Unrelated to my last couple posts on our fabulous Silversea Cruise, there was news last week that caught my eye. (I really do try to vary my themes here but had to put these thoughts up before moving on.)As my "vast following" knows, there are 4 cruise lines in the Luxury class. My travel agency has heartily endorsed three of them. But now one of the three, Regent Seven Seas, has announced that it is doing away with their evening dress code requiring jackets for gentlemen in the dining rooms. They claim that their passenger surveys have shown that people do not want to "dress up" for dinner any more.
I know that we live in a more casual society these days - and I realize that this is great news for some luxury cruisers - BUT, there are still a lot of us out there that really do enjoy spiffing up for their gourmet dinner in an elegant dining room. We like the "mix" provided by Seabourn and Silversea... on a 7 to 10 day cruise, we'll have a couple formal evenings (Tuxedos or dark suits), a few casual evenings (elegant resort wear) and the rest informal (jackets required; ties optional).
We have sailed on Regent twice in the past but will not in the future... but it's a personal choice. Regent's research and ultimate decision will likely be attractive to some competitor's guests while it pushes some of their clients to the other lines. The great thing about this is that everyone has choices - as long as they are informed choices!
That's where you need a knowledgeable travel advisor... one who will ask you a few lifestyle questions and steer you to the right cruise line or resort! Our agency will continue to sell all three... we just want to be sure we match the right client with the right line!
Cheers,
Dick
