Dress Code

[MrCheeky]

My wife and I are taking our first Seabourn cruise. Is a jacket required for the Grill by Thomas Keller? I'm assuming so but want to clarify.

[eliana]

On our last Seabourn cruise jackets were not required anywhere. Dress code was always smart casual.

[notjaded]

My wife and I are taking our first Seabourn cruise. Is a jacket required for the Grill by Thomas Keller? I'm assuming so but want to clarify.

 

Not required, but worn by many.

[SLSD]

My husband wore a jacket every night to dinner--no matter the venue.

[Chairsin]

It is only required in the Grill on formal optional nights.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Nashna]

Formal night was last night on the Odyssey. 1/3 of the men were in white dinner jackets or tux, 1/3 were in dark suits, 1/3 were in sports jackets w/we tie and two men were just in shirts and long pants. My husband was in the sports jacket group. He felt just fine. However, next time I think he will go for the middle ground and wear his dark suit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[notjaded]

Formal night was last night on the Odyssey. 1/3 of the men were in white dinner jackets or tux, 1/3 were in dark suits, 1/3 were in sports jackets w/we tie and two men were just in shirts and long pants. My husband was in the sports jacket group. He felt just fine. However, next time I think he will go for the middle ground and wear his dark suit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Perhaps you were speaking about the percentage of men in the main dining room? Surely there were plenty in the Colonnade and Patio Grill without jackets?

[Nashna]

It was in the dining room. However, the percentages were almost the same for the show. However, there were a few men wearing casual shirts and pants in the room.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[jenidallas]

Perhaps you were speaking about the percentage of men in the main dining room? Surely there were plenty in the Colonnade and Patio Grill without jackets?

 

The Patio Grill was closed on Odyssey on our formal night on the sailing before ( New Year’s Eve). That said, I don’t recall seeing more than about 25% of the men in tuxedos. My partner wore a dark suit. I will say that the New Year’s holiday cruise crowd was the most casually dressed I’d ever seen on Seabourn but also chock full of first timers.

[wripro]

The Patio Grill was closed on Odyssey on our formal night on the sailing before ( New Year’s Eve). That said, I don’t recall seeing more than about 25% of the men in tuxedos. My partner wore a dark suit. I will say that the New Year’s holiday cruise crowd was the most casually dressed I’d ever seen on Seabourn but also chock full of first timers.

 

First timers is a huge part of the demographic SB is going after and these people do not care about formal wear so we will see fewer and fewer tuxedoes as time goes on.

[jenidallas]

First timers is a huge part of the demographic SB is going after and these people do not care about formal wear so we will see fewer and fewer tuxedoes as time goes on.

 

So true. Some of them also don’t care about decorum. While 80% of our ship’s pax were the Seabourn norm, I’d say the other 20% were an interesting hodgepodge that reminded me more of the Suites/Haven crew on NCL. One of my favorite lines of the week, apparently repeated to several different passengers by a boorish pig of a man was “I’m very rich” (a very specific response to a general question of “where are you from”). We identified a handful of people we actively tried to avoid as much as possible. Alas, most seemed positively enamored with Seabourn so I’m afraid they'll be back.

[SLSD]

Jenidallas, your description of the passengers sounds a bit dire! Hopefully future passengers will not be like that boor. We encountered a passenger on our cruise who exhibited shockingly bad behavior (in terms of how he treated others) and I am hopeful we will never see another like him!

 

On the subject of dress code. I think passengers probably like to dress as they do in their usual lives. Like you, we live in Dallas and my husband being a lawyer and used to a certain amount of decorum, wears at least a sports coat to most any restaurant we go to. Sometimes I sigh (when its a burger place) but he knows who he is (if that makes any sense at all) and feels comfortable in a sports coat! I rather like the idea of at least a sports coat and more favorably a dark suit or tux for formal night. My husband has both of course but chose to take his dark suit on our cruise as our TA said that on Seabourn the dark suits were being worn more and more.

[wripro]

Jenidallas, your description of the passengers sounds a bit dire! Hopefully future passengers will not be like that boor. We encountered a passenger on our cruise who exhibited shockingly bad behavior (in terms of how he treated others) and I am hopeful we will never see another like him!

 

On the subject of dress code. I think passengers probably like to dress as they do in their usual lives. Like you, we live in Dallas and my husband being a lawyer and used to a certain amount of decorum, wears at least a sports coat to most any restaurant we go to. Sometimes I sigh (when its a burger place) but he knows who he is (if that makes any sense at all) and feels comfortable in a sports coat! I rather like the idea of at least a sports coat and more favorably a dark suit or tux for formal night. My husband has both of course but chose to take his dark suit on our cruise as our TA said that on Seabourn the dark suits were being worn more and more.

 

Your husband knows who he is and wears a sports coat whenever he dines out. Other people know who they are too and should dress as they like. As long as there is no violation of the dress code as Seabourn states it.

[SLSD]

Exactly wripro. I totally agree. As long as they adhere to the dress code.

[T&C Fulham]

First timers is a huge part of the demographic SB is going after and these people do not care about formal wear so we will see fewer and fewer tuxedoes as time goes on.

 

This is because the marketing office produce brochures depicting smart sophisticated passengers but now seem to target the 'eat and drink all you can' brigade. I say that based on my observation of our last Seabourn trip where the number of obese passengers pushing themselves around on wheeled zimmer frames was worrying.

 

It is far easier to sell to the unsophisticated than to the discerning so the marketers do it.

 

Tony

[lincslady]

I am surprised to read about the obese in zimmer frames - not anything I have seen on my many Seabourn cruises.

 

Nowadays people who are well educated and hold down interesting and well paid jobs usually either wear more formal clothes to work and like to dress down on holiday, or in many cases wear casual clothes all the time. We have certainly come across many like this recently on cruises; they seem to me to be the new 'demographic', mostly under 50 or so, and maybe we have been lucky not to come across the type of 'great unwashed' and those who simply want as much to eat and drink as possible. I do hope this remains the case. And all seem willing to wear at least a well tailored jacket on formal optional evenings.

[wripro]

First timers is a huge part of the demographic SB is going after and these people do not care about formal wear so we will see fewer and fewer tuxedoes as time goes on.

 

This is because the marketing office produce brochures depicting smart sophisticated passengers but now seem to target the 'eat and drink all you can' brigade. I say that based on my observation of our last Seabourn trip where the number of obese passengers pushing themselves around on wheeled zimmer frames was worrying.

 

It is far easier to sell to the unsophisticated than to the discerning so the marketers do it.

 

Tony

 

Unsophisticated is in the eye of the beholder!

[T&C Fulham]

Unsophisticated is in the eye of the beholder!

 

Not so. Pick any dictionary you like. This came top of Google.

 

"having, revealing, or involving a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture."

 

Nothing to do with the eye of the beholder.

 

Tony

[Chairsin]

Might that be the definition of “sophisticated” you referenced instead of “unsophisticated” ?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[SLSD]

I understood what the definition was for. I think all of us did. I think we need to chill in our descriptions of our fellow passengers. It just doesn't seem right to judge others on a basis for which we have no knowledge. I do understand sophistication and agree with the definition.

[wripro]

Unsophisticated is in the eye of the beholder!

 

Not so. Pick any dictionary you like. This came top of Google.

 

"having, revealing, or involving a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture."

 

Nothing to do with the eye of the beholder.

 

Tony

 

You couldn't be more wrong. "Worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture" can be demonstrated in many different manners of dress. Fashion and culture are expressed differently all across the globe. The problem on these boards is that many want others to adhere to their interpretation of what is correct. To quote a very current phrase on an entirely different subject: TIME IS UP!!!!!

[T&C Fulham]

The problem on these boards is that many want others to adhere to their interpretation of what is correct

 

I love your complaint. One has to smile!

 

Have a good week.

 

Tony

[JPH814]

The problem on these boards is that many want others to adhere to their interpretation of what is correct

 

 

 

I love your complaint. One has to smile!

 

 

 

Have a good week.

 

 

 

Tony

 

 

 

And some want others to adhere to the policy put forth by the cruise line.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Bestie098]

As a first timer and in our 30’s, we are travelling hand-carry as well as throughout Spain, Italy and France so for our cruise, we cannot pack extensively. As hard working professionals we’re not rich!

 

So to comment as a younger virgin cruiser, the gentleman will pack a navy sports jacket, tie (for formal nights) and matching brown belt and dress boots. It is not possible to pack multiple changes on carry-on baggage. The lady will have dresses suitable but will not pack a ball gown. I hope that is ok. We love dressing up, but black or white tie just isn’t possible.

 

I respect the Seabourn dress code and the environment I am in and hope confirming to the above will be acceptable. We will also dress similarly at the restaurants and hotels we’re booked into. Having witnessed American self-entitled behaviour on previous holidays we were hoping to avoid that on Seabourn.

 

Those comfortable in a tux and ball gown will look glam. We also love dressing up but practicality aside, it’s not something we’d wear in the heat of a Spanish Summer. To each their own. And that those who have to proclaim they are very rich may just be compensating for other areas but if they don’t make it my business, I will happily avoid their problems.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Bestie098

[lincslady]

Well said, bestie. The only important thing is to conform to the basic Seabourn code, as the previous poster said.:)