It's official! Formal nights gone, evening chic in! (3 Threads Merged)

[goody1]

Didn't Celebrity have the three codes until about 5 years ago? We first looked at a cruise then but we're put off by the three dress codes.

 

I think Cunard and P&O are the only ones that maintain 3 dress codes (ship wide) now and even P&O has dropped that to two on some of its ships.

 

Cruise and Maritime Voyages which sail from the UK also have the 3 dress codes.

[dkjretired]

Didn't Celebrity have the three codes until about 5 years ago? We first looked at a cruise then but we're put off by the three dress codes.

 

I think Cunard and P&O are the only ones that maintain 3 dress codes (ship wide) now and even P&O has dropped that to two on some of its ships.

 

It is several years now however they didn't change the UK website for quite awhile after the US website.

[andrew cooper]

Just another step down the slope to mediocrity. They didn't enforce Formal so don't expect then to enforce what I will call Classless Chic. A sundress? So we expect not to see torn jeans? LOL You give people an inch and they will take a mile. I like Carnival although we don't cruise them any longer but I predict that soon the dining room on Celebrity will closely resemble those on Carnival. What a shame.

 

I am with you on this one . We will just have to see how it pans out .

We are on the Eclipse out of Southampton next July and by then the ' updated ' dress recommendations will be in full swing . Will good standards of dress be maintained or will the Clampetts have taken over the ship ?

Will I be the only guy in the MDR on lobster night in an Italian designer dress suit , Calvin Klein dress shirt , Armani socks and silk bow tie ? Will I be surrounded by a sea of ill fitting blue denim , designer bum cracks and hideous chic ' sundresses ' worn by tattooed botox filled cougars ? I am having nightmares already .

 

Seriously for those like my family who view their annual cruise vacation as a chance to step up and enjoy an upmarket experience let us hope that this is still possible . I shall remain positive and believe that the vast majority of those who cruise Celebrity do take pride in their appearance and will continue to do so regardless .

[DYKWIA]

It is several years now however they didn't change the UK website for quite awhile after the US website.

 

If during the time we were looking to book that was a stupid mistake by Celebrity, very unprofessional.

[AtleeH]

What's you definition of "presentable"? For me, someone dressed in an island style shirt, Bermuda shorts, and "nice" pair of sandals is presentable. And why not, since we're sailing the Caribbean.

 

Man I am overstuffed and ready to explode from eating all this popcorn since sitting back and watching this thread. :)

 

To each their own, but I will chalk one up for glad they took it away, it was a matter of time.

 

If you want to go formal on that night or dress down, so be it. I could care less on what you wear as long as you are presentable.

[vino123]

Just had this official e mail from Celebrity UK

(Apologies if someone else has posted it before);

 

Evening Chic

Dear ******

 

Beginning on all sailings departing December 4 and beyond, we wanted to advise you that evenings onboard Celebrity Cruises will now feature two types of attire: Evening Chic and Smart Casual.

 

Evening Chic is your night to shine and will be featured once on cruises 6 nights or fewer and twice on cruises 7 nights or longer.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress

• Skirt, trousers or smart jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Trousers or smart jeans with a shirt or sweater

• Optional jacket or blazer

 

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, trousers or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Trousers or jeans with a sleeved top

 

We are introducing Evening Chic so that you can be glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way, however if you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should. Evening Chic is about giving all our guests the opportunity to enjoy the evenings in a way that they feel comfortable and relaxed.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

 

Celebrity Cruises UK & Ireland

Personally I am glad to see they are still encouraging you to wear tuxes and evening gowns but I suspect I will be in the minority. But I have quite a collection of evening dresses and a cruise is the only chance i get to wear them these days!

[Flash G]

Disappointing.

 

We're sailing on December 16th. Just bought a new tux for the cruise. Formal nights always gave the ship a sense of occasion. It's sad that that's slowly slipping away.

 

I'm still going to wear my tux on the "formerly formal" nights. Better to be overdressed than underdressed.

[goody1]

I am with you on this one . We will just have to see how it pans out .

We are on the Eclipse out of Southampton next July and by then the ' updated ' dress recommendations will be in full swing . Will good standards of dress be maintained or will the Clampetts have taken over the ship ?

Will I be the only guy in the MDR on lobster night in an Italian designer dress suit , Calvin Klein dress shirt , Armani socks and silk bow tie ? Will I be surrounded by a sea of ill fitting blue denim , designer bum cracks and hideous chic ' sundresses ' worn by tattooed botox filled cougars ? I am having nightmares already .

 

Seriously for those like my family who view their annual cruise vacation as a chance to step up and enjoy an upmarket experience let us hope that this is still possible . I shall remain positive and believe that the vast majority of those who cruise Celebrity do take pride in their appearance and will continue to do so regardless .

 

We're also on the Eclipse in July. You could also add wearing of baseball caps in the MDR. I will also remain positive and dress as I normally would with regards to the suggested code.

[Lovincruisin1321]

Here's the link to the story: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6642

 

My husband and I are mid 50's and we never did the long gown, tuxedo thing but I really resented on formal night when some would arrive in jeans or shorts.

 

The new "Chic" attire is probably what we wore though I also wore dresses and my husband always wore a jacket and tie.

 

It saddens me that Celebrity is "Dumbing Down" formal night based on the "Relaxed Vacationers". Yet they still get lobster!

 

Need I say more???!!!:(

[existentialtraveler]

I am with you on this one . We will just have to see how it pans out .

We are on the Eclipse out of Southampton next July and by then the ' updated ' dress recommendations will be in full swing . Will good standards of dress be maintained or will the Clampetts have taken over the ship ?

Will I be the only guy in the MDR on lobster night in an Italian designer dress suit , Calvin Klein dress shirt , Armani socks and silk bow tie ? Will I be surrounded by a sea of ill fitting blue denim , designer bum cracks and hideous chic ' sundresses ' worn by tattooed botox filled cougars ? I am having nightmares already .

 

Seriously for those like my family who view their annual cruise vacation as a chance to step up and enjoy an upmarket experience let us hope that this is still possible . I shall remain positive and believe that the vast majority of those who cruise Celebrity do take pride in their appearance and will continue to do so regardless .

 

Pretty funny stuff.

[DirtyDawg]

WOW!!! What a week.

 

Sony finally kills off Betamax and Celebrity finally kills off Formal nights!

 

Welcome to the 21st century boys and girls.:D

Edited November 11, 2015 by DirtyDawg

[Sandy1975]

I am with you on this one . We will just have to see how it pans out .

We are on the Eclipse out of Southampton next July and by then the ' updated ' dress recommendations will be in full swing . Will good standards of dress be maintained or will the Clampetts have taken over the ship ?

Will I be the only guy in the MDR on lobster night in an Italian designer dress suit , Calvin Klein dress shirt , Armani socks and silk bow tie ? Will I be surrounded by a sea of ill fitting blue denim , designer bum cracks and hideous chic ' sundresses ' worn by tattooed botox filled cougars ? I am having nightmares already .

 

Seriously for those like my family who view their annual cruise vacation as a chance to step up and enjoy an upmarket experience let us hope that this is still possible . I shall remain positive and believe that the vast majority of those who cruise Celebrity do take pride in their appearance and will continue to do so regardless .

 

My husband will be wearing dress shirt from Wal-Mart made in China, docker pants, Hanes socks and shoes made from "man made materials" and he will be happy to drop the polyester tie. I will step it up a notch and my sundress will be from one of those fancy designers like Vera Wang for Target, o is it Kohl? Regardless, it will be Chic but probably made from polyester or modal. And my heels will definitely go with de dress! We will be fitting Evening chic without problem but it won't be "Italian made, silk or designer brands"

I don't have tattoos or fit the Cougar label on a Celebrity cruise (maybe on Carnival during Spring break i can fit the label) so I think we will be an acceptable couple to share a table with :rolleyes:

Edited November 11, 2015 by Sandy1975

[A Sixth?]

WOW!!! What a week.

 

Sony finally kills off Betamax and Celebrity finally kills off Formal nights!

 

Welcome to the 21st century boys and girls.:D

 

[tercar]

Does this sound like you can't continue doing it?

 

A quote from X's e-mail:

 

It's your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated.

 

 

Maybe! However I would hate to feel in the minority.

[snowyboy]

Just had same email as vino123 also link to Celebrity UK web site page.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/blog/introducing-evening-chic/?ecid=6620735&rid=819762959&lid=Jo+Rzymowska+image&emsc=UKCELEVENINGCHICUPDATE

[nauticalnuts]

We sail primarily with Celebrity and can't remember anyone refused entry into the MDR for inappropriate dress. However we have found lately, on Caribbean cruises, that tuxes and gowns are not worn all that much on formal nights but people still dress appropriately.I guess they are now catering to a new demographic that is more relaxed yet still understand the need for proper attire.

[Ma Bell]

 

What's with all the guys wearing suits in broad daylight?

[casper106]

Celebrity really had no choice. HAL recently dropped their formal night requirement.

[A Sixth?]

What's with all the guys wearing suits in broad daylight?

 

They're at work, not on a lovely vacation :p:cool:

 

(although they're all on a honeymoon for the next while.... we'll see when it ends :o )

[Iamcruzin]

My husband and I are mid 50's and we never did the long gown, tuxedo thing but I really resented on formal night when some would arrive in jeans or shorts.

 

The new "Chic" attire is probably what we wore though I also wore dresses and my husband always wore a jacket and tie.

 

It saddens me that Celebrity is "Dumbing Down" formal night based on the "Relaxed Vacationers". Yet they still get lobster!

 

Need I say more???!!!:(

 

Well even the lobster is dumbed down. It's nothing but a defrosted rubbery blob of meat the size of a prawn. The meals in the main dining room are no longer worth getting dressed up for. I would rather save the money that we would spend on formal attire and use it to pay for a specialty restaurant on those nights, which are always smart casual on any given night.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Iamcruzin

[Ma Bell]

Maybe Celebrity would like to reimburse me for all the lovely formal wear I have hanging in my closet. Some of it hasn't even been worn yet. It seems that everyone except those of us who followed the code can wear what they like anywhere they like. Regardless of their ridiculous statement that we can still wear our formal wear, we all know that's not really true.

 

As usual, I will give them the benefit of the doubt as to how this will affect the quality of the total cruise product. I'm very fortunate to be a Zenith member who usually sails in suites, so my experience has quite a bit to offer. Hopefully it will not be just another downgrade for others. Sometimes we should be careful what we wish for.

[CruisingChick]

as to how this will affect the quality of the total cruise product. I'm very fortunate to be a Zenith member who usually sails in suites, so my experience has quite a bit to offer. Hopefully it will not be just another downgrade for others. Sometimes we should be careful what we wish for.

 

Quality has already gone done. Granted it's still better than a lot of other cruise lines, but nothing like it was 5 - 10 years ago. And nothing like we experienced on our first cruise 15 years ago. :(

[snowyboy]

Just received email as Vino123 this is from Celebrity web site Blog

 

We’re always looking ahead, striving to make our guests’ time onboard as enjoyable as possible. That’s why we think it’s time for an evolution in cruising attire. Giving you more freedom when choosing what to wear, we’re saying hello to Evening Chic.

 

What is Evening Chic?

 

Dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic will allow you more freedom when deciding on your best outfit for an evening out. Nothing is taken away, as you will still have the freedom to wear formal attire if you so choose – it’s all about glamour, sophistication and giving you more choice.Women should feel comfortable wearing elegant tops and cocktail dresses.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing elegant tops and cocktail dresses.

Women should feel comfortable wearing elegant tops and cocktail dresses.

What to wear

 

While also having the option to wear your formal best, Evening Chic nights will be a more relaxed, yet sophisticated, attire.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing a cocktail dress, skirt, trousers, or designer/smart jeans with an elegant top.

Men should feel comfortable wearing trousers or smart jeans with a dress shirt or button-down shirt or sweater, with blazers optional.

Although we’re saying farewell to Formal Nights, Smart Casual evenings are staying the same. Women can continue to enjoy wearing skirts, trousers or jeans with a casual top, while men can wear trousers or jeans with a sport shirt with sleeves.

 

Jackets are optional, giving you more freedom on an Evening Chic night.

Jackets are optional, giving you more freedom on an Evening Chic night.

Evening Chic Events

 

To celebrate the start of Evening Chic, we’ll be hosting a range of Evening Chic Nights where you’ll have unique photo portrait opportunities, plus the chance to meet the Captain and Senior Officers throughout the ship, at one of the “Meet and Greet” events. Also, when you first step onboard, you’ll see a professionally produced film of the Captain’s Welcome Speech, on the Cruise Director channel.

 

We’re giving the traditional champagne toast a glamorous refresh, too, with a new destination-based cocktail instead of the usual toast. You can also enjoy luxurious new spa packages, designed exclusively for Celebrity Cruises guests, so you can pamper yourself before getting ready to shine at an Evening Chic night. There will also be Art and Casino Evening Chic events, so keep a look out.

 

Enjoy a destination-based cocktail rather than a traditional champagne toast.

Enjoy a destination-based cocktail rather than a traditional champagne toast.

Questions? We’ve answered a few of them below

 

How many Evening Chic nights will there be on every cruise?

 

6 night cruises or less à One Evening Chic night

7 night cruises or longer à At least two Evening Chic nights

All other nights are “Smart Casual”

Can I still wear a tuxedo/formal gown on those nights?

 

Yes. Evening Chic means that you can feel glamorous and sophisticated in your own way. If you’d rather wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

 

Why is Celebrity making this change?

 

Celebrity stands out for offering a Modern Luxury experience. When it comes to attire, Modern Luxury travel is often more relaxed. So, rather than tell our guests they need to wear traditional formalwear to fit in on certain nights onboard, we’re giving formal night a Modern Luxury makeover. We want our guests to feel glamorous and be sophisticated in their own way.

 

When will the change go into effect?

 

For all sailings beginning on or after December 4, 2015. (Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.)

 

Can I wear jeans on Evening Chic nights?

 

Designer/smart jeans are absolutely acceptable on Evening Chic nights.

 

Do men need to wear a jacket on Evening Chic nights?

 

No, jackets are optional on Evening Chic nights.

 

Will the formal night traditions will be affected (Captain’s Table, lobster on the menu, photos, etc.)?

 

We will continue to offer lobster on the menu on Evening Chic nights. We also plan to put a Modern Luxury twist on several Formal Night traditions, including a new Captain’s Reception featuring destination-inspired cocktails, and photo/portrait opportunities as well as senior-officer-hosted tables at various restaurants throughout the cruise.

 

Excited about Evening Chic? Tell us your thoughts using #EveningChic on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Which restaurant will you choose to showcase your best Evening Chic attire? We’re in love with Luminae, find out why here.

[andrew cooper]

Well even the lobster is dumbed down. It's nothing but a defrosted rubbery blob of meat the size of a prawn. The meals in the main dining room are no longer worth getting dressed up for. I would rather save the money that we would spend on formal attire and use it to pay for a specialty restaurant on those nights which are always smart casual on any given night.

 

Goodness me - where will this all end !

 

May I suggest a minutes silence for the passing of the Celebrity Lobster ?

 

I think I will cash in my dinner jacket , wear my string vest in the MDR and book a few meals in Murano .

 

Are things really this bad ?

[BosoxI]

Well even the lobster is dumbed down. It's nothing but a defrosted rubbery blob of meat the size of a prawn.

 

 

That's because crayfish don't grow as big as lobsters.

 

The use of the terms sophisticated and chic in relation to Celebrity cruisers bears further investigation which I will do once I get all the flavor from my gum :)

Edited November 11, 2015 by BosoxI