REAL reason for new evening chic

[AtleeH]

Celebrity just needs to state clearly, and succinctly what is not allowed, jeans with holes in them for example, and drop any non sense about defining what is "evening chic" or "smart casual".

 

Let's face it, what is an "elegant top" to one person is nothing but a rag to be used for washing a car to another person.

 

A pair of jeans with a hole or holes in them is just that, a pair of jeans with a hole in them, whether they came from Walmart and was used in the yard until a hole developed or a $650 pair of designer jeans.

 

I can remember the days when there was a fancy dress night or a Toga evening - I always resented them. Why dictate a dress code, just say what is unacceptable and allow people to relax and enjoy their evenings. Dressing up for a special occasion should always be encouraged and applauded but never made a strict code.

Well done Celebrity, about time but get rid of Evening Chic it is meaningless

[jagoffee]

I agree with your point but having booked a cruise sailing in three weeks time I'm furious. We always book with Celebrity because of their formal policy and feel we should have been made aware much sooner about this change. In fact we wouldn't have booked and most certainly won't be booking with them again.

 

Really? "one couple might feel most glamorous in a tuxedo and gown, another might feel more elegant in a sport jacket". I have been dressing this way on cruises for several years.

Blame me, I guess. And I am a senior citizen.

 

If it is really important that everyone dining with me is dressed formal then you might still be able to find a cruise line to match that criteria, but I suspect it will be much more expensive.

Let us know which one you pick.

[wallie5446]

I think that this is less about Celebrity making a change and more about them updating their policy to reflect what's really happening.

 

It really feels like this is less Celebrity trying to rock the boat and more just Celebrity changing the policy to reflect the reality of the shift that's been happening already. At least on the ships I've been on, tuxes haven't been in a majority in years.

 

Cruise lines do not want to deter ANYONE from cruising. Someone somewhere will have done a study and decided this is what the majority of people taking a cruise vacation want.

 

Before long taking a cruise will loose its 'special' quality and then the cruise lines are really in trouble.

 

Here is our very first "formal" dinner on a cruise in 1987. One couple was on their 27th sailing on this ship, the other 3 couples were 1st timers, us included.

 

Bottom line, this is not a new trend, long time cruisers and first timers ditched the tux/gown or suit/tie a very long time ago, regardless of what was suggested by the line.

 

We have similar pics from RCCL 1990, Princess 1992, Cunard 1993 ( the kids first ) Celebrity 1994, HAL 1995.

[seapals2]

I agree with some of what you say (except that I am firmly in the 'thank heavens the formality is on the way out' camp), but not the part about using heritage to promote a luxury vacation. This may be true of Cunard for example, but from my limited experience, Celebrity is definitely focused on the 'Modern' part of its 'Modern luxury' slogan and tuxedos and evening gowns definitely don't fit that image.

 

 

 

By the way, we're on the Regal the same date as you, so it will be interesting (for me at least) to see the Princess difference, as my only other sailing with them was Alaska in May, and truly formal attire was not worn by many on that sailing as I expected.

 

 

Still think when you tell friends you are heading off on a cruise it still holds that wow factor and that in part dates back to when it was only available to the very rich. If you said to someone .. I'm off to Benidorm for a week ... Doesn't quite do it the same. Yet these days a holiday on a ship can actually cost less and that's down to the fact that ships now have lots of small cabins (some smaller than a caravan) they take huge numbers ... Regal our next cruise over 3000 ... And they can cater using buffets far more cheaply. Doing away with formal attire is one thing but if this means no real special evenings and every night much the same then this might be the final nail in the cruise coffin for us.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[seapals2]

Another thought is ... Speciality restaurants will get far more customers looking to regain the lost 'special' feeling. Now it's making perfect sense. We could end up with only free evening buffet and speciality restaurants with cover charges.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cruise47]

The "real reason" is because now they are listening to their guests, who will be cruising with them for the next 30 or more years!

 

Totally agreed.

[mrsgoggins]

Still think when you tell friends you are heading off on a cruise it still holds that wow factor and that in part dates back to when it was only available to the very rich. If you said to someone .. I'm off to Benidorm for a week ... Doesn't quite do it the same. Yet these days a holiday on a ship can actually cost less and that's down to the fact that ships now have lots of small cabins (some smaller than a caravan) they take huge numbers ... Regal our next cruise over 3000 ... And they can cater using buffets far more cheaply. Doing away with formal attire is one thing but if this means no real special evenings and every night much the same then this might be the final nail in the cruise coffin for us.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Sorry to read that formal evenings were so important to you, but Celebrity haven't taken them away from you. They are just stopping trying (and failing!) to insist that others join in with the full regalia.

 

I really can't imagine anyone being 'wowed' by hearing someone was going on a cruise as opposed to, say, Lake Garda, Paris or the Canadian Rockies. I think your Benidorm reference was meant to imply cheap and cheerful as opposed to classy/exclusive, but I really doubt that most people have seen cruising like that for decades. And does it matter?

[Janet524]

Bottom line for us....We don't really care what semantics are used - "formal", "chic", whatever. We do our own thing and enjoy ourselves and have no problem with others doing what they desire. Life's too short to obsess over what outfit someone else plans on wearing to dinner.

[Aldeya]

My motto is any day on a ship is better than a day at work....no matter what the person next to me is wearing to dinner.

 

This is one of the reasons that I don't understand. Doesn't it diminish the whole ambience and the whole atmosphere of the special night in the nice dining avenue?

 

My husband does not wear tux and I don't wear long gowns to the formal night, we do make an effort to dress nicely.

 

We were on NCL Breakaway on our last cruise (I know, it a freestyle "do-what-you-please" line). At Formal night MANY people were dressed very nice and it was a delight to see many children dressed to the "nines" :) There was a 10-12people big table stuck between the tables for 3-4. All of the people sitting at this table were wearing t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, sleeveless tanks, etc. You got the idea.

 

Yes, it's their vacation and they can wear what they want. At the same time if you don't want to make any efforts to look presentable on a formal night you have a choice to go to another available dining venue.

 

To me it shows no respect for other people dining in this place (I know, they don't care) and DOES diminish the whole atmosphere of a special night.

[wallie5446]

This is one of the reasons that I don't understand. Doesn't it diminish the whole ambience and the whole atmosphere of the special night in the nice dining avenue?

 

My husband does not wear tux and I don't wear long gowns to the formal night, we do make an effort to dress nicely.

 

We were on NCL Breakaway on our last cruise (I know, it a freestyle "do-what-you-please" line). At Formal night MANY people were dressed very nice and it was a delight to see many children dressed to the "nines" :) There was a 10-12people big table stuck between the tables for 3-4. All of the people sitting at this table were wearing t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, sleeveless tanks, etc. You got the idea.

 

Yes, it's their vacation and they can wear what they want. At the same time if you don't want to make any efforts to look presentable on a formal night you have a choice to go to another available dining venue.

 

To me it shows no respect for other people dining in this place (I know, they don't care) and DOES diminish the whole atmosphere of a special night.

 

This is what everyone knows you get if you sail on NCL. How is it disrespectful to others when that is the "FREE STYLE" that is promoted? That is their market, and no fault of someone else. You booked full well knowing what was to come. It did not " diminish the whole ambience and the whole atmosphere" that is NCL.

[LMaxwell]

Doesn't it diminish the whole ambience and the whole atmosphere of the special night in the nice dining avenue?

 

 

What was Celebrity doing lately to make the atmosphere a special night? What was different than non-formal nights? I have asked but no one has responded to that yet. I can find no differences, but perhaps others could shine some light here. to my eye Celebrity stopped making an effort LONG before guests did.

 

 

My husband does not wear tux and I don't wear long gowns to the formal night, we do make an effort to dress nicely.

 

 

So why would anyone here assume those that do not want to wear tuxes or gowns would also not make the effort to dress nicely? I own no ripped jeans. I own no "wife beater" shirts. I don't wear dirty, wrinkled, or ill fitting clothing to go to dinner anywhere. I don't wear my lawn mowing clothes to go out in. Why are so many people convinced the extreme cases are what everyone is going to do?

 

Edit: Norwegian does not have a Formal night. They have "Norwegian Night Out" which is basically choose to dress up if you feel like it, or do not if you don't. All of their ships, except for the Escape and Sky, also have a dining room that does not accept shorts, and sleeveless shirts on men are never allowed at dinner. If you did not wish to be among shorts wearers you could have chosen the appropriate dining room. As far as footwear people wore, stop crawling around underneath other peoples tables :)

Edited November 12, 2015 by LMaxwell

[seapals2]

I agree with some of what you say (except that I am firmly in the 'thank heavens the formality is on the way out' camp), but not the part about using heritage to promote a luxury vacation. This may be true of Cunard for example, but from my limited experience, Celebrity is definitely focused on the 'Modern' part of its 'Modern luxury' slogan and tuxedos and evening gowns definitely don't fit that image.

 

By the way, we're on the Regal the same date as you, so it will be interesting (for me at least) to see the Princess difference, as my only other sailing with them was Alaska in May, and truly formal attire was not worn by many on that sailing as I expected.

 

Look forward to meeting you on the Regal sailing. Are you doing the same two weeks (Jan !7 and Jan 24) or overlapping. Have you registered for the Meet and Greet. It will be great to escape the English winter weather and find some sunshine. Think there is only one formal night each week so hardly worth the discussion about what to wear. Its going to be a great escape to sea and a new ship for us to explore.

[rockdoctor]

The real reason is so they could avoid answering questions about Luminae. Diversion is a great distraction. ;)

 

Why is a diversion needed for Luminae? On our last Equinox cruise everything was great.

[gek]

This is one of the reasons that I don't understand. Doesn't it diminish the whole ambience and the whole atmosphere of the special night in the nice dining avenue?

 

My husband does not wear tux and I don't wear long gowns to the formal night, we do make an effort to dress nicely.

 

We were on NCL Breakaway on our last cruise (I know, it a freestyle "do-what-you-please" line). At Formal night MANY people were dressed very nice and it was a delight to see many children dressed to the "nines" :) There was a 10-12people big table stuck between the tables for 3-4. All of the people sitting at this table were wearing t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, sleeveless tanks, etc. You got the idea.

 

Yes, it's their vacation and they can wear what they want. At the same time if you don't want to make any efforts to look presentable on a formal night you have a choice to go to another available dining venue.

 

To me it shows no respect for other people dining in this place (I know, they don't care) and DOES diminish the whole atmosphere of a special night.

 

Many of Celebrity's potential passengers are completely unaware of the formal requirements. Sure, some know that formal nights exist but they assume that it's an optional thing. It's a bit of a shock to them when they get on board and are told to either have an inferior experience in the buffet or pay for the privilege of eating somewhere else (a significant expense when a family is involved).

 

Now you can argue as much as you like that people should do their research and be prepared but Celebrity is a mass-market line and most mass-market cruisers are not as obsessive as we CCers. Many times I have been talking to someone who tells me they are going on a cruise and they can't even name the ship or ports they are visiting.

 

People have different ideas of what a cruise holiday is a all about. It's a delicate balancing act for Celebrity to respect everyone's wishes about how their holiday should play out. The dress code change is designed to make it easier for more passenger's wishes to be addressed because the old way was too restrictive.

[mrsgoggins]

Look forward to meeting you on the Regal sailing. Are you doing the same two weeks (Jan !7 and Jan 24) or overlapping. Have you registered for the Meet and Greet. It will be great to escape the English winter weather and find some sunshine. Think there is only one formal night each week so hardly worth the discussion about what to wear. Its going to be a great escape to sea and a new ship for us to explore.

 

We are just doing the second of your weeks - 24th Jan - but are pootling around Florida for 2 weeks before that :). Also hoping for some winter sunshine. No I haven't registered for the Meet and Greet but may do so. Thanks for the info about the one formal night - I haven't read the cruise documents yet.

[terrierjohn]

Not read all the replies but I would have thought that one of the reasons for dropping the necessity for DJ's and ball gowns might be a result of the continuing reduction in airline baggage allowances.

Gone are the days of 2 cases per person up to 25kgs each, more like 15kg hold luggage and tiny cases in the cabin for the low cost airlines, and not much better on the traditional airlines. Those passengers still wanting to dress up to the nines will be happy to pay the baggage excess charge, just MHO.

[jagoffee]

What was Celebrity doing lately to make the atmosphere a special night? What was different than non-formal nights? I have asked but no one has responded to that yet. I can find no differences, but perhaps others could shine some light here. to my eye Celebrity stopped making an effort LONG before :)

 

1. The menu selections are usually special. Lobster, Rack of Lamb, etc.

2. Usually the Production Shows are schedule for those nights.

3. Any gifts (bags, roses, chocolate covered strawberry shortcake) are usually handed out on the first formal/chic night.

4. Captain or Officer table in the main dining room.

5. Usually late night show is after dinner instead of pre dinner.

6. They try to make the nights during a sea day instead of a port day. (Not always possible)

[LMaxwell]

1. The menu selections are usually special. Lobster, Rack of Lamb, etc.

 

Subjective, but ok.

 

2. Usually the Production Shows are schedule for those nights.

 

What does that have to do with something Celebrity does to make formal night special?

 

3. Any gifts (bags, roses, chocolate covered strawberry shortcake) are usually handed out on the first formal/chic night.

 

Don't see the relation to creating a special atmosphere for formal night.

 

4. Captain or Officer table in the main dining room.

 

Nice for the .3% of guests invited, but nothing for the other 99.7%

 

5. Usually late night show is after dinner instead of pre dinner.

6. They try to make the nights during a sea day instead of a port day. (Not always possible)

 

See #2.

 

 

They've long done away with special dining room services and features. You can make a point the food is "better" on formal night, but that is subjective. But the experience remained the same as all other nights pretty much. I really don't feel like they've made a special effort to do something out of the ordinary

 

But I do appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the matter.

[rcclfanbp]

Totally agreed.

 

Yes, Celebrity is responding to changing demographics (who prefer more casual attire)....

 

JUNE 25, 2015 — Millennials, or America's youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation's population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today.

[POA1]

Yes, Celebrity is responding to changing demographics (who prefer more casual attire)....

 

JUNE 25, 2015 — Millennials, or America's youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation's population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today.

It makes sense. There's not usually a lot of closet space in mom and dad's basement. :D

Edited November 13, 2015 by POA1

[Iamcruzin]

It makes sense. There's not usually a lot of closet space in mom and dad's basement. :D

 

You make a joke of this but these kids aren't leaving home. I may have to move and not give a forwarding address.:D

[The Mommy]

They have never enforced the formal code so why change the directive? All this does it upset those who conformed.

I am not sure if they will gain more business but I definitely think they will lose some.

Edited November 13, 2015 by The Mommy

[DirtyDawg]

They have never enforced the formal code so why change the directive? All this does it upset those who conformed.

I am not sure if they will gain more business but I definitely think they will lose some.

 

I think you are right that X will lose some business. Hopefully they will not gain too much business before I book my next cruise so I can get a better price. ;) In the end, I think X will gain more customers than they lose, just like Ford did when they killed off the Edsel.:)

[cle-guy]

What was Celebrity doing lately to make the atmosphere a special night? What was different than non-formal nights? I have asked but no one has responded to that yet. I can find no differences, but perhaps others could shine some light here. to my eye Celebrity stopped making an effort LONG before guests did.

 

1) Lobster is served

2) Table candles go from yellow to blue on formal nights

3) Some ships have a mid meal entertainer on the grand staircase area

4) Many itineraries change up the evening theatre schedule to help make it a later night

5) Captain's club gathering is usually more formal that night, with officers

6) Officers are available in multiple areas of the ship to take formal photos

7) Some passengers get special invitation to dine at the captain's table with ship's officers

 

These just off the top of my head.

 

(EDITED- I replied before I got to end of thread and see another poster caught a lot of this already)

Edited November 13, 2015 by cle-guy

[Presto2]

But in 30 years Celebrity will be dumping them! Or are they not going to get old?

 

Brilliant comment - we all get older - I hate it when people (e.g. the person you were replying to) comments about age. It makes me feel that us 50 something or elderly people, their views and opinions, don't count and this really winds me up. As my elderly mum used to say - it comes to us all.. :mad: