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

[Queen of Oakville]

I checked the X website could not find anything about evening chic.

 

Thanks to Celebrity Cruises for posting the above.

 

So, will someone be checking labels to make sure that only designer jeans are worn? this means no levis, gap, or old navy? will there be a list of approved designers provided?

 

I mean if you are going to qualify that only designer jeans are appropriate, then a list of acceptable designers should be provided. It may be cheaper for some passengers to just buy a suit:eek:

[Tura Lura]

What I'd like to know is who are the Fashion Police that are going to enforce the new evening chic?

 

 

Whatever your dress code Celebrity, please be prepared to ENFORCE IT.

 

 

 

This is all reminiscent of a clubbing experience in NYC many years ago, where there was a guy in drag, outside the club, picking out who was chic enough to be allowed in the club.

 

If the dress code is going to be more LAX, I hope it gets enforced and people who don't meet the definition of 'evening chic' get turned away.

 

Otherwise it may as well be "wear what you want because we ain't going to enforce it anyway".

 

Honey I just walked right past that velvet rope at the Mud Club, It's all about the confidence. :)

[akowilm]

I like that everyone can choose. Please don't say that due to "luggage restrictions" you can't or won't pack formal wear anymore. If you are paying hundreds of dollars for flights and thousands of dollars for your cruise vacation, what is 25 - 50 extra dollars for luggage? Wear what look great in, make it tasteful and classy, and no one should be offended (and hopefully no one's vacation will be ruined)!

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Edited November 9, 2015 by akowilm

[gek]

Whilst I am obviously in favour of this change there is one very surprising thing about it - they are virtually encouraging the wearing of jeans. It's a common sense approach but even Carnival explicitly bans jeans on their "elegant" nights.

 

My guess is that they realise that the average Celebrity passenger understands the type of jeans which are appropriate i.e. the ones that don't look like you just finished work on the farm. They also realise that a good pair of black jeans is virtually indistinguishable from any other type of trousers and enforcing a ban would be impossible.

 

An incredibly enlightened policy move by Celebrity. Ten thumbs up!!!

[bEwAbG]

I often wonder if Celebrity only employs people with limited English skills because they invariably end up with very poor phrasing for a lot of these initiatives. It's not that it's just marketing-speak, but actual contradictions in stated policies or wording that generates threads with 1800+ replies for what should be something very straightforward like a dress code. Stressing "designer jeans" versus just "jeans" is one such example from this current announcement. Can't they focus-test these announcements and FAQs with real-world travelers so that confusion can be eliminated before info is widely disseminated?

 

And I support this change in the dress code!

[Queen of Oakville]

Honey I just walked right past that velvet rope at the Mud Club, It's all about the confidence. :)

 

Oh I got in ;)

 

Just makes me wonder how celebrity will set the bar for elegant chic and how they will decide who fails to meet it.

[yorkyred]

Yes. I'm 42 years old and leaving on a 24 night Seabourn cruise on 20 December. 3 formal nights, including Christmas and New Years. I'm bringing my tux and look forward to dressing up to celebrate these holidays with friends on a fabulous ship in a very special part of the world.

 

It's sad to see my once favorite Celebrity morf into Carnival, but then again, we all have choices and I'm moving on. One Zenith less to crowd the Captain's Club events.

 

In retrospect, this all started years back. Small, sophisticated ships (Zenith, Horizon) became mid sized ships and then mega ships (Solstice class) with lots of cabins to fill, mass promotions, unlimited booze packages and the clientele that's attracted by all that. Of course the dress code then has to go.

 

F

 

An excellent posting. This is just part of a bigger picture and everything you mention is part of that. You could add the constant up- selling and the dropping of food standards. It's all about attracting as many people as possible including some who don't care about a top notch product at a cheaper price. You then push everything when you have them on board to up the profits. Dressing up puts many people off so let's just not bother with it when we can make more money.

[stipmom]

What this new dress code is doing is keeping the MDR closer in line with the dress code in the specialtie, Blu and Lumanie.

Never thought it was fair that if I did not want to bring formal clothes ( which is an issue when traveling abroad and taking a train pre or post cruise) I needed to pay more to eat in specialties or book Aqua or a suite.

[Tura Lura]

C'mon, we all know what "designer" jeans are, and if you don't know if yours are, they aren't.

[dkjretired]

Are they going to provide a list of acceptable designers, it reminds me of the old George Carlin skit on acceptable curse words.

[Charles4515]

Oh I got in ;)

 

Just makes me wonder how celebrity will set the bar for elegant chic and how they will decide who fails to meet it.

 

I don't care. I will wear a dress shirt or button shirt and slacks and not care what others are wearing or how Celebrity decides who fails to meet Evening Chic and that is Evening by the way not "Elegant".

 

Reading all the busy buddies and fashion poiice comments makes me even more happy that Celebrity made this change......

[kenevenpar]

Flirty or skanky? I think I've seen this dress on Carnival on formal night and the guy had his shorts and sandals on. Welcome to the new Modern Luxury!!! :p

 

I tried to post the Carnival chain dress; no go.

[neverbeenhere]

C'mon, we all know what "designer" jeans are, and if you don't know if yours are, they aren't.

 

 

 

Like - We all knew what "formal" was??

[Redtravel]

I sail on many lines that don't have formal nights. I love it. Vacation is about being comfortable. Love azamara, Oceania, Windstar, Viking... No formal nights. Now I can be more comfortable on Celebrity too. Leaving the "formal attire" home is truly modern luxury. Less clothes to pack is fantastic. Thank you Celebrity. Now that is true Modern Luxury. My spouse is very happy too.

[gsb]

I don't care. I will wear a dress shirt or button shirt and slacks and not care what others are wearing or how Celebrity decides who fails to meet Evening Chic and that is Evening by the way not "Elegant".

 

Reading all the busy buddies and fashion poiice comments makes me even more happy that Celebrity made this change......

 

That's the Charles I remember.;)

[Northern Aurora]

What this new dress code is doing is keeping the MDR closer in line with the dress code in the specialtie, Blu and Lumanie.

......

 

Just left the Equinox about six hours ago, and while on the Equinox another passenger and I had a conversation regarding the MDR dress code on formal nights as contrasted to Blu, Luminae and the specialty restaurants. I always have found it interesting that the MDR had a "higher" formal night dress code than the more posh restaurants. I also see the new dress code as more consistent with the other non-buffet dining options.

[Ma Bell]

Evening Chic FAQs

 

What is "Evening Chic"?

We are evolving the traditional cruise ship formal night. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities are being introduced, and Evening Chic attire is replacing Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

•A cocktail dress

•Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

 

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

•Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater

•Optional sport coat or blazer

 

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

Yes. Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still 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 vacation experience. When it comes to attire, modern luxury travel is often more relaxed than traditional formal attire. 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 reboot. We want our guests to feel free to get 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?

Evening Chic is dressier than smart casual, but less formal than a traditional "formal night." Designer 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.

 

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

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire.

 

Will the formal night traditions 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 traditional 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.

 

This is a real laugh. Just drop all the pretense that there will be anything Chic about this. I can't wait to see what some ideas about being glamorous and sophisticated "in our own way" will be.

[Esahuma]

I sail on many lines that don't have formal nights. I love it. Vacation is about being comfortable. Love azamara, Oceania, Windstar, Viking... No formal nights. Now I can be more comfortable on Celebrity too. Leaving the "formal attire" home is truly modern luxury. Less clothes to pack is fantastic. Thank you Celebrity. Now that is true Modern Luxury. My spouse is very happy too.

 

SEE YOU GET IT! Each can cruise the way they like - we used to do tux/formals and we are Elite/D+ and we sometime feel that those who 'insist' in wearing their 'formal' clothes turn their noses up to those that do not -

 

To each their own - it is your vacation do it your way! :)

[obnurse]

I'm happy with this change, too. It gives the preference back to the passengers. For the people who like to dress in formal attire, they should feel completely comfortable continuing to do that. I will enjoy seeing the ladies and gents dressed to the nines. For those who prefer less formal, the option is there for them too. Relax everyone! It's gonna be fine for all!

[xmarksx]

How many of the folks who are vehemently opposed to this change are also those who complain of earsplitting music at the (fill in the bar/venue blank)?

 

Is it possible that the same demographic who complain about both are the most vocal complainers onboard and the least likely to be pleased with their cruise?

 

As a business owner, would that impact your marketing? As an employee who would you rather they market that product? The business I am in specifically targets the non-complainer group because they are the least adverse to our profitability.

[POA1]

Like - We all knew what "formal" was??

No. Most Celebrity cruisers did not understand "formal." That's why they adopted the new rules.

[kenevenpar]

Evening Chic FAQs

 

What is "Evening Chic"?

We are evolving the traditional cruise ship formal night. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities are being introduced, and Evening Chic attire is replacing Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

 

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

•A cocktail dress

•Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

 

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

•Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater

•Optional sport coat or blazer

 

 

 

What happened to the "flirty sundress"?

Edited November 9, 2015 by kenevenpar

[neverbeenhere]

What happened to the "flirty sundress"?

 

 

This is for an Alaska cruise. A little cool for a flirty sundress in the evening.

[Esahuma]

The perception that this policy is a downward slide is puzzling sincce the following lines have no formal nights (or optional ones). I wouldn't even place Celebrity in the same class with some of these.

 

Azamara

Disney

Oceania

Regent Seven Seas

Seabourn (optional)

Windstar

 

Still shaking my head.

It simply defies all logic that people will cancel cruises or shop elsewhere because of what others may or may not wear in the diningroom.

 

I am also totally puzzled by the attitude that this is a downslide and will 'lead to ruin' Celebrity - Class is Class and you either have it or you don't - Those that want to dress up in 'formal' will - it should not bother you that others want to enjoy their vacation their way -

 

DH no long takes his tux - no longer takes his suit or jacket - BUT my man ALWAYS looks sharp - classic and well dressed on formal nights when we step into the MDR -

 

Take a chill pill people - it is not the end of the world and this is no longer the Titanic or Queen Mary with High Tea

 

The Cruise lines are all just moving into the 21st century!

Edited November 9, 2015 by Esahuma

[Ma Bell]

How many of the folks who are vehemently opposed to this change are also those who complain of earsplitting music at the (fill in the bar/venue blank)?

 

Is it possible that the same demographic who complain about both are the most vocal complainers onboard and the least likely to be pleased with their cruise?

 

As a business owner, would that impact your marketing? As an employee who would you rather they market that product? The business I am in specifically targets the non-complainer group because they are the least adverse to our profitability.

 

It seems to me that up until today the complaining came from the people who didn't like formal nights. I guess they must be targeting the wrong group. Personally, I'm Zenith with Celebrity and one of people least likely to complain but maybe they don't need my business any more. Have you ever been on a Celebrity cruise?