QM2 TA: Informal (Jacket Required): tie optional - do some still wear them?

[Devon Bloke]

Even though Cunard have relaxed the dress code for informal evenings to "required jacket and optional tie for gentlemen" - I wonder if a number of blokes still wear ties.

 

I actually quite like to wear a jacket AND tie at dinner and was wondering if many other blokes still do on the QM2.

[Host Hattie]

Yes they do and some people might wear them for some nights. My husband tends not to wear a tie on the first and last nights but might for informal nights mid-voyage.

You certainly won't be alone if you choose to wear a tie.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Host Hattie

[BigMac1953]

In QG, it's almost 100%. In general, I would say more than 90% wear ties. Why would you not?

[cruiseluvva]

My husband tends to wear a tie if he's wearing a suit, but not if he's wearing a jacket - sorry BigMac, that's in QG too! In warm climates - Indian Ocean etc, he rarely wears one.

Edited January 27, 2017 by cruiseluvva

[rakkor]

Sometimes I do, sometimes not - It depends on the shirt I'm wearing - Some of mine with a stiffer collar don't sit right without a tie. And sometime I just feel like wearing a tie.

[Bell Boy]

They most certainly do (I do :) ) The majority of those ( male or female) who choose to travel Cunard enjoy their evenings as a sense of occasion.

 

Of course, common sense prevails, it depends on the itinerary e.g. in a hot climate.

 

As other posters have replied, more guys wear a tie than those who don't. One can't be overdressed on a Cunarder.

[Lynnewob]

My husband tends to wear a full suit and tie on the majority of informal nights, but very often the first night or last (ie. embarkation/disembarkation) he will not have the tie. If he is wearing a full suit, I wear a cocktail dress and if he's without a tie, I tend to wear just a shift dress, so we are in sync!

 

It very much depends on the shirt - as some shirts look much better without a tie, than with.

 

That is in all category of staterooms, QG, PG and Britannia Club.

[BigMac1953]

My husband tends to wear a tie if he's wearing a suit, but not if he's wearing a jacket - sorry BigMac, that's in QG too! In warm climates - Indian Ocean etc, he rarely wears one.

 

Right Gill. that's it. I'm reporting you both.

[Bell Boy]

My husband tends to wear a full suit and tie on the majority of informal nights, but very often the first night or last (ie. embarkation/disembarkation) he will not have the tie. If he is wearing a full suit, I wear a cocktail dress and if he's without a tie, I tend to wear just a shift dress, so we are in sync!

 

It very much depends on the shirt - as some shirts look much better without a tie, than with.

 

That is in all category of staterooms, QG, PG and Britannia Club.

 

And guys in 'standard Britannia' are as equally well dressed too. :)

[david,Mississauga]

When the QE2 was retired the dress code was relaxed to no longer require both jacket and tie on non-formal nights. But I did not relax my dress code.

 

My experience after eight voyages on the QM2 and one on the QE is that a large minority of men wear ties when not required. My observations were the same in all restaurants, from Britannia up to Queen's Grill. A higher percentage of men wear a tie in the Grills, but there are a lot of traditionalists in Britannia.

[Adammara]

On the last evening of our cruise on QE, we sat in a bar watching the passengers leaving the Britannia first sitting, I counted at least 12 men wearing ties, at that was just in a few minutes!

 

I wore one every non formal night, could probably do a world cruise and not use the same tie twice! Had to wear a tie at work for over 40 years, and then spent the next 20 years of not wearing one apart from cruises!

[newcruise]

Ties on informal nights are the norm in the Britannia dining room.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I frequently wear a tie on the informal nights in the Britannia Restaurant.

 

Chuck

Edited January 27, 2017 by seacruise9

[Devon Bloke]

Thank you for your responses. Without wishing to sound too "Downton Abbeyesque" (!); on a ship like the QM2, I find that "dressing up" for dinner adds to the overall ambience of the experience and occassion. After all, this is what the QM2 is about, isn't it? Plus I feel that, taking a bit of time to dress smartly for dinner, is a matter of good manners and respect for others who have 'made the effort'. A smart jacket, open necked formal shirt, trousers and shoes can be equally classed as "dressed up" (and that is my style of choice when out dining on most occassions)...but,like many others on this board, I think a tie adds something in this situation.

 

I am pretty much an old jeans and old trainers slob for a lot of the time. Its nice to have the opportunity to do something smart now and again!

[Lakesregion]

Even though Cunard have relaxed the dress code for informal evenings to "required jacket and optional tie for gentlemen" - I wonder if a number of blokes still wear ties.

 

I actually quite like to wear a jacket AND tie at dinner and was wondering if many other blokes still do on the QM2.

 

At least on the QM2 during my December Back to Back TA the vast majority of gentlemen in Britannia wore jacket AND tie on casual evenings and Tuxedos on Formal evenings. Saw very few total outliers any where on the ship who ignored even the lowest level of the required code. Even the Carinthia Lounge looked reasonably well clad in the evening.

[tv24]

On QM2 crossings there are indeed a lot of men in ties on informal nights. However, I am not among them. I do wear a jacket and a good shirt and trousers, but I still associate ties with part of my past work life, and would rather avoid them, even though I have no issues wearing one when the situation requires it. In QG I observed about 40 - 50% of the men in ties on informal nights, that was this past October and December.