"Formal Nights" a thing of the past?

[wantondisregard]

Hi all!

 

We're about to venture on our first cruise with X on the Equinox on 6/15. The wife wants to know if there are still "formal nights" or is that a thing of the past?!

 

I remembered reading something about "Evening Chic" attire, but want to get a feel from you guys to see what the general consensus is.

 

Thank you!

[Alakegirl]

Read the Celebrty website and you will see that they leave it open...be formal if you wish, many people dress to the nines, others not so much

[davekathy]

22 minutes ago, wantondisregard said:

Hi all!

 

We're about to venture on our first cruise with X on the Equinox on 6/15. The wife wants to know if there are still "formal nights" or is that a thing of the past?!

 

I remembered reading something about "Evening Chic" attire, but want to get a feel from you guys to see what the general consensus is.

 

Thank you!

Here's Celebrity's dining evening dress guidelines.  Pick and choose accordingly. Can't go wrong. We like the options. 

 

What is the onboard dress code?

A.

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress
• Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

Edited May 22, 2019 by davekathy

[killsport]

To add some practical content (along with the valuable info posted above), you can dress up as much or (mostly) as little as you'd like. Since you'll be in the Caribbean in the summer for a 7 day, I expect it will be less formal than if you were in a cool climate with a 13 day.

In the past, I've worn everything from slacks and a button down shirt to a tuxedo. My wife has worn dressy slacks and a blouse up to a gown.

So, if you like to get dressy, do it! If you prefer to pack less and go chic, do it!

Have fun!

[CardRock]

1 hour ago, wantondisregard said:

Hi all!

 

We're about to venture on our first cruise with X on the Equinox on 6/15. The wife wants to know if there are still "formal nights" or is that a thing of the past?!

 

I remembered reading something about "Evening Chic" attire, but want to get a feel from you guys to see what the general consensus is.

 

Thank you!

 We are on your same cruise...I am not going formal, but I will be in coat & tie on the 2 evening chic nights (1 night in a bow tie with coordinating pocket square), and the DW will be in dresses. 

[citronella]

Since it looks like the Gratuities thread was pulled, the next best move is the Formal Nights thread. Let’s keep things lively here !

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Here's Celebrity's dining evening dress guidelines.  Pick and choose accordingly. Can't go wrong. We like the options. 

 

What is the onboard dress code?

A.

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress
• Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

 

Keep in mind that the dress code only applies to the Main Dining Room, not the Specialty Restaurants, Blu or Luminae, in the theater they do not enforce it even though its indicated in the web site. Many eating in those areas do dress up better however. 

Edited May 22, 2019 by dkjretired

[wpgcycler]

Is it a contest? Last month it got up to 186 replies...

 

Is Formal Night a thing of the past?

 

 

 

[Cruizen Susan]

I am happy to hear that some here still dress in the evenings.   No matter how I try,  I am unable to go casual for dinner.  Certainly not formal,  but love my maxi-dresses and bling accessories.  Most times DH wears a nice shirt and khakis.  Occasional sports jacket and tie.  Or not.  No more packing his tux.  I see a mix throughout the ship, from VERY casual folks who eat dinner in the buffet to lovely dinner outfits with lots of sparkle.  The ladies seem to set the tone   more so than the men.  But love those casual Tommy Bahama shirts too!!

[keithm]

On ‎5‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 3:29 PM, wantondisregard said:

Hi all!

 

We're about to venture on our first cruise with X on the Equinox on 6/15. The wife wants to know if there are still "formal nights" or is that a thing of the past?!

 

I remembered reading something about "Evening Chic" attire, but want to get a feel from you guys to see what the general consensus is.

 

Thank you!

It's pretty much what they call smart casual: Slacks & button down shirt. No shorts except in the buffet. "Chic" night is everything from ball gowns & Tuxes down to generally "nicer shirts & slacks" (no jeans) Some will dress to the nines some will see how poorly they can dress & get away with it. Just pick your choice. Also view cruises on Youtube to get another perspective. Generally the shorter the trip, the more casual The longer the more pax tend to dress up. Likely due to generational tastes.

Edited May 23, 2019 by keithm
additions

[Luvcrusn]

What was Formal Night is now Evening Chic. The guidelines are loose and allow for personal interpretation and taste, and are applicable to the MDR only. Luminae and Blu are Smart Casual every night. davekathy posted the guidelines and you'll see a bit of everything. I've seen no correlation between the degree of "dressing up" and length of cruise and we've done 7-19 days. Do whatever fits the guidelines and is acceptable to you and your travelling partner and you'll be sure to see others dressed similar to you, dressed up more and dressed up less. Have a wonderful cruise. Choice is wonderful!

[George C]

I believe the answer is yes , in is a thing of the past. Some people do dress formally on chic nights most do not . I am a long time cruiser , in 70’s people had suite and tie every night, relaxed some in 80’s now shorts are common. I retired my tux two years ago, now I wear jacket and no tie on formal or chic nights. 

[davekathy]

50 minutes ago, keithm said:

It's pretty much what they call smart casual: Slacks & button down shirt. No shorts except in the buffet. "Chic" night is everything from ball gowns & Tuxes down to generally "nicer shirts & slacks" (no jeans) Some will dress to the nines some will see how poorly they can dress & get away with it. Just pick your choice. Also view cruises on Youtube to get another perspective. Generally the shorter the trip, the more casual The longer the more pax tend to dress up. Likely due to generational tastes.

Swing and a miss. Your interpretation is not the same as Celebrity's published definition of evening chic. 

[George C]

There were no dress code enforcement on my infinity cruise in March saw a man in cutoff shorts and a baseball cap turned backwards in mdr, miss the old days that would not let him enter. Rccl and celebrity seem to just have suggestions.

[WestLakeGirl]

We have seen men dressed like that turned away from the MDR.  Perhaps he was simpky missed by the doorkeepers

[George C]

41 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

We have seen men dressed like that turned away from the MDR.  Perhaps he was simpky missed by the doorkeepers

Nope , I really couldn’t believe they would let him , so I asked the girl at entrance to mdr about it and she said they were not allowed to turn people away, seemed 98 percent people dressed correctly, which is a lot better than my recent rccl cruises were clown outfits seemed to be allowed. We were n luminae where most people dressed fine , but no formal. 

[jerseyjohn]

This is 2019. Although I would rather see it else wise, you ask about "formal" you will be happy to see a polo and jeans on some.

[clskinsfan]

We saw everything you could imagine on "Chic" night. From Tux's to jeans. And no one batted an eye for either one. The one thing I took away from our first Celebrity cruise is no one cares what you are wearing. If you like to dress up do so. If you dont then dont. Just dont plan on wearing shorts and T shirts and you will be fine.

[yorky]

The answer is yes

[IrvSp]

For me. the only reason to go 'suit and tie' is the nights they take formal pictures and we wanted more pictures, otherwise it is casual. Even then, sometimes we'll have pictures taken.

[Cruise a holic]

On 5/22/2019 at 3:29 PM, wantondisregard said:

Hi all!

 

We're about to venture on our first cruise with X on the Equinox on 6/15. The wife wants to know if there are still "formal nights" or is that a thing of the past?!

 

I remembered reading something about "Evening Chic" attire, but want to get a feel from you guys to see what the general consensus is.

 

Thank you!

We have been on at least 6 cruises since the "official" formal nights were removed and chic nights replaced.  Really almost the same.  Many people dress up in what was previously formal attire- however less long gowns, replaced by short cocktail dresses and fancy pants suits on ladies, more suits and sports coats on men, less tux.  And some people who didn't read the memo don't dress up at all and look like they are going to a back yard barbecue.

 

The posted dress code is country club attire, but not everyone belongs to a country club and perhaps dosen't understand what that means. - A few other people decide not to dress differently then any other day.  

 

 We enjoy celebrating the cruise as a truly special occasion and do dress as if we were going to a party.

[dogs4fun]

Yes - the traditional formal nights are a thing of the past. Smart casual is now "in". One can still go formal is they desire - just no longer the norm.

[wpgcycler]

1 hour ago, Cruise a holic said:

We have been on at least 6 cruises since the "official" formal nights were removed and chic nights replaced.  Really almost the same.  Many people dress up in what was previously formal attire- however less long gowns, replaced by short cocktail dresses and fancy pants suits on ladies, more suits and sports coats on men, less tux.  And some people who didn't read the memo don't dress up at all and look like they are going to a back yard barbecue.

 

The posted dress code is country club attire, but not everyone belongs to a country club and perhaps dosen't understand what that means. - A few other people decide not to dress differently then any other day.  

 

 We enjoy celebrating the cruise as a truly special occasion and do dress as if we were going to a party.

 

I wonder if that's why the "posted dress code" makes no mention of neither country nor clubs?

 

Q.

What is the onboard dress code?

A.

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress
• Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

 

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

On 5/22/2019 at 3:49 PM, davekathy said:

Here's Celebrity's dining evening dress guidelines.  Pick and choose accordingly. Can't go wrong. We like the options. 

 

What is the onboard dress code?

A.

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress
• Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

Perhaps the verbiage changed, but the code used to say county club.    Too each his her own.  

[wpgcycler]

14 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

Perhaps the verbiage changed, but the code used to say county club.    Too each his her own.  

 

Also used to say "formal". 😉