Have dress codes changed?

[sunshine 229]

I was just on the Celebrity site looking for information about what Celebrity considers appropriate attire for formal nights. I was under the impression that passengers on Celebrity were requested to wear formal attire both in the dinning room and around the ship on the formal nights however what I found on the site was this:

For the formal nights, including the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party, dinner on the second night, and the Captain's Farewell Dinner held the next-to-last night of the cruise; both men and women may prefer more dressy attire, such as an evening gown for women and a tuxedo or dress suit for men.

 

 

 

Now to me that sounds more like formal wear is a suggestion on those nights but not actually required.

 

I know this is a touchy subject and I'm not trying to start a debate about different people's opinions as to what constitutes appropriate formal wear, I'm just wondering if this statement is a change in policy for Celebrity or if the formal dress policy is stated more forcefully elsewhere on their site?

[slomotion]

I think it a very professional company (Celebrity) being very diplomatic in their reminder to those who know or should know better and also is their way of providing a diplomatic hint to first timers so they will know what the "right" thing is.

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I was just on the Celebrity site looking for information about what Celebrity considers appropriate attire for formal nights. I was under the impression that passengers on Celebrity were requested to wear formal attire both in the dinning room and around the ship on the formal nights however what I found on the site was this:

 

 

Now to me that sounds more like formal wear is a suggestion on those nights but not actually required.

 

I know this is a touchy subject and I'm not trying to start a debate about different people's opinions as to what constitutes appropriate formal wear, I'm just wondering if this statement is a change in policy for Celebrity or if the formal dress policy is stated more forcefully elsewhere on their site?

Celebrity Dress Code: (Taken from Summit "Celebrity Today" daily schedule) Does not say requested or required just Dress Code.

 

Formal:

 

Gentlemen: Tuxedo, dinner jacket, or dark suit and tie.

 

Ladies: A dressy outfit. Formal gown or cocktail dress.

 

Informal:

 

Gentlemen: Jacket, slacks. No jeans.

 

Ladies: Informal dress or pants and blouse.

 

Casual:

 

Gentlemen: Sports shirt and slacks.

 

Ladies: Dress, pant suit or sporty outfit.

 

The dress code applies to dinner seating in Cosmopolitan Restaurant and thereafter in all public areas on the ship for that day.

 

Most passengers comply with these dress codes on cruises I have been on.

[brigittetom]

Don't let that fool you. I'm guessing when you look at your Dailies, it will say at least "requested" if not "required". As if people weren't confused enough when it comes to dress codes. Celebrity is not doing themselves a favor by printing that.

 

Trust me, if there had been a change in the dress code recently, you would have heard about it here. LOUD AND CLEAR. :D

[hajekfam]

This is how policy has always been stated - like the previous poster said - it is more diplomatic than saying must be or required. The dailies state that the evening dress is to be observed throughout the ship except in the casual dining venues.

[Ravbo]

This is taken directly from the Century Daily.

 

"This Evening's Required Dress throughout the ship, from 6:00 pm: Formal.

Ladies: A dressy outfit. Gentlemen: Dark suit & tie, dinner jacket, or tuxido.

(Please maintain Formal dress code throughout the evening)."

 

 

My recent copies of Summit Daily, Galaxy Daily and Mercury Daily say the same.

[AFT_LOVER]

As I was ready to type in from my Celebrity Today daily that it does use the work REQUIRED not REQUESTED.

 

So Formal is formal, if you don't like it then don't book "X". Since Formal night is ALL night not just dinner.

 

Informal is Sportcoat fare & my DH still wears a tie, as do many, but no required.

 

This is taken directly from the Century Daily.

 

"This Evening's Required Dress throughout the ship, from 6:00 pm: Formal.

Ladies: A dressy outfit. Gentlemen: Dark suit & tie, dinner jacket, or tuxido.

(Please maintain Formal dress code throughout the evening)."

 

 

My recent copies of Summit Daily, Galaxy Daily and Mercury Daily say the same.

[old bag]

Hello,

 

I notice in this posting that it doesn't say that men need ties for the informal nights, does that mean most men don't wear ties that night on Celebrity Cruises? (This is our first X cruise ... we've done RCCL and Disney)

 

I prefer to see my son and husband in a tie. They won't look at any printed dress code, but they will take their tie off if no one else is wearing it. All I need is about 25% tie wearing and I'm good to sneak this one past them.

[excitedofharpenden]

I must say, I have always worn a tie and will continue to do so, but have read here on the boards that it is not necessary.

 

Phil

[JNLROSE]

I just re-read my dailies from several ships as well & it does not mention tie for informal night, just jacket & slacks, HOWEVER, I have noticed many men still wear ties. My DH usually does, sometimes, he wears a mock turtle with his jacket instead. But ALWAYS a jacket on informal nights! Tux on formal nights!

[Happy ks]

I've always taken the "request" as a polite way of saying, "please dress appropriately". I love to get dressed up and go to dinner. I would hate to arrive at the door to the dining room and be reprimanded and sent away, how humiliating would that be?!

 

But, I also hate to be told what to do and how to do it. I suppose if I were the type to buck the system and wear what I felt like wearing, I probably would choose a different type of vacation. Why go through the agony of fighting the system, it's a vacation and aren't you supposed to enjoy your vacation? Therefore, it does seem a bit silly to book a cruise, knowing you will be expected to wear clothing you don't want to wear.

 

I look forward to sailing Oceania in the future. From what I've read, it's upscale, but not too much so and they do not have "formal" nights. We've sailed NCL in the past and will again in the future. It was very nice not having to pack all the formal attire. We still dressed nicely, because we like to, we don't wear shorts, jeans, t's etc... I would actually like to see cruises go more in this direction, semi-formal and smart casual (country club casual) instead of the formal nights. It would be wonderful to be able to pack this way for a Celebrity cruise, we did love our one cruise so far with them. But, until they do, we will haul the formal clothes along.

 

I must add that after reading posts from a few other boards (not mentioning names) the desire to dress down is amazing. I'm not saying country club casual, more (the way I read it) they want to dress sloppy casual. I think many people do not realize "casual" is still dressy in comparison to everyday standards, not what you wear to enjoy a back yard barbeque.

 

All that said, I really don't pay a whole lot of attention to what other people are wearing. Only myself and, like old bag, my family.

[tbelian]

I'm just wondering if this statement is a change in policy for Celebrity or if the formal dress policy is stated more forcefully elsewhere on their site?

 

No, it is not a change in policy. No, it is not stated elsewhere on their site.

 

Question asked and answered?

[mikiew]

What bothers me is when people walk right into the dining room on a formal night in what would be considered casual..........polo shirt, and pants.

 

 

We do not do the tux and cocktail thing.........but are always dressed appropriately.........Celebrity should deny entry into the dining room, if they are going to have dressing requirements.........suggestions, etc.

[WeBeCruisin']

Hello,

 

I notice in this posting that it doesn't say that men need ties for the informal nights, does that mean most men don't wear ties that night on Celebrity Cruises? (This is our first X cruise ... we've done RCCL and Disney)

 

Celebrity's "informal" nights are dressier than Royal Caribbean's "smart casual" nights. On the Constellation and Summit, it seemed like about half the men wore dark suits with ties on informal nights, another fourth wore sports jackets or blazers with ties, and maybe another 20 per cent wore blazers or sports jackets without ties. And, of course, you had the handful of clueless people who can't read the dress code descriptions, or who are of the "me, me, me" ilk. On the Horizon to Bermuda, there seemed to be more confusion over "informal", with maybe a fourth wearing dark suits, and most of the rest wearing jackets with tie. The percentage with jacket and no tie was higher, though, and so was the clueless percentage.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Allen

[BrooklynGirl2]

Part of the reason I chose a Celebrity cruise was because of the dressing up requirements. We enjoy the formal nights and dressing up for them. We enjoy being surrounded by people who are also dressed appropriately. It adds to the ambiance and "specialness" of the cruise. Even my 5 year old son wore a jacket and tie on both the informal night and the farewell dinner night. For "informal" my husband wore a dark sports jacket and shirt with tie. It's no big deal. I was only really casual on the last night when I wore dress slacks and a blouse. All other times I was in gown, dressy dress or a skirt/blouse. On casual nights my dh wore slacks and polo shirt or sometimes a long-sleeve sport shirt, minus the tie.

 

We were on the Zenith to Bermuda and from my observations it seemed that most people were dressed appropriately. For the capitain's dinner it was split between dark suits and Tux's for the guys.

 

My feeling is that if you want casual all the time...you would be happier with another cruise line. I certainly hope that Celebrity does not change the dress code.

[flashdog_1]

It hasn't happened to me, but I sure have read lots of posts about passengers whose luggage containing their formal wear (and their heavy coats for Alaska) did not arrive with them, and did not appear until after the first formal night.

 

Perhaps these people did not buy the trip insurance and therefore no monetary recourse to rent or buy appropriate clothing. Let's not be so judgmental about why a few people don't adhere to the required dress. We don't know their story! We haven't walked in their shoes.

 

Speaking of shoes....

 

I can speak for myself concerning wearing high heels. I haven't been able to wear them for over a decade because of a foot problem that is treated medically with orthodics. I don't limp so unless someone noticed the thickness of the shoes, they'd not know i had a problem. I wore black sandals with my black evening gown last year on Summit. I had no orthodics for sandals, but I sure wasn't going to wear athletic shoes! And even just walking from my cabin to the dining room and back required that i ice my feet and take more anti-inflammatories...all because i didn't wear orthodics for a few hours.

 

I think if it happened to me (luggage being lost) I'd still be embarrassed to wear something less than dressy on a formal night in the dining room. I might be able to explain to table mates about the lost luggage for the informal night, but I think on formal nights I'd either order room service or go to the Aqua Spa or the casual dining option in the buffet. Why? Because I'd destroy the ambience of the evening, AND because I'd add to the ammunition complainers need to have, "see that person in casual clothes, how rude of them!" You get my drift.

 

I've read suggestions that you mix your clothes in a suitcase with your spouse's clothes, in case one suitcase is lost. That could be carried one step further, to pack half your formal clothes in one suitcase, and half in the other, just in case.

[cavkc]

We were on the Infinity at Christmas with our 12 year old boys & my parents. On the formal nights approx 90% of the guests adhered to the 'formal' dress code. This was probably more than on most cruises as it encompassed Christmas and New Year.

 

There were however always a number of people, men in particularly, still wearing shorts & teeshirts wandering around the ship on the formal nights. We presume that they ate in the more casual dining areas.

 

We even hired tuxedoes for our boys, which they loved. Having said that, the majority of boys didn't get dressed up at all.

[tbelian]

Wasn't the question whether or not dress code had changed?

 

Did all of us MISS this part??

 

I'm not trying to start a debate about different people's opinions as to what constitutes appropriate formal wear

[tarheelmjfan]

Hello,

 

I notice in this posting that it doesn't say that men need ties for the informal nights, does that mean most men don't wear ties that night on Celebrity Cruises? (This is our first X cruise ... we've done RCCL and Disney)

 

I prefer to see my son and husband in a tie. They won't look at any printed dress code, but they will take their tie off if no one else is wearing it. All I need is about 25% tie wearing and I'm good to sneak this one past them.

 

We took our 1st X cruise in June. Our 13 yo. son insisted that he & his dad wear suits on informal nights, & a sportscoat on casual evenings. I never felt they stood out as being over dresses. Enjoy seeing them dressed so handsomely. :)

[OCruisers]

As many others have stated: The Dress Requirements for Formal Nights are just as they have ALWAYS been ... Thank Goodness! :D

 

On to the "Informal Nights" ...............

 

Hello,I notice in this posting that it doesn't say that men need ties for the informal nights, does that mean most men don't wear ties that night on Celebrity Cruises? (This is our first X cruise ... we've done RCCL and Disney) I prefer to see my son and husband in a tie. They won't look at any printed dress code, but they will take their tie off if no one else is wearing it. All I need is about 25% tie wearing and I'm good to sneak this one past them.

 

old bag .... My DH actually likes to "dress" for dinner ... but he has worn his "golf shirt" with a sports coat on informal nights on X. He normally wears a tie on the FIRST informal night ... then, does the collared shirt (without tie) and sports coat for any additional informal nights. We sort of do "Business Casual" on Informal Nights. Don't worry too much about it ... they'll be fine!

 

Will say on X people do abide by the dress codes better than on any other cruise line we've sailed. You should have seen some of the things people wore in the evening on our last HAL cruise! :D One man told us his gardner dressed better ... while working in the yard! :D

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[old bag]

Thank you all for helping clarify the dress code and the manner in which it tends to be implemented on Celebrity Cruises.

 

Shhhh ... no telling the guys in my house that there are no tie requirements for informal nights. They are going to look so cute!!!

 

And I must say ... X dress code listing isn't clear enough for my liking, as such, I really appreciate this posting. It has helped clarify a great deal.

 

I'm sure it will be clearer on the documentation that I haven't received, but I'm buying clothes now ... so I really appreciate everyone's feedback.

[AFT_LOVER]

My DH wears his expensive dark suit with dress shirt, silk tie & tie clip with chain for formal night with me in one of 3 gowns.

 

Informal he is in a sportcoat with shirt & tie, just like work, and I wear black satin slacks or skirt with sparkly tops.

 

Casual DH is i Dockers & polos, me in sundresses, slacks with tops from peasant to librarian.

 

My waist length hair is either tied back, down with fancy clips, that fall out on baby fine hair or up for formal in a CZ clip.

 

 

Part of the reason I chose a Celebrity cruise was because of the dressing up requirements. We enjoy the formal nights and dressing up for them. We enjoy being surrounded by people who are also dressed appropriately. It adds to the ambiance and "specialness" of the cruise. Even my 5 year old son wore a jacket and tie on both the informal night and the farewell dinner night. For "informal" my husband wore a dark sports jacket and shirt with tie. It's no big deal. I was only really casual on the last night when I wore dress slacks and a blouse. All other times I was in gown, dressy dress or a skirt/blouse. On casual nights my dh wore slacks and polo shirt or sometimes a long-sleeve sport shirt, minus the tie.

 

We were on the Zenith to Bermuda and from my observations it seemed that most people were dressed appropriately. For the capitain's dinner it was split between dark suits and Tux's for the guys.

 

My feeling is that if you want casual all the time...you would be happier with another cruise line. I certainly hope that Celebrity does not change the dress code.

[C 2 C]

Some people don't take kindly to "suggestions" nor follow a "code".

 

When I cruise I dress up as "suggested" because it makes me feel great, my wife gets an extra sparkle in her eyes and I feel even better. I will continue to compliment people who also look great because they do, and ignore the people who don't give a **** about the occasion, the ambiance, and the tradition of cruising. The majority of Celebrity cruisers have the same good manners and also follow guidelines......

 

For those whose luggage gets lost... my deepest sympathies...and my apologies if I've misjudged you..

[medcoder]

THis thread has made me somewhat nervous about cruising X. We have cruised mostly on NCL, a RCCL, Dolphin, Princess total about 11 cruises. We are always well dressed, clean and such. My husband is a very large man and does not own a dark suit much less a tux. I realize you can rent them but trust me in his size it is almost impossible. I always dress up and enjoy it, he does not. Now, I know the purest will say, "well, then don't cruise X lines go elsewhere" but, that limits where we can cruise. I am just saying he wears his blazer, dress slack, shirt and tie on all evenings requiring at least jacket and tie. Will we become the scourge of Celebrity Cruise Lines due to this apparent boo boo? Please let me know. We are planning to be on the 14 day Summit cruise AK and down the W Coast of US. Sure hope we don't have to miss this due to the dress code issue.

[AFT_LOVER]

that if you re not dressed in the proper attire, you will be told once & told to go back to dress correctly, fail to do it & you will no longer be invited to the dining room.

 

On Connie last Sept & Infinity last Dec, officers were at the dining room enterance greeting folks, and approaching those not formal on formal night as nicely telling them of their error & their choice to fix or no longer dine there.

 

We saw a gent in a nice shirt & slacks but no jacket on informal night, so they were seated & the Matre D brought a jacket for him, but it hung on the chair behind him. Next informal night the gent had his jacket. Very chic way of doing this.

 

I've always taken the "request" as a polite way of saying, "please dress appropriately". I love to get dressed up and go to dinner. I would hate to arrive at the door to the dining room and be reprimanded and sent away, how humiliating would that be?!

 

But, I also hate to be told what to do and how to do it. I suppose if I were the type to buck the system and wear what I felt like wearing, I probably would choose a different type of vacation. Why go through the agony of fighting the system, it's a vacation and aren't you supposed to enjoy your vacation? Therefore, it does seem a bit silly to book a cruise, knowing you will be expected to wear clothing you don't want to wear.

 

I look forward to sailing Oceania in the future. From what I've read, it's upscale, but not too much so and they do not have "formal" nights. We've sailed NCL in the past and will again in the future. It was very nice not having to pack all the formal attire. We still dressed nicely, because we like to, we don't wear shorts, jeans, t's etc... I would actually like to see cruises go more in this direction, semi-formal and smart casual (country club casual) instead of the formal nights. It would be wonderful to be able to pack this way for a Celebrity cruise, we did love our one cruise so far with them. But, until they do, we will haul the formal clothes along.

 

I must add that after reading posts from a few other boards (not mentioning names) the desire to dress down is amazing. I'm not saying country club casual, more (the way I read it) they want to dress sloppy casual. I think many people do not realize "casual" is still dressy in comparison to everyday standards, not what you wear to enjoy a back yard barbeque.

 

All that said, I really don't pay a whole lot of attention to what other people are wearing. Only myself and, like old bag, my family.