Daily Attire and Queen Mary: Is it for me?

It would be interesting if on their new ship Cunard are still differentiating dining arrangements according to what you have booked, i.e. Brittania, Grills etc. This is maintaining the liner tradition. Most other luxury cruise lines have dispensed with this and the only differential seems to be in the position and quality of the cabin/suite. We love the dine anywhere and open seating arrangements and are anxious that we will not enjoy our forthcoming cruise on QE.

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I think if Carnival was planning a more relaxed dress code for the new ship, they would have just assigned it to a different line. The point of maintaining different line identities is to differentiate the brands. If they want this new ship to have a casual dress code without separate grills dining, they would have just assign it to Holland America or Princess.

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Of course you can get away with not following the dress code but how rude is that to your fellow passengers who book Cunard because and not in spite of its formality. As my fellow Cunarders have said, there are plenty of more casual cruise lines!

 

 

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I can not understand people who complain about the formal dress on a Cunard ship, Cunard are well known for their dress code, your read about it in the press, holiday brochures and your Travel Agent should also mention it. Loads of people who sail with Cunard so they can dress up, and what's wrong with that?😙

It would be interesting if on their new ship Cunard are still differentiating dining arrangements according to what you have booked, i.e. Brittania, Grills etc. This is maintaining the liner tradition. Most other luxury cruise lines have dispensed with this and the only differential seems to be in the position and quality of the cabin/suite. We love the dine anywhere and open seating arrangements and are anxious that we will not enjoy our forthcoming cruise on QE.

On the other hand the MSC Yacht Club or the NCL Haven 'ship within a ship' seems to be closer to the old 'first class' concept than Cunard 'grills'.

I for one love the idea of having formal evenings, and of having to put on a coat and tie for informal ones. Having spent a Caribbean voyage on a Princess ship, where men and women seemed to think flip-flops are to ok be worn other than from pool to shower, I said never again and am back with Cunard for good. If they should decide that smart casual is suitable for dinner, I will just stay home.

If you travel in a Britannia stateroom, you will have a lovely place for dinner in the Britannia Dining room and all the other pleasures of the ship. If you wish to enhance your voyage you have choices like Club and the Grills. This is in my mind no different that having classes on an airplane, where you pay a bit more and get a bit more. Folk who find this offensive, can certainly find a lot of other cruising options.

If you travel in a Britannia stateroom, you will have a lovely place for dinner in the Britannia Dining room and all the other pleasures of the ship. If you wish to enhance your voyage you have choices like Club and the Grills. This is in my mind no different that having classes on an airplane, where you pay a bit more and get a bit more. Folk who find this offensive, can certainly find a lot of other cruising options.

I agree! We usually travel Britannia class but never begrudge fellow pax who travel in more expensive cabins. Why should we? You get what you’re prepared to pay for and we’ve been more than happy so far.

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To all at the Commodore Lounge on the QM"2 "meet and greet" Oct 7th I apologize for missing the meeting, I was confined to bed a lot of the trip. Maybe we will meet again on another trip, We are booked on the Queen Elizabeth in Oct 2018. I promise to crawl there !

Pattie Jones

BTW - My "life style" does not require frequent formal or even business dress. "Dressing up" does not come natural. But I like the ambiance of Cunard. It is like going back in time and the dress code makes it possible.

This is true for us as well. I enjoy doing something different to our everyday lives when on holiday. A change is as good as a rest they say & on a Cunard crossing you get a rest as well as a change so return doubly refreshed :)

We are seasoned cruise traveler, but this is our first time on Cunard. I love to dress up, so that is not a problem. My husband usually wears a striped collared golf type shirt, Chaps type shirt, with nice trousers for dinner on other lines on smart casual nights, which is much nicer than most people. He thought he would just add a blazer to his normal type of dress. Is that a problem on Cunard?

Thank you

My husband usually wears a striped collared golf type shirt, Chaps type shirt, with nice trousers for dinner on other lines on smart casual nights, which is much nicer than most people. He thought he would just add a blazer to his normal type of dress. Is that a problem on Cunard?

Thank you

I would say even on an informal night on Cunard most men would wear a formal collared shirt in the dining rooms & bars, many wear ties. The type of shirt you describe would be fine for the evening buffet. With a jacket it may well enable you to get in to the theatre etc but I wouldn't want to promise that. My OH tends to wear his colourful or patterned collared shirts with a jacket but no tie on informal nights. My son who will join us on our next crossing is also taking "proper" shirts not polo shirts, Obviously on formal nights they wear dress shirts & bow ties & a tux/DJ (which my son still needs to buy!) Cunard is a lot dressier than other lines. Oh and if its a jazz cruise dress codes are sometimes slightly more relaxed though most regulars still dress up...

:DI have just returned from a QUEEN cruise and the dress code is still enforced, a collared normal shirt with a blazer or jacket is O.K. Formal nights I have seen some in a suit but normally it is a Tux or dinner suit,

You will enjoy the cruise I have never been disappointed yet with any of the Queens.

I wore solid color polo shirts with my sport coat on some of the informal nights. The other gentlemen at our table in Queens Grill did the same, we weren’t out of place with most the others there. Some dressed formally every night though.

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Thank you for your helpful info.

We are seasoned cruise traveler, but this is our first time on Cunard. I love to dress up, so that is not a problem. My husband usually wears a striped collared golf type shirt, Chaps type shirt, with nice trousers for dinner on other lines on smart casual nights, which is much nicer than most people. He thought he would just add a blazer to his normal type of dress. Is that a problem on Cunard?

Thank you

Yes that will be a problem. Cunard prides itself as offering an outing for adults who know how to dress themselves for an evening. Golf attire past 6 pm is not part of the design even if partially hidden by a jacket. Sorry for the harshness of my reply but I am quite tired of having to always head for the barricades to fend off those who think casual is life and otherwise is stuffy. I wonder how your grandparents ever managed even if they came out of the mines to find a suit and dress for Sundays and special occasions.

Dressing up at night is okay, but if it was 'smart casual' during the day as well, I couldn't do it. This is why I've never taken the Orient Express, the dress code etc is all a bit too restrictive, though I suppose I could put up with it for a one or two night train trip :)

I took the OE Venice to London last year and it was a wonderful experience. You shouldn’t let a bit of dressing up get in your way, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

This is by far the best response to the "Do I really have to follow the Cunard dress code?" question.

 

Well said. My travel agent knows I like Cunard and has directed me away from cruise lines that I will not like. BTW - My "life style" does not require frequent formal or even business dress. "Dressing up" does not come natural. But I like the ambiance of Cunard. It is like going back in time and the dress code makes it possible.

I agree. I am really looking forward to that aspect of my QM2 cruise in April, I live and travel alone, so while I ‘lunch’ often, dinner out is no very regular and I’m very much looking forward to taking a bit of time in the evening for dining and feeling a little bit special :)

I just watched the YouTube video on the Queen Elizabeth in the 1950s. Obviously they were much more accustomed to dressing up then than we are today; men didn't think twice about wearing a suit every day, or women dresses and nylons. And most people who could afford a cruise had some sort of evening wear. Attire at all times of day is more casual now, so I get it that people wonder how elastic the Cunard dress code might be.

But it does seem to me slightly disrespectful of those passengers who do follow the Cunard dress code to deliberately under-dress. The dress code is one of the distinguishing features of the line, after all. To those who want to deviate from it, I would say if it is for financial reasons, so be it; do your best and enjoy the cruise. But otherwise, it's just not that hard to comply with the dress code. Everything you need can be found easily and cheaply on line. There is just no need for golf shirts after 6 pm. And when you are ready for the next Cunard cruise - bonus - you already have the wardrobe.

Of course I know a blazer isn't formal, I just wanted to know if it would 'do' on formal nights--it will on most cruise lines but I do realize Cunard is more formal. All I wanted to know is if they will let him in the dining room on formal nights with a nice blazer. If not, he will buy at least a suit if we go on a Cunard cruise.

 

We don't mind dressing up, kind of like it actually, but he would have to buy a new suit or tux due to weight gain. What I meant by life style is that in our normal everyday life he has no need for a suit and definitely not a tux, so it would probably not be worn much.

 

We enjoy trying different cruise lines and I'm sure would enjoy a Cunard cruise. It's just good to be prepared and to know what actually is required. While of course we like relaxation and a casual atmosphere at times, we enjoy the more formal nights too. They aren't mutually exclusive. I mean, he has a tux and likes to wear it if only it fit! Buying another one just for Cunard is what I was wondering about.

 

I know, losing weight would solve a lot of problems, but that's not always so easy!

:') I feel your pain! Desperately dieting now to fit into my own evening wear! My friend reckons I’ll be one week onboard and all my buttons will pop off.

Funny isn't it? So many people extol and revel in the elegance of the grand days of ocean liner travel, but when given the opportunity to try and experience at least a bit of it for real, they are confused or want to fudge. Of course, dressing up doesn't impart elegance or grace or make ladies or gentlemen. But it's a start. And it's the easy part of it, too.

I remember sailing from Rio to Genova in the Costa liner EUGENIO C, in 1990 in First Class. 12 full days. There was no "dress code", not even a mention of such a thing. One didn't do that back then or have to. And yes everyone... everyone dressed, formally, for dinner. Every single night. For men, at least, it's the easiest thing in the world: a white or black d/j every night, it's like a uniform. For ladies, it's more of a challenge. But four formal nights in a 14-day Cunard cruise... come on, it's not that hard is it?

On my QE Med cruise last month, most gents seemed to make more of an effort than even the ladies and on "informal" nights, there was a de facto competition for best English summer jacket. And yes, most wore ties, too.

There are so many, indeed all other, cruise lines with no dress code or no one cares or tries. Fine. Cunard is just about unique and long may it continue to expect its passengers to "do their part" to maintain the elegance and tradition of ocean liner travel. If Jack Dawson could scrub up, with a little help, for his one evening in First Class, so can anyone else.

I am having trouble getting my head around why some one would want to travel on Cunard, and not want to be properly dressed. Dressing well is part of the ambiance and elegance of the ships. If you don't want to dress, then pick another line where casual clothing is appropriate.

I am having trouble getting my head around why some one would want to travel on Cunard, and not want to be properly dressed. Dressing well is part of the ambiance and elegance of the ships. If you don't want to dress, then pick another line where casual clothing is appropriate.

These questions are usually about QM2, if you want to do a Transatlantic crossing on a liner it's not easy just to pick another cruise line.

Right, Cunard is the only practical TA solution. What I object to is people who don't try to comply. Some are even proud of their dress code hacks. But to finish on a positive note, clearly everyone is welcome once on board, both by the crew and fellow passengers.

Now I must go see if my long dresses still fit before we leave for our December TA.

These questions are usually about QM2, if you want to do a Transatlantic crossing on a liner it's not easy just to pick another cruise line.

While that is true if you want a seven day Southampton to New York and vise versa. I just looked at T/As for 2018, and found several that do that route and a lot more that do Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale/ MIami and vice versa, and many more that sail from Miami and Ft Lauderdale to other European ports. Names like Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC even Carnival. There is a lot of choice for more casual lines.

While that is true if you want a seven day Southampton to New York and vise versa. I just looked at T/As for 2018, and found several that do that route and a lot more that do Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale/ MIami and vice versa, and many more that sail from Miami and Ft Lauderdale to other European ports. Names like Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC even Carnival. There is a lot of choice for more casual lines.

But usually only once a year in each direction, in Spring and Autumn.

Just because someone is asking about clarification on the dress code does not necessarily mean that they don't want to comply. If we do Cunard, we will of course comply with the dress code.

I just wasn't sure what it was; I truly did not know if a sports jacket was ok for non-formal nights or not.

I guess I could have gone to the Cunard site and checked myself, but it seemed easier to ask here, since several people knowledgeable about the dress code were posting.

We were not trying to get around the dress code!