Tim Rubacky requested that we put this poll on LCT.


Frank Del Rio, the Chairman & CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent corporation of RSSC and Oceania Cruises, wants to know your opinions of the current dress codes onboard the RSSC vessels.

We would be extremely appreciative if all of our loyal Regent guests and Luxury Cruise Talk readers would take a moment to weigh in and vote in the poll to let us know if you like formal nights or would prefer the Elegant Casual dress code for the duration of your cruise experience.

Many thanks in advance!

Tim Rubacky
Prestige Cruise Holdings

This comment is for Mr. Del Rio. If Regent goes all casual, we'll be switching to SilverSea or Seabourn. However, 7-day Mediterranean cruises in hot climates should be all casual.

If Med is hot, how about southeast asia?Africa? Even on world cruises I think it should be determined seg by seg. Its easier for world cruisers to have many changes of clothes but for those of us who can only do one part,luggage is a problem.

One of the pleasures of Oceania and some of the RSSC Itineraries is all Elegant Casual! I am so happy not dragging all the extra wardrobe and accessories. Maybe the people on the extended voyages can have a formal option where there are formal night events for them - maybe Prime 7 can be a formal night venue or Compass Rose can be formal night and the other venues elegant casual giving people an option.

Some informal nights would be nice - it's easy to take one sport coat for men or a nice slack & blouse set for women.

I tend to agree with Donna, we'd really miss the formal nights. We wouldn't mind if they had them less often, but all casual would be very disappointing. We enjoy dressing up and seldom get to do it at home any more, so one main reason we enjoy cruising is getting to dress up on formal nights. Please, please don't take them away!!!

Voting trend on both CC/here is heavily leaning towards Elegant Cas..however, (now that I won't were Military formal wear) and considering just last week I bought a dinner jacket and tux pants, voted for at least one formal night.

I'd really like to see Formal attire be a personal choice on any given evening, rather than mandated. Elegant Casual and Informal are our preference. However, for those who wish to dress in formal attire, they could do so. Satisfies everyone, allowing personal choice/preference.

Oceania's Casual attire policy has enticed us to consider cruising with them at some point. I am hoping the trend to eliminate mandated Formal nights on Regent comes to be.

With the travel restrictions, I opt for personal choice or business casual. It is so much easier to pack and less stressful in today's world.

The poll doesn't cover informal, and I know some people would go for that more than the tux, especially if it was informal/formal, your choice

I would really like to see an option to retain Informal Nights. I think a sports coat adds to the dining room and lounges.

We're all casual folks. All casual doesn't mean those who wish can't dress informally. They certainly can and will. It just means we won't be required to dress informally.

It appears the preference for all casual is at least two thirds. Hope we prevail.

Pat

I'm with you, Marc. There's no "in between" in that poll, but I do enjoy dressing a bit for dinner some nights, and having two different "codes", informal being one of them with jackets (not suits) required.

Len would be thrilled to never wear a tux again so I voted on his behalf. We generally skip formal nights and dine in our suite while watching DVDs or simply sitting on our balcony and enjoying the night air.

That being said, on certain cruises (longer length, transatlantic, etc.) it would still be nice to have one formal night. So many people love the atmosphere of the Captain's Dinner and dressing up is part of that.

Andrea

The way I read the poll, jackets will still be worn some nights. I think this is just to see if we want to get rid of formals nights is how I interpret "Go All Elegant Casual, I don't like tuxes and gowns"
I just assume we will still have informal nights like we do now. I can't imagine the Captain's dinner with all the men in short sleeves.
In any case, I am sure we will still pack Mark's jackets. As far as for me, casual and informal didn't mean much to me as far as how I dress as most of my casual night clothes are dressy enough for informal night too.

I think Kathy has a good idea: how about a formal venue like Prime 7, that way those who enjoy getting all dressed up can and those who dont just wont make a reservation there but can still go to the MDR w/o needing formal wear?
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Helen

Taking a suit or a tuxedo for one night like we have to next week in a royal pain. I feel strongly that elegant casual should prevail. I am assuming there will still be a Captains night and those who wish to bring all the extra clothes could dress accordingly that night. However, why force the majority to either conform to an old fashioned dress code or stay in their suite? I know I could cruise with another line who is less informal, but I would prefer to stay with Regent. I feel strongly that dress codes are childish. I also resent going on cruises dressed appropriately and seeing MANY passengers come in to the dining room dressed in a casual manner. That is happening way too frequently now. Elegant casual should prevail, and with elegance, the gentlemen who so desire can wear a suit or a sport coat. I do hope Regent reads these posts.

we are longer cruise people so having an occasional formal night is nice but if we were on a 7-14 day port intensive trip, I would prefer EC.

The length of the trip makes a difference.

Peggy

I agree with Peggy. If you are on a longer cruise, it is nice to have a formal night occasionaly. I am sure, however, that the segment people who are on a WC would disagree with me. I don't know how you could satisfy everyone in this situation but since a WC is something that is very special it is nice to see people dressed in formal attire.

I think you make a very good point Elaine and Peggy. I would think that there would be exceptions on the W.C and the longer cruises....and don't take away all the fun dress-up theme parties on the W.C. either!

I am fine with formal nights on W.C. and longer cruises (though they could definitely have fewer), just don't like them on the shorter cruises we take as well.

Frankly, I enjoy a fromal night - weather permitting. It is overkill to put on a suit or tux in 90 degree weather. We agree with the above. If the cruise warrants it fine, but Summers in the Med; Caribbean or other hot boxes CC is fine. Rod

I too would be for EC all the time. I am fine with wearing a sportcoat once in a while and going Miami Vice style or something, but carrying my size 16 Tux shoes which are like two bricks really is a pain. espcially on shorter cruises....

FV

I would not like to see RSSC go all Elegant Casual.

I could go for a two-tier combo: Coat & Tie and Elegant Casual. (Then with Coat & Tie, folks could wear tux, suit or sport jacket...and perhaps on those nights make Signatures or Prime 7 for just those in formal wear/tux.)

However, the current RSSC plan for 2010 is fine with me; though 7-10 day cruises in certain climates could be all Elegant Casual.

I normaly wear a tux on formal nights.

I know this isn't the popular view, but being a luxury cruise line, this old dinosaur believes it is more than appropriate to have some nights where a more refined atmosphere prevails.

I wear pretty much the same old stuff so formal to me means just dressy top - Tony likes wearing jackets no problem and he doesn't mind taking a suit he is more of clothes horse than I am - I have never stressed over this and always feel fine with what we bring -

I feel that Regent is changing everything that drew me to them in the past....luxury. They will probably go to Elegant Casual or some such name, they have eliminated smoking in the cabins and balconies, made it all inclusive including drinks (I do not drink), thus increasing prices, and for 2010, they are making the single supplement for the Horizon suites on the Voyager 75% instead of the existing 40%.
I realize I am only one person, but I having a hard time finding a reason to pay the prices that keep increasing.
Lynn

Most of what you just itemized, kirkyS, is to me added luxury: elegant casual only (I hope!), less smoking and all-inclusive. Not all current changes are for the better, IMO, but these three are. Pat

I applaud Regent for taking a poll. I think it is important for us to be able to voice our opinion. I vote for EC, would love to see Regent that this step.

Maybe make Signatures/Prime 7 "informal" and leave the other restaurants "elegant casual". With the increasing baggage restrictions, packing tuxedos and gowns is just not practical.

We like Elegant Casual. In light of new baggage restrictions, it just makes sense.

We voted casual elegant. Tom is required to wear a suit to work 4 days a week (Friday is casual day), so to him formal nights are a pain and not a vacation where he can truly relax and wear what he wants to wear (and he does dress nicely no matter what).

I do not care to dress up that much - I feel very uncomfortable.

I agree with those that have said pick a venue to be formal on a given night and then let those folks still dress up, but let the rest of us be able to dine somewhere nice in our elegant casual attire and not feel like we have to hide in our suites.

Most of all thank you Regent for asking our opinions! :app:

We're happy with whatever is decided - we feel it's such a privilege to be able to go on luxury cruises in the first place, we'll conform to whatever the code is!
:)

Kristin, I like how you think!

Oceania is all casual and I noticed that people still wore what they felt most comfortable with. There were men that wore suits, some wore sport coats, some wore golf shirts. There were women that wore dresses, skirts and blouses, slacks and blouses or tops. There was a wide variety so I think you could feel at home with almost anything except no jeans or shorts at dinner. Some people did dress more dressy for the Captain's Welcome aboard party except there were no tuxedos and sequin dresses.

A question. Formal night is more than a dress code. If formal clothing is eliminated, what happens to the rest of the night? What about the caviar reception, special dinner menus that include beef wellington and "name" entertainment on formal night? Will those continue? Or will it give management an excuse to eliminate an expense?

What happens on Oceania and other cruises that are all casual? Do they have special nights? What are they like? Just trying to learn here. Thanks.

Isn't "elegantly casual" the same as "informal"? ie jacket required?

Brad wears the same thing on formal and informal nights on Regent, with the exception of no tie on informal nights. Nice jacket and pants, but not a suit.

Elegantly Casual is the same as the old Country Club Casual just new wording. Jacket NOT required.

"elegantly"casual is not really very elegant and going in that direction detracts from what makes Regent special in my opinion.

We vote for EC! I really would love to stop packing formal wear. I had already planned on staying in our cabin on formal nights this cruise just because it is too much of a hassle. I can do without hassle!

Carolin and I vote for Formal. In fact we would go so far as to say that every night should be formal. However, since I have only one Tux we will settle for just a few more formal nights.

We voted Elegant Casual, but we'd also be in favor of having Informal nights replace the formal nights. Taking a jacket is not a big deal for me; it's the tux that takes up all the extra packing space, not to mention I have to do my best to squeeze into it every year (my tux seems to shrink as time goes by! ;)