Take A Vote...do You Enjoy Dressing Up???

[cruiseyguy]

I'm a big fan of "country-club casual," which falls between the khakis and polo shirt "casual" and coat-and-tie "semi-formal." "Formal," while nice, is really now impractical with the airlines' luggage restrictions and other air travel hassles.

[excitedofharpenden]

I enjoy the formal part of dressing up too. I don't get much of a chance to wear a tux at home and bought one for the purpose a year or so ago. It helps me to keep my waistline in check too:p

 

Cruiseyguy, I know you can also rent tuxes on the ship if you want to avoid the hassle of travelling heavy.

 

Phil

[cruisinjudy]

We love to dress up and don't really get the chance at home. That is one of the things we like about cruising. They have such beautiful dresses in the stores and the ones I have are very easy to pack, and as Phil mentioned above, it is not necessary to pack a tux since you can rent one.

Yes I think dressing up improves the atmosphere on board. It makes it special. I tried to book a Renaissance cruise when they were in business, but when my husband and daughter found out there were no formal nights they both refused to go!

[stevewiz]

I agree with the "country club" attire. I"m on vacation and I enjoy relaxing (provided people are dressed neat). The formal nights are just so the cruise lines can make money.

[Kansas]

My wife and I both enjoy the whole formal experience. Call it a fantasy, call it whatever you like. We both enjoy stepping out of our day to day routines and doing something out of the ordinary. That is one of the biggest draws to Celebrity. We have cruised on Royal Caribbean where the atmosphere is a little less formal and in comparing the two, we both prefer the more formal experience on Celebrity.

[cruiseyguy]

I usually take along one Armani 3 button black wool crepe suite which does triple duty (formal, semi-formal, and casual) with different shirts, ties, shoes and belts. I thought I was nuts when I bought it but it has paid for itself many times over in versatility and usefulness.

[tommy]

On our last cruise on the Summit the atmosphere was WAY less formal than oast Celebrity cruises we have done.But it didnt effect our cruise expierence one bit.So I guess it doesnt to us eiyher way. TOM

[Ma Bell]

I guess I don't understand why people think it's difficult to dress up. I get cleaned up no matter what I'm wearing and it really doesn't take any longer to put the clothes on. To me it's just as easy to dress up as not.

[imme]

would prefer no ties!!! Don't mind dressing up but would also not mind it at all if ties would go away completely.

[brigittetom]

I agree with Ma Bell, dressing up for formal night takes absolutely no more effort than any other night. There is no rule that says formal wear has to be uncomfortable. My husband enjoys wearing his tux and has put in alot of effort to find unusual bow ties and cummerbunds. I just love looking across the casino and seeing him at the blackjack table in his tux. Although, if I'm winning I don't really care what he's wearing. :D

[graciepuppy]

We vote with those who love to dress up. We really do enjoy the atmospere on the ship during formal nights. It certainly is one of the reasons we have been selecting Celebrity.

[gkm]

I love dressing up! I also work in an office where everyone dress casual. It's fun to be able to dress in elegant clothes and see all of the other passengers enjoying the experience also. And you can tell they do! Smiles are everywhere, and it puts me in such a joyful mood!:D

 

Garry

[babylene]

It's not the dressing up that I mind...it's the extra bag we need for the formal wear. I guess if we didn't have to fly to a port, it would be easier.

 

DH takes his tux and a sport jacket, but would rather be casual. Like the others who wear a suit and tie every day to work, he'd rather not on vacation.

[sedfar]

I was never a dressing up fan. As a matter of fact, I opted for a less formal NCL cruise to Hawaii so I didnt have to dress up. But my first Celebrity cruise, and my last one to date, I dressed to the nines. I just felt I wanted to. It was such a magical night. I really enjoyed it a lot. This next 15 day cruise, I am looking foward to all 3 formal nights. I guess I have kind of changed, for the moment. Who knows when I will consider it a pain again.

[MISSYLOU]

DH and I both enjoy dressing up for dinner. Not many occasions to dress up now days other than a cruise. Sometimes I would prefer to stay in the cabin and have room service but DH says no way.

[CelebrityMan]

We heartily agree that dressing up for the formal evenings is a lot of fun! It's not a hassle for me, rather a pleasure. It helps make the entire cruise experience just a bit more special.

Interesting how ideas of formality have changed, too. In the 'old days' gentlemen dressed for dinner in white tie & tails and "black tie" tuxedos were considered semi-formal. But, then not so long ago, Presidential inaugurations used to be in cutaways and silk top hats.

[Stanley]

We REALLY enjoyed dressing up.

[slverbell]

I like the formal nights as well. My husband goes along with it reluctantly, but I think he secretly likes wearing his tux. Formal nights are magical. Not to dressup on those evenings would be like wearing jeans to the prom.

[reggierail]

I really enjoy dressing up on formal nights.
Celebrity has become my favorite cruise line because most
people follow the guidelines and it makes for a very magical experience.

Reggie

[brigittetom]

Hi Reggie. :D I agree. We had a wonderful cruise on RCL but I did miss that most didn't dress for formal night. It was the NE/Canada cruise so maybe that has something to do with it.

[Kami's pal]

Has conotation that tonight is special. I like dressing up on sea days, when I have the time.
Admit it is a challenge to pack. So compromise with little black outfit, pretty jewelry, slightly more makeup.

Was at a wedding recently. The groom said, "You make that dress look really good." Bride glowed. Perhaps that's what we all want to hear from significant others. :D

[halos]

I, personally, wish every night were formal. My DH and I love being dressed up and love the atmosphere that a group of well dressed people creates. The ambiance created is very different between grunge and glitz. We prefer the latter.

[hdawson]

Briggitetom. "Most didn't dress for dinner"? I've never encountered that on any of my 14 cruises, whether it be Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, the old Dolphin IV or even the unRegal Empress. That would realy disappoint me.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI GANG!!!

So far the answers have been very interesting and enlightening.

From 46 responses we have gotten:

35 "Absolutely Like To Dress Up"

5 "Absolutely Do Not Like To Dress Up"

6 "Don't Really Like It But Do It Anyway"

This means that 76% of you do like to dress up and feel that it enhances the Celebrity Experience. 90% do dress up while 13% are not overjoyed about it.

Only 11% of you do not want to dress up and about half that number want to continue sailing on Celebrity.

There is also some confusion regarding the reason/s for having formal nights onboard.

Formal dress onboard ships began in the age of sail and progressed throughout the transatlantic era. When you booked first class you dressed formally every night...except the first and last nights. Tradition has dictated that a cruise be "FIRST CLASS". Cruising has always tried to maintain those traditions while allowing for a more relaxed atmosphere on most other nights.

Keep those comments coming!!! I think it is fun to discuss the dress code without all the rancor that usually occurs. By putting it into context we can hear how each person feels about this subject without (hopefully) all the arguments.

THANKS,

ROSS

[themommy]

We like the formal and informal evenings. We both believe that dressing for dinner is an important part of the whole dining and evening experience.

The dinner is formal - so should the dress code be.