not have to dress up. Now all those exist and it is unreasonable to expect someone to go to the buffet or a specialty restaurant and then go back to their room to get formally dressed.

[disneynutssss]

this is our second cruise and we have no interest in formal nights. we would love to do the casual attire 24/7 on a cruise but realize that isn't in the cards.

 

i am completely confused when i read about the smart casual and formal nights.

 

i have no qualms about wearing a nice sundress (is that smart casual?) but my hubby and son are jean wearers. is this acceptable smart casual?

 

am i reading that if we want to go in public spaces on the ship in the evenings that we have to be dressed in smart casual?

 

ugh, we just want to relax and not worry about attire on this cruise.

[gek]

this is our second cruise and we have no interest in formal nights. we would love to do the casual attire 24/7 on a cruise but realize that isn't in the cards.

 

i am completely confused when i read about the smart casual and formal nights.

 

i have no qualms about wearing a nice sundress (is that smart casual?) but my hubby and son are jean wearers. is this acceptable smart casual?

 

am i reading that if we want to go in public spaces on the ship in the evenings that we have to be dressed in smart casual?

 

ugh, we just want to relax and not worry about attire on this cruise.

 

Here we go. You're going to get a lot of "interesting" replies to this methinks.

 

Jeans are fine - I wore them every night on my recent Solstice cruise but on formal nights I would just suggest not wearing blue-denim even if you are in a specialty restaurant.

 

I saw people wearing shorts every night - even did it myself a couple of times. The dress code isn't really a big deal these days even though most people still dress up even on smart-casual nights. Just dress tidy and you won't feel out of place.

[disneynutssss]

Here we go. You're going to get a lot of "interesting" replies to this methinks.

 

Jeans are fine - I wore them every night on my recent Solstice cruise but on formal nights I would just suggest not wearing blue-denim even if you are in a specialty restaurant.

 

I saw people wearing shorts every night - even did it myself a couple of times. The dress code isn't really a big deal these days even though most people still dress up even on smart-casual nights. Just dress tidy and you won't feel out of place.

 

lol, seems everything is a hot topic these days.

 

thank you :)

[fizzy1]

We were on Millennium at Christmas and we went to Q-Sine on the 3rd (final) formal night. Since it was formal night, and we had our Tux's, we wore them. Our view was that Formal night is more than just about the dining, it's the whole evening.

yes, my thoughts too , cant wait for the formal dressup, something we never get the chance to do on land any morei

[dkjretired]

this is our second cruise and we have no interest in formal nights. we would love to do the casual attire 24/7 on a cruise but realize that isn't in the cards.

 

i am completely confused when i read about the smart casual and formal nights.

 

i have no qualms about wearing a nice sundress (is that smart casual?) but my hubby and son are jean wearers. is this acceptable smart casual?

 

am i reading that if we want to go in public spaces on the ship in the evenings that we have to be dressed in smart casual?

 

ugh, we just want to relax and not worry about attire on this cruise.

 

Celebrity used to have a ban on Jeans however they removed it about two years ago so jeans are perfectly fine as long as there are no holes, etc. You may wear pretty much anything you want on the ship in the evening, the only thing they request is that you wear smart casual to the theater and the various dining rooms except the buffet. Much of what you will read is opinion, the above is official Celebrity policy.

[kitty9]

FYI, you cannot wear shorts in the MDR on any night. I've seen more than a few people refused entry into the MDR wearing shorts.

[gek]

FYI, you cannot wear shorts in the MDR on any night. I've seen more than a few people refused entry into the MDR wearing shorts.

 

Yes, good point.

[The Mommy]

We saw many refused entry into MD who were wearing jeans or shorts. Quite right in my view. If passengers want casual dining the buffet is a great option.

 

Wear what you wear at home to go to a smart a la carte restaurant and you wont go far wrong

[gek]

We saw many refused entry into MD who were wearing jeans or shorts.

 

Under the current dress code the only time and place that jeans may be a problem is in the MDR on formal nights. Any ship which does not adhere to this is in violation of Celebrity policy.

 

On my recent trip on the Solstice I also saw people dining in the MDR on formal nights wearing dress jeans (i.e. not blue denim). Many people probably wouldn't recognise these as "jeans" anyway.

 

Wear what you wear at home to go to a smart a la carte restaurant and you wont go far wrong

 

Yep, that's the key to it. My wife and I went to one yesterday for our anniversary and we both wore jeans :)

[Xport]

And to address some misinformation relative to dress in the theater contained in later replies, I've excerpted the following this morning from Celebrity's website [FAQ section]...

 

What is the dress code for the specialty restaurants?

The dress code in Celebrity's specialty dining restaurants, including Blu for AquaClass® guests, is "Smart Casual and Above" for every night of the cruise, regardless of the evening dress code in the main restaurant.

-----

Examples of "Smart Casual & Above" attire include:

 

Ladies: Skirt or pants (no holes, rips or tears) complemented by sweater or blouse.

Gentlemen: Pants (no holes, rips or tears) with sports shirt or sweater. Shirts must have sleeves.

 

Examples of "Formal" attire include:

Ladies: Cocktail dress, gown, or dressy pantsuit.

Gentlemen: Tuxedo, suit, or dinner jacket with slacks.

 

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurants at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. As a courtesy to our guests, we respectfully require and enforce compliance with the dress code at the entrance of your restaurant of choice. We thank you, in advance, for your cooperation and understanding. Additionally, guests are asked to follow the "Smart Casual & Above" dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances.

 

-----

 

As an AquaClass guest, you will certainly not be out of place if you were to dress more formally than "Smart Casual & Above" but you are not required to do so... In my experience, progressively fewer people have dressed formally in Blu since the dress code there was relaxed about fifteen month ago [initially, many did not know of the change; some still don't]...

[disneynutssss]

ok, three questions...

 

1) so on formal nights we can go casual to a buffet?

 

2) and any other time that we want to eat in the MDR (wont be doing specialty dining) i can wear a sundress and the guys can wear black jeans and shirt (no tee)?

 

3) can we go swimming at night and wear bathing suits/shorts/casual attire?

[Lsimon]

ok, three questions...

 

1) so on formal nights we can go casual to a buffet?

 

2) and any other time that we want to eat in the MDR (wont be doing specialty dining) i can wear a sundress and the guys can wear black jeans and shirt (no tee)?

 

3) can we go swimming at night and wear bathing suits/shorts/casual attire?

1 - yes

2 - yes - (as long as the jeans are not ripped or have holes)

3 - yes (when the pools are open - most close around 9PM)

[dkjretired]

1 - yes

2 - yes - (as long as the jeans are not ripped or have holes)

3 - yes (when the pools are open - most close around 9PM)

 

To add to Larry's response, the buffet for dinner on Celebrity is not as extensive as it is for Breakfast or Lunch. They have stations with different types of foods such as sushi, pizza, etc but Celebrity has never been known for the completeness of their dinner buffets. There are other options which require smart casual (pants and shirt) such as the specialty restaurants. I would also recommend a nice dinner at Bistro on Five which is mostly a crepe place but many do not think to go there for dinner.

[disneynutssss]

To add to Larry's response, the buffet for dinner on Celebrity is not as extensive as it is for Breakfast or Lunch. They have stations with different types of foods such as sushi, pizza, etc but Celebrity has never been known for the completeness of their dinner buffets. There are other options which require smart casual (pants and shirt) such as the specialty restaurants. I would also recommend a nice dinner at Bistro on Five which is mostly a crepe place but many do not think to go there for dinner.

 

Bistro on Five is an awesome alternative to formal!! thank you so much for the idea!

 

Anyone know how many formal nights are on a 7night/8day cruise to bermuda?