Celebrity changes dress Codes

JoeyandDavid · July 12, 2008

Joey..... I agree there are many land based vacations that are very "top notch" but heck I would miss the movement of the ship, the blue seas, oh yes and the BINGO ..... I can't imagine voluntarily giving up cruising.

its not the same thing but the hotel may have a water bed!!

JohnG · July 12, 2008

Country club casual is a significant step up from the casual night dress code Celebrity announced.

On Oceania, women wore dressy casual clothes and even some coctail dresses to dinner. Jackets are not required of men, but there were a few jackets without ties.

jbond · July 13, 2008

Thanks for the nice comments, appreciated. It was our 50th wedding anniversary cruise.

RCI has just started what they term immersion cruises, where the majority of the passengers would be from the country where the ship departs from. Do you think that this will have any impact on the dress code? My experience has been that in Europe and South America, the suggested dress code has been followed more than when in the Caribbean. Any comments?

zebra · July 13, 2008

Personally I think there will be a huge difference in "dress code". For example - casual to Italians, is Jeans, leather boots and leather jackets - not jeans and tennis shoes. The Europeans on a whole dress smart at all times.

agentjoey · July 15, 2008

I think it all goes back to the old days. Some of you may remember when Carnival started way back in 1972 with the Mardi Gras (the sand bar sailing LOL) They were a very relaxed atmosphere with hot dogs and beer. This is what helped the company grow so fast and helped break the face of cruising. As the industry continues to explode and expand so does the way they do business. Do I agree with it? No, I think there are some things that should just be left alone, but I gurantee that you can expect to see changes to accomodate the clientel that the company is trying to attract

JoeyandDavid · July 15, 2008

I got a response from my letter... just simply a rehashed Press release... :thumbdown:

Actually its a fill in the blank response..

Subject: Dress Code
Dear Mr. Brecker,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Shipboard management has advised that approximately 80% of our guests comply with the formal dress guidelines and that only 30% of guests comply with the informal dress guidelines. Up to 30% of guests wear jeans and other "unallowable attire" on casual nights.

As a response, Celebrity Cruises has established a more clearly defined "Smart Casual and Above" casual dress standard as the prevailing evening dress code. We will also retain our formal nights for 1-3 nights per cruise to maintain the traditional elegance of cruising. This policy will eliminate informal night. The ship’s prevailing dress code during all evening hours is “Smart Casual and Above”.

• Smart Casual and Above

– LADIES: Skirt or pants complemented by sweater or blouse.

– GENTLEMEN: Pants or jeans (no holes, rips or tears) with sports shirt or sweater. Shirt must have a collar and sleeves.

– Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops, baseball caps and poolware are not allowed in the main restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip flops are not allowed in the evening hours. Jeans are aloud in the main dining room and no guest will be turned away for wearing them as long as they meet our smart casual dress code attire, however they are strongly discouraged.

• Formal

– LADIES: Cocktail dress, gown or dressy pantsuit is the common dress.

– GENTLEMEN: Tuxedo, dark suit or dinner jacket with dark slacks is the common dress.

Formal Evenings are provided for the enjoyment of our guests and to retain the traditional elegance of formal cruise ship dining. Suitable alternatives such as casual dining, sushi café, pizza/pasta and in-room dining are provided to guests who choose not to participate in formal evening activities. Formal Evening dress code standards will be enforced in the main dining room and specialty restaurants on all formal evenings. Casual dress code standards will be enforced in the main dining and specialty restaurants during all other evening hours. To the best degree possible, guests who are not compliant with the dress code will be addressed in private and in a professional, courteous manner.

Cruise Length Smart Casual and Above Formal

4 Nights 3 Nights 1 Night

5 Nights 4 Nights 1 Night

6 Nights 5 Nights 1 Night

7 Nights 5 Nights 2 Nights

8 Nights 6 Nights 2 Nights

9 Nights 7 Nights 2 Nights

10 Nights 8 Nights 2 Nights

11 Nights 9 Nights 2 Nights

12 or more 9+ Nights 3 Nights

Mr. Brecker, Thank you for choosing Celebrity Cruises.

Vanessa Sells

Customer Service Representative

deb1220 · July 16, 2008

If they really do enforce it - fine - but it's been my experience with the lines I've sailed with - they don't!

sailinglisa · July 16, 2008

I have to agree with Zebra that I love that we here on Crazies can disagree civilly and with a sense of humor. I may not post as much as I used to, but I still read often and love to read about all that is going on with everyone here.

Carnival has now done away with formal nights and are embracing "Elegant Cruising".

I also think that many of us have to fly to our ports of embarkation - and with all the luggage fees and restrictions, more cruises might go more casual. Unless you want to fork over the bucks for first or business class, you might not be able to afford more than one suitcase (less than 50 lbs at that!). It is becoming very hard to meet all the cruise line "requirements" with what the airlines are doing now to survive.

jacketwatch · July 16, 2008

I think this change reflects a change in the times and in the cruise population. Celebrity realized, IMHO that enforcing this old dress code was impractical as the cruise clientele is less formal now and that as its competitors have relaxed their codes they must follow suit. No pun intended. :biggrin: