Phony Formalism

[MrPickle]

Mr. Pickle, the only source of "dictation" about what you're supposed to wear in the evening on a cruise ship is the Cruise line itself. It sounds as though you really need to address your questions and complaints about the dress codes to the cruise lines, not the people who are complying with the dress codes.

Not quite. If cruisers didn't like those rules, the lines would most certainly change them. In fact, most of you say you just love dressing to the nines while on these ships. Which means ... it's really the customers that make the rules then, isn't it?

 

And because my philosophy of what a vacation is all about encompasses getting away from having to outdo the Jonses rather than plunging feet first into that environment is why I will never cruise.

[caviargal]

Mr. Pickle, these dress codes are published by the individual lines and the cruise line asks their guests to abide by them. Celebrity says something similar to "we ask that you respect fellow passengers by following the dress code for the evening in all public areas after 6pm." Will they let you in a bar with shorts on? Probably, although I have never seen it myself on X. Will they let you in the dining room? Highly doubtful.

 

When you are in court, as I assume you are occasionally, I imagine you dress respectfully. The occasion warrants that. On a cruise ship that is trying to maintain a certain atmosphere for their guests, the same respect is asked of the passengers BY THE CRUISE LINE. We are not people sitting here making up rules. Most of us cruise with X because of the onboard experience and that extends to a dress code. You are correct in that a Celebrity cruise would not be to your liking if wearing shorts is high on your list of what is important.

 

While you may find it wonderful to have a drink while dressed in shorts, I do not. You consider that what "normal" people wear on vacation. But this is what is normal for you and apparently, for your friends as well. I am in Europe several times a year and do not wear shorts in cities there as culturally it out of place and, in some places, disrespectful.

 

Some of us actually find it pleasurable to dress for dinner and it enhances our experience, not detracts from it. This is one of the reasons we choose Celebrity and not NCL or Carnival.

 

I spent 20 years as a senior executive in an international technology firm where suits and such were the norm for business days and meetings. I personally have never considered the opportunity to wear shorts to a bar as something that is important or pleasurable. Living in Florida, shorts are everywhere and there are, IMO, some places they do not belong.

 

I would choose a vacation that has some formal nights over any that call for shorts to be worn in a restaurant. That is part of the reason I cruise and apparently a good reason for you to stay on land.

[bostonnerd]

Mr. Pickle -

My wife and I went on our first cruise on Infinity to Alaska this summer. Having perused these (rather humorous) threads prior to leaving, we also expected to be drawn and quartered by the fashion police during the cruise. I work in Tech, so playing dress up during the week isn't mandatory. My wife owns her own company and lives in NM and Sacks during the week.

 

We found every manner of dress on board, from the extremely tacky (but following the "code") to many folks that flat out wore what they wanted to. There were a few Informal nights that I wore jeans, a nice Brooks Brothers shirt, and threw on a Sport Coat and was warmly greeted by the Maitre D' when I entered for dinner. As someone else stated, this isn't "fine dining". It's (pretty good) banquet food with 900 of your new best friends :). You could easily get away with all nights but Formal with Khakis, a knit shirt, and a Blazer. There is indeed an illusion of formality among some of the passengers, but there are also people grounded in reality as well. On Formal night, I went back to the cabin and changed into Khakis and a sweater for the rest of the evening….Lightening did not strike, nor was I sent to the Celebrity Brig until I changed.

[canderson]

That said, we are going with a group of eight people who selected this cruise SOLELY because of the convenience of departing from Bayonne, alleviating the need to fly to the ship, since we all live in Central Jersey.

"SOLELY"? If this had been a Disney ship, would you have still chosen it "solely" due to the departure port, or would you have considered a different cruise line from a different point of embarkation? Let's be serious here, Sportsguy. Picking a line solely due to point of embarkation isn't necessarily a good idea. There are other major differences between the lines that should warrant at least a bit of consideration in your selection.

 

I had absolutely no idea that I would need to wear a jacket and tie six out of the 12 nights until our ticket package arrived.

Did you book this trip through a TA? If so, shame on THEM for not making you aware of this. If you booked it yourself, shame on you for not reading the information that was available.