Introduction: Our Panama Canal Cruise on Oceania Sirena
How to Save Money on an Oceania Cruises Sailing
Oceania Cruises Fleet Explained
Delta First Class Review Atlanta (ATL) to Panama City (PTY)
Westin Playa Bonita Panama Pre-Cruise Hotel Review
Panama Canal Marriott Bonvoy Hotel Options Ranked
Panama Canal New Cruise Terminal Still a Work in Progress
Boarding a Cruise Ship During a Norovirus Outbreak
Oceania Cruises Sirena Vista Suite 6003 Review
What Does Oceania Cruises’ Country Club Casual Dress Code Really Mean?
Oceania Cruises Wine and Spirits Tasting Experiences
What to Expect on a Panama Canal Full Transit
Oceania Cruises Sirena Dining Review
Great Stirrup Cay, Oceania Cruises Private Island???
What Happens When Oceania Cruises Skips a Port Due to Weather?
The Pros and Cons of Sailing on Oceania’s Smallest R-Class Ships
Size Matters, Why We Prefer Oceania Cruises Larger Ships
Introduction
What Does Oceania Cruises’ Country Club Casual Dress Code Really Mean? This phrase and various takes on it permeate their advertising. In this post we’ll try to make it a bit simpler to understand what your fellow guests will be wearing on board and if that matches what Oceania Cruises is selling.
Dress codes are definitely a hot topic in the cruise community. Some passengers love them while some hate them. But there are also a huge number of passengers that simply don’t understand them. That’s fair because over the years as people have become more casual at home the life aboard ships has also become more casual. There are still those lines with very strict (and formal) dress codes like Cunard; however, they’ve become the minority in the industry. Among the most confusing are those lines owned by NCLH as they effectively don’t have dress codes. Instead they use coded language and images in advertising materials and on their websites to help steer guests towards appropriate clothing. Oceania Cruises is right in the middle of the NCLH lines. Having sailed on both NCL and Regent Seven Seas I can fairly say the dress on board Oceania Cruises matches that positioning.
Country Club Casual or Elegant Resort Casual
Oceania Cruises branding from the outset was Country Club Casual. It’s the vibe of their ships, their marketing, their specialty restaurants…you get the picture. The marketing has gone slightly more inclusive in recent years by referring instead to Elegant Resort Casual. The website has a brief section covering the topic of dress code but apart from telling guests they can leave their tuxedos and ballgowns at home it doesn’t really spell it out, though we’ve utilized images and text from the site in the article to help sus it out. So we venture to answer the question – What Does Oceania Cruises’ Country Club Casual Dress Code Really Mean?
For those that belong to country clubs the dress code is engrained and is best defined by what YOU CAN’T WEAR:
- No jeans (or denim at all), though that’s changed a bit over the years
- Collared shirts for men, unless at the pool
- Swim suits are for swimming, not for dining unless in the splash zone near the pool and even then a cover-up is expected
- No sneakers or tennis shoes in the evenings, though with the advent of “dress sneakers” this rule is all but dead
- No flip-flops except at the pool
- No shorts except outside or in the most casual eateries (Wave Grill and Terrace Cafe on Oceania Cruise’s ships)
The rules at an elegant resort are essentially the same, though a bit more athleisure is probably working it’s way into the mainstream on board.
What We Wear
What we wear is a lot like what the majority of guest on board wear. Let me begin by noting that there are definitely shifts based on the region in which you’re sailing and the weather conditions.
Let’s start with a Caribbean or Mediterranean Cruise for both men and women, day and evening:
Men/Day:
Khaki pants, golf pants, or hiking pants provided they don’t veer towards the 90’s cargo pants. Probably 25% of men will also be wearing the kinds of shorts you would see on a golf course.
Polo shirts, casual button-ups, and dressier t-shirts (not those from yesterday’s port t-shirt shop)
Women/Day:
Skirts, casual dresses, or tailored pants (nothing clinging or obviously stretchy).
All manner of tops, again excluding those same souvenir t-shirts.
Men/Evening:
Almost exclusively pants ranging from khakis to dress trousers.
Long sleeve shirts primarily, though 25% or so will be wearing short-sleeve button-ups or polo shirts.
Jackets, blazers, sweaters, and occasionally suits make appearances, particularly in the specialty dining venues. It’s a rare occurrence, but we have seen tuxedos on occasion but typically as part of a major milestone celebration and typically as part of a group travelling together.
Women/Evening:
Dresses for more than 50% of women are most common ranging from casual to formal. Skirts or pants and blouses are common. To be quite honest women put in more effort on average to dress up in the evenings than their male companions, though there are always exceptions.
Exceptions:
Mornings are a bit flexible as many are doing some form of exercise just before of after breakfast and much more athletic wear makes an appearance throughout the ship.
In more adventurous ports where many activities involve extreme weather or conditions performance clothing is very common. We saw a lot of this when we visited Iceland and the Faroe Islands on an Oceania Cruises sailing.
Terrace Cafe – This is the buffet on board and while it has a more elevated experience in the evenings, it’s still the most casual venue at night. This is where those who don’t want to dress up a bit for dinner most often congregate, generally wearing whatever they had worn during the day. One is not likely to raise eyebrows here unless you’re wearing a swimsuit.
Conclusion
Oceania Cruises doesn’t have a defined dress code; however, the vast majority of passengers have take the social cues from their marketing to more or less match the Country Club Casual or Elegant Resort Casual dress. By all means people are encouraged to be comfortable and wear what they like, but to do so in a way that also makes everyone around them comfortable. Hopefully this demystifies the question – What Does Oceania Cruises’ Country Club Casual Dress Code Really Mean? – Michael
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