Dress for Cunard

[orvil]

I am the Scarlett Woman who dared to wear red to the ball.  I suppose this makes me the village tart.  Evidently all that my outfit was missing was the Scarlett "A".  BTW, it was Armani.  After a turn or two around the dance floor, I left the others to their amusements.  I returned upstairs to the Queen's Grill and had another cocktail.

 

I met or exceeded every published dress requirement.  It was not my first trip on Cunard, rather one of many.  On that particular trip I even had a black evening gown in my luggage. It was a lovely Oleg Cassini.  I chose not to wear it that night because I wasn't in the mood for it.  I was feeling red that night and I looked fabulous. 

 

Get over it.  

 

[navybankerteacher]

My granddaughter, Scarlett, prefers pastel greens and blues - she hates wearing read dresses because people always say things like:  “Good day, Miss Scaaahlet.” 

[perditax]

Tagging on rather than create a new thread.

 

I’m considering a solo trip on QM2 / New England. I can afford to do this (and buy the clothes to go with it), but I work in an extremely casual environment (on the tech side of the entertainment industry), and frankly just have no sense for fashion. (Female.)

 

The good news is, I won’t be doing the Gala or MDRs; I would try to mostly keep to myself, or be sure to wear dresses and (heels or flats?) if I leave my stateroom in the evening. So the questions are mostly:

 

—Is the King’s Court open for reasonable hours during the day and evening? This would solve most of my dining problems.

—would I aggravate people by walking around during the day in cotton (not denim) shorts, a cotton top and maybe a short flowy cover up, plus sandals? I do like to walk around the ship a lot during the day. 

 

Again, I need to emphasize that none of this is about Gala, formal or theme nights, nor about the MDR. (Since those are the main hot button topics.) I like to keep to myself and relax on cruises in any case, just looking for strategies to blend in. I’d even take shopping suggestions.

[Tonopah]

1 minute ago, perditax said:

Tagging on rather than create a new thread.

 

I’m considering a solo trip on QM2 / New England. I can afford to do this (and buy the clothes to go with it), but I work in an extremely casual environment (on the tech side of the entertainment industry), and frankly just have no sense for fashion. (Female.)

 

The good news is, I won’t be doing the Gala or MDRs; I would try to mostly keep to myself, or be sure to wear dresses and (heels or flats?) if I leave my stateroom in the evening. So the questions are mostly:

 

—Is the King’s Court open for reasonable hours during the day and evening? This would solve most of my dining problems.

—would I aggravate people by walking around during the day in cotton (not denim) shorts, a cotton top and maybe a short flowy cover up, plus sandals? I do like to walk around the ship a lot during the day. 

 

Again, I need to emphasize that none of this is about Gala, formal or theme nights, nor about the MDR. (Since those are the main hot button topics.) I like to keep to myself and relax on cruises in any case, just looking for strategies to blend in. I’d even take shopping suggestions.

You would be fine. Shorts and sandals are fine during the day.  Kings Court is open nearly all the time. One can also eat in the Golden Lion Pub, and don’t forget afternoon tea! HOWEVER, please don’t skip gala evenings. Give it a try. They are a treat. You can get by with flowy palazzo pants and a sparkly shirt and ballet flats and still be comfortable.

 

I wore uniforms most of my life, and then worked in a business casual place. I *still* have no idea how to “dress”. Here are two of my outfits, both from a consignment shop. 

 

 

[perditax]

2 minutes ago, Tonopah said:

You would be fine. Shorts and sandals are fine during the day.  Kings Court is open nearly all the time. One can also eat in the Golden Lion Pub, and don’t forget afternoon tea! HOWEVER, please don’t skip gala evenings. Give it a try. They are a treat. You can get by with flowy palazzo pants and a sparkly shirt and ballet flats and still be comfortable.

 

I wore uniforms most of my life, and then worked in a business casual place. I *still* have no idea how to “dress”. Here are two of my outfits, both from a consignment shop. 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for the input. 

[naturelovergirl]

1 hour ago, perditax said:

Tagging on rather than create a new thread.

 

I’m considering a solo trip on QM2 / New England. I can afford to do this (and buy the clothes to go with it), but I work in an extremely casual environment (on the tech side of the entertainment industry), and frankly just have no sense for fashion. (Female.)

 

The good news is, I won’t be doing the Gala or MDRs; I would try to mostly keep to myself, or be sure to wear dresses and (heels or flats?) if I leave my stateroom in the evening. So the questions are mostly:

 

—Is the King’s Court open for reasonable hours during the day and evening? This would solve most of my dining problems.

—would I aggravate people by walking around during the day in cotton (not denim) shorts, a cotton top and maybe a short flowy cover up, plus sandals? I do like to walk around the ship a lot during the day. 

 

Again, I need to emphasize that none of this is about Gala, formal or theme nights, nor about the MDR. (Since those are the main hot button topics.) I like to keep to myself and relax on cruises in any case, just looking for strategies to blend in. I’d even take shopping suggestions.

Hi! Nice to have a techie to chat with... I’m also in entertainment (performance)... I appreciate the people in tech so very much!

As far as your evenings- don’t short change your vacation- you will see a huge range of styles. So just find something you like 😊

You should be absolutely fine during the day! Enjoy!! The website states this about the day:

During the day, feel free to relax and dress as you please in all areas of the ship.

 

[naturelovergirl]

29 minutes ago, naturelovergirl said:

heels or flats?

Furthermore, I will absolutely be wearing flats during evenings on my voyage... I only wear heels when I have to... not a fan

My trip has ports... I’ll be wearing hiking boots during the day 😊

[Tonopah]

I second the flats! I broke my right ankle when I was thrown from a horse. I broke my left ankle when a lady ran over me at a stop light (I was on my motorcycle). If I’m not on the dance floor I will most likely be in flats.

 

 

[rtdiva]

On 2/2/2019 at 9:34 PM, airugo said:

I will be doing a transatlantic cruise in April.  It seems people say that you can dress in jeans in the AM  then dress smart casual for tea and finally dress for dinner.  Will I need to change clothes 3 times a day?

 

As this is August my post may be of interest to others sailing in 2021. Ladies  a simple dress or two can be worn the entire day, add different scarves, evening sweater or interesting costume jewelry.  Mostly those who are on the dance floor, as I found on a world cruise, are conscious of Who Wears What. Alternatively dark slacks with appropriate tops work well. Flats, attractive walking shoes, And even dressy sandals are o.k.

Guys wear multiple long sleeve shirts topped by a dark jacket which are appropriate morning into evening. Some men wore dark tennis shoes in place of dress shoes. 
 

As with anywhere you will see all kinds of dress on all kinds of bodies!

 

Over packing can lead to a lot of problems. 
 

Have fun!

 

Ann

[Smitheroo]

I sailed in Jan 2013 so I could bring my mother's ashes over to be buried in England.  I was so worried about the dress code. Unless you are strictly a jeans and t-shirt type person the dress code is not difficult to abide by.  I didnt even bring any jeans because of this so I guess I wore chinos.  I really cant remember which shows that it was not a big deal.  For dressy evenings I had a pair of black velvet slacks, a long black velvet skirt and several glitzy tops, a pair of dress sandals, a few scarfs to change the look.   This was perfect for travel in Britannia.  The pictures in the brochures had me really worried with women wearing ball gowns.   I even went to the ball room dancing, afternoon tea, never felt out of place.  If you are willing to eat 3 meals a day in the King's Court and not attend any formal events you could get by with neat , casual dress.   I knew I wanted to eat in the MDR for dinner.  Two male passengers wore tuxes to dinner one night. The other men wore jackets.  It amazes me why so many men hate wearing dressy clothes.  They look really attractive!  I cant understand how uncomfortable a jacket could be.  Tuxes maybe are a bit over the top.   Something I saw on the way to the MDR one evening- a family with 2 little girls, looked about 4 and 6. They were all dressed up in long dresses, ribbons in their hair and dressy shoes.  Adorable!  

[david,Mississauga]

On 12/26/2020 at 2:10 PM, Smitheroo said:

...  Two male passengers wore tuxes to dinner one night. The other men wore jackets.  It amazes me why so many men hate wearing dressy clothes.  They look really attractive!  I cant understand how uncomfortable a jacket could be.  Tuxes maybe are a bit over the top.   ...

 

There is no reason a jacket should be uncomfortable unless the termperature is too warm. I think some men are too proud to buy shirts and jackets of an appropriate size for their bodies. I have never liked a tight shirt collar so have always bought shirts a half size bigger than I need. So even with a tie there is no discomfort.

 

Only once in our Cunard voyages did we encounter men at breakfast and lunch in the Britannia Restaurant who were moaning about the dress standards.  They stopped short of asking for a medal for having to suffer dressing for dinner and said they only did it to please their wives. I don't know what it was about that particular crossing, but we have not encountered moaners like that before or since.

 

There is nothing over the top about a tuxedo on a Cunard  ship. In my experience in all four restaurant categories I have never seen less than 50% of men in formal wear and it is often 80% or even more - especially in the Grills.

Edited December 27, 2020 by david,Mississauga

[Bigmike911]

6 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

There is no reason a jacket should be uncomfortable unless the termperature is too warm. I think some men are too proud to buy shirts and jackets of an appropriate size for their bodies. I have never liked a tight shirt collar so have always bought shirts a half size bigger than I need. So even with a tie there is no discomfort.

 

Only once in our Cunard voyages did we encounter men at breakfast and lunch in the Britannia Restaurant who were moaning about the dress standards.  They stopped short of asking for a medal for having to suffer dressing for dinner and said they only did it to please their wives. I don't know what it was about that particular crossing, but we have not encountered moaners like that before or since.

 

There is nothing over the top about a tuxedo on a Cunard  ship. In my experience in all four restaurant categories I have never seen less than 50% of men in formal wear and it is often 80% or even more - especially in the Grills.

David, you are so right about proper sizes. I have always had a big neck and it is difficult to buy shirts that fit in the neck, so I have to have them made to order, including formal shirts. Having worked in a corporate setting for the last few years of my working career, I have always had to wear a tie. So now I have enough shirts where the neck fits for the rest of my time, and about the only place to wear them is aboard a Cunard Queen.

 

The same for suits, sports jackets and pants. I wore a uniform for much of my career, and I took pride making sure it was well tailored. The same for suits and sport coats. I prefer to wear Blazers as a coat these days, since many of my suits are way out of style now, and one rarely sees them.

 

I am happy to fit into Cunard's dress clothes, it gives me a chance to wear the clothes I actually have. 

[Windsurfboy]

I agree with Bigmike911  , The key to comfortable and good looking clothes is the exact opposite of today's fast fashion trends  it's quality and fit over quantity.  It's also much smarter.

 

You don't need a big wardrobe for a Cunard cruise

 

Cunard has a wear what you are comfortable with  daytime dress code.

 

But the fun of a Cunard cruise is to dress up at night 

 

 

[Lady Hudson]

In regards to the Black and White Ball - what I have been told.  The original balls were meant to honor the officers onboard - not to suggest all should wear black and/or white.  The wearing of black/white has evolved over the years for passengers.  The title of the evening certainly suggests that one might wish to wear back and/or white, however..  Katherine

[BigMac1953]

21 minutes ago, Lady Hudson said:

In regards to the Black and White Ball - what I have been told.  The original balls were meant to honor the officers onboard - not to suggest all should wear black and/or white.  The wearing of black/white has evolved over the years for passengers.  The title of the evening certainly suggests that one might wish to wear back and/or white, however..  Katherine

 

Just like the Senior Officer's Cocktail Party, when the senior officers drew up the guest list. Not like now, when all and sundry are invited.

[PORT ROYAL]

44 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

Just like the Senior Officer's Cocktail Party, when the senior officers drew up the guest list. Not like now, when all and sundry are invited.

Agree, ceased attending over seven years ago. What did for us was a Waiter exiting the service area with full tray of drinks, having the tray emptied before reaching the the dance floor,. Plague of Locusts. 

 

Gone are the days of short genteel conversations etc with Officers circulating.  Pleased the occasional Officers coffee get together remains.

 

People now do Q for over 30 minutes prior to opening times.

And people actually carry multiple free drinks from the QB free drinks to the DRoom - Please no....

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

Just like the Senior Officer's Cocktail Party, when the senior officers drew up the guest list. Not like now, when all and sundry are invited.

Or to be factual Platinum and Diamond World Club members.

[PORT ROYAL]

5 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Or to be factual Platinum and Diamond World Club members.

BigMac1953 statement possibly had the identical meaning 

All = As being all Diamond Members

And Sundry = Platinum Members 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

17 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

BigMac1953 statement possibly had the identical meaning 

All = As being all Diamond Members

And Sundry = Platinum Members 

 

 

 

Plus some passengers who are neither Diamond nor Platinum  but are still deemed worthy of  an invitation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PORT ROYAL]

18 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Plus some passengers who are neither Diamond nor Platinum  but are still deemed worthy of  an invitation. 

To the WC Gold (plus Ps & Ds) event.
All  WC “Cocktail” invitations are computer generated.  But personal invitations are still hand written.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

To the WC Gold (plus Ps & Ds) event.  

 

We were mere Gold when invited to our first Senior Officers drinks do. I'm sure there will have been others too as we're not that special.

[PORT ROYAL]

1 minute ago, Victoria2 said:

We were mere Gold when invited to our first Senior Officers drinks do. I'm sure there will have been others too as we're not that special.

Then considered honorary Platinum or Gold, thereby incorporated within the term all and sundry.

[BigMac1953]

9 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

We were mere Gold when invited to our first Senior Officers drinks do. I'm sure there will have been others too as we're not that special.

 

That was my point.

 

The place fills with free loading riff raff.

 

🙂 

[PORT ROYAL]

1 minute ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

That was my point.

 

The place fills with free loading riff raff.

 

🙂 

😊

 

[Victoria2]

3 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

That was my point.

 

The place fills with free loading riff raff.

 

🙂 

Of course. That's it. This riff raff doesn't get enough 'extras' in QG so we need to freeload as much as possible. I knew there must be a reason we were invited.

😁

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Victoria2