celebrity cruise alaska dress code

What to Wear on a Celebrity Cruise

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Have you been wondering what to wear and how to dress on a Celebrity Cruise ? While Celebrity is a premium cruise line, it’s dress code may surprise you a little.

Before we look at the Celebrity Cruises dress code and what to wear during both day and evening, let’s go over what to expect on a Celebrity Cruise .

Celebrity Cruises – What to Expect

Celebrity Cruises is an upscale cruise line, that doesn’t feel stuffy. Onboard a Celebrity cruise ship, you’ll find the atmosphere relaxed, but not loud or boisterous. The food, service and attention to small details make Celebrity stand out even among other cruise lines in it’s class. 

The dress code on Celebrity is less traditional than other premium cruise lines. In fact, the traditional cruise Formal Night has been replaced by Celebrity’s Evening Chic night. 

However, this doesn’t mean that people don’t “dress up” either. In this post, I’ll share the Celebrity cruise line dress codes, as well as several real life examples of what cruise passengers actually wear.

Celebrity Cruises Dress Code: What to Wear During the Day and Evening

What to wear during the day on a Celebrity Cruise – Casual Dress Code

During the day, Celebrity Cruises is comfortable and casual. If you’re hanging around the pool, a bathing suit, flip flops and a cover up are perfect. This applies even if you’re at the pool bar or even outdoors at the grill.

However, when you head indoors to eat in the buffet or have a coffee in Cafe Al Bacio , make sure to put on some shorts and a t-shirt or sundress. In the restaurants, pool wear, tank tops and baseball caps are not permitted.

As a rule of thumb, keep the pool wear for the lido deck , and dress in casual or resort casual wear around the rest of the ship.

Video: Celebrity New Cruise Tips & Secrets

Celebrity Cruise Dining Room Attire

During the evening, in the Main Dining Room and Restaurants, Celebrity has two dress codes: Smart Casual and Evening Chic.

On 7 night cruises and longer, there are 2 Evening Chic nights. Cruises that are 6 nights or shorter will have one. All other evenings are Smart Casual.

Evening Wear – Smart Casual Dress Code

Most evenings the dress code on Celebrity Cruises is Smart Casual.

For women a smart casual dress code includes a dress or skirt, pants or jeans and a casual top. Outfits like white or black pants and and a flowy blouse work perfectly, as does a a Little Black Dress.

Men can feel comfortable wearing a pair of khakis or jeans, with a short sleeve Polo style shirt or casual dress shirt. Add a pair of casual Sperry’s shoes for a great vacation look.

**Please not that shorts are not permitted in the main dining room or restaurants in the evening. Jeans are allowed.

Evening Wear – Evening Chic Dress Code

If you’ve been wondering how to dress on a Formal Night on Celebrity Cruises, there isn’t one. Instead, Celebrity has an Evening Chic Night.

I love this dress code, as it’s still dressy, without the formality and stuffiness that sometimes comes with a traditional cruise formal night.

People are encouraged to dress their best. However, as you’ll see from the real photos of Celebrity cruisers throughout this post, there’s room for personal style and choice.

First, Celebrity’s Evening Chic dress code:

Ladies: .

On Evening Chic nights, ladies may want to wear a cocktail dress or another “dressy” outfit. Celebrity encourages elegance and sophistication, and includes pants and designer jeans and a blazer as possible outfit choices.

According to Celebrity’s website , the Evening Chic dress code for men includes dress pants or designer jeans, and a dress shirt, button down shirt or sweater, and an optional blazer or sport coat.

How to dress for dinner on Celebrity Evening Chic Nights

If you’re going on a Celebrity cruise, you might be wondering what to wear on Evening Chic Nights.

In practice, many cruise passengers do dress up on Celebrity Cruises. However, there is a lot of personal leeway.

While men aren’t obliged, it’s common to see suits and sports coats on Evening Chic nights, with or without a tie. For ladies, cocktail dresses and fancier dresses are often seen on chic nights. 

If you prefer more formal attire like a Tuxedo for men and an evening gown for ladies, you wouldn’t be out of place. Celebrity does encourage you to dress how you are most comfortable, while still maintaining an elegant style.

Please keep in mind that the dress codes and suggestions also extend to the evening shows and main theater productions.

Evening Wear in the Buffet

If you aren’t feeling like dressing for dinner, and prefer being very casual for dinner, the buffet is a very good option. Keep in mind that shorts are never allowed in the Main Dining Room in the evening, even on a Caribbean cruise .

What to People Really Wear in the Evening on a Celebrity Cruise?

Cruise line dress codes are changing and cruise passengers tend to bring less luggage than in the past. Yet, a cruise is still something special, and many do enjoy getting more dressed up than they might for a restaurant at home. 

On a personal note, I like to look beyond the cruise brochure and hear from real people. For this reason, I asked cruisers in some large Celebrity Facebook groups, to share their experiences and real life photos of their “evening chic” outfits.

All the photos in this post are of real Celebrity cruise passengers. Here are a few more gorgeous cruisers, who kindly shared their photos with us. 

Thank you so much to all who contributed your photos to this blog post. It’s much appreciated!!

Suggested posts to read next: 

• 50+ Must-have Cruise Essentials from Amazon
• What to Pack for a Cruise for Men
• 25+ Fashionable Cruise Outfits for Ladies
• 17 Rookie Mistakes First Time Cruisers Should Avoid
• What to Wear on an Alaska Cruise (outfit ideas with photos)
• What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise
• What to Pack for an Alaska Cruise (clothing, gear & essentials)
• Celebrity Infinite Veranda Cabin Review (pros & cons)

Celebrity Summit Cruise Ship Tour

If you’d like to see for yourself what people wear on a cruise, both during the day and in the evening, make sure to watch this Celebrity Summit cruise ship tour and review (my apologies for the audio – this is one of our first videos).

If you enjoy cruise vlogs, cruise tips and cruise news, please subscribe to the channel. I’d love to have you in our Life Well Cruised YouTube community !

Final Thoughts: What to Wear on a Celebrity Cruise

In this post we went over the Celebrity Cruise line dress code and shared some ideas of what to wear on a Celebrity cruise, especially evening cruise attire. Even though Celebrity does not have a formal night, it’s evening chic dress code is the equivalent, with room for personal choice.

Have you cruised with Celebrity and do you prefer dressing up or being more casual? Please let me know in the comments below.

Happy cruising!

P.S. If you found this helpful, please don’t keep it to yourself ;-). Please share on Facebook or PIN to your favorite Pinterest board (share buttons at the top). Thanks so much!

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Thanks helpful taking 1st cruise on the beyond pictures very helpful

I’m so glad the photos were helpful! Have an amazing cruise!!

Very informative. My husband and I are leaving in three weeks for Alaska on board Celebrity Eclipse to celebrate our 25th anniversary. While I enjoy dressing “to the nines” as they say he is not as comfortable, It is great to know that dress pants and a dress shirt (even without a tie) is considered appropriate on evening chic nights.

Have a wonderful cruise! So glad this was helpful

This is very helpful. We love formal wear so we’re hoping it would still be ok. Great to see some photos and put our mind at rest. Ball gown here I come!!

You could definitely dress in formal clothing. Enjoy!

Celebrity is our personal choice in cruise lines, we are preparing for our 14th cruise with them. Your description was right on with cruise wear for day and night. A premier cruise with a more casual feel.

I have a question, has anyone taken the 14 day Antartica cruise before in January/February? What types of clothing is best???? I would greatly appreciate any insight.

I haven’t taken this cruise, but feel free to join the Life Well Cruised Community Group on Facebook and ask members. Have a great cruise Stephanie!

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Onboard Dress Code FAQs
• FAQs Overview

What is the onboard dress code?

Whatever the itinerary, destination, or occasion—when you pack, think “Relaxed Luxury.”

DURING THE DAY

For warmer climates, pack swimsuits and cover-ups, walking shorts and shirts that protect from the sun, lightweight slacks, skirts or sundress, and a light sweater or jacket. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are always encouraged.

For cooler climates, bring clothing with long sleeves, sweaters, and pants that can be layered. In areas prone to snow or rain, waterproof jackets, hats, gloves, and umbrellas are recommended. 

Around the globe, consider appropriate shoes and gear for the excursions you have planned and the terrain you’ll encounter. For instance, you may pack water shoes if hiking a waterfall or a headscarf or conservative dress for visiting museums, mosques, temples, and churches. 

Throughout the ship, casual resort wear, sundresses, shorts, polos, or button-downs are appropriate, paired with sandals, low heels, and loafers. Make sure you bring active wear and sneakers if you plan to hit the gym!

Poolside, bathing suits with coverups, T-shirts, tanks, hats, and sunglasses are welcomed. 

In main and specialty dining, we ask guests to refrain from wearing swimsuits, see-through coverups or robes, bare feet, tank tops, T-shirts, and baseball caps. 

SMART CASUAL 

Smart Casual attire is required for entry to main dining, specialty dining, and the Celebrity Theatre. Smart Casual means you look comfortable yet tasteful in a dress, skirt, long pants, or jean, and stylish top or button-down. Shorts and flip flops are not considered Smart Casual. 

EVENING CHIC

Each itinerary features one to two “formal” nights we call Evening Chic. Evening Chic means you dress to impress, glamorous and sophisticated in your own way, with a cocktail dress, skirt, slacks, or designer jean, an elegant dress top or blazer—some guests even pack a tuxedo or gown for onboard photos. The Daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening. If you do not wish to participate in Evening Chic, Smart Casual attire is acceptable for dining and theater.

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What to Wear on an Alaskan Cruise (and what to leave at home)

Are you planning an Alaskan cruise vacation this summer? Congratulations, you are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Chances are this is something you have been planning for a while and you want to make sure everything goes perfectly by picking the right cruise excursions and figuring out what to wear on an Alaskan cruise to be prepared for activities and events both onboard and on land. I get it, I felt the same way before we went on our Alaska cruise.

Alaska weather tends to be wet and rainy in the summer and temperatures along the southern coast, home to many cruise ports, can range from the 40s to the 60s. You may have a few sunny, warm days, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t encounter at least some rainy days as well. All of these variants make it tricky to figure out what to wear on an Alaskan cruise. Particularly when you need to balance the chilly, wet outdoors with the climate-controlled ship’s interior.

My recommendations on what to wear on an Alaska cruise are based on our trip on the Norwegian Bliss in August. On our journey, we cruised the Inside Passage and stopped in ports in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan in southeast Alaska, and Victoria, B.C.

Of course, what you wear is also dependent on what shore excursions you choose. If you are visiting Alaska, I’ll assume that you are doing more than just shopping in the cruise port or staying on the boat, and therefore need to be properly outfitted for excursions.

Alaska cruise excursions usually include activities such as hiking, kayaking, glacier hikes, visiting dog musher camps, and wildlife viewing. On our cruise we did a mix of activities on board and off the boat including:

• Sea kayaking
• Sea plane + hiking to see bears
• Train ride + 3-hour hike
• Exploring port towns
• Running at the fitness center
• Soaking at the spa and the hot tubs

Luckily, an Alaskan cruise is a bit more casual than a Caribbean cruise or other cruises. Our cruise on the Norwegian Bliss did not include a formal night, but I’m pretty sure other cruise lines like Princess Cruises and others do have at least an optional formal night.

If you plan your Alaskan cruise packing list carefully, you can easily fit everything into one suitcase (for each person) and while those small cruise cabins don’t seem to have much room, they are designed to fit a surprising amount in all their nooks and crannies. After you unpack, you can shove those suitcases under the bed for the rest of the trip.

How Should I Dress on an Alaskan Cruise?

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

So what should you wear on an Alaskan cruise? That was something I stressed about a lot when planning our Alaskan cruise. After all, if you forget something you are kind of out of luck, at least until you get to the first port. If you are having similar worries, hopefully, this guide will help.

I have also created a printable Alaskan cruise packing list and guide to what to pack for Alaska that includes things for the cabin, toiletries, and things like a good camera, zoom lens, cell phone chargers, battery packs, extra storage cards, plastic bags or Ziploc bags, bug spray, motion sickness meds, and more. Make sure to check out that article too for all of those extras that you might otherwise forget.

What to Wear on Days at Sea

During days at sea, you will spend time enjoying the ship’s facilities. Be prepared for the outside decks and balconies to be windy and chilly, unless you get lucky with a burst of sunshine.

Attire on board is pretty casual during the day: jeans or leggings, hiking pants, or exercise clothes are all appropriate. On top, you probably want to dress in layers with a long-sleeve t-shirt topped with a sweater, light fleece jacket, or a down vest. I would still bring one or two short-sleeve t-shirts and a pair of shorts just in case it is warm enough to enjoy the sun deck or your balcony.

Since you don’t want to have to pack too many shoes, stick with either sneakers, flip flops, hiking boots, or flats which can be interchanged between the gym, spa/pool, outdoors, and dinner.

Whether you are sitting outside in the cold wind or in the observation lounge, you will probably want to have something cozy to snuggle up in. If you have room to pack a thin blanket, you will enjoy having that to curl up in while you are relaxing outside (or in the lounge.)

What to wear:

• Pair of jeans / hiking pants / exercise pants / leggings
• Sweat pants to lounge in or to throw over your bathing suit or exercise clothes as you walk back to your room
• Long sleeve t shirts / base layer
• Flannel shirt
• Fleece / sweater / down vest / sweatshirt
• Warm PJs / lounge wear
• Bathing suit + something warm to cover up to walk from the hot tub / spa to your room
• Sneakers / comfortable walking shoes
• Slippers — you will enjoy having these in the cabin
• Blanket scarf or wrap
• Possibly: short sleeve t-shirt and shorts (to save room if you plan to use the fitness center just bring exercise shorts/t-shirts and use those if you have a warm day. You can always use one of the laundry rooms if you need during your cruise.)

See my complete Alaska cruise packing guide and printable Alaska cruise packing list !

What to Wear on Nights at Sea

You can leave your cocktail dresses at home if your cruise ship doesn’t have a formal night. However, many restaurants do have a “no jeans or shorts” dress code policy in the evenings, although I’m not sure how tightly enforced these are, so you will need some dress pants or skirts and nicer tops and button-down shirts. If you really don’t like dressing for dinner, most ships will have a more casual option. On our cruise, with the exception of the embarkation night, most people did dress a bit for dinner.

Expect to see a mix of dresses, dress pants, dress shirts, and blouses. Get as fancy as you would like, but to minimize your packing list, you can get away with just a couple of pairs of nice pants, a few nice tops/sweaters, and one pair of dress shoes that go with everything.

We found the restaurants and main dining room to be chilly and it is a good idea to bring a sweater or wrap in the evenings. Keep in mind that the ship photographers are available to take family photos so you may want to coordinate one nice outfit for each.

Some cruises do have theme nights or themed dance parties. On our cruise, we weren’t aware of these in any of the pre-cruise information we received but those “in the know” on board came prepared.

There was a country and western night in the BBQ restaurant and bar one evening. I was surprised to see people decked out in cowboy boots, hats, and western gear. Even more surprised that they bothered to pack all of that just for one event. But if you love a good theme party, find out in advance what is happening during your sailing.

What to wear at night:

• Nice dress pants or a skirt that can be worn multiple times or casual dresses (black pants are great because they go with so much)
• Guys can wear dress pants or khaki pants
• A few sweaters or nice tops (long sleeves are preferable) with button-down shirts for guys
• A jacket or wrap
• Comfortable dress shoes (you can bring a pair of heels but I prefer flats for walking around the ship and climbing all the stairs)
• A small evening bag to fit your phone, key card, and necessities

What to Wear for Excursions

If you are doing anything adventurous, check with the outfitter to see what gear they provide. For example, when we went sea kayaking it was raining pretty hard when we arrived and they provided everyone with rain boots, rain slickers, and a waterproof kayak “skirt.” Likewise, our hiking tour guides provided everyone with a hiking pole, but rain gear was up to us.

Most importantly, you want to be prepared for cold weather and rain. Of course, the weather is fickle and you may end up warm so dress in layers that can be added or shedded as needed. I know sometimes people are reluctant to invest in gear that they may not use again. I felt that way when we went to Iceland and everyone suggested that we buy rain pants. We were so thankful we had made that purchase and we have since appreciated having them on this trip and many others. The difference between warm and dry and wet and cold is the difference between happy and miserable.

If you are doing any active excursions, make sure you bring along a waterproof jacket and a good pair of waterproof hiking shoes, plus another pair of sneakers or casual slip on shoes to wear around the ship when you return in case your day shoes get wet or muddy.

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What to wear on excursions:

• Waterproof shoes or waterproof hiking boots with good traction
• Hiking pants (don’t wear jeans — those take forever to dry!)
• Rain pants to slip over your hiking pants
• Wool or synthetic hiking socks
• Rain jacket or waterproof shell
• Puffer coat (something small and packable that doesn’t take up much space is ideal)
• Long-sleeved t-shirt or thermal base layer
• Flannel shirt or second layer
• Baseball hat (waterproof if you can) or a warm hat
• Day pack / waterproof backpack / dry bag to fit your essential items, camera, water bottle, wallet, portable chargers, and other necessities
• Refillable water bottle
• Thin gloves
• Bug spray / insect repellent

What to Leave at Home

So with all that stuff that you have to bring, what can you leave at home on a cruise to Alaska?

• Black tie attire — double check with your ship but many Alaska cruise ships don’t have a formal night and if they do, it is optional. So you can leave the cocktail dress, tuxedo, and heels at home, unless you want to get dressed up.
• Shorts — ok, maybe bring a couple of pairs of easy-to-pack exercise or hiking shorts in case it is warm, but unless you get lucky with a warm week, you probably won’t need them. And if you are brave enough to jump into the hot tub out on the deck or use the pool and waterslides, you will probably want to cover up and duck inside as soon as you get out of the water.
• Straightening iron / curling iron / hair dryer — unless you really want to get dressed up for dinner, I would suggest leaving your straightening and curling iron at home. When you walk on deck, your hair is going to whip around in the wind. Also when you are outside, the rain or humidity will bring on the frizz. Plus you are likely going to have a hat on for part of the day. So do yourself a favor and just put your hair up and leave the products at home. If you really like to have your hair looking nice, go ahead and bring them or book an appointment at the salon, just be prepared to fight the mist, wind, and rain to keep your do looking fresh.

What do I pack for an Alaskan Cruise?

Looking for a full Alaska cruise packing list? Check out my full guide on what to pack for an Alaskan cruise and download a printable packing list! I hope you have a great trip and I’d love to hear if you found something to suggest or add to this list!

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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.

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Publish Date: February 11, 2022

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Decoding the Celebrity Cruises Dress Code: Think Relaxed Luxury

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Packing for your first cruise on Celebrity and not sure how formal the dress code is? Think “relaxed luxury” when it comes to the Celebrity Cruises dress code. Let’s break down what that means to you.

Celebrity Cruises is a premium cruise line , falling in between mass market lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and luxury cruise lines like Oceania and Regent Seven Seas. As such, the Celebrity Cruises dress code is not as relaxed as that of the mass cruise lines, nor as formal as that of the luxury lines.

This means you won’t need to pack a long dress or tuxedo unless you want to, but you will need to bring some nicer clothes along with you, something like what you’d wear for church or a cocktail party, depending on your style. Your Daily program, which is delivered to your room, will tell you what attire is expected for the next day, giving you time to prepare.

The Celebrity Cruises Dress Code

Basically, Celebrity expects its passengers to dress nicely, either casual , smart casual , or evening chic .

Onboard Daytime Attire

On the ship during the day, casual wear is appropriate. This means:

• For women: Sundresses, shorts and a top, or pants or jeans and a top are fine. Sandals, sneakers, or low heels work well.
• For men: Long or short pants with T-shirts, short-sleeved shirts, or polos. Sandals or sneakers.

For the Pool

When lounging by the pool or relaxing in the solarium, bathing suits, T-shirts, tank shirts, hats, and sunglasses are fine. If you leave that area, however, women are expected to wear a coverup, and men should wear a shirt.

Pro Tip: Don’t wear graphic tees with curse words, obscene gestures, or controversial themes. Also, leave the camouflage clothing at home as it is illegal to wear in some Caribbean islands.

For the Fitness Center

If you plan to work out, activewear and sneakers are fine.

For Excursions

For excursions, casual resort wear is fine, but be mindful of the sun and weather. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are always a good idea, as well as comfortable shoes suitable for lots of walking.

Also, be prepared to dress conservatively if you plan to visit museums or religious sites, which means covering bare shoulders and knees.

RELATED POSTS:

• Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club Program (2023)
• Guide to Celebrity Retreat Amenities by Suite
• Celebrity Cruises Blue Chip Club: What to Know
• Norwegian vs. Celebrity: Which Cruise Line is the Perfect Fit for You?
• Celebrity vs. Norwegian: Comparing Entry-Level Suites on the Edge and Joy
• Celebrity’s Accessible Sky Suite: What to Expect
• 18 Great Reasons To Cruise on Celebrity

Onboard Nighttime Attire

For casual venues.

For casual venues such as the Oceanview Cafe in the evening, casual attire as described above is fine. 

Smart Casual

On the ship in the evening, smart casual attire is expected for adults and teens for entry to main dining, specialty dining, and the theater. Think comfortable yet tasteful. This means:

• For women: Dresses, or skirts, nice jeans, or pants with nice tops are fine. Nice sandals, low heels, or high heels work well.
• For men: Long pants or nice jeans with collared short-sleeved shirts, polos, or button-down shirts. Loafers or other nice shoes.

Pro Tip:  Smart casual does not include T-shirts, shorts, or flip-flops. Men who wear these to specialty restaurants will be asked to return their cabin and change clothes.

Evening Chic

Each itinerary has one or two “formal” nights referred to as Evening Chic, which you can participate in or not, your call. If you choose not to dress up, Smart Casual attire is still fine for dining and the theater. For Evening Chic nights, photographers will be about the ship, taking portraits, and the captain is usually available on these nights to take photos, so you’ll want to dress nicely. If you want to bring a long gown or a tuxedo, feel free but don’t feel pressured.

• Women: Either a cocktail dress, or a skirt, slacks, or designer jeans with an elegant top.
• Men: Slacks with a button-down shirt or light sweater. A sports jacket is optional, and a suit is fine.

Ultimate Cruise Planner

Need a little assistance organizing and planning your cruise? Our Ultimate Cruise Planner can help!

For Guests of The Retreat

Guests of The Retreat who dine at Luminae are expected to wear casual wear for breakfast or lunch, and smart casual wear for dinner.

Final Thoughts on the Celebrity Cruises Dress Code

In summary, the Celebrity Cruises dress code wants their guests to be comfortable but also to look nice. Keep that in mind while you pack and while onboard, and you’ll be fine.

For more information, please visit Celebrity Cruises’ website .

Happy cruising!

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Everything you need to know about an Alaska cruise on Celebrity Eclipse

01/29/2024 By Traveling Canucks 37 Comments Categories: Alaska British Columbia North America Travel Stories Travel Tips Trip Ideas United States

Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship

There’s a lot to consider when booking an Alaska cruise vacation. The cruise ship you choose can make or break your experience, so it’s wise to do your research. We had trouble finding content about the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship, so this post will address the questions we had prior to booking. 

This cruise departs from Vancouver and sails north to the magnificent Hubbard Glacier in Alaska (pictured above), the largest tidewater glacier in North America. It’s a 7 night Alaska cruise that includes visits to Icy Strait Point , Juneau and Ketchikan before returning to Vancouver . 

This is a very long blog post with lots of photos from our time aboard the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship. Use the table of contents below to skip ahead to a specific topic of interest.

• Watch our video about the Celebrity Eclipse here . 

Before we get started, we feel it’s important to let you know that we did NOT work with Celebrity Cruises and we did NOT receive any perks or compensation. Not even free wifi. 

Alaska Cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse

Table of Contents

Celebrity Eclipse Veranda Stateroom 

Before we take you a tour of the Celebrity Eclipse, let’s begin with an overview of our veranda stateroom. Veranda means covered balcony (I did not know this prior to booking). Our stateroom was located on the 6th floor of the ship, starboard side near the stern.

The room number is 6242, in case you’re researching the Celebrity Eclipse deck plan . 

The balcony stateroom is cozy and comfortable. It comes with a queen sized bed and a couch that converts to a single bed. The couch in the stateroom has a trundle bed underneath. Scroll down to see photos.

Some staterooms have a bunk bed set-up, where the top bunk folds up during the day. We prefer the trundle bed over the bunk bed system. We were nervous about our boys falling from the top bunk if the ship ran into a big swell. The trundle bed works well for us.

Bathroom in the veranda stateroom is quite spacious.

We’ve been on a few cruise ships and this bathroom is the biggest. The shower is quite large and roomy. Hot water is always available. Standard toiletries are included and replenished every day (soap, shampoo and lotion). A hair dryer is also included in the bathroom.

Staterooms have a mini-fridge.

The mini fridge is stocked with typical mini-bar items, like beer, spirits and soda. These items have an additional charge that is automatically added to your stateroom bill. 

It’s nice having a mini-fridge in the room. Our youngest boy has a dairy allergy, so we bring rice milk and vegan butter when we travel. 

Housekeeping service happens twice per day.

Rooms are cleaned and replenished in the morning, typically when you go for breakfast. And again in the evening, typically when you’re at dinner.

If you have special requirements, let your housekeeper know on your first day. They can’t help you if they don’t know what you need.

The television in your stateroom is interactive.

You can view room charges and order room service directly on the television. It also has on-demand movies and shows which is a nice feature. We’ve been on cruises where the television channels are not available while at sea, which doesn’t really help. In the evenings, our boys would watch a movie while we sat on the balcony with a glass of wine. It’s a nice way to end the day.

See video footage from our stateroom here . 

We stayed in room 6242. We circled the room in red on the deck plan image above.

Bathroom in the veranda stateroom on the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship.

Travel tips for Alaska Cruise vacation

• Bring a multi-plug USB charger. The room only has a few power outlets, including a European outlet, but no USB ports. We always bring this wall charger because we have several devices that need charging at the same time. 
• You can bring wine with you. Guests are allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. We packed one bottle of wine in our carry on bag. You have to claim this after you pass through security. 
• Don’t double tip – check your bill before signing. Gratuities are often automatically added to your bill when purchasing alcohol. Don’t tip twice! Look at your bill and ask the bartender if gratuities are built into the price. 
• Ask for the high quality bathrobes. Staterooms come with two bathrobes that are small and thin. Ask your housekeeper for the better quality robes. You’ll be glad you did because they are much softer and warmer. They are ideal for walking to and from the pools. Remember, you’re in Alaska, not the Caribbean.
• Room service is available – use it! Staterooms do NOT come with coffee or tea. If you like coffee or tea in the morning, and you don’t want to wander around the ship before your morning shower, take advantage of this included service. 
• Use packing cubes for your clothes.  If you’re not already using packing cubes , we highly recommend. Especially if you’re traveling with kids. We use these packing cubes – see photo above. They keep your clothes organized and store easily in overhead compartments.
• Bring clothes that do not wrinkle easily. Staterooms do NOT come with an iron or ironing board. 
• Don’t forget to switch your cellphone to airplane mode. The ship will cross international boundaries while at sea. Prevent unexpected data roaming charges by switching your phone to airplane mode. 

Is it worth getting the balcony on a cruise?

Yes. The balcony on a cruise ship is a must, in our opinion. It’s nice to have the additional space and fresh air, especially when sharing a room with two young boys. 

We enjoy spending our mornings on the private balcony. Watching the beautiful landscapes pass by while breathing the fresh sea breeze is a highlight from our Alaska cruise.

There’s a high probability you will see whales and dolphins on an Alaskan cruise. We witnessed at least a dozen whales and dolphins from our stateroom veranda. Scroll down to see some of the photos.

Before having kids, we went on a cruise and stayed in an inside cabin with no window or balcony. While we did save money on the room (inside cabins are less expensive), it was not ideal. I cannot imagine sharing an inside stateroom with kids. It would feel far too claustrophobic for my liking.

In the evening, the trundle bed is pulled out from under the couch. Each boy has their own single bed. 

Watch our Alaska Cruise video tour of Celebrity Eclipse here . 

Obstructed views in Celebrity Eclipse Cabins

Our veranda stateroom is classified as having an obstructed view. We paid less for this room, so we were concerned about how much of our view would actually be obstructed. Sometimes cruise lines will call these rooms with restricted views.

We did not mind the obstructed views from our stateroom on the Celebrity Eclipse.

I can see why Celebrity Cruises reduces the cost for these staterooms. You do have a bright orange safety boat in front of your room, which is a bit of an eye sore.

However, we were able to clearly see the passing landscapes. Most of our time on the cabin balcony was spent either reading or leaning on the railings, watching the scenery. When you stand up and lean on the railings, you no longer have the orange safety boats in view.

As you can see in the above photo, the obstructed views on our balcony is limited. We could clearly see the Hubbard Glacier from our balcony. However, the top of the safety boats is visible. 

Search for the best Celebrity Cruises deals here . 

The above photo was taken from our balcony. This is room 6242 on the 6th floor.

Is there room service on the cruise ship?

Yes. Room service on the cruise is included.

Staterooms on the Celebrity Eclipse do not come with individual coffee makers or kettles. Because of this, you cannot make coffee or tea in your stateroom. This is common on most cruise ships.

We like to have lazy mornings and let our boys sleep in when we’re on vacation. They typically stay up later, so we prefer to take it slow and let the morning dictate our pace. Because of this, we order room service every morning while on a cruise.

Room service is complimentary on the Celebrity Eclipse from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Room service is available 24 hours a day, however late night room service has an additional charge.

No tipping or gratuities are required at the time of ordering or receiving your room service. However, if you’d like to leave a tip, you can either give a cash tip or add gratuity to room service staff. You do not need to sign anything when the food arrives. It’s a very easy process. 

There are 3 ways to order room service on the Celebrity Eclipse:

• order items directly on the interactive television in your stateroom
• complete the room service card that is in your room and hang it on your door before you go to sleep
• call room service from your stateroom

Every morning we ordered a large pot of coffee (see photo above), orange juice, fresh pastries, cereal for our boys (Frosted Flakes, Special K and Corn Flakes), bacon and scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and milk. Almond milk is also available, which was great for us because our youngest boy has a dairy allergy. 

The time of delivery varies. However, our order typically arrived at 7:30 AM.

Amenities on Celebrity Eclipse

The Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship has a lot of amenities and activities to keep guests entertained while at sea. The ship has multiple outdoor pools, an adult only pool, hot tubs, spa, fitness center, arcade, teen club, kids club, outdoor basketball court, bars and lounges, grand theatre, retail shops, casino and a grass lawn on the rooftop observation deck. 

Public areas on the main decks of Celebrity Eclipse:

• Deck 3 – Moonlight Sonata Restaurant, Passport Bar, Eclipse Theatre, Grand Foyer, and Luminae.
• Main Deck 4 – Moonlight Sonata Restaurant (upper section), Cellar Masters, Quasar (Night Club), Fortunes Casino, Martini Bar & Crush, Eclipse Theatre, and Shops on the Boulevard.
• Main Deck 5 – Specialty restaurants – Blu, Murano, Tuscan Grille, Le Petit Chef at Qsine, Sushi on Five, Café al Bacio and Gelateria, as well as Ensemble Lounge, Michael’s Club, Art Gallery and Eclipse Theatre (upper section).
• Deck 12 – Outdoor pools and hot tubs, Canyon Ranch Spa, Canyon Ranch Fitness, Spa Café, Persian Garden and Solarium.
• Deck 14 – Sky Observation Lounge, Mast Grill, Oceanview Café, and Pool & Mast Bars.
• Outdoor / Deck 15 – Fun Factory (kids club), XClub (teenagers club), ShipMates (children aged 3 to 5), The Lawn Club, Hot Glass Class, Sunset Bar, and Outdoor basketball court.

See the Celebrity Eclipse Deck Plan here .

Our boys enjoy playing soccer and basketball on the outdoor court on deck 15

The above photo gives you an idea of the different levels on the cruise ship. Glass elevators offer views of each floor as it travels up and down the ship. It’s amazing how big this ship is. 

This is the Eclipse Sky Lounge. We enjoyed this space and spent a lot of time here.

Hot tubs and pools on the Celebrity Eclipse

In total, the Celebrity Eclipse has six hot tubs and three pools.

The outdoor section, pictured below, has two outdoor pools and four hot tubs. The cruise ship also has an enclosed section with a large pool and two additional hot tubs (pictured above). This area is for adults only, but families are allowed to use it between 4:00 to 6:00 PM each day. 

The pools use fresh water, not salt water. We’ve been on cruise ships that use salt water in the pools, which was a shock to the system the first time you jump in. 

Towels are provided at each pool, so you don’t need to pack a towel. Do not use the towels provided in your stateroom for the pool. 

See the Celebrity Eclipse pools and hot tubs here . 

Outdoor hot tubs and pools on Celebrity Eclipse 

The outdoor pools on Celebrity Eclipse are mostly used by kids. Most adults, including ourselves, prefer to use the outdoor hot tubs instead. 

When the ship is at sea, the outdoor hot tubs are very busy. During peak hours, some hot tubs have up to 12 people in them.

There are plenty of lounger chairs available at the pools. Even though we had great weather on our Alaska cruise, it’s still a little chilly outside. Because of this, the outdoor spaces are mostly empty. It’s breezy when the ship is out at sea, so the pool is not the main attraction, like on Caribbean cruises. 

The above photo was taken in the morning, which is why the pools and loungers are empty. 

If you time it right, you can get the outdoor hot tub all to yourself. Braydon approves. 

The outdoor pools are quite refreshing . That’s my positive spin on the pools being very cold.  

The hot tubs are a nice temperature for kids. Not too hot.

Life jackets are available at the pools

The ship provides life jackets for people who cannot swim. This is a nice feature. We wish we had known this prior to boarding the cruise ship because our youngest boy, Connor, is still learning to swim.

We bring his life jacket vest so he can enjoy the pool. However, it’s bulky and takes up a lot of room in our luggage. Knowing that the ship provides life jackets, we would have left his life jacket at home.

Adult only pool on Celebrity Eclipse

The ship has an enclosed pool and lounge area, which is a nice feature for an Alaskan cruise. Even in the summer, Alaska weather is cool and it rains often. Having an indoor space that is heated and protected from the rain is very nice. We spent time in this Solarium every day. 

Although this space is Adults Only for most of the day, families are allowed to use the pool between 4:00 and 6:00 PM. This is the biggest and nicest pool on the cruise ship, so our boys enjoyed swimming here. 

That said, it’s not advertised that family time is between 4:00-6:00 PM each day.

Therefore, we still got a few stink eyes from uninformed guests who thought we were breaking the rules. It would be nice for staff to inform guests with signage, so that families don’t feel awkward. 

Watch our video tour of the Celebrity Eclipse here . 

Pool inside the Solarium on the Celebrity Eclipse.

Our boys enjoyed the family swim time in the Solarium.

Outdoor seating on the Alaska cruise 

The Eclipse has a lot of outdoor seating for guests to enjoy the passing landscapes. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a few humpback whales breaching in the distance.

It can get chilly and windy on the upper decks, especially in the evenings. It’s best to bring sweaters and jackets with you. Blankets are also provided.

Many of the outdoor seating areas have glass walls to protect you from the wind. 

Views of the upper deck on the cruise ship. This was captured when the ship passed through the Inside Passage on the way to Juneau, Alaska.

Comfortable chairs on a lower deck. The city in the backdrop is Ketchikan, Alaska . 

Outdoor grass field on the cruise ship

One of the unique features on the Celebrity Eclipse is the grass field on the 15th floor observation deck. They call it the Lawn Club . Our boys loved running and rolling on this well groomed grass field.

Guests are provided complimentary bocce balls to play on the grass field. It’s not every day you get to play bocce ball on top of a cruise ship while it sails between icebergs and fjords. 

Notice what we are wearing in the above photo. Even though we took this Alaska cruise in the middle of August, it can get cold on the outdoor decks. Pack accordingly.

The grass field is also a great place to witness humpback whales breaching.

Fortune Casino on the Celebrity Eclipse

Like most mega-cruise ships, the Celerity Eclipse has a full casino. Fortunes Casino has all of the standard games and tables one would expect, including craps, roulette, blackjack, poker and a lot of loud, bright slot machines. 

We’re not big gamblers but we did play some roulette one evening. It only took us about 20 minutes to burn through our $50 budget.

The house always wins when we play!

Fortunes Casino hours of operation will vary. Generally, casinos open when the cruise ship enters international waters. The casino closes when the cruise ship is in port. 

For Alaska cruises, the age limit to play in the casino is 21+ years old. Kids are not allowed in the casino but it’s fine to walk through the casino. You are not allowed to play games with kids sitting beside you.

Read the Celebrity Cruises Casino FAQ’s page here .

Eclipse Theater and entertainment

Every evening there is live entertainment and performances on the cruise ship. These shows are included, so you do not need to pay extra to attend.

Performances are different each night. Acts range from acrobats to comedians to magicians.

Shows are about an hour long. There are two shows each night. The first one typically starts around 7:00 PM, for guests who are dining at the early seating. The later show typically starts around 9:00 PM.

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. The Eclipse Theatre is three stories tall, so it’s quite big and there are plenty of seats available. That said, some shows were completely full, so it’s best to arrive 15 minutes before showtime. 

It’s recommended that guests follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Eclipse Theater for evening performances.

Read the Celebrity cruise ship dress code here .

Live acrobat performance at Eclipse Theatre. 

Celebrity Eclipse Restaurants

There are several restaurants on the Celebrity Eclipse. The main dining area, pictured above, is the Moonlight Sonata Restaurant . It’s a two floor restaurant located on floors 3 and 4. We dined at the Moonlight Sonata every evening and found the food, service and atmosphere quite enjoyable. 

Options for the main dining room are ‘Open Seating’ or ‘Set Seating’. 

The upper section is for guests who have Open Seating (It may also be called ‘Select Dining’). The lower section is for guests who have Set Seating. There are two set dining times – 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM.

The seating times coincide with the nightly entertainment in the Eclipse Theatre. If you dine at 6:00 PM you can watch the 9:00 PM show. If you dine at 8:30 PM you can watch the 7:00 PM show before going to the dining room.

We chose the flexible ‘Open Seating’ option.

This meant we could arrive at the restaurant at any time. With kids, it’s sometimes difficult to make a set time, so we preferred to have the flexible option. 

The downside to Open Seating is that it’s first come, first serve. So, you may have to wait a while to get a table. To avoid long wait times, you can make a reservation each day by calling the maître d. 

We arrived at the restaurant around 6:30 PM each night. We rarely waited more then 10 minutes. In fact, most times we were seated right away. However, when we left the restaurant, at around 8:00 PM, there was always a long line. It’s a gamble. 

The advantage to Set Seating is that you don’t have to wait for your table. You’re seated right away and you get the same table and same wait staff each night. This gives you familiarity with your dining experience.

You may be required to chose your seating option when you book your Alaska cruise. 

Menu at the Main Dining Restaurant

The menu for the main dining restaurant rotates every day. However, there are a few items that remain consistent – see the timeless entrees on the sample menu above.

The menu has gluten free, vegetarian, no sugar added, and lactose free options. 

Dining on the cruise ship is all inclusive, except for alcoholic beverages.

This means you can order whatever you want off the menu. Typically you would order one appetizer, entree and desert.

However, if you’re having a hard time deciding, you can order multiple items. We typically ordered 2 or 3 appetizers each at dinner. And, if you’re feeling bold, you can also order multiple entrees. 

Scroll down to see photos of the food served in the main dining room. As you’ll see, the restaurant has a wide variety of cuisine, ranging from grilled salmon to prime rib to lobster, and everything in between. 

We were impressed with the food in the main restaurant. It’s not easy serving hundreds of people at the same the time, yet the food was consistently good.

Guests can also visit the main dining restaurant for breakfast and lunch.

Fun facts about Celebrity Cruises 

Below are some stats from a typical 7 day cruise:

• Pounds of beef = 25,545
• Pounds of chicken = 10,242
• Liters of milk = 96,540
• Fresh eggs = 15,200
• Pounds of fish = 22,652
• Pounds of fresh vegetables = 58,659
• Bottles of wine = 18,450
• Liters of beer = 35,000
• Chefs, Cooks and Cleaning staff = 250+ people
• Total Staff working in Dining and Food = 600+ people
• Average number of dishes served PER DAY = 16,000

We went on a kitchen tour of the Moonlight Sonata Restaurant and witnessed the well oiled machine that delivers over 2,800 meals between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM EVERY evening.

Think about that for a moment. 2,800 meals in 4 hours! 

Sample menu of the starters. The menu changes every day, except the Timeless Starters .

Moonlight Sonata Restaurant

We took food photos of the dishes we ate at Moonlight Sonata Restaurant. As you can see, the restaurant offers a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts.

We are impressed by the selection and quality of the food on this cruise ship. It exceeded our expectations.

Unfortunately, we did not take a photo of the menu each day, so I don’t have the formal names and ingredients of each of these dishes. I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Stay up to date. Follow us on Facebook . 

Watch the video tour of the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship.

Hooray for dairy free ice cream! The ship provides a decent amount of dairy free options for Connor.

What is the dress code on Celebrity Eclipse?

The expectation for the Moonlight Sonata main dining restaurant is Smart Casual . 

Women should feel comfortable wearing a skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top. Men should feel comfortable wearing pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Basically, the expectation for Smart Casual is that you make an effort. 

There are two nights when the dress code in the dining restaurant is Evening Chic , which is Celebrity Cruises’ term for Formal Night . This is when guests are encouraged to wear a tuxedo or formal gown.

On formal evenings, women should feel comfortable wearing a cocktail dress, or skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top. Men should feel comfortable wearing dress pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater. Sport coat or blazer is optional.

It’s important to note that T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurants. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. 

Kids are fine wearing collared shirts and jeans at the restaurants.

Is there a kids menu in the dining restaurant?

Yes. The main restaurant has a kids menu. 

The menu offers standard kids menu items, including mini margarita pizza, mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, spaghetti bolognese (or plain), cheeseburger with fries, and/or filet mignon with mashed potatoes. 

Kids have a few options for appetizers, too. Our boys typically ordered the raw veggies with hummus (pictured above). Braydon also loved the escargots and ordered them a few times.

For dessert, kids can choose between PB&J sundae, ice cream, chocolate mousse, chocolate chip cookies and milk, and fruit. Kids can also order from the adult’s menu.

Do you need to tip on a cruise ship?

Yes, the expectation is that you will tip the wait staff. However, you do NOT need to leave a gratuity each time you dine in the restaurant or grab a drink from the bar.

Every guest is charged a service fee per day. This service fee is meant to cover gratuities for all service staff, including dining staff, sommelier, bartenders, hosts, kitchen staff and housekeeping. 

There is a suggested minimum charge of $14.50 per day, per passenger, however, you can increase the gratuity if you enjoyed the service. You would do this when you settle your bill at the conclusion of the cruise (this would typically happen on the final night, before disembarkation).

If you wish to leave a cash gratuity with your servers, it’s recommended you do this at the end of the cruise.

Typically this would happen at your final dining experience. It’s wise to bring $US currency with you. Bring small bills because you likely will not find change.

We enjoyed the service in the Moonlight Sonata Restaurant, so we gave an additional gratuity to our head waiter, assistant waiter and sommelier. We put an additional $30 USD in an envelope and handed it directly to each of them (3 people in total). This is not required, but it’s much appreciated. 

Note – Gratuities are automatically added to your bill when purchasing alcohol at the bar. Don’t tip twice! Look at your bill and/or ask the bartender if gratuities are built into the price. 

Can you change the minimum gratuity charge?

Yes, you can change the minimum charge for gratuities. To change the amount, you need to go to Customer Service / Guest Relations on the ship and request the change.

It’s recommended to do this at the beginning of your cruise. Lines will get long during the day, so it’s best to do this early morning or late at night.

We decided to remove our kids from the daily minimum charge for gratuities. We only paid for two adults, which amounted to $29.00 USD per day in gratuities (total of $203 USD).

At the end of the cruise, we gave an additional $30 USD to our housekeeper. We handed him cash when we said goodbye on the morning disembarkation. 

Specialty restaurants on the Celebrity Eclipse

The Eclipse has specialty restaurants that offer unique dining experiences. These restaurants have an additional charge. Rates vary depending on the restaurant.

The specialty restaurants on the Celebrity Eclipse:

• Le Petit Chef At Qsine – experience the fusion of entertainment and French cuisine. 
• Sushi on Five – modern luxury take on traditional Japanese fare.
• Tuscan Gille – Italian ristorante and enoteca with a contemporary twist.
• Murano – Classic French dishes with a contemporary twist.
• Blu – inventive cuisine with an extensive list of sustainable and biodynamic wines.

We received one complimentary specialty dining experience.

I’m not sure if this is the standard, though. We were offered this specialty dining experience for the last night on the ship.

We may have been offered this specialty dinner because our parents were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary (staff were aware of this milestone). Or, it may have been because the specialty restaurants had available seating that was unsold and they wanted to fill the room.

I’m not sure why, but it was a nice gesture and we enjoyed the experience. It was a fun change of pace from the main dining restaurant.

Note – we did not work with Celebrity Cruises, so this complimentary specialty dinner had nothing to do with our travel blog. In fact, Celebrity Cruises wouldn’t even provide us with free wifi to share our experience in real time.

Le Petit Chef At Qsine – 3D Dining

We decided to dine at Le Petit Chef At Qsine because it’s a unique dining experience. Celebrity Cruises describes it as ‘an immersive fusion of entertainment and dining like nothing you’ve ever experienced’. 

Celebrity Cruises was correct. We’ve never experienced a dining experience quite like this.

What makes Le Petit Chef different is that an animated 3D character appears on your plate and prepares each course before the real dish is served. 

The four course meal is created by Celebrity’s Michelin Star Chef. The menu rotates, so you can enjoy this evening multiple times during your sailing. 

In total, the dinning experience takes about 2.5 hours. Guests can choose between two seating times. We chose the early seating at 5:45 PM. The second seating is at 8:30 PM.

Our boys loved the experience. They even had a few LOL moments. There is a kids menu available, though the animated characters only create dishes that are included in the standard four course menu.

Here’s a video that explains the animated dining experience. 

The first course was a delicious tomato, arugula, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan cheese salad. You’ll notice the yellow and pink lines on the plate. It’s difficult to capture photos of this dining experience because the camera picks up the flickering animation.

The second course was a fantastic cheese ravioli dish. This was our favourite dish in the four course meal. At the end of the show, guests vote on their favourite dish. This dish was the winner.

The third course was steak and frites with a hollandaise sauce.

This dish was okay, but not great. It was my least favourite. You can substitute steak for chicken – see the first photo above. The chicken dish was better than the steak dish, in my opinion.

The fourth course was an interesting matcha-wasabi-white-chocolate-cake. I don’t remember the exact name. In the above photo, you can see the animation of the chef preparing this unique dessert.

It’s hard to see him, but the chef is on the boat, wearing a blue suit. Can you spot him? 

Above is a photo of the dessert served at Le Petit Chef. It was good, but not great. I’m not sure wasabi and matcha should be in a cake, but that might just be me.

All Inclusive Buffet on the Celebrity Eclipse

The Oceanview Cafe is where the all inclusive buffet is located. It’s open around the clock, however there are certain times when items are limited due to switching menus from breakfast to lunch, or lunch to dinner.

The buffet gets crazy busy at peak hours. It was difficult to find a table that fit our family of six. In fact, it was difficult to find a table for two people during peak hours. 

The food at the buffet was decent. However, the food in the main dining restaurant was much better. We only ate at the buffet for lunch or afternoon snacks (we ordered room service for breakfast).

The buffet in the Oceanview Cafe offers a wide variety of food, including a carving station, salad bar, variety of sandwiches, fresh pizza, international cuisine (which included Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine), fresh pasta bar, cheese and fruit platters, ice cream and all kinds of sweet desserts. 

Here’s a list of restaurants and cafes on Celebrity Eclipse.

Above is a rare moment when the buffet lines were empty. This is not the norm. The buffet restaurant is consistently crowded, making it difficult to find a table during peak hours.

We preferred to eat from the menu at the main dining restaurant.

Above – Salmon Wellington served at the carving station in the Oceanview Cafe.

Cakes and pastries on display at the Oceanview Cafe.

Is the cruise alcohol package worth it?

Yes, we believe the alcohol package on the Celebrity Eclipse is worth the additional expense. Obviously, if you’re not a big drinker, skip the alcohol package.

Having the alcohol package allowed us to drink what we wanted, when we wanted. It was nice to have unlimited wine included at dinner, too. Instead of ordering single glasses of wine, our sommalier gave us full bottles of wine to enjoy. We preferred this.

What is the alcohol package all about?

Alcohol is NOT included in the cruise price. The price per drink on the ship is not cheap (a bottle of Stella is $10 USD). If you plan to have a few drinks in the afternoon and wine with dinner, you should consider purchasing an alcohol package. 

Basically, you pay one price to enjoy a variety of beverages on the cruise ship. Choices include wines-by-the-glass, beers, cocktails, spirits, premium coffees, bottled water, and soda. You can order beverages in the main dining restaurant, specialty restaurants, casual dining restaurants, and all bars and lounges.

Celebrity Cruises has a Standard Package, Classic Beverage Package or Premium Package.

We went with the Classic Package and felt it was good value for our needs. If you like top shelf liquor and/or wines, you may prefer the Premium Package.

The Classic Beverage Package starts at $59 per day

The Classic package allows you to choose from from a selection of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks and wines by the glass up to $9 per serving.

The images below show the wine and beer that’s included in the Classic Package.

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The Premium Package starts from $69 p/night

The Premium Package allows you to choose from all the classic package items PLUS specialty coffees & teas, craft & artisan beers, spirits, cocktails, frozen drinks, Coca Cola products, premium bottled water and wines by the glass up to $15 per serving.

Here’s the full list of alcohol beverages on the Celebrity Eclipse.

Bars and Night Clubs on the Celebrity Eclipse

The cruise ship has a lot of variety when it comes to bars, lounges and night clubs. 

We spent most of our adult time in the Sky Lounge. The views from the Sky Lounge are fantastic and it has fun trivia games happening throughout the day.

Below are a few photos of the various bars and lounges on the Celebrity Eclipse.

Above is the Ensemble Lounge. It has live music in the evenings. 

The Cellar Masters wine bar on the 4th floor. 

More seats and the bar inside Quasar nightclub.

The futuristic entrance and DJ booth at Quasar nightclub, located on the 4th Floor. 

Above is the ‘World Class Bar’, specializing in diverse cocktails and fancy drinks.

This is the bar inside the Sky Lounge.

A different section in the Sky Lounge. This is where the trivia games are played each day.

The above scene happened every day while on this Alaska cruise. We spotted several whales and dolphins from these comfy lounge chairs in the Sky Lounge.

Celebrity Eclipse Kids Club  

The Celebrity kids club is a great opportunity for your kids to meet new friends and have some parent-free fun on the ship. Our boys really enjoyed the kids club on the Celebrity Eclipse. Each morning we would drop them off at 9:30 AM and pick them up at 12:00 PM. 

The Kids Club has three groups, based on age: 

• Shipmates – for kids aged 3 to 5 years old
• Cadets – for kids aged 6 to 9 years old
• Captains – for kids aged 10 to 12 years old

It’s suggested that on the first day of the cruise, you visit the kids club to sign waivers and register your kids. For this particular Alaska cruise, the open house was from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on the first day. It does not take long to complete the paperwork.

This is also a good time speak with staff to ask questions about the kids programs.

Can you move your child to a different kids group?

During the time of this Alaska cruise, our boys were aged 5 and 7 years old. Our youngest boy, Connor, was only one month away from turning 6 years old, which is the cut off for the Cadets group. He really wanted to be with his big brother and join the Cadets group.

The staff was firm with keeping kids in their proper age groups, but they did make an exception for him.

He had to spend the first day with the Shipmates group to make sure the Cadets group was an appropriate fit for him and the other Cadets. On day two, after the staff was able to assess him, Connor was able to join the Cadets group.

Most of the activities in the Kids Club are free.

The activities with extra charges are during lunch (12:00 PM to 2:00 PM) and dinner (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM). They also offer a slumber party from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM. 

One question I had before joining this Alaska cruise was – will there be other kids on the ship? Or is this Celebrity Cruise more geared towards adults? The answer is Yes. There were a lot of kids and families on this cruise. And there are a lot of family friendly activities available on the ship.

Below is a photo of the kid activities on Celebrity Eclipse.

Braydon loved playing Xbox games in the Cadets kids room. We do not have a gaming console at home, so he was excited to play ‘big kid video games’.

He wanted to visit this kids room every day. It’s very possible (and probable) that he enjoyed playing in this room more than seeing the Hubbard Glacier!

Above is a photo of the Shipmates play area for children aged 3 to 5 years old.

Family Bingo on the cruise ship was a fun way to kill an hour. There is always something to keep the kids entertained while the ship was out at sea. 

Arcade on Celebrity Eclipse

The arcade on the Celebrity Eclipse is small but effective. There’s about a dozen games in the room, including air hockey and race car video games. Our boys enjoyed visiting this arcade in the evenings. 

There is an additional fee for each game. It costs about $1 USD per game, so it starts to add up. Games do not take coins or cash. You must use your room card to pay for each game.

If you look at the image below, you will see the Recharge Station. To pay for the games, you will need to add money to your room card via this machine. 

Note – we were double charged multiple times. The machines are unpredictable. It’s annoying because these games are not cheap. We wasted at least 30 minutes trying to rectify the overcharges with Guest Services.  

Connor loved this motorcycle game. It took him to a whole new level in video game play.

Whale watching on the Alaska Cruise

When we booked our Alaska cruise we weren’t sure if we’d see whales from the cruise ship deck. We contemplated a whale watching tour as a shore excursion, but, with a family of four, it wasn’t a budget friendly option.

Fortunately, we had plenty of opportunity to see humpback whales from the cruise ship.

The weather was perfect during our cruise, which made it much easier for whale spotting. The Pacific Ocean was so calm that we could see humpback whales miles away in the distance. We also witnessed several dolphins and porpoises from our cabin balcony. 

If you want to get up close to the whales, booking a whale watching tour is a good idea. You can book shore excursions directly on the cruise ship or you can book ahead of time with local tour operators.  

Here are a few Alaska whale watching tours:

• Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier
• Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier and Tracy’s King Crab Shack Combo Tour
• Whale Watching & Wildlife Viewing Excursion
• Misty Fjords Seaplane Tour from Ketchikan
• Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour from Ketchikan

Travel tip – bring a pair of binoculars with you ( here’s a recommended model ). We contemplated purchasing binoculars at the cruise ship terminal in Vancouver but decided not to. In hindsight, we should have brought binoculars with us. Our neighbour let us borrow her binoculars and we were able to clearly see the humpbacks breaching.

This humpback whale surfaced right beside the cruise ship. It was incredible!

A humpback whale waves goodbye as it descends under water. See more photos here .

Professional photos on the cruise ship

Every evening professional photographers will have makeshift studios set up around the ship. Usually they are located near the restaurant and lounges. This is a great opportunity to take a family photo while every one is dressed nice. 

You don’t have to pay to get your photos taken, so there’s no harm in striking a pose.

We had our photos taken 2 or 3 times every evening, with different backdrops (see photos below). The backdrops change each day, as does your clothing, so it gives you a variety of photos to choose from.

Purchasing a photo package on the cruise ship

One way to remember your Alaska cruise is to buy a photo package. You can purchase the package before you board the ship or while you’re on the ship. 

When we purchased our cruise, Celebrity Cruises had a special where on-board credits were given to us. We opted to pre-purchase a photo package using these on-board credits.

We used $187 CAD of our cruise credits for the photo package. That gave us 12 professional images, which equals about $15 CAD for each image. To purchase photos on the ship it costs $25 USD per image. Purchasing your photos ahead of time will save you money.

There are two options for a photo package – digital copies or printed copies. We opted for the digital copies because we wanted the ability to print unlimited photos in different sizes. If you chose the original prints you would take the actual photos that are given to you on the ship.

How does the digital photo package work?

On the final day of our Alaska cruise, we sat down with someone who works in the photo gallery (pictured above). We looked at all the pictures and selected our favourite 12.

About 2 weeks after returning from the cruise we received an email to download our photos. We also have the option to purchase other photos, too. 

Compare prices for Alaska Cruises here .

The backdrops are cheesy, but it’s still fun to get family portraits.

Packing list for Alaska Cruise

Confused about what to pack for an Alaska cruise? There’s a lot to consider. Even though you are cruising to Alaska in the summer months, it can still get quite cold and windy. It also rains a lot in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, so you want to prepare for the worst weather and hope for the best.

Below is our recommended Alaska cruise packing list.

Alaska cruise packing list for men:.

• Warm, windproof and/or rainproof jacket 
• Sweater or hoodie
• Hat or toque 
• 2 x pairs of jeans
• 1 x dress pants for dinner and shows
• Belt for dress pants (ideally a reversible belt with two colours)
• 4 x collared shirts for dinners (2 x short sleeves)
• Nice sweater for dinners (in case it’s cold)
• Dress shoes for dinner and shows
• Blazer or sport coat (optional)
• 2 x shorts 
• 5 x comfortable T-shirts
• 1 x sweat pants for shore excursions 
• Running shoes for the fitness center
• 2 x workout clothing (shorts and t-shirts)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Flip flops for the pool and hot tubs
• 7 x underwear and socks
• Swim suit for the hot tubs and pool
• Backpack for when you get off the ship and explore

Alaska Cruise packing list for women:

• 2 or 3 warm sweaters
• 1 pair of jeans
• 2 pairs of leggings
• 2 wrinkle free dresses
• 4 x blouses or nice shirts for dinners 
• Dress shoes/heels for dinner and shows
• 2 x shorts or skirts
• 5 x shirts for day wear
• 2 x workout clothing (shorts and shirts)
• Swim suit for the hot tubs and pool 

Alaska Cruise packing list for kids:

• Warm robe to wear at the outdoor pools (see photo above – this one is similar )
• 2 x swim suits each
• 2 x jeans / pants for dinners 
• 4 x collared shirts for dinners
• Nice pair of shoes for dinners
• Running shoes 
• Crocs or flip flops for the pool
• 4 x sweat pants / comfortable pants
• 5 x t-shirts each
• 2 x sweaters each
• 8 x underwear and socks each (1 per day with one back-up)
• Windproof, rainproof jacket
• Touque / warm hat for when you reach the glacier (it’s cold outside)
• Carry on luggage (get a sturdy one with 4 wheels, like this one )

Misc travel items we recommend:

• Travel first aid kit 
• Sunglasses, hats,  sun block / sunscreen
• Binoculars for whale watching from the cruise ship
• Children’s Tylenol and ibuprofen
• Night light or flash light (the rooms get very dark when blinds are closed)
• See sickness patches and/or wristbands (good to have in case of bad weather)
• Packing cubes to keep your clothes organized
• Dry bag for shore excursions (this came in handy for our sea kayaking excursion)
• Multi-plug USB charger
• Waterproof action Camera (we use GoPro Hero 11 )
• Camera with telephoto lens for wildlife watching (we currently use this camera )
• Tablets for kids entertainment ( our boys use this model because it’s inexpensive)
• Charging cables for your devices
• Extra memory cards for your camera (you will take lots of photos!)

A few Alaska cruise packing hacks:

• Don’t use an over-sized luggage. You need to slide the empty luggage under your bed. 
• Leave your hair dryer at home (staterooms come with a hair dryer)
• Umbrellas are provided in each stateroom
• Shampoo, soap and lotion are provided, no need to bring with you
• Robes and slippers are provide in each stateroom
• Life jackets are available at the pool – leave your kid’s life jacket/water wings at home 
• Stay organized – use  Packing cubes
• Rooms have limited power outlets and no USB – bring a multi-plug USB charger
• You can bring two bottles of wine with you

Don’t forget the most important travel items!

• Drivers license
• Credit cards
• Travel insurance
• Government documents or visas (if applicable)
• $US currency
• Don’t forget your medication 

Boarding the Cruise ship in Vancouver

The boarding process is organized and easy. The Vancouver cruise ship terminal can get quite busy, especially on the weekends, so it’s best to arrive early. 

There will be long lines for the embarkation process. Most of the cruise ships that port in Vancouver hold 2,000+ passengers. If two or three ships are departing the same evening, that’s a lot of congestion.

Note – long lines does not always mean long wait times.

The process moves at a good pace. It took us about 60 minutes from start to finish.

Cruise ships usually start boarding 4 or 5 hours before the scheduled departure time, typically around 12:oo PM. We started the check-in process at around 1:00 PM and were drinking a Corona on the ship by 2:00 PM.

Reminder – even though you depart from Vancouver , Canada you will enter the United States in Alaska. Depending on where you are from, you may need to have at least 6 months left on your passport before it expires. 

Celebrity Cruises Check in Process

First – drop off your luggage. There are signs and cruise staff that will point in the right direction.

Then proceed to the Celebrity Cruise check-in counter. You must have your travel documents, credit card, driver’s license and passports with you. You will have your photo taken.

A personalized photo id card is created for each person.

This is your boarding card and it is the most important item on the cruise. This boarding card is your room key and it is required to get on and off the cruise ship at the various ports.

Once you have checked in and you have your boarding card, head to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This is the part of the process with the longest wait time. Make sure you enter the correct line. US and Canadian citizens are typically grouped together. International passports will have a different line. When in doubt, ask for help. 

Once your passports and travel documents have been cleared, follow the signs to passenger screening. Similar to airport security, you and your luggage pass through a screening gate. 

Follow the signs for your cruise line and make your way to the ship.

Depending on when you arrive, your stateroom may not be ready yet. We arrived around 2:00 PM and our room was ready. It’s best to check your room first. If your room is not ready, head to a restaurant or lounge and check back about 30-60 minutes later.

Here’s an overview of the boarding process at the Vancouver cruise ship terminal.

How does baggage work on Celebrity Cruises? 

Prior to your cruise, you need to register all passengers online with Celebrity Cruises.

You will be asked for your passport information and, once registered, Celebrity Cruises will provide you with check in documents and baggage tags. You need to print these documents at home and bring them with you when you check in at the cruise ship terminal.

Your baggage tags will be a specific colour. They will also have your room number on them.

You print off (in colour) as many copies as you need and attach them to your luggage with either tape or staples (see photo above – we stayed on the 6th floor at the back of the boat).

When you arrive at the cruise ship terminal, the first thing you do is drop off your luggage. Signs and cruise staff will point you in the right direction.

Your luggage will be checked (just like air travel) and porters will deliver it to your cabin. It may take a few hours for your luggage to arrive, so it’s wise to pack a day bag with important items.

When we arrived to our room later that afternoon, we found our luggage sitting outside the stateroom. This confused us. On previous cruises, our luggage was left inside the cabin, so I’m not sure if this is the norm for Celebrity Cruises? It may have been that the porter did not have access to our room?

Needless to say, we were not thrilled to have our luggage left in the hallway. 

Getting off the ship at Alaska ports

Getting off the cruise ship at Alaska ports is very easy. You must bring your boarding card and a piece of identification (driver’s license is fine).

You don’t need to bring your passport with you. It can be left in the safe in your stateroom. 

To get off the ship, you will head to the disembarkation floor. The disembarkation floor will be different depending on the port. On the Celebrity Eclipse it was either Floor 2, 3 or 4. 

Before you get off the ship, you will show your boarding card to cruise security. This lets cruise staff know who has left the ship. When you return to the ship, you present your boarding card again. Don’t lose your boarding card!

You will pass though a screening gate when your return to the ship. You cannot bring alcohol back on the ship. If you decide to purchase alcohol, you will need to check it with cruise staff and pick it up at the end of the cruise. It’s not worth the hassle. 

Don’t forget to bring US currency and a credit card with you.

Disembarkation from the cruise ship

We prefer to walk off the ship with our luggage. It saves time and the hassle of having to find your baggage at the port. If you have an early flight, Celebrity suggests you keep your luggage with you.

The other option is to pack your bags the night before and put them outside your room. Celebrity wants your luggage placed outside your cabin door by 10:00 PM. During the night, porters will pick up your luggage and take it off the ship in the morning.

There are typically long lines to get off the ship early in the morning.

If you don’t have a flight to catch, we suggest you enjoy one final breakfast at the buffet and then depart at your cabin’s normal debarkation time. This is typically between 9:00 and 10:00 AM.

Cruise staff need to prepare the ship for the next departure, so they want you out of your room by 8:30 AM and off the ship by 10:00 AM.

When is the best time for an Alaska Cruise?

Alaska Cruise season runs from May to September, when the weather is warm. The best time to take an Alaska cruise is July or August. This, of course, is also when you will pay the most money for your cruise. 

Because July and August are the best time to cruise to Alaska,they are also the busiest. You will want to book several months in advance to ensure you will get the cabin you want.

These cruises tend to sell out, so it’s not easy to find last minute deals on Alaska cruises .

Our Alaska cruise from Vancouver round trip departed on Sunday, August 11. We had very good weather and very calm seas. In fact, it was the calmest we’ve ever seen the Pacific Ocean.

We are happy we paid a more for an August departure because the weather was perfect.

Shoulder season, the months of May and September, provide the best Alaska cruise deals but it also means you are likely to experience more rain and colder temperatures. It’s a gamble.

Sometimes it pays off and the weather is great in May and September – but the odds are against you.

Regardless of when you decide to cruise Alaska, expect a few rainy days. Plan for cold evenings and windy afternoons on the outdoor observation decks.

What is the best Alaska Cruise?

We took our time researching the different Alaska cruise options. There are several cruise lines that sail to Alaska from Vancouver, so you’ve got options.

The other big cruise lines that sail from Vancouver to Alaska are Royal Caribbean , Princess Cruises , Holland America Line , Norwegian Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines.

Prices for Alaska cruises are generally the same, so what you want to research is the actual cruise ship and its amenities, as well as the Alaska ports you want to visit.

Find the right ship and itinerary first, then start looking for deals.

Alaska Cruise Inside Passage

We decided to cruise the Alaska Inside Passage because we wanted an opportunity to see wildlife and the beautiful Alaskan landscapes. 

Inside passage cruises typically stop at Juneau, Ketchikan and either Icy Strait Point, Petersburg or Skagway. Most Alaska cruises will visit either the Hubbard Glacier , Glacier Bay National Park, Dawes Glacier and/or Endicott Arm Fjord Glacier.

Another option is to cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage one way.

You would then fly back to Vancouver or Seattle. Or, you can fly up to Anchorage first, spend a few days exploring the region, then cruise south to Vancouver. 

You can also take an Alaska cruise from Seattle, Washington or Victoria, British Columbia. 

Search and compare Alaska cruise prices here . 

About the Celebrity Eclipse

The Celebrity Eclipse is a Solstice-class cruise ship, operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Silhouette. 

The ship began cruising in April 2010. It has an occupancy of 2,850 passengers.

Read Celebrity Eclipse reviews here .

Things to do in Vancouver before your Alaska Cruise

Vancouver is a beautiful city with lots of amazing things to see and do. You’ll want to spend time exploring this vibrant waterfront city. Plan to arrive two days before your cruise departure. Or, add a few days after you return to Vancouver. 

Here are a few posts about Vancouver

• 25 FREE Things to do in Vancouver
• 25 Awesome Day Trips from Vancouver
• The BEST road trip from Vancouver for first-timers

Vancouver travel tips and things to know

• Pick up & return  car rentals at Vancouver airport . Check out  RentalCars.com  for affordable options.
• Save time and money by riding the Skytrain from Vancouver International Airport to downtown Vancouver. It only takes 25 minutes. Learn  how to take the Vancouver Airport Skytrain .
• Bike sharing is an inexpensive way to get around Vancouver. Learn about Vancouver’s public bike share system  here .
• Check the  Vancouver weather forecast before you start your day. The weather in Vancouver can be unpredictable. Plan for rain in the winter months.
• If you like hard copy travel guides, grab a copy of Lonely Planet Vancouver .

Where to stay in Vancouver

There are plenty of  hotels in Vancouver  to choose from, ranging from upscale five star hotels to backpacker hostels and everything in between.

• Search for Vancouver hotels  here .
• If you’d like to stay near the cruise ship terminal, we recommend the Pan Pacific Vancouver , Fairmont Waterfront or Fairmont Pacific Rim . They are located within walking distance to the cruise ship.  
• Most of the popular Vancouver tourist attractions are located in the downtown area. Consider this when selecting where to stay in Vancouver.

Related posts about cruise ship travel

• Thinking about a European River Cruise? Here’s what you need to know.  
• Taking a Caribbean Cruise? Here’s what you need to know
• 15 Reasons you should visit Portugal’s River of Gold
• Things to do in St Lucia while on a Caribbean Cruise

Do you have questions about this Alaska Cruise?

Leave us a comment below. We’ll do our best to answer your questions.

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10/21/2019 at 8:55 am

WOW! I can’t believe how comprehensive this post is. Everything down to asking for better robes! I’ve been on two cruises in my life, both in the Caribbean, and unfortunately I got sick on both 🙁 Did you find sea sickness was a problem? I would absolutely love to do an Alaska Cruise – it’s on my bucket list! But I’m worried about getting sick. Hopefully I can handle it because it looks so great. The food looks amazing and I would love to spot whales from my balcony!

10/23/2019 at 11:26 am

Thank you. We hope you’ve found it helpful!

We lucked out with very calm seas. But, our oldest son does struggle with motion sickness, so we did come prepared.

We brought sea sickness wrist bands (apparently they help if you keep them on). They have a pressure point that apparently helps. We also brought non-drowsy ginger gravol which is also supposed to be good. Apparently the ginger aids in helping with motion sickness – and it’s non-drowsy so it doesn’t make you want to sleep and you can enjoy the ship!

Also, consider the timing. You’ll pay more, but go when the weather will likely be the best (July or August).

Good luck! You will love the scenery.

10/26/2019 at 6:29 pm

This is actually the most informative review I’ve ever read. Just what I was looking for!

11/15/2019 at 2:59 pm

Thank you Hailey. We are glad it was helpful.

11/10/2019 at 3:48 pm

This review is so informative. Thank you so much for sharing. We are going to book this exact trip over the next week or so. I’m just wondering would you recommend starboard or port side of the ship? I see you stayed starboard but just want to check to see if you think this is the best option?

Thanks, Amanda

11/15/2019 at 3:02 pm

Thanks! We are glad you found it helpful (and you will love it!).

While at the Hubbard Glacier the captain spun the ship in a circle so everyone had a view at some point. Sometimes we faced the ocean at the port, the other we faced the city. I don’t think it really matters on this cruise.

11/18/2019 at 4:48 am

Great Blog! Thanks for the info. Do you know what time is the latest you can board the ship, we are coming by Amtrak from Seattle the morning we leave and I am nervous about being there on time. I believe the train is set to come in at 11:45am and then we need to get to the terminal.

11/18/2019 at 1:02 pm

Hi Jeannine,

You should have no problem. The trip from the train to downtown is easy. Get on the skytrain at Main Street Station (next to the Amtrak train station), go to Waterfront Station (the last skytrain stop), and you are there. Shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes total time.

I believe we needed to be on the ship by 3 or 4 PM. It departed at about dinner time.

I hope this helps! Hope you have a great journey.

12/27/2019 at 9:16 am

Would you recommend this ship and cruise line for young adults? We will be traveling with a family group between the ages of 25 and 85.

01/06/2020 at 9:54 am

Yes, it would be find for young adults.

01/25/2020 at 2:45 am

Hello, wow your blog is so informative. How is the condition of the rooms and overall of the ship? It is modern, clean or needs refurbishment?

01/27/2020 at 11:05 am

There were a few areas of the ship that seemed a bit worn, but overall, they keep it in very good condition. We liked our room and found it to be very functional. It was also very clean. I wouldn’t hesitate to book this ship again.

02/10/2020 at 6:46 pm

Call me impressed. Great info. So happy I stumbled across it. We leave at the end of May 2020. This will be our second cruise. The first was a Caribbean cruise. It was okay but too many kids whose parents used the ship as their sitter. We have 12 grands of our own and I can’t get enough of them; but I believe our children would know where their kids are at every moment. Also, we are not beach people—who knew? From all I read in your superb writings, I am certain this experience will be much more to our liking. I love the breakfast room service idea. It’s just what we were hoping to do and your info was so helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time, which you surely love doing, to write this ever-so-thorough review and advice for this Celebrity Eclipse ship that we will board in just over three months. I cannot wait to read your Newsletter. Thanks again.

02/19/2020 at 1:06 am

Thank you for sharing what an amazingly awesome detailed account.! How did you guys spend your time during the longer stops at Icy Strait Point (8 Hours) and Juneau (12 hours) in lieu of the cost prohibitive optional excursions ? Were there guided walk in to the stopover towns? Or self walk with given maps ? Any must see in these towns? Many Thanks.

02/26/2020 at 10:11 am

Fantastic post! Thank you! Extremely helpful.

03/04/2020 at 5:18 pm

This review is so great! We currently have a Disney cruise booked for end of May 2021 but are looking at other lines to save money. We are intrigued with Celebrity. A few questions: do you think there will be enough kids on the May 31 sailing to make it fun for my son who will be 10 when we cruise. We also like having families on board to interact with. Do you see many families in late May? My son also wants to know more about the Xbox games in the kids club. Lol. Are they open to play with at any time? Does a park ranger or a naturalist come on board to talk about the glaciers? You described everything else really well. Thank you:)

12/05/2021 at 5:31 am

Thank you so much for taking your time ! You answer so much of my question. Do you do any of excursions ? If so what you recommend . Thank you

12/22/2021 at 11:33 am

Great Info. Thank you so much. Could you recommend a Wi-Fi package and also excursions?

11/04/2022 at 9:04 am

Thanks – glad you enjoyed the post. It’s difficult for me to provide recommendations for excursions without knowing what you like to do and what you’re looking for? We did the kayaking tour in Juneau and it was fun. Our parents did the crab feast dinner in Icy Straight, they said it was okay but not great. We did a bear watching tour in Ketchikan but didn’t see any bears. So it’s hit and miss.

04/12/2022 at 9:30 pm

Wow!! Fantastic post, thank you so much for all the good information and the photos and video. We are booked on Celebrity Eclipse to go on Alaska Cruise and it feels like I already know everything about the ship.

04/25/2022 at 9:18 am

Thanks Ken. You are going to have a great time! We can’t wait to see Alaska again.

Let us know if there’s anything we missed.

07/17/2022 at 4:24 pm

Great write-up! Learned alot, thank you! Sailing mid-august.

08/05/2022 at 6:38 pm

Amazing Blog! I have never read a blog with so much detail, I can’t think of anything you could have added. Thank you so much. This took a lot of time and effort. Thinking of Alaska August 2023 with our Grand Daughters, 8 and 11. We just got back from a Bermuda cruise with them and it was a wonderful experience. One none of us will ever forget. They were the best travellers.

11/04/2022 at 9:11 am

Thank you for the kind note. We appreciate the feedback.

11/04/2022 at 7:44 am

Would you say it’s worth $300pp to see Hubbard Glacier up close on an excursion or are you able to see it well enough from the ship. Taking this same cruise in July 2023. Want to get the most out of it.

11/04/2022 at 9:07 am

That’s a tough one. The ship does get close to the glacier, as you can see in the photos. BUT – if the weather is not great and there’s a lot of thick fog, the ship won’t get that close. I heard it sometimes doesn’t even enter the bay if the weather is bad. I’m not sure if the small boats go up close regardless of the weather? In my opinion, you are fine witnessing it from the cruise ship. But then again, I did not get up close, so I’m ignorant to what I missed.

01/25/2023 at 2:14 pm

So glad I found this blog! So many of my questions and/or concerns have been answered. We are traveling from Florida and are so looking forward to our Alaskan cruise on the Eclipse (June 2023). Thank you so much for all the valuable information!

04/09/2023 at 9:04 pm

Amazing blog. Really helpful! Did you book all your port excursions through Celebrity? How does it work exactly, as in what are the options, what type of excursions are offered at each port, how to book, the cost and such? If you have a Canadian passport it should be enough or we might need some other documents. I really appreciate any help you can provide.

05/08/2023 at 7:51 am

Hi, brilliant blog! So informative as we are due on this same cruise this September. One question, how long did the ship spend at the Hubbard Glacier? We were wanting to book into the ships spa that afternoon but don’t want to miss out on any sights, we were thinking around 16:30pm. Would be grateful for your input. Thank you

05/08/2023 at 9:51 am

We spend about an hour at the glacier, I believe. The ship slowly spins, so no matter what side of the ship you are on, you will face the glacier at some point. I believe we arrived at the glacier around 10 or 11 am. I recall having lunch in restaurant after visiting, so that gives a time stamp of late morning to early afternoon.

06/18/2023 at 3:23 am

hi just found your fantastic post, we have booked the alaska cruise august 13th, with our canadian friends, they tell me it will not be that cold, however we are coming in from warm brisbane australia, i am at a loss of what to pack daytime i think i am sorted it just nights, is it warm inside ship restaurants bars etc. no jackets required??? do i need waterproof boots, can’t say i will be hiking it will just general sightseeing. really appreciate your inside knowledge regards

06/19/2023 at 11:42 am

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you found this blog post helpful with your trip planning. You should plan for cool weather, but it should not be “cold”. It is warm inside the ship. It may be windy and chilly on the outside decks, so a sweater and/or jacket should be packed. Depending on what you do off the ship, you may want some warmer clothes. It will not be very warm outside, so you won’t need as many warm clothes.

06/29/2023 at 11:46 pm

Great content and suggestions!

A few questions:

Is there laundry service available? Pricey? What’s the temperature of the outdoor pools? Can we bring beer aboard at the. Commencement of our cruise (wine was mentioned) The mobile app makes no mention of printing baggage tags these days. Has this changed? What time do the normal bars close?

Thanks for the helpful info !

07/03/2023 at 11:31 am

Thanks for stopping by, Miguel. I’ll do my best to answer your questions: – yes, I believe there is laundry/dry cleaning service available. Yes, it is pricey. I recall having some shirts that were wrinkly and wanting them pressed, but it was too expensive for me (i don’t remember the exact price) – temp for outdoor pools is set to “refreshing”… read = cold. – not sure about the beer, I do not think so, but don’t quote me on that (I only remember wine being listed – no hard booze either) – this may have changed, though – not sure about printed bag tags. – we went with our kids, so I have no idea about the bars closing time (I was already sleeping by then, I’m sure)

07/21/2023 at 4:11 am

Thank you for ALL the information; I will be bookmarking this page to refer back to it!

One specific question: our family does the National Park Passport. We will be on the Eclipse in September and visiting Hubbard Glacier. Does a Park Ranger board the ship to provide additional information and/or stamp NP Passports?

07/21/2023 at 2:48 pm

Thank you so much – this blog is soooo helpful, we are travelling from Ireland (used to inclement weather) for the cruise departing Sept 3rd. Any weather or clothing tips please?

02/09/2024 at 7:29 am

Thank you for your time and effort in writing this to help other travellers like me! I’ve bookmarked this page as a reference for my travel. We’ve booked the Celerbrity Alaska cruise for this summer. I’m planning to book some shore excursions from other tour operators. I’m not sure at what time I have to reserve the tickets. Could you let me know how much time it would take for us to get out of the ship at a port? Thank you!

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• Plan Your Trip

What To Wear On A Celebrity Cruise

Published: December 20, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Cati Nelms

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Introduction

Embarking on a Celebrity Cruise is an exciting experience, filled with luxury, relaxation, and unforgettable memories. As you plan for your upcoming cruise, one essential aspect to consider is what to wear. The right attire can enhance your enjoyment of each onboard activity and ensure you feel stylish and comfortable throughout your journey.

Choosing what to wear on a Celebrity Cruise requires striking a balance between practicality, style, and adhering to the cruise line’s dress code guidelines. Whether you’re lounging by the pool, dining at a gourmet restaurant, or attending a glamorous evening event, having the appropriate outfits will make you feel like a true celebrity.

In this article, we will guide you through the different types of attire you should pack for your Celebrity Cruise, from daytime outfits to formal wear. We’ll also offer tips on how to accessorize and provide essential packing suggestions. By the time you’re finished reading this article, you’ll be ready to hit the high seas in style!

Selecting the Perfect Outfits

When it comes to selecting outfits for your Celebrity Cruise, it’s important to consider both practicality and style. The key is to pack versatile garments that can be mixed and matched to create different looks throughout your trip. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect outfits:

• Research the cruise line: Before starting your packing, familiarize yourself with the dress code policy of the cruise line. Celebrity Cruises typically have a smart casual dress code during the day and more formal attire for evenings.
• Consider the destination: Take into account the climate and activities of your destination. If you’re sailing to a tropical paradise, pack lightweight fabrics, swimwear, and comfortable sandals. For colder destinations, bring layers, sweaters, and closed-toe shoes.
• Opt for versatile pieces: Choose items that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits. A few classic staples like a black dress, tailored pants, and neutral-colored tops can be easily dressed up or down for various occasions.
• Pack according to the length of your cruise: If you’re going on a week-long cruise, plan for at least one outfit per day. For longer cruises, consider doing laundry onboard or packing lightweight garments that can be easily rinsed and dried.
• Don’t forget about comfort: Ensure your outfits are comfortable for walking, dining, and participating in onboard activities. Opt for breathable fabrics and shoes that you can comfortably wear for long periods.

By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll have a well-rounded selection of outfits that meet the cruise line’s dress code guidelines and cater to your personal style and comfort.

Daytime Attire

During the day on your Celebrity Cruise, you’ll likely be enjoying various activities both onboard and onshore. Your daytime attire should be comfortable, stylish, and appropriate for the activities you plan to partake in. Here are some suggestions for your daytime outfits:

• Casual and relaxed: Opt for casual and relaxed outfits such as shorts, skirts, or lightweight pants paired with comfortable tops. Choose breathable fabrics like cotton or linen to stay cool in warm weather.
• Swimwear and cover-ups: If you plan to spend time at the pool or engage in water activities, pack your favorite swimsuits and cover-ups. A stylish swim cover-up can also double as a lightweight dress for casual outings.
• Activewear: If you’re planning to hit the gym, go for a jog on the ship’s deck, or participate in fitness classes, don’t forget to pack your activewear. This can include workout leggings, athletic tops, and supportive sneakers.
• Comfortable footwear: For exploring onshore excursions or strolling around the ship, choose comfortable footwear like sandals or sneakers. Make sure to break in any new shoes before your cruise to prevent discomfort.
• Hats and sunglasses: Shield yourself from the sun in style by packing a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses. These accessories not only protect you from the sun’s rays but also add a fashionable touch to your daytime outfits.

Keep in mind that even though the daytime dress code is generally more relaxed, there may be dining venues or activities that require a slightly more polished appearance. It’s always a good idea to have a few slightly dressier options on hand for these occasions.

With these daytime attire suggestions, you’ll be ready to explore and enjoy all the activities and amenities that your Celebrity Cruise has to offer.

Evening Attire

Evenings on a Celebrity Cruise offer a chance to dress up and indulge in the elegant atmosphere onboard. The dress code for the evening varies depending on the specific dining venues and activities planned for the night. Here are some recommendations for your evening attire:

• Smart casual: For most evenings, the smart casual dress code is appropriate. This calls for stylish and polished attire such as slacks or skirts paired with blouses or dress shirts. Dresses and jumpsuits in sophisticated styles are also suitable options.
• Consider the dining venues: The dress code may be slightly more formal for specialty dining venues or formal dining rooms. In these cases, opt for dressier outfits such as cocktail dresses, dress pants with a dressy top, or a suit for men.
• Elegant accessories: Elevate your evening attire with elegant accessories like statement jewelry, a chic clutch, or a dashing tie for men. These small touches can transform your look and add a touch of glamour.
• Comfortable footwear: While dressing up for the evening, don’t compromise on comfort. Choose dressy shoes that you can comfortably wear for extended periods, as you may be walking or dancing throughout the night.
• Layers for cool evenings: If evenings tend to be cooler, especially if you’re cruising in a colder climate, bring along a stylish jacket or sweater to layer over your outfit. This will keep you warm without sacrificing style.

Remember to check your Celebrity Cruise itinerary for any designated formal nights or themed evenings. Formal nights call for more elegant attire, such as suits or tuxedos for men and formal gowns or cocktail dresses for women. Themed evenings, on the other hand, allow you to get creative and dress in accordance with the specified theme.

By selecting the appropriate evening attire, you’ll be ready to enjoy the enchanting nightlife and sophisticated ambiance of your Celebrity Cruise.

Formal Nights

Formal nights on a Celebrity Cruise provide an opportunity to dress up in your most elegant attire and truly embrace the glamour of the evening. These special occasions typically occur a few times throughout your cruise and require a more formal dress code. Here’s what you should consider for formal nights:

• For men: Formal nights call for tuxedos, dinner jackets, or dark suits with a tie. Complete your look with polished dress shoes and formal accessories such as cufflinks and a pocket square.
• For women: On formal nights, women can opt for sophisticated floor-length gowns, cocktail dresses, or dressy evening separates. Choose elegant fabrics and styles that make you feel like royalty. Enhance your outfit with glamorous heels and sparkling jewelry.
• Consider the color palette: Classic colors like black, navy, and deep jewel tones are always a safe bet for formal attire. However, you can also make a statement with bolder hues or metallic accents to stand out in the crowd.
• Hair and makeup: Complete your formal night look with a polished hairstyle and makeup. Consider an updo or elegant curls for your hair, and opt for a slightly more dramatic makeup look to complement your glamorous attire.
• Capture the moment: Formal nights are the perfect opportunity for memorable photos. Take advantage of the ship’s professional photographers or gather your friends and family for a group picture in your stunning attire.

It’s important to note that while formal nights are a significant part of the cruise experience, participation is optional. If you prefer a more relaxed evening, other dining venues and entertainment options are available where a smart casual dress code is sufficient.

Formal nights offer a chance to indulge in a truly elegant atmosphere and showcase your sophisticated style. By embracing the dress code and putting your own personal touch on your formal attire, you’ll create unforgettable memories on your Celebrity Cruise.

Themed Parties and Events

One of the highlights of a Celebrity Cruise is the opportunity to attend themed parties and events, where you can let loose and have fun with your style. These themed nights add an extra element of excitement and allow you to showcase your creativity through your outfits. Here are some tips for dressing for themed parties and events:

• Research the theme: Before your cruise, find out what themed parties and events are planned. This could include a Caribbean night, 80s disco party, or tropical luau. Understanding the theme will help you plan your outfit accordingly.
• Get into character: Themed parties are a chance to embrace the spirit of the event and get into character. Consider how you can incorporate elements of the theme into your outfit, whether it’s through costumes, accessories, or makeup.
• Shop or DIY: Depending on the theme, you may need to acquire specific items or costumes. You can either purchase them from specialty stores, borrow from friends, or get creative by DIY-ing your own unique costume or outfit.
• Coordinate with your group: If you’re traveling with friends or family, coordinate your outfits to create a cohesive and fun group look. This can make for great photo opportunities and enhance the overall party experience.
• Accessorize: Accessories are key in completing your themed look. Whether it’s a funky hat, statement jewelry, or props that align with the theme, they can add that extra touch of authenticity and fun to your outfit.

Themed parties and events are an opportunity to let your style shine and express your playful side. Don’t be afraid to go all out and fully immerse yourself in the theme. The more creative and enthusiastic you are with your outfit, the more enjoyable the experience will be.

Remember, participating in themed parties and events is optional, so if dressing up is not your thing, there are plenty of other activities and venues available where you can enjoy the cruise in your preferred attire.

Poolside Fashion

One of the most relaxing and enjoyable aspects of a Celebrity Cruise is spending time by the pool, soaking up the sun and taking refreshing dips in the water. When it comes to poolside fashion, comfort and style go hand in hand. Here are some tips for looking chic and comfortable at the pool:

• Swimwear: Choose swimwear that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Opt for styles that suit your body type and personal preference, whether it’s a bikini, tankini, or one-piece. Consider bringing multiple swimwear options to switch up your look throughout the cruise.
• Cover-ups: Cover-ups are essential for moving between the pool and other areas of the ship. They provide some modesty while adding a stylish layer to your swimwear. Options include sarongs, kaftans, or lightweight dresses that can easily slip on and off.
• Protection from the sun: Shield yourself from the sun’s rays with a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. These not only add a fashionable touch to your poolside look but also protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
• Footwear: Wear comfortable and slip-resistant footwear around the pool area. Flip-flops or sandals with good traction are ideal, as they can easily be slipped on and off and provide protection for your feet.
• Towels and accessories: Pack a stylish beach towel that reflects your personality and coordinates with your overall poolside look. Additionally, consider bringing a tote bag to carry your essentials, such as sunscreen, a book, and a water bottle.

Poolside fashion is all about embracing a relaxed and effortless style while still looking put-together. Choose fabrics that dry quickly and are comfortable to lounge in for extended periods. Don’t forget to apply and reapply sunscreen regularly to protect your skin from sunburn.

With the right poolside fashion choices, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the sunshine and refreshing poolside atmosphere on your Celebrity Cruise.

Accessorizing for a Celebrity Cruise

Accessorizing plays a vital role in elevating your outfits and adding that extra touch of style to your overall look. As you pack for your Celebrity Cruise, don’t forget to include accessories that can enhance and complete your ensembles. Here are some tips for accessorizing on your cruise:

• Jewelry: Pack a variety of jewelry pieces to suit different occasions. Statement necklaces, earrings, and bracelets can instantly transform a simple outfit into an elegant ensemble. Consider bringing both statement and dainty pieces to accommodate different outfits and activities.
• Belts: Belts are versatile accessories that can cinch in loose dresses or add definition to a flowy top. Pack a few belts in different styles and colors to add a pop of detail and create flattering shapes.
• Scarves and wraps: Scarves and wraps are not only practical for layering on cooler days but also add a touch of elegance to your outfit. Choose lightweight and colorful options that can be worn around your neck, draped over your shoulders, or even tied as a pareo for the beach.
• Hats and headbands: Shield yourself from the sun and add a chic element to your outfit with a stylish hat or headband. Whether it’s a floppy sun hat, a trendy straw fedora, or a bohemian headband, these accessories can elevate your poolside or excursion look.
• Bags: A well-chosen bag can be both functional and fashionable. Consider bringing a versatile crossbody bag for day excursions and a stylish clutch or small purse for evening events. Choose a design that complements your outfits and has enough room to carry your essentials.

Remember to pack accessories that reflect your personal style and enhance your confidence. Select items that are easy to mix and match with different outfits to maximize their versatility. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different textures, colors, and styles to create unique and eye-catching ensembles.

By accessorizing thoughtfully, you can add the perfect finishing touch to your looks and exude style and confidence throughout your Celebrity Cruise.

Packing Tips and Essentials

When it comes to packing for your Celebrity Cruise, being prepared and organized can help ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience. Here are some essential packing tips and must-have items to consider:

• Check the weather: Before you start packing, check the weather forecast for your destination. This will help you determine the types of clothing and accessories you need to bring to accommodate the climate.
• Create a checklist: Make a list of all the essential items you need to pack, including clothing, toiletries, medications, travel documents, and electronics. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t forget anything important.
• Roll your clothes: Instead of folding your clothes, roll them to save space in your suitcase and minimize wrinkles. This also makes it easier to see and access your clothing when you’re unpacking onboard.
• Pack versatile items: Choose clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits. This helps maximize your wardrobe options while minimizing the number of items you need to pack. Stick to neutral colors that can be easily paired with various pieces.
• Don’t forget the essentials: Aside from clothing, make sure to pack travel essentials such as sunscreen, insect repellent, medications, and toiletries. Also, remember to bring important travel documents like passports, cruise tickets, and identification.
• Consider the dress code: Keep in mind the dress code guidelines of the cruise line when packing your outfits. This includes considering both the casual daytime attire and the more formal evening dress code.
• Organize with packing cubes or bags: Use packing cubes or bags to keep your belongings organized and separate different categories of items, such as clothing, accessories, and electronics. This makes it easier to find what you need without having to unpack your entire suitcase.
• Bring comfortable walking shoes: While you’ll want to have stylish footwear for evenings and special events, don’t forget to pack comfortable walking shoes for shore excursions and exploring the ship.
• Leave room for souvenirs: If you plan on shopping for souvenirs or bringing back mementos from your cruise, make sure to leave some extra space in your suitcase or consider bringing a foldable duffel bag for the trip back.

Lastly, remember to adhere to any luggage size and weight restrictions set by the cruise line to avoid extra charges or inconveniences. By following these packing tips and including essential items, you’ll be well-prepared for your Celebrity Cruise.

Preparing your wardrobe for a Celebrity Cruise is an exciting part of the journey, as it allows you to exude style and confidence while enjoying the luxurious amenities onboard. By following the tips and recommendations provided in this article, you can select the perfect outfits for each occasion and ensure you feel comfortable and fashionable throughout your cruise.

Remember to research the dress code policies of the cruise line, pack versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched, and consider the activities and destinations of your cruise when selecting your wardrobe. Whether it’s daytime attire for lounging by the pool, elegant outfits for the evenings, or themed party costumes, be sure to embrace your personal style and have fun with your fashion choices.

In addition to clothing, don’t forget to accessorize thoughtfully, pack essential items, and organize your belongings efficiently. By doing so, you’ll be able to make the most of your cruise experience and enjoy every moment in style and comfort.

As you embark on your Celebrity Cruise, may your outfits reflect the elegance and excitement of the journey, and may you create lasting memories surrounded by the beauty of the ocean and the luxurious atmosphere of the ship.

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• Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity to Alaska, question on dress code

By Caroldoll , March 29, 2017 in Celebrity Cruises

Recommended Posts

On cruises to Alaska, is there a formal night?

If there is no formal night, is there a "Captain's night" that requires a jacket for a man?

What is the appropriate attire for men in the evening. I know that nice slacks and a pretty blouse is good for a woman.

I certainly will appreciate any help you can give me.

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On cruises to Alaska, is there a formal night?   If there is no formal night, is there a "Captain's night" that requires a jacket for a man?   What is the appropriate attire for men in the evening. I know that nice slacks and a pretty blouse is good for a woman.   I certainly will appreciate any help you can give me.

Country Club Casual is the current Dress Code for evenings aboard X's ships.

There is a good description at the web site.

Bon voyage....

Sent from my P00I using Tapatalk

Country Club Casual is the current Dress Code for evenings aboard X's ships.   There is a good description at the web site.   Bon voyage....   Sent from my P00I using Tapatalk

It is actually Evening Chic from the web site, not Country Club casual, on a typical cruise you will have two Evening Chic nights. Dress code during those nights can range from pants and a shirt for men up to some wearing tuxes. The other nights are smart casual which for a man is pants and shirt. Some men wear jackets. Choice is up to you. As someone who has sailed Alaska, you don't see a lot of fancy dress on those cruises.

Thank you so much

Stand corrected. My apologies.

Stand corrected. My apologies.   bon voyage

Sorry, I only corrected it because there was a thread on the same subject last week where someone used Country Club casual and someone else went to the dictionary or wherever and started giving defintions that didn't apply to Celebrity. Again, sorry.

Also, to the OP, I would be more concerned with making sure I packed layers when going to Alaska than whatever you need for dress up nights.

Per Celebrity :What is the onboard dress code?Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• • A cocktail dress
• • Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• • Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• • Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

• • Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top
• • Pants or jeans with a sport shirt that has sleeves

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

I personally wear Polo jeans every evening to dinner. On Evening Chic I'm now going to bring a blue sports jacket just to make it a little nicer. It's my style and I'm with in the guidelines.

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I wanted my 2,000 post to be on a dress code thread!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the evening chic only applied to the MDR on that night...and that the rest of the ship (Especially the pay restaurants) were smart casual every night. Did that change when formal nights changed to chic?

I wanted my 2,000 post to be on a dress code thread!   Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the evening chic only applied to the MDR on that night...and that the rest of the ship (Especially the pay restaurants) were smart casual every night. Did that change when formal nights changed to chic?

Read the second-to-last sentence in BananaAnna's post above.

Now whether it's enforced or not is a different story.

ProfessorandtheGeek

That was not the case on our Alaska cruise last May. We decided at the very last minute to not bring formals, and just go with a suit for him, and a cocktail dress for me. To say we felt under dressed on "chic" night was an understatement. There were so many beautiful gowns and tuxes onboard. We will not travel without our formals again, so at least we have the option.

Read the second-to-last sentence in BananaAnna's post above.   Now whether it's enforced or not is a different story.

Evening chic only applies to MDR not specialties. They also request in theater. Rest of the ship you are on your own.

That is why I'm confused...I thought chic dress code only applied in MDR...but above post says all restaurants??

Second to last sentence only applies to those items listed prior, bathing suits and flip flops, etc. The wording is a bit confusing and has not changed since there were formal nights but that is what it has always meant. Specialty restaurants have been smart casual every night pretty much since they first existed. Even when they had formal nights they were smart causal.

... Specialty restaurants have been smart casual every night pretty much since they first existed. Even when they had formal nights they were smart causal.

That is what I thought was the rule...but I wasn't sure if I had missed some new rule change.

We have never eaten in the MDR, so we have never dressed "chic".

Blu and Luminae are also smart casual on all evenings, though many do dress a bit more formally. With the MDR as the only restaurant where Evening Chic is "required", it does dilute the numbers of those more formally dressed.

That is what I thought was the rule...but I wasn't sure if I had missed some new rule change.   We have never eaten in the MDR, so we have never dressed "chic".

When we went to Alaska we were in Aqua and dressed "smart casual" every night in Blu. We were more concerned about packing layered clothes than dressing up for formal nights at the time. First time we ever did that.

First time Alaska cruiser here too. I am figuring on having one outfit on the low end of "chic" which we will wear twice if indeed there are two "chic" nights. I have seen a few posts about only one "chic" night on seven day Alaska cruises, which, if true, is probably due to all the other layers of clothing needed as well as several late port days. It will definitely be a first for us to scrape by on the bare minimum standards (not that we are tux or ballgown-wearing people), but we are probably going to be skipping a few meals in the MDR because of late ports anyway and packing extra clothes for the cooler weather, so we just aren't going to bother with getting too worried about the fancier evenings.

Sorry, I only corrected it because there was a thread on the same subject last week where someone used Country Club casual and someone else went to the dictionary or wherever and started giving defintions that didn't apply to Celebrity. Again, sorry.   Also, to the OP, I would be more concerned with making sure I packed layers when going to Alaska than whatever you need for dress up nights.

Dkjr - not to worry, I understand fully. We really have never given a second thought about 'what dressy' clothes to bring with us. Some think that I overdress and that is fine. After all, we are on vacation and enjoy ourselves and that includes dressing up.

We do not pack light, we wear everything we pack even if that means an extra suitcase (that is why porters abouund).

No need to skimp on clothing!!

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• Onboard Dress Code FAQs
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What is the onboard dress code?

Whatever the itinerary, destination, or occasion—when you pack, think casual chic.

DURING THE DAY

For warmer climates, pack swimsuits and cover-ups, walking shorts and shirts that protect from the sun, lightweight slacks, skirts or sundress, and a light sweater or jacket. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are always encouraged.

For cooler climates, bring clothing with long sleeves, sweaters, and pants that can be layered. In areas prone to snow or rain, waterproof jackets, hats, gloves, and umbrellas are recommended. 

Around the globe, consider appropriate shoes and gear for the excursions you have planned and the terrain you’ll encounter. For instance, you may pack water shoes if hiking a waterfall or a headscarf or conservative dress for visiting museums, mosques, temples, and churches. 

Throughout the ship, casual resort wear, sundresses, shorts, polos, or button-downs are appropriate, paired with sandals, low heels, and loafers. Make sure you bring active wear and sneakers if you plan to hit the gym!

Poolside, bathing suits with coverups, T-shirts, tanks, hats, and sunglasses are welcomed. 

In main and specialty dining, we ask guests to refrain from wearing swimsuits, see-through coverups or robes, bare feet, tank tops, T-shirts, and baseball caps. 

SMART CASUAL 

Smart Casual attire is required for entry to main dining, specialty dining, and the Celebrity Theatre. Smart Casual means you look comfortable yet tasteful in a dress, skirt, long pants, or jean, and stylish top or button-down. Shorts and flip flops are not considered Smart Casual. 

EVENING CHIC

Each itinerary features one to two “formal” nights we call Evening Chic. Evening Chic means you dress to impress, glamorous and sophisticated in your own way, with a cocktail dress, skirt, slacks, or designer jean, an elegant dress top or blazer—some guests even pack a tuxedo or gown for onboard photos. The Daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening. If you do not wish to participate in Evening Chic, Smart Casual attire is acceptable for dining and theater.

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• Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Eclipse Alaska Cruise Dress Code

By Twinsmomct , March 5, 2023 in Celebrity Cruises

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We were recently on Celebrity Apex in the Caribbean and the evening dress code was nicely dressed.  We saw very few shorts or jeans, none in the dining room.  Is that the same on the Alaska cruise or are jeans more acceptable at night?

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Jeans are fine, whether it be the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, or anywhere else on Celebrity.

cruisestitch

11 minutes ago, RichYak said: Jeans are fine, whether it be the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, or anywhere else on Celebrity.

The dress code is the same everywhere.  No shorts in the dining room, jeans are ok.

Northern Aurora

Even though we live in Alaska we periodically do Alaska itineraries.  Dress on Alaska cruises is definitely more casual on evening chic nights.

Agree. dressing is more casual on the Alaskan cruise. (Did that one last May on the Eclipse). having said that, there were a few men that wore sport jackets and jeans to dinner, even on Chic night.   More laid back cruise

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