SEABOURN Dress Codes

[BLONDE MOMENTS]

Seabourn have announced new dress codes :

0-8 days - 0 black tie optional nights

9-13 days - 1 black tie

14-20 days - 2 black tie

21+ days - 3 black tie

 

In effect, Mediterranean cruises are no formal nights as the cruises are combinations of 7 night voyages.

 

Seabourn has always been a cut above the rest - surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people as is already evident in the Christmas / New Year Caribbean cruises.

 

What do you think?

 

Blonde Moments:(

[marchanxiety]

We are booked on the June 3 voyage from Bejing to Kobe. My DH Says it's not worth hauling his tux halfway around the world for only one formal night. I personaly enjoy them, but I understand his point.

 

Terri

[seeborn cruiser]

We very much like the black tie evenings as there is too much of this "casual" dress in higher class venues not only on cruises but also in 5 star hotels. It only leads ultimately to an erosion of standards and it will be a shame if Seabourn goes this way!

[BLONDE MOMENTS]

Hello Terri

 

Men do not necessarily need to wear a Tuxedo - a dark suit and tie is fine. The problem is that this is dumming down - the formal nights will go altogether and the dress code will become more and more sloppy (this is already happening).

 

Blonde Moments

[LaPaloma]

I'm afraid you are right--we have been on many cruises on the smaller ships--Sea Goddess, Seabourn and Silversea--all had formal nights except our last Sea Goddess cruise--this was after Seabourn had purchased Sea Goddess--no formal nights and the dress went from very nice to very bad. We kind of felt that the class of people on board also suffered a little. It was our last Sea Goddess cruise. We are on Seabourn March 25th on the Caribbean--no formal nights--maybe our last Seabourn trip!!! To this date Silversea has held firmly to the more formal dress code! Our last Silversea trip-- Fall of last year--the folks seemed to really enjoy the formal nights. I don't see any change in dress code coming there! It seems that the complaints on the formal nights have gone up since the Odyssey arrived. I wonder if the larger ships attract passengers who are less inclined to want to dress up and have formal nights? It could be the Seabourn will have to face a serious Marketing question in the near future! I wonder if they can satisfy both groups? We are 30 minutes by air fom Las Vegas--if we have to go casual, thats an easy alternative! Don :(

[Cuizer2]

Seabourn have announced new dress codes :

0-8 days - 0 black tie optional nights

9-13 days - 1 black tie

14-20 days - 2 black tie

21+ days - 3 black tie

 

In effect, Mediterranean cruises are no formal nights as the cruises are combinations of 7 night voyages.

 

Seabourn has always been a cut above the rest - surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people as is already evident in the Christmas / New Year Caribbean cruises.

 

What do you think?

 

Blonde Moments:(

 

I don't think you should judge people by the clothing they wear. The clothes do not make the person. You should judge people by their character. It is what is between the ears that count, not what is hanging from their shoulders.

[LaPaloma]

I am the other half of La Paloma...I too am distressed at the change. One segment of the country seems to not want the dressy nights. This is the same area that did not want it on Sea Goddess..and believe me..when they went casual...let's just say that muscle shirts were a preference during the day..and it did not get much better at night..it was the end of a wonderful era that we enjoyed on SG.

 

Thank you for starting this thread Blond Moments.....Dan..I hope that you will see to it that SB is taking notice. Lola :(

[Roxburgh]

Seabourn have announced new dress codes :

0-8 days - 0 black tie optional nights

9-13 days - 1 black tie

14-20 days - 2 black tie

21+ days - 3 black tie

 

In effect, Mediterranean cruises are no formal nights as the cruises are combinations of 7 night voyages.

 

Seabourn has always been a cut above the rest - surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people as is already evident in the Christmas / New Year Caribbean cruises.

 

What do you think?

 

Blonde Moments:(

 

I don't think your comment re: Mediterranean cruises is quite accurate. We are booked on Sojourn for 23 days next October and I am pretty sure this is a combo of a 14 day and a 9 day cruise.

 

In any event, I shall take my Tux. :cool:

[freddie]

"...surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people..."

 

"It only leads ultimately to an erosion of standards..."

 

"The problem is that this is dumming down.." (One may charitably assume that Blonde Moments meant to write "dumbing down".)

 

"We kind of felt that the class of people on board also suffered a little."

 

The "wrong sort of people" or "the class of people on board"? Is that a prevailing mindset amongst SB regulars?

 

While I am well aware of the high degree of passion that exists regarding dress codes (having been excoriated repeatedly on the Regent board for my championing of an elegant casual dress code on that line), I find myself wondering whether our decision to add SB to our small group of preferred lines (Regent and Silversea) was wise. As our Asia cruise on SB will be well more than 8 days, we will be schlepping our dressy duds along in any event (which we would prefer not to do in view of our subsequent land trip in India). Thus, this change in SB's dress code will not alter our luggage issues one way or the other.

 

However, the implication of snobbery or elitism in the posts quoted above is indeed troubling. Is it the case that in order to become a genuine Seabourner one must adopt a "born to the purple" attitude even if one wasn't so born? If so, I entirely agree that SB will have major problems filling its new ships or even keeping the triplets sailing.

 

Cheers, Fred

[the_dylaness]

I haven't yet sailed on Seabourn, but I do say I am sorry to hear that my upcoming 7-nighter will have no formal nights. Due to work constraints, my cruises are usually one week in length and I always really look forward to dressing up. I certainly wasn't "born to the purple" by any standard, but that doesn't mean that I don't like to see everyone (including myself) dressed in an elegant and upscale manner far from what most of us ever get to do in our everyday life. I have no delusions of grandeur--- I know that in essence, I'm playing "dress up" for the night, as my career hardly calls for sequins at any time, but what fun it is!

[Sweetpea711423]

I am very saddened to hear of this change in Seabourn's dress policy. One of the main reasons that my husband and I enjoy cruises is the chance to dress up. We have historically sailed with Silversea but have been looking for a Seabourn cruise to try. I'm afraid this will likely change our minds, and we will stick with Silversea. Too bad -- I was looking forward to giving Seabourn a try.

[seapenarth]

Seabourn have announced new dress codes :

0-8 days - 0 black tie optional nights

9-13 days - 1 black tie

14-20 days - 2 black tie

21+ days - 3 black tie

 

In effect, Mediterranean cruises are no formal nights as the cruises are combinations of 7 night voyages.

 

Seabourn has always been a cut above the rest - surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people as is already evident in the Christmas / New Year Caribbean cruises.

 

What do you think?

 

Blonde Moments:(

 

I trust if the bulk of Med cruises will have no formal nights that the Elegant/Casual dress codes will be strictly applied

[lincslady]

I trust if the bulk of Med cruises will have no formal nights that the Elegant/Casual dress codes will be strictly applied

 

I agree. It is a bit of a nuisance to take a tux or dark suit on a 7 night cruise. However, what is more important to me is that when you are on board the dress rules are exactly what they say in your preliminary documents - if they say four formal they mean it - and ideally that they also quote how many elegant and how many casual nights. I have been caught out by having too many casual and not enough 'elegant casual' in the past.

[lord of the seas]

Seabourn are trying to attract a newer,younger crowd on it's new ships and that's not a bad thing for a business,as the old guests fall off the perch eventually.

I do like to dress for dinner and always have done so, on land or at sea.

I think that Seabourn look hard at filling the yachts and it will get even harder once they have six vessels to fill.

It might not be a bad idea to keep the smaller yachts with a more strict dress code and the newer more trendy,younger feel yachts with a cooler, dress down image.

That's what I would do if it were my business.

Happy sailors all round ?

[seapenarth]

Seabourn have announced new dress codes :

0-8 days - 0 black tie optional nights

9-13 days - 1 black tie

14-20 days - 2 black tie

21+ days - 3 black tie

 

In effect, Mediterranean cruises are no formal nights as the cruises are combinations of 7 night voyages.

 

Seabourn has always been a cut above the rest - surely this is going to attract the wrong sort of people as is already evident in the Christmas / New Year Caribbean cruises.

 

What do you think?

 

Blonde Moments:(

 

How and where did they announce these dress code changes ???

[lord of the seas]

How and where did they announce these dress code changes ???

 

Thanks David,I forgot to ask this as I have not seen it anywhere.

[LaPaloma]

Seabourn are trying to attract a newer,younger crowd on it's new ships and that's not a bad thing for a business,as the old guests fall off the perch eventually.

I do like to dress for dinner and always have done so, on land or at sea.

I think that Seabourn look hard at filling the yachts and it will get even harder once they have six vessels to fill.

It might not be a bad idea to keep the smaller yachts with a more strict dress code and the newer more trendy,younger feel yachts with a cooler, dress down image.

That's what I would do if it were my business.

Happy sailors all round ?

 

I think you have a valid point business wise. I also like your suggestion that the casual set might enjoy the larger ships..and the smaller cater to those who enjoy a little elegance. To the person who mentioned snobbery, I have really not seen that. I do not consider it snobbery to be offended by sloppy attire. Lola

[JaneBP]

>"...as the old guests fall off the perch eventually."

 

It's all that flailing about that does it.

[ltsally]

Right on, Jane! (I was caught, and smiled, at that 'perch' line as well.)

 

Trust me, Fred - snobbery is the very last thing you will find exhibited by SB pax. But a few nights of 'dressing up' - and seeing every one else looking so fine -is very much part of the appeal of a cruise for us. And many others, as well - judging by past degree of participation we have seen.

 

I know it is a pain and a schlep to haul around a tux and ladies' finery, esp in this age of ever-tightening luggage weights etc. But spouse and I lead an extremely casual, and for the most part rural, life. And the getting gussied up part of our cruises really is part of what makes them such a special experience.

 

So I am among those who strongly lament this change. And I think Lord's suggestion is spot-on.

[freddie]

Itsally - Thanks for your words of comfort regarding the lack of snobbery on SB. We had not expected an elitest attitude amongst SB pax and were a bit shocked by the references to the "wrong sort of people". It certainly was not my intention to suggest that people who like to dress up on formal nights are snobbish or that it is snobbish to object to sloppy or inappropriate attire. We chose SB for the Asia cruise in full knowledge of the formal dress code and will absolutely be packing appropriate clothes to comply with that code, as we have on our Regent and Silversea cruises. While we are pleased that Regent has gone to an elegant casual dress code, as SeaDream has had for some time, we will not hesitate to choose SB or Silversea for the right itinerary, irrespective of the more formal dress codes on those two lines. Cheers, Fred

[curiousx]

Add my crew to those who enjoy the Seabourn formal evenings and do not find it too difficult to bring the extra finery required.

[marchanxiety]

I think I contributed to this discussion by saying that my DH does not want to schlep his formal gear halfway around the world for one night. We want to make it clear that for this eight night cruise he would be happy to bring it all along for two formal nights. There are three sea days on the cruise--why only one formal night? And that is probably on the first full day out, which is not sea day!

[lord of the seas]

I think I contributed to this discussion by saying that my DH does not want to schlep his formal gear halfway around the world for one night. We want to make it clear that for this eight night cruise he would be happy to bring it all along for two formal nights. There are three sea days on the cruise--why only one formal night? And that is probably on the first full day out, which is not sea day!

 

Your Husband can wear his formal attire more than once.The formal night should be the first sea day but some sailors wear it again on Seabourn club reception evening also.

What is the difference in bringing a dark suit instead for the formal evening, they weigh the same.If he does not bring even a suit then you will have to miss a wonderful evening in the main dining room.

[curiousx]

Would it be too much trouble for Seabourn to poll passengers on a given cruise to find out whether they want formal evenings. The response could be used to gauge how many formal evenings (if any) the majority prefer, and they could govern themselves accordingly. It needn't be such a simple thing as 'majority rules'. For example, if returning PAX want the formal nights and newbies don't, there might be a message to management that PAX appreciation of the formal nights comes with time. The polling could be done via the on-line guest registration form.

 

Just a thought.

[Martita B.]

Most all salty seadog Seabournites will always dress according to the Herald's daily dress code ~~

I feel it's just as easy to pack a few formals as it is to pack informals. I started taking lighter weight evening clothing last year and easy mixing/matching makes it a snap!

We'll enjoy 3 formal evenings on the Spirit spring TA Crossing ~with another formal party I'm hosting ~~I look forward to the festive occasions.

MB