Slumming it for dinner.

It is no secret that cruising has for many years been regarded by many as the holiday favourite amongst the more well off in society, the old age pensioners and the snobs (for want of a better word). The cruise lines and agents a like have worked tirelessly to change the mindset of those who have yet to experience cruising and have been put off by their misconceptions. But have they gone too far?

In recent years we have seen the introduction to smart casual, chic and even freestyle cruising. This new concept has gotten alot of mixed feed back from my clients and it would seem that not everyone is sure on what casual or chic means when it comes to packing their cases. I have heard of people entering dining rooms for their evening meals in flip flops, shorts and t-shirts and whilst this is acceptable for lunch is it really appropriate as evening attire?

I’m not sure who is at fault here. Are clients not being advised about dress codes and what those dress codes actually mean when it comes to what to pack in the case? Do the clients know, but just don’t care? Or is it the cruise lines fault for not ensuring that guests are complying to the dress code before they are allowed entry to the dining rooms? One theory suggested by a client of mine is that the hefty discounts being applied to some of the cruises are attracting a certain ‘type’ of client, the undesirables as she called them who wouldn’t normally look at cruising but are being attracted by the cheap all-in prices being advertised.

I cant put my finger on it, but my suggestion is to do a bit of research before you book. If you enjoy formal cruising then opt for a cruise line who has a formal dress policy, if you enjoy the more casual experience opt for one with a relaxed, perhaps no formal night policy. It can be a mine field out there, but that’s what we are here for. We’re all different at the end of the day, we’d live in an extremely boring world if we weren’t but it isn’t a huge task to find the right cruise for the right person.

Are you more of a dress up or dress down kind of person and have you had any surprising experiences when dining onboard? Id love to hear your story.