If Steven Spielberg can wear sneakers on the red carpet -- which he did when attending the 2023 Oscars -- it should come as no surprise that guests can now do the same on some luxury cruises.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises became the latest to make the shift this month, informing guests that they may now wear refined jeans and sneakers to dinner and attributing the change to guests' desire for comfort and the evolving definition of elegance.
As guests on luxury lines continue to get younger, dress codes will likely continue to head in that direction, travel advisors said.
But that demographic shift is also paired with a broader style evolution in formal spaces from galas to steakhouses, where sneakers are no longer taboo and comfort and personal style are increasingly prioritized, advisors and cruise line executives said.
"In recent years, we've noticed a shift in what guests expect when it comes to dressing for the evening -- not just on our ships but in fine dining and other upscale settings around the world," said Wes D'Silva, chief commercial officer at Regent Seven Seas Cruises. "People are leaning toward a style that's polished and sophisticated but also comfortable."
Cruise guests have also noticed that existing dress codes are not heavily enforced, Luxury Cruise Connections CEO Carlos Edery said, leading him to believe the cruise lines might be sitting back and observing guest preferences before introducing dress-code updates.
"There's still some ambiguity, and I think it's on purpose," he said. "I think cruise lines are allowing their own guests to kind of determine what's OK and what's not, and what's comfortable and what's not."
And it's not just the younger set of luxury cruise guests who are seeking more flexibility, Edery said. "Even boomers are starting to catch on."
Regent's change took effect Aug. 1.
Elsewhere in the luxury cruise space, Seabourn and Crystal similarly specify that jeans are OK as long as they're "elegant," in Seabourn's case, or dark-wash and tear-free, per Crystal.
Guests are looking for flexibility, and dress codes of the future will similarly prioritize adaptability, personal style and comfort, said Bernie Leypold, senior vice president of global hotel operations at Crystal.
Still, that doesn't mean that luxury lines are entirely giving up on dressing up.
For example, Leypold said that at Crystal, its flexible dress code "means continuing to offer opportunities for our guests to embrace elegance, whether in a beautifully tailored suit or a chic cocktail dress, while ensuring they feel at ease and authentically themselves throughout their voyage."
Silversea, meanwhile, still specifies in its dress code that guests should not wear jeans and sneakers after 6 p.m.
As more luxury lines relax dress codes, what one must pack will become less of a differentiator between the premium and luxury lines, while other aspects of the experience like accommodations and cuisine will continue denoting that separation, Edery said.
"I think attire will continue to fade as a differentiator in the years to come," he said. "I don't see a world where luxury cruise lines will go back to requiring dressing up more."
Cruise guests have appreciated the changes and the enhanced flexibility, advisors said.
When guests ask about a line's dress code, it's always in the hopes of having to pack less formal wear, said Dennis Nienkerk of Strong Travel Services in Dallas.
"I've had people who book luxury cruises, and they will not bring a tie, even," he said. "That's one of the important things that they ask.
"And so far, I've been able to say, look, bring along one blazer and put it on over a nice shirt … and that's sufficient."