Crystal Cruises Relaxes Dress Code to Make Black Tie Optional

Crystal Cruises has relaxed its recommended dress code, making black tie optional on formal nights. "Based on valuable feedback from our guests, we have updated the recommended dress codes to be more in line with the continually evolving, more relaxed dress codes reflected throughout the world today," the company noted on its website. The changes take effect beginning with the Jan. 5 cruise on Crystal Symphony and the March 31 departure on Crystal Serenity. Mimi Weisband, vice president of public relations for the luxury line, said the changes were made for a combination of reasons. "We now have far more cruises of 10 days or less (about 30 percent of our cruises in 2013) and we have more port-intensive itineraries, for which folks want to bring less luggage," she explained in an email. "We have people who are taking our ‘getaway’ shorter cruises and combining the cruises with their own land stays. We still feel that most guests will opt to dress up on the formal night, and many guests indicate that they love that we have that special evening(s). However, if someone really doesn’t want to dress up on that evening, we just don’t want to convey that it is mandatory." Under the new guidelines, casual wear is appropriate in any onboard lounge and dining venue during the day, including resort-style attire, shorts and jeans. After 6 p.m., shorts and baseball caps are not permitted. For all venues on board, the recommended evening attire is one of the following:

Resort Casual -- Slacks and a sweater or shirt for men; casual dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse for women. Ties and jackets are not required.

Elegant Casual (Informal) -- Suit or slacks with a jacket over a sweater or shirt for men. Ties are optional. Cocktail dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse for women. Jeans are not appropriate.

Black Tie (Formal) Optional -- While Elegant Casual is always appropriate in the evening, a Black Tie Optional evening includes a dark suit with tie or tuxedo for men. For women, this includes a formal cocktail dress, evening gown or dressy evening separates. On Black Tie Optional evenings, we request that jeans not be worn in any dining venues or lounges, including the casino.

There will be one black-tie optional evening during seven- to 10-day cruises and two during 11- to 13-day voyages. World Cruises, holiday voyages and crossings may be scheduled differently. The recommended dress code for each evening is listed in the daily itinerary section of the Priority Check-in & Planning Center. For more infomation contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884