How strict is the dress code onboard?

[Rothko1]

12 minutes ago, bitob said:

I agree

im not in charge

 

Oh goodness, I'm not suggesting it is your job at all.  You've done what you can do. 

[tinaincc]

Isn’t it easier on everyone and enables the most to be happy, to just simply have a policy similar to Regent which is no jeans but besides that come as you would like? I just don’t understand why it has to be so complicated thus requiring staff interaction at all?

[bitob]

8 minutes ago, tinaincc said:

Isn’t it easier on everyone and enables the most to be happy, to just simply have a policy similar to Regent which is no jeans but besides that come as you would like? I just don’t understand why it has to be so complicated thus requiring staff interaction at all?

Formal optional will appeal to those who want to dress up. Probably a good way to transition 

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, bitob said:

Offending a paying guest is not part of the protocol. They can ask nicely or offer a jacket but they will never refuse entry 

Exactly 

They want to maintain the customer base and not upset them.

There is fierce competition at the moment and not just on CC Boards.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, tinaincc said:

Although your prompts are polite it comes down to $. The cruise line wants to have the widest customer base to drive revenue and the onboard staff is revenue and tip based.

That's overstating the case a bit.  If SS wanted the "widest customer base", they'd need to do a lot more to attract families with young children as have other lines.  Of course, they'd lose part of their existing customer base as a result.  They have their niche, and they're not having any problems filling ships as far as I can tell from future bookings.

 

There's no need for every line to go after the entire breadth of the market and attempt to be everything to everybody.  There's a fairly obvious reason RCG didn't build a floating amusement park (ref Icon of the Seas) as a Silversea branded ship.  There's still plenty of room for different lines to provide different styles of cruising.  You can bet RCG didn't buy SS with a plan  to make it into another RCL experience for the SS demographic. 

[Bellanina]

9 hours ago, Rothko1 said:

 

I've never heard of Silversea throwing a costume party before.  Are you cruising over Halloween?

We will be on Silvermoon for Halloween, and I wondered about this. 

[tinaincc]

9 minutes ago, canderson said:

That's overstating the case a bit.  If SS wanted the "widest customer base", they'd need to do a lot more to attract families with young children as have other lines.  Of course, they'd lose part of their existing customer base as a result.  They have their niche, and they're not having any problems filling ships as far as I can tell from future bookings.

 

There's no need for every line to go after the entire breadth of the market and attempt to be everything to everybody.  There's a fairly obvious reason RCG didn't build a floating amusement park (ref Icon of the Seas) as a Silversea branded ship.  There's still plenty of room for different lines to provide different styles of cruising.  You can bet RCG didn't buy SS with a plan  to make it into another RCL experience for the SS demographic. 

Should have said, widest customer base within their demographic. As the OP commented, they want to go on this cruise but may have made a different choice based solely on what they are learning about the the dress code. Why would SS want that? They have someone with the means, who likes the ship and itinerary but doesn’t want to wear a blazer or tie. Seems like an easy fix, no water slide needed.

[tinaincc]

59 minutes ago, bitob said:

Formal optional will appeal to those who want to dress up. Probably a good way to transition 

Agree 100%. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 minutes ago, canderson said:

That's overstating the case a bit.  If SS wanted the "widest customer base", they'd need to do a lot more to attract families with young children as have other lines.  Of course, they'd lose part of their existing customer base as a result.  They have their niche, and they're not having any problems filling ships as far as I can tell from future bookings.

 

There's no need for every line to go after the entire breadth of the market and attempt to be everything to everybody.  There's a fairly obvious reason RCG didn't build a floating amusement park (ref Icon of the Seas) as a Silversea branded ship.  There's still plenty of room for different lines to provide different styles of cruising.  You can bet RCG didn't buy SS with a plan  to make it into another RCL experience for the SS demographic. 

When SS was independent, they had a small number of small ships.  Since joining RCG the money taps were opened to build them new, larger ships.  They are under pressure to fill those berths to pay down the cost of the ships [and RCG's Covid-related financing], and there aren't enough SS regulars to come close.  So they need to broaden the base somewhat, and this thread shows that the dress code is a choke point for marketing.  Especially since those who want mandatory formal nights have no place else to go.  I don't know when they will change the published dress codes, but my prediction is that lax enforcement will be the normal from now on.

[Gourmet Gal]

There are continued references to “dress code” but as others have also pointed out the lingo on the SS site refers to “suggested attire”.  Seems to be plenty of leeway.

[tinaincc]

Just now, Gourmet Gal said:

There are continued references to “dress code” but as others have also pointed out the lingo on the SS site refers to “suggested attire”.  Seems to be plenty of leeway.

Good to remember for sure. Since our trip is a year away, on the newer ships, it will be interesting to see if there any changes. 

[bitob]

6 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

There are continued references to “dress code” but as others have also pointed out the lingo on the SS site refers to “suggested attire”.  Seems to be plenty of leeway.

But in the daily program for tomorrow eg it says

 

Dress Code:  Formal

 

not suggested

[Gourmet Gal]

19 minutes ago, bitob said:

But in the daily program for tomorrow eg it says

 

Dress Code:  Formal

 

not suggested

Interesting but someone in the cruise booking process doesn’t see that or may not remember that specific detail from past cruises.

[bitob]

16 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Interesting but someone in the cruise booking process doesn’t see that or may not remember that specific detail from past cruises.

Agree. But when they board they learn that it’s a dress code. Therein lies the problem and the potential for conflict 

[drron29]

The problem for the restaurants when they try to enforce the dress code is that the person refused entry is not always civil. I put this episode in my report of our Dawn cruise last August. We were in Kaiseki at night. About 8Pm an Australian fellow walked in dressed in shorts, a tee shirt and his footwear was thongs. He said to the Maitre'D I want a table for 6 tonight. Kaiseki is by reservation. The Maitre'D said there were no tables available. The fellow said there are 6 empty seats -they were 3 tables of 2 and only 2 of them together. The Maitre'D said they are booked. The fellow stormed out and 5 minutes later the Restaurant manager came to Kaiseki and tore strips off the Maitre'D for denying the fellows request. At 8.30pm the fellow and 5 others arrived all dressed similiarly. A few had finished and they were seated.

That night I was filling out the mid voyage Questionnaire and noted this but also talked to the Hotel Director the next morning suggesting that particular restaurant manager needed to be talked to.

 

The next night the dress code was being enforced in Atlantide.

[irvington]

This seems more loaded here for men and not women. Any thoughts about why?

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, irvington said:

This seems more loaded here for men and not women. Any thoughts about why?

(a) women like to dress up more?

(b) I know from packing that women's clothes take up much less room in the suitcase

(c) the tie makes it hard to swallow my food

[david63]

8 minutes ago, irvington said:

This seems more loaded here for men and not women. Any thoughts about why?

Without being sexist it is far easier for a woman to "get away" with what they wear than it is for a man.

 

For example a woman can wear almost any dress on a formal night (and in my time I have seen some that stretch the imagination!) and nobody would say anything but for a man no jacket/tie is a no, no.

[irvington]

9 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

(a) women like to dress up more?

(b) I know from packing that women's clothes take up much less room in the suitcase

(c) the tie makes it hard to swallow my food

Love this, men's emotional reaction to ties. 😃 We won't discuss all the things women go through in the name of beauty (let alone to bring life in the world). More seriously, I do think women's dressy fashion is more elastic these days (no pun intended). I think we should give men that grace too while still expecting both/all genders to look fabulous on occasion. 😅

[irvington]

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

Without being sexist it is far easier for a woman to "get away" with what they wear than it is for a man.

 

For example a woman can wear almost any dress on a formal night (and in my time I have seen some that stretch the imagination!) and nobody would say anything but for a man no jacket/tie is a no, no.

Totally agree, all jokes aside, as a professional woman I have seen the dress code change. Honestly I do think being "dressed up" is still a pressure on women, but how you get there has a lot of avenues (jewelry, scarves, shoes, etc. can dress up a more casual outfit). Men are stuck more in a binary of tie/not, jacket/not, suit/not. That said, I'm about to cruise with my 2 sons in their early 20s and I've encouraged them to use this as a time to get more stylish than they usually are here on the West Coast, and I don't think there's a harm in trying for that.

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 minutes ago, irvington said:

That said, I'm about to cruise with my 2 sons in their early 20s and I've encouraged them to use this as a time to get more stylish than they usually are here on the West Coast, and I don't think there's a harm in trying for that.

I agree.  But the important thing is for each person to develop their own style, and to 'own' their style.

[david63]

23 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

the important thing is for each person to develop their own style, and to 'own' their style.

But within the parameters of the venue/occasion.

[TomTN]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

(a) women like to dress up more?

(b) I know from packing that women's clothes take up much less room in the suitcase

(c) the tie makes it hard to swallow my food

Excuses, Excuses😀

[bitob]

What annoys me (and I don’t care what anybody wears) is that it is easy for men to be compliant with the silversea dress code. All you need is a sport jacket and to plan where you will dine on formal nights. We’ve now done it 3 times with no problem. 

[Rothko1]

20 hours ago, tinaincc said:

Isn’t it easier on everyone and enables the most to be happy, to just simply have a policy similar to Regent which is no jeans but besides that come as you would like? I just don’t understand why it has to be so complicated thus requiring staff interaction at all?

 

That's not necessarily a bad idea, but isn't that just lowering the bar?

 

So instead of having arguments about whether someone must wear a jacket, you're going to have disputes about someone wearing jeans, or shorts, or baseball caps?

 

You're still going to have staff interaction.  Unless you just adopt an "everything goes" policy and just let whatever happens happen.