Nonsensical Dress Code

[difranco]

This is just the start of multiple itinerary changes to any cruise ship in this region. Watch this space.

[Gourmet Gal]

Perhaps it is just a missprint on the itinerary? What if you brought it to the attention of a manager onboard?

 

Also, YMMV Your Mileage May Vary.

[tinaincc]

On 10/26/2023 at 8:30 PM, ggo85 said:

This forum is a place for folks to state their opinion.  That’s what I did. I recognize that many won’t agree just as I don’t agree with every post that others make.  Telling me to “get over it” isn’t all that helpful as it’s my opinion.  I will mention it on my cruise review in the hope that SS will consider a different approach where appropriate. 

I have learned that this forum is a place to state your opinion but if you disagree with the 'OGs' you are likely to get an onslaught of pushback.  The fact that you need carry or memorize the Ship, Venue and coding for the each night is ridiculous.  I agree that long days, especially if many will likely miss dinner, should always be casual. 

 

As for those that say eat a pizza or worse, stay in your room to eat....SMH

[canderson]

4 hours ago, tinaincc said:

I have learned that this forum is a place to state your opinion but if you disagree with the 'OGs' you are likely to get an onslaught of pushback.  The fact that you need carry or memorize the Ship, Venue and coding for the each night is ridiculous.  I agree that long days, especially if many will likely miss dinner, should always be casual. 

 

As for those that say eat a pizza or worse, stay in your room to eat....SMH

Yes, it would be easier if the same dress code was required universally in every dining and entertainment space on any specific night - the way it used to be for most lines.  Ah, but too much of a constraint they cried ... so now you have an attempt to cater to everyone's tastes at the same time, and the result is a bit confusing for some.

 

It really was simpler 'back then'.  It's due to the complaints about dress that things are less simple now.  I'm sure the next answer here is going to be "anything, any night, up to a point yet to be determined" to simplify things again, which is exactly how some wanted it to begin with.

 

As someone recently said it ... regression to the mean.

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by canderson
typoz

[ggo85]

One person’s “regression” is another’s progression.  Some might argue that men should still wear wigs and women corsets.  Most would disagree. 
 

Personally, I find it confusing that different venues have different dress codes on different nights.  And it’s not published anywhere I can find. 

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

 

Personally, I find it confusing that different venues have different dress codes on different nights.  And it’s not published anywhere I can find. 

From the General Information section linked on the front page of the web site

:

Evening attire falls into three categories: casual, informal and formal.

• On casual evenings, pants, blouses, skirts and casual dresses for ladies; open-neck shirts and slacks for gentlemen are appropriate.
• On informal evenings, ladies usually wear dresses or pantsuits; gentlemen wear jackets (tie optional). Appropriate formal evening wear for ladies is an evening gown or cocktail dress; gentlemen wear tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits. Tie is required.
• On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal; dresses or pantsuits for ladies, jackets for gentlemen (tie optional).

This option also applies to Seishin on board Silver Spirit, Kaiseki on board Silver Muse, Silver Moon and Silver Dawn. Dining at The Grill and Spaccanapoli is optional casual all nights. Following dinner, all guests are free to take advantage of any or all public spaces, however, a jacket is required. Sailings of 9 days or less typically feature 1 formal night, while longer voyages usually have 2-3 formal nights. Details will be provided in your final cruise documents, but the chart below provides a basic guideline to assist in packing the proper attire.

[tinaincc]

5 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

From the General Information section linked on the front page of the web site

:

Evening attire falls into three categories: casual, informal and formal.

• On casual evenings, pants, blouses, skirts and casual dresses for ladies; open-neck shirts and slacks for gentlemen are appropriate.
• On informal evenings, ladies usually wear dresses or pantsuits; gentlemen wear jackets (tie optional). Appropriate formal evening wear for ladies is an evening gown or cocktail dress; gentlemen wear tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits. Tie is required.
• On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal; dresses or pantsuits for ladies, jackets for gentlemen (tie optional).

This option also applies to Seishin on board Silver Spirit, Kaiseki on board Silver Muse, Silver Moon and Silver Dawn. Dining at The Grill and Spaccanapoli is optional casual all nights. Following dinner, all guests are free to take advantage of any or all public spaces, however, a jacket is required. Sailings of 9 days or less typically feature 1 formal night, while longer voyages usually have 2-3 formal nights. Details will be provided in your final cruise documents, but the chart below provides a basic guideline to assist in packing the proper attire.

This is the point. How silly that this much has to go into the explanation especially since you didn’t include the chart. 

[turtlemichael]

1 minute ago, tinaincc said:

This is the point. How silly that this much has to go into the explanation especially since you didn’t include the chart. 

We are all different. Personally, I find it quite straight forward. I just need to know what ship I'm on (I do admit that late in the evening I may have difficulty with that question, but generally I don't). The chart only tells you the likely number of each dress code nights. I was answering the point that "it's not published anywhere as far as I can see" which is patently incorrect.

[drkitkat123]

29 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

On informal evenings, ladies usually wear dresses or pantsuits; gentlemen wear jackets (tie optional). Appropriate formal evening wear for ladies is an evening gown or cocktail dress; gentlemen wear tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits. Tie is required.

• On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal; dresses or pantsuits for ladies, jackets for gentlemen (tie optional).

This seriously makes no sense at all - is this a direct copy?

[tinaincc]

3 minutes ago, drkitkat123 said:

This seriously makes no sense at all - is this a direct copy?

Yes this is a copy but it does not even give all

lf the details/complexity by ship. A new to SSeas cruise would never assume their DC to be this intricate. 

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

And it’s not published anywhere I can find. 

It’s actually published every single day that you are on board the ship. This way, no one has to worry one bit before the day in question.  Quite lovely, really.

[canderson]

53 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

One person’s “regression” is another’s progression.  Some might argue that men should still wear wigs and women corsets.  Most would disagree. 
 

Personally, I find it confusing that different venues have different dress codes on different nights.  And it’s not published anywhere I can find. 

Many things tend to progress to a state of greater entropy.  We're seeing that on just about every front these days.  Some of us would prefer not to see it happen quickly - so quickly in some cases that it represents an exothermic reaction.  Change in and of itself does not necessarily represent progress, providing a bit of a recent whipsaw to Karen Gibson's instructions.

 

Using the historical reference to wigs isn't very useful in this context.  They became popular to hide the effects of syphilis.  For that same reason, they fairly quickly became unpopular a couple of hundred years ago.  Contrary to popular belief, Washington never wore a wig.  Like me, he was a redhead.  He did, however, practice the powdering of his hair, since it was fashionable at the time.

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

In fairness, I don't think it's all that obvious to newcomers that Silversea has a dress code – or rather than it has such an outlier of a dress code.  I have sailed on 14 different cruise lines and have never had a dress code as confusing (or as strict) as Silversea's.  And I do a lot of research before booking, but mainly about itineraries and food so I missed this detail.

 

The new dress code on Silver Nova is much more in tune with other cruise lines, much easier to understand and remember, and IMHO will cause much less complaining.

[ggo85]

The “main” dress code is published in Chronicles.  I don’t see where they publish that Kaiseki is “one step down.”   Or even that the Grille is casual, though that seems obvious since it’s outside. I find myself asking at Guest Relations each day.  And it seems nuts to be able to eat casual in Kaiseki and then have to put on a jacket to go to the show or a lounge.  
 

We do it.  We complain only here. But none of it makes sense.  So why do we sail SS?  Itinerary and timing plus luxury service. Overall, it’s a great product.  

 

I do wonder why, if the dress code is so beloved, they have relaxed it on Nova?  
 

 

[MBP&O2/O]

"In fairness, I don't think it's all that obvious to newcomers that Silversea has a dress code – or rather than it has such an outlier of a dress code.  I have sailed on 14 different cruise lines and have never had a dress code as confusing (or as strict) as Silversea's.  And I do a lot of research before booking, but mainly about itineraries and food so I missed this detail."

 

Interesting comment. When I moved from mainstream to luxury one of the first things I did was researched the dress code. I didn't find it hard to find the information that I wanted.

Like you I found the SS  code to be the strictest .... but that was one of the reasons for my choice.

[difranco]

If formal and informal nights are an issue just identify yourself as female for those and male for casual nights. Then you can wear trousers (pants) and a short sleeved top. Problem solved and oh so modern. No Maitre’d would dare get embroiled in the trans landscape. 

[canderson]

3 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Like you I found the SS  code to be the strictest .... but that was one of the reasons for my choice.

Not Cunard?

 

Would be fascinating to know what % of us actually made the SS decision with that in mind  - vs Oceania, for example.

[MBP&O2/O]

1 minute ago, canderson said:

Not Cunard

Fixed time dining ....

Too many pax ....

Risk of excommunication having worked for P&O ..  😄

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, ggo85 said:

The “main” dress code is published in Chronicles.

Are you saying they no longer publish the dress code for each venue daily in the Chronicles?  Yes, I understand the overall code is always shown on the front page, but each venue was then shown as well, typically on the very last page.

 

7 hours ago, ggo85 said:

I do wonder why, if the dress code is so beloved, they have relaxed it on Nova?

To try and stop the incessant whining complaining, or make it even more confusing for some? 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

…and IMHO will cause much less complaining.

Want to bet?  
 

6 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Interesting comment.

Agree.

 

6 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

When I moved from mainstream to luxury one of the first things I did was researched the dress code. I didn't find it hard to find the information that I wanted.

For us, when we were deciding between ultra-luxury lines, it was our TA who informed us.  We didn’t find it a big deal at all, just packed the appropriate clothes. Then once on board, we’d just decide where we wanted to dine on any given evening during breakfast and dress accordingly that evening after 6:00p. Seemed easy enough, but what do I know?

[tinaincc]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

Not Cunard?

 

Would be fascinating to know what % of us actually made the SS decision with that in mind  - vs Oceania, for example.

🙋🏼‍♀️ only chose SSea for Summer 2024 due to the new ship, great cabin availability and itinerary (with perfect timing). Learned about the complexity of the dress code after the fact and it wasn’t a big enough deal to cancel. 

[ggo85]

Here’s the thing.  I’ve cruised on 10 lines in nearly 40 years 😱 and NEVER had so many questions and issues re dress code as on SS.  And this isn’t our first cruise on SS.  
 

I’m happy to report that the ship apparently took my suggestion and changed tomorrow night’s dress from informal to casual.  We’re in port and the tours are long and HOT and, for some, monsoon-like.  People come back to the ship hot, tired and often wet.  It’s really nice to be able to relax at dinner without having to dress up. I would note that tonight (casual) some wore informal.  Good for them (seriously).  It’s what they obviously wanted to do and thus should do.  And the overwhelming majority enjoyed casual.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by ggo85

[tinaincc]

59 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

Here’s the thing.  I’ve cruised on 10 lines in nearly 40 years 😱 and NEVER had so many questions and issues re dress code as on SS.  And this isn’t our first cruise on SS.  
 

I’m happy to report that the ship apparently took my suggestion and changed tomorrow night’s dress from informal to casual.  

This is great news.  Just out of curiosity, how did they 'change' it? Did they announce the change somewhere or was it word of mouth type situation?

 

 

 

[Gourmet Gal]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

Here’s the thing.  I’ve cruised on 10 lines in nearly 40 years 😱 and NEVER had so many questions and issues re dress code as on SS.  And this isn’t our first cruise on SS.  
 

I’m happy to report that the ship apparently took my suggestion and changed tomorrow night’s dress from informal to casual.  We’re in port and the tours are long and HOT and, for some, monsoon-like.  People come back to the ship hot, tired and often wet.  It’s really nice to be able to relax at dinner without having to dress up. I would note that tonight (casual) some wore informal.  Good for them (seriously).  It’s what they obviously wanted to do and thus should do.  And the overwhelming majority enjoyed casual.  

So nice to see that common sense prevailed and good communication helped to solve the problem.

[ggo85]

When we boarded, the Chronicles listed dress for each night of the cruise. I didn’t recall 2 casual nights in a row at any time.  Last night was casual and tonight is as well.  So, I’m thinking one of the, was changed.  To be fair, I may have misremembered, but don’t think so.  

[drron29]

This is why I like the paper version of the chronicles. Our version listed the 2 Saigon overnights as casual.

And some are really taking the casual a little too far. The SS idea of casual is listed on each day the dress code is casual and for indoor venues it does not include shorts.