How stict is the "dress code" on Zenith?

[GORDONCHICK]

I don't get the dress code questions. The dress code is what it is, but there seems to be a contest about who can "get away" with more. I don't get that. If you choose not to comply, that's fine (not really), but why look for justification or approval?

 

In our day to day lives, we don't dress up. Not even for church (it's a come as you are kind of place). My DH does own suits (went to a chuch where people actually wore them) but I owned no formal attire when we began cruising. So I toughed it out and bought some. The only time it gets worn is on a cruise. Is it a pain to pack - yes. But that's the dress code. Even our DS, who is 5 and has been cruising since 3, has a suit and is excited about picking out ties and dressing like Daddy.

 

Again, it is what it is. Not knowing what the dress code is and being unprepared is one thing, complete disregard is another.

 

Okay, I feel better now.....

[newmexicoNita]

I don't get the dress code questions. The dress code is what it is, but there seems to be a contest about who can "get away" with more. I don't get that. If you choose not to comply, that's fine (not really), but why look for justification or approval?

 

In our day to day lives, we don't dress up. Not even for church (it's a come as you are kind of place). My DH does own suits (went to a chuch where people actually wore them) but I owned no formal attire when we began cruising. So I toughed it out and bought some. The only time it gets worn is on a cruise. Is it a pain to pack - yes. But that's the dress code. Even our DS, who is 5 and has been cruising since 3, has a suit and is excited about picking out ties and dressing like Daddy.

 

Again, it is what it is. Not knowing what the dress code is and being unprepared is one thing, complete disregard is another.

 

Okay, I feel better now.....

For us, I agree with you, but I think it boils down to "how important is the overall cruise experience if you don't follow it to a tea?" We believe in following the rules and policies, but if the OP is talking about stretching the rules just a little, I don't think it would be the end of the world. NMNita

[momofmeg]

Somewhere we read that the 10 day cruise we have booked on 3/23/07 has three formal nights, two informal and the rest casual. My husband doesn't like to get dressed up any more and is not too thrilled about this to the point where he wants to cancel the trip. But he always looks neat, wears collared shirts and slacks (not jeans) and doesn't mind a tie and jacket now and then . On prior cruises (not Celebrity, this is our first with them) even when we dressed up for dinner, we usually changed into casual clothes immediately after dining. Will we be okay with this approach on Celebrity's Zenith, or should we look for some other cruiseline that is more relaxed? :confused:

 

This is becoming a great debate with us right now!! Help!!!!

 

 

One really great thing about Celebrity is they dress up the Lido restuarant for dinner and for a $2 per person tip for the waitstaff you can eat there. It is still no shorts or jeans-but your hubby can wear his khakis on formal night and they have a muchnicer menu for dinner then they do during the day-it is about the quality of the regular diningroom.

 

when we were on the Zenith, people dressed really nice-it ws nothing like the slobs we saw on Marienr of the Seas 4 months earlier.

 

You did see a few that dressed down for the shows-but they were very few-in the show lounge which probally held at least 300 people, maybe as much as 500 people, we saw maybe 5 people who had dressed down after dinner.

[momofmeg]

I'm sailing the Zenith in 2 weeks and am going to dress up every night however I was planning on maybe wearing dressy jeans the kind with rhinestone trim during the day on the ship. Is it OK to go into the main restaurant or should I plan on eating at the casual eating choices? In all my sailing experience which has been vast I have never come across a strict enforcement of a no jeans in the dining room policy nor have I felt uncomfortable about wearing them during the day. I haven't sailed on Celebrity in about 16 years so I'm really asking ahead to know what to pack.

Thanks for your input from those of you who have sailed the Zenith.

Vicki

 

There was a sign that requested no jeans but I saw plenty wearing them at lunch. I did not though myself, but I had on my skorts and capris.

[bububr]

X's official dress code policy states no jeans after 6:00 pm in the main diningroom. Jeans can be worn without fear for breakfast and lunch. Although I prefer khakis, they are cooler in warm weather and weigh less to pack.

 

Dave:eek:

[floffsmgr]

Thank you everyone for your input. No real convincing needed as my husband got out his dress clothes (he recently lost 22 lbs. so he had to check) and he has a very nice dark suit, and a number of sports jackets too, so we are good to go. Can't wait to find out more and connect with some others on our specific cruise.

[osiebosie]

On our first cruise on Celebrity, the Galaxy, eight years ago, I went to alot of trouble finding the perfect clothes for dinner. Got on the ship and our table mates were very casual. He said he dressed up for work and that this was a vacation and he wouldn't wear a tie and jacket and they couldn't make him. And they didn't. Even on formal nights. They also complained about the food every night.

 

Not a very fun tablemate couple. We should have changed tables, but didn't know to.

 

But we had fun dressing up, and still do on cruises.

 

Shay

[momofmeg]

X's official dress code policy states no jeans after 6:00 pm in the main diningroom. Jeans can be worn without fear for breakfast and lunch. Although I prefer khakis, they are cooler in warm weather and weigh less to pack.

 

Dave:eek:

 

Dave on my Zenith cruise the sign was out at the entrance of the dinningroom at breakfast and lunch-nothing was said when people came in wearing jeans but the sign was there.

[cruiseforus]

I was on the Zenith 2 weeks ago and saw everything in the Dining room. Jeans even shorts on casual nights and no one was turned away. No one even seemed to care. On informal night a lot of men had jackets some even jackets & ties on but about 1/2 did not. Of the 1/2 that did not a lot were very casual. Shirts without collars, cargo slacks, Hawaiian shirts etc. Again no one was refused entrance to the dining room.

 

Just telling it like I saw it. Personally I thought it was fine.

[momofmeg]

I was on the Zenith 2 weeks ago and saw everything in the Dining room. Jeans even shorts on casual nights and no one was turned away. No one even seemed to care. On informal night a lot of men had jackets some even jackets & ties on but about 1/2 did not. Of the 1/2 that did not a lot were very casual. Shirts without collars, cargo slacks, Hawaiian shirts etc. Again no one was refused entrance to the dining room.

 

Just telling it like I saw it. Personally I thought it was fine.

 

I hate to hear that. I guess I may as well go back to Carnival and Royal Caribbean. It seems to be happening on all the lines.

[newmexicoNita]

this does seem to be happening more and more; the shorter the cruise the more casual I am sure. Even though I have seen people turned away it was last Dec so the past 9 months has made a difference. Maybe I am mellowing in my old age, but I don't really care anymore. I still prefer not to see shorts in the dining room at night period, nor do I want to see sloppy dressed cruisers, no t shirts (bad ones that is) no tank tops and no yucky looking jeans like I have on right now, but otherwise, I guess if the person doesn't care, why should I? There is more to cruising than what people are wearing. Actually it is kinda fun to talk about them after you leave the restaurant. SHAME ON ME.

 

With food quality slipping, entertainment being a little more unpredictable and the dress code very casual, among other things, I think cruising will never be what many of us remember 10,15 or 20 years ago. good or bad, you be the judge. NMnita

[caviargal]

With food quality slipping, entertainment being a little more unpredictable and the dress code very casual, among other things, I think cruising will never be what many of us remember 10,15 or 20 years ago. good or bad, you be the judge. NMnita

 

For me, it makes all the difference in the world.

 

If this next X cruise disappoints (slipping food standards, dress codes) I will stick to land based vacations and the occasional luxury cruise, when budget permits.

 

I am not interested in mass market cruising in its current state of decline.

[Compass Rose Monica]

At no time, did I personally see anyone being denied entrance to a show or dinner or any other public place due to attire.

 

On my Baltic sea cruise May 2005, a friend and I had changed after dinner from our formal wear to casual (still very nice attire) and we were turned away at one of the events in the show place. We were walking into the room from the lower level and were told we could enter from the upper level. It didn't make sense but we went to the upper level.

[Compass Rose Monica]

At no time, did I personally see anyone being denied entrance to a show or dinner or any other public place due to attire.

 

On my Baltic sea cruise May 2005, a friend and I had changed after dinner from our formal wear to casual (still very nice attire) and we were turned away at one of the events in the show place. We were walking into the room from the lower level and were told we could enter from the upper level. It didn't make sense but we went to the upper level.

[newmexicoNita]

For me, it makes all the difference in the world.

 

If this next X cruise disappoints (slipping food standards, dress codes) I will stick to land based vacations and the occasional luxury cruise, when budget permits.

 

I am not interested in mass market cruising in its current state of decline.

That would be the next thing for many of us. I didn't mean I don't care about entertainment, food dropping etc. I was more referring to the dress code. As for me, I don't really know what to think; we usually just plan on spending extra money in the specialty dining rooms. I was just pointing out what the reality is, not what we would all like to see. Of course the option to cruising mass marketed is cruising luxury liners, just not as often. NMnita

[momofmeg]

That would be the next thing for many of us. I didn't mean I don't care about entertainment, food dropping etc. I was more referring to the dress code. As for me, I don't really know what to think; we usually just plan on spending extra money in the specialty dining rooms. I was just pointing out what the reality is, not what we would all like to see. Of course the option to cruising mass marketed is cruising luxury liners, just not as often. NMnita

 

well since Celebrity is considered a cut above Roayl caribbean I wish they would enforce the dress code. the food is better, the service is better why is it so hard for PAX to dres as they should.

 

these are the same people who complain about Carnival and why they will not cruise that line-but yet they bring the same atosmophere to Celebrity.

 

I want to cruise at lweast once a year and if I have to go up to a line that is not mass market-I will not get to cruise that often.

 

I am not a snob. I do not think I am better then I am. I just hate that people do not dress for anything anymore.

 

My husband loves going to the symphony. we goes a couple of times every season. 20 years ago you saw many women in evening gowns and fur stoles and their men in tuxes. Everyone else was inlike dressy pantsuits or "church" dresses and their men in suits.

 

Now there are not tuxes and evening gowns, suits and nice dresses less then 10% with the overwhelming majority in khaki slacks,both men and women, with even a few in blue jeans.

 

The last funneral I went to, hardly anyone was dressed properly. There were even people in blue jeans and tee shirts with slogans. I find this very sad.

 

My father's family was very poor growing up- but my grandmother and my aunts and uncles always dressed properly and I remember when it became popular to wear jeans when I was a girl- they thought this was terrible as that was farmers work clothing in their minds as this was what they had worn as kids when they were poor-they just could not comprehend why anyone would choose to dress that way.

[grandsix]

For me, it makes all the difference in the world.

 

If this next X cruise disappoints (slipping food standards, dress codes) I will stick to land based vacations and the occasional luxury cruise, when budget permits.

 

I am not interested in mass market cruising in its current state of decline.

 

Do people dress up on land based vacations?

[osiebosie]

I think the dress code is lightening up. If the cruise lines don't enforce it now, it will go more and more casual, and one day... poof!... there won't be suits and formal wear any more.

 

On our last cruise, Carnival, you wouldn't believe what we saw in the dining room. :( We didn't let it ruin our cruise, and we won't stop cruising, but it is sad, mostly because there are rules, but they aren't enforced. Like children, we will push it as far as we can.

 

Someone mentioned funerals. 20 years ago, here in the south, there were no "visitation" times; the family stayed the whole time. People brought food for the family. You dressed up to visit a funeral home. I still pull to the side of the road when a funeral passes by, but many do not anymore. The changes in our society are, to me, becoming less respectful. But, as I say this, I feel like I sound like my grandmother, who used to complain about "those young people".

 

Anyway, I just think that the days of cruises where everyone is dressed to the nines on formal nights are becoming days of the past. And remember, what I think "to the nines" is and what a 21-year old thinks "to the nines" (if they've ever heard that phrase) is are going to be two completely different things. I'm 46.

 

Shay

[caviargal]

Do people dress up on land based vacations?

 

It depends on the land vacation.

 

If we go to the Caribbean, we generally opt for adult only upscale resorts with dress codes (which are actually enforced, btw). We enjoy Europe as well and IME the Europeans in general dress a good deal nicer than Americans. I have never seen shorts worn at dinner in a nice restaurant in Rome or Paris.

 

I am not one who equates being on vacation with dressing down and my personal choices reflect that. Cruising used to have great appeal to me because of the elegance of the dining experience. X and HAL still offer that for the most part but most other lines have chosen a different path.