Required vs Recommended

[Orator]

...or the woman.

 

Yes, or the woman.

[celtic selkie]

Too funny. For years and years this silliness has been going on and will never stop. Why anyone would want to show up looking like the Beverley Hillbillies on formal night is beyond me. But hey; they have paid for this damn cruise and damn if anyone is going to stop them from claiming their unailiable rights to look like knuckleheads.

 

celtic

 

I think I might have spelled unailiable wrong. Looks strange.

[3littlepigs]

I haven't seen a post here that suggests people want to dress inappropriately, I understood the question was whether to pack formal attire, very different question.

 

There are plenty of formal night options that suit both dresser uppers and the more relaxed cruisers pretty sure once on board everybody dines happily.

[swedish weave]

Why not skip the "dress code" nonsense and simply dress neatly? Find the Maitre D ahead of meal time and ask if your attire will be acceptable in the MDR on Formal night.

 

The answer may surprise you and will allow you to eliminate the confusion caused by the responses you receive on CC.

[Ma Bell]

Oh! Dear! Ma Bell sorry to upset your evening!

 

Another example of cross-cultural confusion I fear. Our Antipodean sense of humour is VERY different to that of the US and confusion often occurs.

 

I was in no way suggesting smuggling "booze" on board but rather collecting some lovely wines to take home, we have some wonderful vineyards here and its a wonderful souvenir to share with friends after your trip.

 

 

When flying into Australian and NZ ports most airlines do not give you the luggage allowance of 2 suitcases you are used to in the US, but rather 20kg total, which roughly equates to one medium/largish bag. They are quite strict with it, check with your airline before you fly.

 

When I say we are relaxed, I also mean in attitude to others, as I mentioned before we are more interested in Substance over Form, Judgemental we are not! We won't judge you on your appearance or choice of dress we are only interested in the person themselves.

 

Dress as you please, I never suggested anyone do anything else, but also respect our choices and that different parts of the world have different ways of doing things, its all part of the fun of travelling!

 

I will say once more that my remark was not in response to anything you said and was a joke for those who have read too many of these discussions. Try to relax and don't be so judgmental.;)

[Kevnzworld]

I agree, I think formal attire became a "fun" thing to do on a cruise. To us, it wasn't about being classy, or good manner, I felt it was more like a kids in costume party or high school students going to a prom, cause majority of us don't usually have a chance to wear something formal like a tux or evening dress in our daily life.

However, packing them is a pain. I'd only bring them if I depart from my homeport, if I have to fly anywhere to cruise, I wouldn't bother to pack them. The bummer is probably going to miss few meals in the MDR. I mean I probably still could by not dressing up like a total slob, but I don't want to look like an ass while other people in their formal attire lol.

 

It s like a holloween costume party...so for those that don't want to participate, no problem, there are numerous other venues for you to dine at on those nights.

And missing a few meals in the MDR? you aren't missing anything ( trust me )

Why do some people think it doesn't matter if they ignore the dress code? Why do they think it's their " right " to be a party pooper? There are numerous places to eat dinner on the couple of formal nights if you don't want to participate . No worries! Just don't be the "screw the rest of you, i can do what i want, because i want to " guy and crash the party in your jeans and dress shirt. It's disrespectful, rude and classless.

[3littlepigs]

Apology accepted Ma Bell, we obviously have very different perceptions of humour, you really can't blame me for feeling the comment was directed at me when it directly addressed my post.

 

 

The horror of it all. A tie and jacket take up soooo much space in the suitcase there might not be room for the smuggled booze and travel iron.

 

 

Perhaps next time the "joke" could be prefaced with some of these little cuties;););) to avoid any confusion, save a lot of justification and backpeddling later.

[swedish weave]

It s like a holloween costume party...so for those that don't want to participate, no problem, there are numerous other venues for you to dine at on those nights.

And missing a few meals in the MDR? you aren't missing anything ( trust me )

Why do some people think it doesn't matter if they ignore the dress code? Why do they think it's their " right " to be a party pooper? There are numerous places to eat dinner on the couple of formal nights if you don't want to participate . No worries! Just don't be the "screw the rest of you, i can do what i want, because i want to " guy and crash the party in your jeans and dress shirt. It's disrespectful, rude and classless.

 

I don't believe it is possible to "crash the party" in the MDR.

 

The cruise line representative at the door determines who will be seated and who will be rejected. If he/she allows you to be seated, they have determined that you are clad in the proper attire.

[Bridge Maven]

When I started this thread it was not my intent to have it turn into the typical dress code debate. It was to show the wording that another cruise line uses, and I think that if Celebrity used similar wording there would be less confusion.

[Orator]

When I started this thread it was not my intent to have it turn into the typical dress code debate. It was to show the wording that another cruise line uses, and I think that if Celebrity used similar wording there would be less confusion.

 

As you well know most threads take on a life of their own. An OP might simply asked an easy "yes", "no" question which is answered quickly and correctly and then someone says something that causes others to react. We never really know when we hit someones "hot button". The only read way to end a thread is to stop responding which I intend to do now.

[Ma Bell]

Apology accepted Ma Bell, we obviously have very different perceptions of humour, you really can't blame me for feeling the comment was directed at me when it directly addressed my post.

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps next time the "joke" could be prefaced with some of these little cuties;););) to avoid any confusion, save a lot of justification and backpeddling later.

 

How in the world did it directly address your post? It was a general comment about people not having room in their suitcase. I'm not aware that you said anything about smuggling booze or travel irons. You mentioned something about taking wine home after a cruise, which, by the way doesn't need to be smuggled on in the beginning of a cruise because two bottles are allowed.

 

In response to another poster,"Terry", I said we can find wines from around the world at home now so wouldn't want to chance breakage in my suitcase.

 

For someone who claims to be relaxed you really have your knickers in a knot.:eek:

[HillCountryGal]

It s like a holloween costume party...so for those that don't want to participate, no problem, there are numerous other venues for you to dine at on those nights.

And missing a few meals in the MDR? you aren't missing anything ( trust me )

Why do some people think it doesn't matter if they ignore the dress code? Why do they think it's their " right " to be a party pooper? There are numerous places to eat dinner on the couple of formal nights if you don't want to participate . No worries! Just don't be the "screw the rest of you, i can do what i want, because i want to " guy and crash the party in your jeans and dress shirt. It's disrespectful, rude and classless.

 

Thank you -

My 2 cents - we pay a good amount to cruise on Celebrity - Not Royal Caribbean or Carnival, and we enjoy formal night - We are a military family, and I love it when my husband can wear his uniform (mess dress) that we (his family) sacrifice dearly to wear. I probably (assuredly) love it more than he does - ;) (the whole man in uniform thing)

We enjoy smart casual, and living overseas we can pick any American out of a crowd. Most Europeans dress for dinner - maybe not tux, but believe me a casual dinner out in Italy includes a collar. For us dressing for dinner is a cultural courtesy and now a habit but for this part of the world not an antiquated ideal.

Why in the world would you book a cruise and eat in the MDR on formal night if you don't like these things? Sure you have been on a million cruises and can't stand formal night - be like Tom who respects those who do and eat someplace else - You know we haven't been on many cruises and we like it - why downplay our fun when there are other options available? This is a treat for us... Don't like it - don't play -

[Ma Bell]

With all the debates about whether the dress code for formal nights are required or recommended, I found this wording from another cruise line to be interesting:

 

"These requirements are not mandatory; however, in order to re-create a classic and memorable dining experience for you and all our Guests, we recommend the attire schedule that is planned for your cruise."

 

This was your original post and certainly couldn't have been expected to start a discussion about dress codes.:rolleyes:

[Bridge Maven]

As you well know most threads take on a life of their own. An OP might simply asked an easy "yes", "no" question which is answered quickly and correctly and then someone says something that causes others to react. We never really know when we hit someones "hot button". The only read way to end a thread is to stop responding which I intend to do now.

 

Orator - I agree with you. In addition, the only way to stop inflammatory posts is to ignore them, which I am trying harder to do.

[DC2OC]

When I started this thread it was not my intent to have it turn into the typical dress code debate. It was to show the wording that another cruise line uses, and I think that if Celebrity used similar wording there would be less confusion.

You can't possibly be surprised:D

[KiwiAtSea]

It s like a holloween costume party...so for those that don't want to participate, no problem, there are numerous other venues for you to dine at on those nights.

And missing a few meals in the MDR? you aren't missing anything ( trust me )

Why do some people think it doesn't matter if they ignore the dress code? Why do they think it's their " right " to be a party pooper? There are numerous places to eat dinner on the couple of formal nights if you don't want to participate . No worries! Just don't be the "screw the rest of you, i can do what i want, because i want to " guy and crash the party in your jeans and dress shirt. It's disrespectful, rude and classless.

 

Agreed. Well said!

[Wasasalad]

I too only worry about myself! Formal has a different definition to many people!

What is worse, a size 18 in a size 6 ball gown or a size 18 in a simple long black skirt with a dressy top? I would rather see people dress appropriate to their body shape and age!

What difference does it make if people dress in their idea of formal? Some people live in very informal areas of the world! Their formal may be some ones work clothes! I am a beach person and live in a beach resort area. Our exclusive areas mostly require shoes and shirts, yes resort casual!

A relative in the mid west only wears semi formal outfits to her office job. She comes here and is shocked at how lax we are in the way we dress!

 

People are on vacation. Be comfortable, be happy and enjoy!

 

Life is too short to worry about others formal wear!

 

Oh, nothing worse than a table full of ball gowns and tuxes that wear some sort of "Evening in Paris Perfume" that permeates the entire venue. Then by the end of the meal they are all drunk, loud and very disruptive! But they are in formal attire so that is ok?

 

 

 

Oh good heavens, proper manners and good taste? I'm not ever going to judge anyone's manners or good taste. I'll worry about myself, not others.

[Ma Bell]

It has nothing to do with what each passenger considers formal. Celebrity describes "their" dress code which includes a fairly large range of clothing. It's really a very simple proposition and most people do as requested or those that don't care to dress up are polite and choose another venue.

 

There are very few that don't comply. I think most of them must be posting on these boards because there aren't many on board and it's not ever a topic of discussion once there.

[C 2 C]

You can't possibly be surprised:D

 

 

Anyone who is a regular on these boards knows that any reference to "the Code" is similar to throwing down the gauntlet. It is amazing how quickly any OP's comment, observation or question concerning this topic will draw comments that bear no resemblance to the thread topic.

 

Just "Round up all the usual suspects" and let the duel(s) begin. ;)

[Wasasalad]

People are on vacation. Be comfortable, be happy and enjoy!

 

Life is too short to worry about others formal wear!

 

Oh, nothing worse than a table full of ball gowns and tuxes that wear some sort of "Evening in Paris Perfume" that permeates the entire venue. Then by the end of the meal they are all drunk, loud and very disruptive! But they are in formal attire so that is ok?

[ORV]

It should be pointed out that Celebrity's wording below from their dress code section is completely unequivocal.

 

"As a courtesy to our guests, we respectfully require and enforce compliance with dress code at the entrance of your restaurant of choice."

 

No suggestion, no recommendation, they "require".

[Orator]

People are on vacation. Be comfortable, be happy and enjoy!

 

Life is too short to worry about others formal wear!

 

Oh, nothing worse than a table full of ball gowns and tuxes that wear some sort of "Evening in Paris Perfume" that permeates the entire venue. Then by the end of the meal they are all drunk, loud and very disruptive! But they are in formal attire so that is ok?

 

A table comprised of people who looked like me dining sans clothing would be much worse than ball gowns and tuxes. What the heck, life's short and I want to be comfortable and enjoy my vacation, no matter how it affects others. On second thought, I'll rent the darn tux.

[Peteymil]

"As a courtesy to our guests, we respectfully require and enforce compliance with dress code at the entrance of your restaurant of choice."

 

.

 

If they really enforced it regularly, it would make a big difference.

[3littlepigs]

My knickers fit just fine, sorry they aren't formal though, I prefer comfortable and well fitted.

 

 

Since this seems to have degenerated into silly comments with no added value...

 

I rest my case.

 

Enjoy your cruises everyone, whether you decide to go formal in the MDR, or smart casual elsewhere.

 

 

:D;):D;):D;)

[dkjretired]

I too only worry about myself! Formal has a different definition to many people!

What is worse, a size 18 in a size 6 ball gown or a size 18 in a simple long black skirt with a dressy top? I would rather see people dress appropriate to their body shape and age!

What difference does it make if people dress in their idea of formal? Some people live in very informal areas of the world! Their formal may be some ones work clothes! I am a beach person and live in a beach resort area. Our exclusive areas mostly require shoes and shirts, yes resort casual!

A relative in the mid west only wears semi formal outfits to her office job. She comes here and is shocked at how lax we are in the way we dress!

 

People are on vacation. Be comfortable, be happy and enjoy!

 

Life is too short to worry about others formal wear!

 

Oh, nothing worse than a table full of ball gowns and tuxes that wear some sort of "Evening in Paris Perfume" that permeates the entire venue. Then by the end of the meal they are all drunk, loud and very disruptive! But they are in formal attire so that is ok?

 

I would suggest you go back and read this thread. As usual, you will find that most people on this thread are just answering a question posed by the OP. Has nothing to do with be comfortable, be happy and enjoy or life is too short crap. It has everything to do with being courteous and helpful to the OP.