Dress code

[miched]

People must care how they look to others otherwise they wouldn’t spend all the money on clothes, hair, nails, shoes and etc.  People always look at others and notice how they are dressed.  
 

George Burns said women dress to impress other women,  otherwise  they would just have to wear a hat and sunglasses when sunny.  
 

Everything is about presentation.   Many times the only difference in food is the presentation.   The same with a drink.   The same drink is a lot better in a nice glass and garnish than in a plastic cup, exception is beer in a red plastic cup. 😬
 

The ambiance in a restaurant, lounge, theater and even your cabin makes a difference.   
 

i agree about having to dress up formally as I don’t understand why people were required to dress their best when lobster was on the menu and didn’t provide bibs 😱🤗

 

I hated having to wear a suit, tie or sport coat in the Caribbean.   Take a shower and then add all the clothing to end up sweating like a pig.   Didn’t make sense.  
 

I think the main thing is to dress neatly and be representable.  If people want to over dress fine.   It is their privilege.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

[Charles4515]

17 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Pick me….pick me…..

 

Ate last night at “Raw On 5”.  Hawaiian button shirt and khakis with top sliders.  All good.  If anything, these cruises coming out of COVID should loosen dress norms pretty emphatically!

 

I would not make any predictions. Coming out of covid there likely will be culture changes. What they will be is a guess at this point. 

[KKB]

Sometimes Chic night comes & I feel like dressing to the nines...Sometimes I'm not up for it & I say in my capris...

 

Our first cruise on Princess in 2004 we had 6 of the best table mates. But one wife was INSISTENT that her husband wear a jacket on formal night--but it was too small. Rest of us said don't wear it, wear a polo. Once we approved it, wife relaxed & he was much more comfortable. One of the younger ladies showed up the last night in ripped jeans & a camisole (NOT a satin formal camisole, but a cotton one a woman generally wears under clothing). I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me.

 

One cruise I wore dressy jeans, dressy camisole, strappy heels--I knew I looked great. But at that  time "no jeans" in MDR. Ahead of me is an older gentle man in a powder blue tux with ruffles from the 1970s. Who "met" dress code? He did. Who looked more appropriate/stylish? Me. Again--no one said a word.

 

On our first NCL cruise in 2019 saw lots of jeans at dinner. I do NOT get this in the Caribbean--that just looks HOT too me...

 

I'm pretty sure on Celebrity we aren't going to see anything entirely inappropriate at dinner. 

And if we do--consider it dinner & a show...😉

[zitsky]

8 minutes ago, KKB said:

Sometimes Chic night comes & I feel like dressing to the nines...Sometimes I'm not up for it & I say in my capris...

 

Our first cruise on Princess in 2004 we had 6 of the best table mates. But one wife was INSISTENT that her husband wear a jacket on formal night--but it was too small. Rest of us said don't wear it, wear a polo. Once we approved it, wife relaxed & he was much more comfortable. One of the younger ladies showed up the last night in ripped jeans & a camisole (NOT a satin formal camisole, but a cotton one a woman generally wears under clothing). I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me.

 

One cruise I wore dressy jeans, dressy camisole, strappy heels--I knew I looked great. But at that  time "no jeans" in MDR. Ahead of me is an older gentle man in a powder blue tux with ruffles from the 1970s. Who "met" dress code? He did. Who looked more appropriate/stylish? Me. Again--no one said a word.

 

On our first NCL cruise in 2019 saw lots of jeans at dinner. I do NOT get this in the Caribbean--that just looks HOT too me...

 

I'm pretty sure on Celebrity we aren't going to see anything entirely inappropriate at dinner. 

And if we do--consider it dinner & a show...😉

 

Quote:  "I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me."

 

That part doesn't make sense.  Either you were bothered or you weren't?  Time to confess!

[KKB]

3 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Quote:  "I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me."

 

That part doesn't make sense.  Either you were bothered or you weren't?  Time to confess!

In 2004 I would have never thought staff wouldn't say anything. 

I saw men turned away with no jackets on formal night at times...

17 years ago there was a different mentality about dress codes on ships.

Now it is much rarer to have a crew member say something.

 

Edited July 13, 2021 by KKB

[bEwAbG]

OP should challenge the FB poster to post some photos of what the complainer actually wears.  As we see on CC all the time, the definition of "formal" wear and being "dressed to the nines" in theory and in practice are often quite at odds.  I'm stunned sometimes by what people think they look good in but c'est la vie.  For the record, I don't really care, but that doesn't keep me from looking!

 

The first rule of dressing well, no matter the garment, is making sure it fits.  I'd take a dining room of people dressed neatly in shorts & polos over one in which the men are wearing cheap polyester jackets that were too small 30 lbs & 20 years ago.

[Esprit]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

 

 

I don’t care how you dress.  I won’t respect you any more, or any less, based on how you dress.  I probably don’t even know you, so respect doesn’t come into play, at all.  I can’t respect or disrespect someone I have never met, or don’t know.

 

 

 

What a load of rubbish. The captain and fellow officers wear their "Whites" on certain occasions and the wait staff will wear smarter uniforms on those nights. That's being respectful and the passengers IMHO should make some attempt to reciprocate.

[Fouremco]

34 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Quote:  "I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me."

 

That part doesn't make sense.  Either you were bothered or you weren't?  Time to confess!

Stunned and bothered aren't synonymous. One can be astonished (stunned) but not bothered in the slightest. 

[zitsky]

17 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Stunned and bothered aren't synonymous. One can be astonished (stunned) but not bothered in the slightest. 

 

I have a confession to make.  I'm not just bothered by shirt tails hanging out* but also ripped jeans.

 

*I am mostly talking about shirts that were designed to be tucked in.  I had a fancy Malaysian silk shirt 30 years ago and I admit it looked better untucked than tucked in.  But today when doing business casual, lots of people are leaving the shirt hanging out instead of tucking it in.  That's business too casual.

[mayleeman]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

Quote:  "I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me."

 

That part doesn't make sense.  Either you were bothered or you weren't?  Time to confess!

 

I think you misread it. The being "stunned" was because no one said anything, meaning it was surprising that no one seemed bothered. It was not from being stunned at (i.e., bothered by) what was worn.

 

My English teachers would have written "I was stunned that no one said a word."

 

My wife has fun with my sentence parsing. She gave me a T-shirt that says:

 

Let's eat kids!

Let's eat, kids!

Punctuation saves lives.

[zitsky]

30 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

The officers and crew are being paid to dress that way. As a passenger I am paying so the crew should respect my dress choices. I wore uniforms for many years. Now I choose not to wear uniforms. That is all suits and tuxedos are.......uniforms. 

 

When someone from the 10,000 club comments, it makes me feel like the little kid playing in the sand.  I suspect you have seen a lot of clothing fads come and go, Charles.

[Bretty]

10 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

No love for vodka martinis?  I swirl the glass with vermouth first if I make them at home.

I’m not averse to a vodka martini. I’m not averse to vodka, but my preference for a martini is gin. I would not have said that 5 years ago when I would’ve said I disliked gin, but my palette has evolved. But don’t ever bring that flavoured gin near me.

 

I also tend to like my martinis a little on the wet side, not overly dry. And stirred, never shaken. Olives or lemon don’t mind. Occasionally dirty (and then I’m not snobby about the liquor used).

 

And to stay on topic... I don’t care if my martini is wearing a tux, a ball gown, or a g-string 😉  I’ll be wearing either smart jeans or chinos with Gucci loafers and a polo shirt, maybe a nice sweater if it’s cooler, or (if they still fit after the apocalypse diet) a tailored shirt!

I had some shirts made before the apocalypse hit so who knows, I haven’t dared try them on for the last year! I’m not sure my suit will actually fit me either, but even if it does, it generally only comes out for hatchings, matchings, and dispatchings 😎

 

To be honest, as someone said up thread, many people have spent the past year or more in nought but their pjs or pants (and I mean undies), and that’s kinda me even before this as I’ve worked from a home office for almost 30 years and only have to “dress up” to see clients by appointment.

 

Sorry for the waffle, I get like this sometimes. Wear clothes in the ship restaurants! Unless it’s a nude cruise, then take a towel to sit on!!  

[zitsky]

No nude cruises thank you!

[Denny01]

I realize the OP is referencing FaceBook, so not sure what that has to do with here. I’ve been on CC for a bit of time and ever since Celebrity moved away from Coat/Tie, let alone Tux, which has been a good long time ago, I haven’t seen One post pushing the idea of wearing Tux. Some have mentioned they do, but never even suggesting some idea that anyone else should.

 

The only subject of dress code threads, all 1418 of them!, is about wearing shorts, t-shirts……speedoes! Heck, I think all of us who have read the dress code threads know Exactly what a polo shirt is. 

 

All of this is just this opposite of what the OP is inferring.

 

Personally, I think those that go with Tux do so because it is fun for them, and unique. Last cruise, 2 men walked in with the most fantastic tux I’ve ever seen.. Just beautiful. Loved it. And I’m there in my shirt an slacks and didn’t feel any stress or whatever. Talked to them later and they wore them because there is so few places that they are worn, and felt it would be fun. Loved it. I personally go with a shirt and jacket, and sometimes add a bow tie. Just fun and my wife gives me that ‘special look’ which is the only reason I do it……except I love pockets and I have the classic 20-pocket travel jacket!

 

Den 

[NMTraveller]

11 hours ago, graphicguy said:

On the Edge now.  Our first “dress up” night, I saw two men in suits.  One was a BRIGHT BLUE affair, which I couldn’t decide whether it was some sort of “statement”, but it was uuuuuggggly.  He would have been better off in a speedo.  The 2nd was a man in a regular black suit.  He was a BIG man, and the suit was ill-fitting, but he was in a suit.  No tuxes….no gowns.  The rest…the vast, vast majority were in polo shirts, khakis, jeans, sun dresses,  etc.

 

I don’t care how you dress.  I won’t respect you any more, or any less, based on how you dress.  I probably don’t even know you, so respect doesn’t come into play, at all.  I can’t respect or disrespect someone I have never met, or don’t know.

 

One thing’s for certain, these days, no one I know of wants to pay more for extra luggage to pack formal clothes and all the accoutrements that go with that.  I have never, ever seen anyone with a t-shirt and baseball cap on in the MDRs on dress up night, and I’ve cruised just about all the different mainstream lines.  I’ve never seen swim suits in the dining rooms, either.

 

Given the “tiredness” of everyone coming out of COVID, following restriction after restriction, all the folks I know do not want yet another restriction like a suit, tux, suit, gown requirement as yet another restriction.  As mentioned before, people are coming out of working from home, instead of going to an office.  Dress is whatever we wanted it to be when working from home.  That will translate into more casualness in cruising.

 

This trend has been happening for a while, though.  Every cruise I take, regardless of cruise line, dress is more relaxed.  Just like smoking accommodations are becoming less and less.  

 

Please, if you feel like wearing a gown or tux/suit, by all means, do it. No one will think more or less of you.  Just like I don’t care what you may or may not think of me wearing my Hawaiian shirts and khakis in the MDRs on dress up night.  No one cares (OK…the vast, vast majority of us don’t care, and neither do the cruise lines).

 

Are you sure you weren't sailing on Carnival?  Toga!  Toga!  Toga!

 

Are Togas allowed?

[dkjretired]

11 hours ago, KKB said:

Sometimes Chic night comes & I feel like dressing to the nines...Sometimes I'm not up for it & I say in my capris...

 

Our first cruise on Princess in 2004 we had 6 of the best table mates. But one wife was INSISTENT that her husband wear a jacket on formal night--but it was too small. Rest of us said don't wear it, wear a polo. Once we approved it, wife relaxed & he was much more comfortable. One of the younger ladies showed up the last night in ripped jeans & a camisole (NOT a satin formal camisole, but a cotton one a woman generally wears under clothing). I was stunned no one said a word! Again--doesn't bother me.

 

One cruise I wore dressy jeans, dressy camisole, strappy heels--I knew I looked great. But at that  time "no jeans" in MDR. Ahead of me is an older gentle man in a powder blue tux with ruffles from the 1970s. Who "met" dress code? He did. Who looked more appropriate/stylish? Me. Again--no one said a word.

 

On our first NCL cruise in 2019 saw lots of jeans at dinner. I do NOT get this in the Caribbean--that just looks HOT too me...

 

I'm pretty sure on Celebrity we aren't going to see anything entirely inappropriate at dinner. 

And if we do--consider it dinner & a show...😉

Just an FYI, that on Celebrity they have always had a policy of a bit of leniency on first and last nights.  Perhaps Princess does the same.

Edited July 14, 2021 by dkjretired

[Denny01]

Funny how Dress Code threads go. Many of those who have issues with Any level of setting a dress code complain that those who follow it or dress more formally are the ones who are watching and judging……so much for that mis-concept seeing more than a few posts about what they think was inappropriate suits, Tux and gowns. 

 

Love the ‘we don’t judge, so wear what you want…..but did you see that guy in that tight / colorful / ugly suit?’

 

Got it.  

 

den

Edited July 14, 2021 by Denny01

[Covepointcruiser]

Are dressy jeans similar to dressy athletic shoes?   I know someone on the board said he wore his dressy athletic shoes on the chic night.    Wonder if he was just speaking about the cost of those athletic shoes, expensive equals dressy.

[zitsky]

9 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Are dressy jeans similar to dressy athletic shoes?   I know someone on the board said he wore his dressy athletic shoes on the chic night.    Wonder if he was just speaking about the cost of those athletic shoes, expensive equals dressy.

 

Do I really care?  Not that much.  But I chuckle when people try to get around the rules (if any) by saying "this is expensive".  Pre Covid I wore business casual to work.  Now I wear jeans with dressy sneakers because there are very few people at the office.  It's been casual day for more than a year now.

[mayleeman]

A long time ago I missed a chance to accept a last-minute invitation to a White House dinner because I did not have a tuxedo. There wasn't enough time to go rent one and my size (ahem....) did not make finding one on a rack likely.

 

My wife and I started cruising avidly in 2019 when she retired. By December, we had 4 more planned, and we were really looking forward to a few special occasion dinners on-board. So...in January 2020 we bought my first ever tux (new-size me!) and a few gorgeous gowns. Then, the dreams of those cruises screeched to a halt as the world pandemic became a nightmare.

 

So...going on Equinox in late October. We have now gotten used to light packing and more casual clothes. I doubt we will take my formal duds, but, darn it, I still want to admire her walking through a room in those dresses!

 

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by mayleeman

[Pinboy]

10 hours ago, Denny01 said:

Love the ‘we don’t judge, so wear what you want…..but did you see that guy in that tight / colorful / ugly suit?’

LOL---So true.

Pinboy don't judge nobody -- nope--- I just look at " slobs " that are tooooo "self-centered " , wont follow the Guidelines, and mumble words to myself that most on CC never heard ( ?? ) --- one starts with the letter " A ".  

 

[dkjretired]

29 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

A long time ago I missed a chance to accept a last-minute invitation to a White House dinner because I did not have a tuxedo. There wasn't enough time to go rent one and my size (ahem....) did not make finding one on a rack likely.

 

My wife and I started cruising avidly in 2019 when she retired. By December, we had 4 more planned, and we were really looking forward to a few special occasion dinners on-board. So...in January 2020 we bought my first ever tux (new-size me!) and a few gorgeous gowns. Then, the dreams of those cruises screeched to a halt as the world pandemic became a nightmare.

 

So...going on Equinox in late October. We have now gotten used to light packing and more casual clothes. I doubt we will take my formal duds, but, darn it, I still want to admire her walking through a room in those dresses!

 

 

We had our time with the tuxes and don’t regret a minute of it. We started cruising with Celebrity in the early 90s when our kids were about 7 and 9.  We have great pictures of all of us, my daughter in dresses and our son at 7 in rented tux. That was when you had to wear them until midnight or you couldn’t go anywhere except your room. Times changed and so have we.

[KKB]

13 hours ago, dkjretired said:

Just an FYI, that on Celebrity they have always had a policy of a bit of leniency on first and last nights.  Perhaps Princess does the same.

That was our take.

[KKB]

3 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Are dressy jeans similar to dressy athletic shoes?   I know someone on the board said he wore his dressy athletic shoes on the chic night.    Wonder if he was just speaking about the cost of those athletic shoes, expensive equals dressy.

LOL they sure weren't expensive.

But simply well cut, dark wash. Honestly most probably thought they were slacks.

[Jim_Iain]

I always enjoy reading how polarizing this subject is and the strong responses. 

 

Maybe it is just that I'm from California where it is perfectly OK to wear anything from Jeans to a Tux to any restaurant or even the Opera.    You would never get a second look.    Well to be honest we have often got complements when dressed for a night out.  

 

I do have to say I enjoy seeing ladies dressed in flowing gowns with beautiful done hair and shoes that probably cost more than my complete outfit.