I need some advice please

[njsonja]

We will be disembarking a ship in London and then thinking of hopping on the Queen Mary back to NYC/Brooklyn.  What is the attire in the dining room?  We don't want to drag much formal wear with us.  Is a jacket okay for my husband without a tie?  For me, can I wear pants to dinner?  I also would like to know if there is a buffet somewhere for lunch/dinner.  Many thanks in advance.  Sonja

[newjoisey]

there may be some formal nights and they like you in formal ware in certain parts of the ship. There is a buffet for breakfast,snacks,lunch and dinner and in-between that is not formal ......read....shorts and a nice top for breakfast and lunch......nice pants and top for dinner is the usual for dinner. If he does not bring a sport coat and tie he will still be over fed .....don't feed into the myth that everyone is in a tux or gown 24/7 or they are thrown over-board  just leave your ripped jeans and monster truck race t-shirt home lol

[Bigmike911]

Your post seems to indicate you don't know much about your QM2 crossing. One of the reasons people book QM2 is for the formal atmosphere of the ship. I think you would be well advised to look at the Cunard Web Sites to get a better idea of life aboard. Make sure it meets your needs and expectations before spending a significant price on the voyage.

 

You didn't say which level of accommodation you were looking at.  There are minimum dress standards for evening dining in Britannia, Britannia Club or the Grills. If you wish to dine in the Britannia, Club or Grills dining rooms on Formal evenings your husband will need at minimum a tie and a dark suit or blazer. You can wear dressy pants to dinner.

 

There is a buffet called the Kings Court, where you can eat breakfast lunch and dinner wearing casual clothes. You can also get lunches in the pub, and sandwiches in the Carinthia Lounge. There is always room service if you want it. 

 

You don't have to drag formal wear with you, you can have it sent directly to the using the Cunard's White Star Luggage Service. 

[VintageCCG]

I mean, if all else fails you could check the Cunard website ...
https://www.cunard.com/life-on-board/what-to-pack/

 

the site also describes tuxedo rentals on board, if packing a suit is inconvenient.

[Wiltonian]

In brief for MDR: formal nights men need DJ/Tux/dark suit and tie; informal nights jacket with tie optional. You can eat in buffets in casual attire, but after 6 on formal nights you may feel somewhat conspicuous around the ship, and be excluded from many areas. And it’s enforced; on the QE last month, men without jackets were turned away from the MDR on a non-formal night. More traditional formality is the USP of Cunard, like it or loathe it!

Edited December 8, 2018 by Wiltonian

[Underwatr]

Jacket without a tie is acceptable on non-formal nights. On a seven night crossing, 2 (3?) are formal, when a dark suit or tux would be expected in the MDR, but you could eat in the buffet (including a full-service alternate dining venue in one area that is buffet seating the rest of the day) on those nights.

 

If you wanted to see a show on formal night you would be expected to be dressed formally.

 

From Cunard:

"Of course, if you prefer to spend your evenings in more relaxed attire, feel free to dress casually as you visit any of the following venues: Kings Court (buffet), Golden Lion (pub), Casino, Carinthia Lounge,  and G32 (nightclub). Non-ripped jeans are appropriate, but please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces."

Edited December 8, 2018 by Underwatr

[ddgarner1]

The QM2 may not be for you.  There is an interesting alternative— passenger cabins onboard freighters where there is no dress code or formal dining.  It’s really a nice, quiet way to travel.  I enjoyed my voyage from Amsterdam to Baltimore. 

[Jack E Dawson]

Njsonja,

When I read your post my first reaction was that perhaps you were just trying to have a little fun with the passionate Cunarders on this board. So I clicked on your handle and saw that your are a serious and seasoned cruiser who has made over 750 posts to Cruise Critic since 2001. In reading just a few of your posts I came away with the impression that you are very serious about service but that you are also a very fair person. Looking at your cruise resume, I think that you will find Cunard and specifically a QM2 trans-Atlantic crossing to be a very different experience from your previous voyages. Cunard is all about British tradition, service and  civility. As mentioned in the above posts, the Cunard web site gives you a good sense of what to expect. If you decide to go, my recommendation is to embrace it all including the formality. I always bring a tux and a navy blue blazer. My wife brings two pair of Palazzo Pants (silver and black) along with a few beaded tops. This easily covers all formal occasions. If you are interested, I've posted a couple of picture montages on YouTube titled HGQM2-2017 and HGQM2-2018. The latter from this year's Fashion Week cruise. If you decide to go, I'm sure everyone would appreciate your cruise review.

 

Jack 

[orchestrapal]

We had no problem on QM2 avoiding all the “formal” stuff and will continue to do so.

You can always eat at the buffet or get room service.. do your own thing and have a good crossing. 

[wripro]

Please don't listen to anyone who tells you that you must wear formal wear. If your husband is willing to wear a jacket, sticking a tie in the suitcase takes no room or weight and that will suffice for formal nights. Other nights he'll be just fine without it. Go and enjoy the crossing and if anyone thinks you're underdressed remember that's their problem, not yours.

[Underwatr]

3 hours ago, wripro said:

If your husband is willing to wear a jacket, sticking a tie in the suitcase takes no room or weight and that will suffice for formal nights

Don't push it. Read, and please follow the dress codes.

[Stella1250]

I don't see anything in the dress code that says a jacket and tie on formal nights is not ok. Take a dark colored jacket with several pairs of matching pants, two ties and some white shirts. You will be fine.

[Underwatr]

 Cunard says the dress side for Gala evenings (their latest terminology) is tuxedo or dark suit. Jacket & tie is good for the informal nights. 

 

"So from 6pm, don your dinner jacket (or tuxedo, if you prefer to call it that) – which you’re more than welcome to wear with a kilt. Many choose to finish the look with a bow tie, perhaps even a cummerbund. A dark two-piece or three-piece suit is perfectly acceptable too, whether with a regular tie or a cravat. Your choice of smart shoes will complete the look."

 

 

The point is there's a difference between a jacket and trousers and a suit, easily recognized by those who aren't trying to see what they can get away with.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Underwatr

[newjoisey]

i wish i had the iconic picture of the guy at check in .......wearing a tux.....schlippin 2 cases of coke and 2 cases of water ....

 

[Stella1250]

A dark jacket with MATCHING PANTS is a suit. With a crisp white shirt and a tie, it fits the Cunard definition of formal night perfectly.

[ddgarner1]

Whatever you wear, you will judged by some. I saw it on my recent TA crossing at the end of Oct. 

What I found most amusing was the distain in the reaction of people eating in the Kings Court when anyone in a tux walked through on formal evenings.  It seemed oddly counterintuitive 

[newjoisey]

16 minutes ago, ddgarner1 said:

Whatever you wear, you will judged by some. I saw it on my recent TA crossing at the end of Oct. 

What I found most amusing was the distain in the reaction of people eating in the Kings Court when anyone in a tux walked through on formal evenings.  It seemed oddly counterintuitive 

We try to respect the formal areas and my reaction to some one in formal attire is i hope i am in the right area for us to be casual....once as a newbee on board i went decks and hallways around and under the MDR as not to walk through it during dining ....i still do but know the short cuts now