masquerade gala night

[D&N]

21 hours ago, D&N said:

It is quite annoying though. Cunard didn't sell us two crossings. It was sold as one 14 night roundtrip (M215A). It seems unreasonable that folk are offered two identical themed nights in a two week voyage. I've contacted Cunard by Messenger, and will try phoning if I don't get acceptable response.

There must be lots of customers who sail both ways who will be affected by this. OK many don't bother with the themes but for those that do .............

I received a response by Messenger after about 26 hours confirming that they plan for us to have two Roaring Twenties evenings.

I've moved on to the next stage.

[D&N]

2 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

I've learned the May 7th and May 25th evenings on QE no longer have Masquerade themes (as anticipated). Apparently those evenings are non-themed gala evenings now. I will assume the April 29th evening on QM2 will no longer have a Masquerade theme as well and will list it without a theme until I hear otherwise.

I'm genuinely puzzled why Cunard would remove the Masquerade theme. I've not come across any forum threads where people complain about it. It seems reasonably easy to participate if you wish by simply wearing almost any other type of mask than medical.

[PORT ROYAL]

28 minutes ago, D&N said:

I'm genuinely puzzled why Cunard would remove the Masquerade theme. I've not come across any forum threads where people complain about it. It seems reasonably easy to participate if you wish by simply wearing almost any other type of mask than medical.

Could be a Carvinalised cost saving…… Ending having to give away a bottle of PA as an alleged prize.

[Victoria2]

50 minutes ago, D&N said:

I received a response by Messenger after about 26 hours confirming that they plan for us to have two Roaring Twenties evenings.

I've moved on to the next stage.

I have to hold my hands up here and say, I dress to please myself and ignore any ''themes''. I think, most passengers will have the same attitude to ''the themes''.

 

What is the next stage?

[D&N]

25 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Could be a Carvinalised cost saving…… Ending having to give away a bottle of PA as an alleged prize.

We only found they awarded a prize recently. We're content to join in and dress accordingly with colour coordinated masks.

There was a forum member who was commissioning an artist to design a mask for his wife. He may be considerably out of pocket.

[D&N]

26 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I have to hold my hands up here and say, I dress to please myself and ignore any ''themes''. I think, most passengers will have the same attitude to ''the themes''.

 

What is the next stage?

A bit more formal. I think it's bad form to post such communication in public before the recipients have an opportunity to respond.

[PORT ROYAL]

10 minutes ago, D&N said:

We only found they awarded a prize recently. We're content to join in and dress accordingly with colour coordinated masks.

There was a forum member who was commissioning an artist to design a mask for his wife. He may be considerably out of pocket.

For one’s part…

One gets a warm glow that there is something on Cunard for whatever is the small amount of interest.  It’s these special diverse aspects of Cunard that sets it apart and leaves Cunarders feeling good about the brand.  That’s why they return.  
Erode with a direction to finally remove the special feeling and ambiance of Cunard and it’s traditions is wrong in so many levels.

 

To quote a business associate from a USA Oil Giant “In diversity there is no endgame”

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by PORT ROYAL
Diversity

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, D&N said:

A bit more formal. I think it's bad form to post such communication in public before the recipients have an opportunity to respond.

A bit more formal what?

 

I seriously don't see what the issue is. It's a night on a cruise ship and not a full blown ball at a palace somewhere; a change of theme or whatever but surely, not a game changer. 

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

For one’s part…

One gets a warm glow that there is something on Cunard for whatever is the small amount of interest.  It’s these special diverse aspects of Cunard that sets it apart and leaves Cunarders feeling good about the brand.  That’s why they return.  
Erode with a direction to finally remove the special feeling and ambiance of Cunard and it’s traditions is wrong in so many levels.

 

To quote a business associate from a USA Oil Giant “In diversity there is no endgame”

 

 

Arent these themed nights a fairly recent thing? I don't remember them on QE2.

[Victoria2]

3 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

For one’s part…

One gets a warm glow that there is something on Cunard for whatever is the small amount of interest.  It’s these special diverse aspects of Cunard that sets it apart and leaves Cunarders feeling good about the brand.  That’s why they return.  
Erode with a direction to finally remove the special feeling and ambiance of Cunard and it’s traditions is wrong in so many levels.

 

To quote a business associate from a USA Oil Giant “In diversity there is no endgame”

 

The themed nights on Cunard leave this regular totally uninterested and as to diversity, without diversity, the world will wither.

[D&N]

6 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

A bit more formal what?

 

I seriously don't see what the issue is. It's a night on a cruise ship and not a full blown ball at a palace somewhere; a change of theme or whatever but surely, not a game changer. 

I do not intend to go into further detail on what the next step might be. Hopefully that doesn't offend you.

 

I don't have any problem with the opinion you express.

 

Our booking was made over 14 months before travel, replacing previous similar bookings that were cancelled twice. Therefore we've planned outfits for over 3 years and we feel it's a bit unreasonable to change at short notice. I think we're perfectly entitled to try to change their minds.

[exlondoner]

Am I right in thinking it's the end of May? That's hardly short notice. I ve had two cruises cancelled at shorter notice than that, and gala nights altered after boarding.

[Victoria2]

2 minutes ago, D&N said:

I do not intend to go into further detail on what the next step might be. Hopefully that doesn't offend you.

 

I don't have any problem with the opinion you express.

 

Our booking was made over 14 months before travel, replacing previous similar bookings that were cancelled twice. Therefore we've planned outfits for over 3 years and we feel it's a bit unreasonable to change at short notice. I think we're perfectly entitled to try to change their minds.

Good heavens, I'm not the slightest bit offended. Please don't even think that. 🙂

 

Our bookings are often made two years before sailing but I don't decide what to throw into the suitcase until approx. twenty four hours before we travel to Southampton. I don't think you'll get anywhere but good luck on your quest to change company minds.

 

 

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Good heavens, I'm not the slightest bit offended. Please don't even think that. 🙂

 

Our bookings are often made two years before sailing but I don't decide what to throw into the suitcase until approx. twenty four hours before we travel to Southampton. I don't think you'll get anywhere but good luck on your quest to change company minds.

 

 

 

I'm a little earlier than that in case something needs cleaning or has mysteriously shrunk on the previous voyage. 😀

 

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

I'm a little earlier than that in case something needs cleaning or has mysteriously shrunk on the previous voyage. 😀

 

I was a Saturday girl at a rather upmarket dress shop when I was in the sixth form and I picked up many tips about clothes, one of them being, never put anything which needed or might need cleaning, back into the wardrobe before cleaning.

And if things ''shrink'', they get discarded until they ''unshrink''! 😃

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I was a Saturday girl at a rather upmarket dress shop when I was in the sixth form and I picked up many tips about clothes, one of them being, never put anything which needed or might need cleaning, back into the wardrobe before cleaning.

And if things ''shrink'', they get discarded until they ''unshrink''! 😃

 

And sew up hems immediately they come down, etc, etc...Alas, when I studied philosophy, I learnt of the impossibility of deriving an is from an ought, i.e. Knowing what should be done doesn't always make people do it. 😀

[D&N]

20 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Am I right in thinking it's the end of May? That's hardly short notice. I ve had two cruises cancelled at shorter notice than that, and gala nights altered after boarding.

Yes you are right.

 

The outfits were ordered between November 2019 and  June 2020.

 

Generally if we find something that will suit an event greatly reduced we buy rather than miss it. One of those will do other events, indeed it is planned for an April 2023 wedding, without it's head band.

It's difficult to envisage using the other one on anything but a cruise.

Both can be worn without the accessories on QM2.

I just prefer that folk stick to plans.

 

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

 

And sew up hems immediately they come down, etc, etc...Alas, when I studied philosophy, I learnt of the impossibility of deriving an is from an ought, i.e. Knowing what should be done doesn't always make people do it. 😀

And as a student. I learnt a mini stapler made a great hem rescuer!

Funnily enough. as a bit of a clothes'aholic, making sure clothes are wardrobe ready has stayed with me.

I have an ''open'' wardrobe i.e. a wardrobe without doors where clothes not ready for a clean or are still to be worn again, hang.

[elmsliebev]

21 hours ago, bluemarble said:

I've learned the May 7th and May 25th evenings on QE no longer have Masquerade themes (as anticipated). Apparently those evenings are non-themed gala evenings now. I will assume the April 29th evening on QM2 will no longer have a Masquerade theme as well and will list it without a theme until I hear otherwise.

Similarly on our Alaska-FL cruise (starting July 11th), the Masquerade Gala evenings are now simply Gala evenings. I'll still be wearing the same planned dress! 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, elmsliebev said:

Similarly on our Alaska-FL cruise (starting July 11th), the Masquerade Gala evenings are now simply Gala evenings. I'll still be wearing the same planned dress! 

 

Thanks for that update. This means all Masquerade themes have been canceled on QE through July. It seems likely Cunard would follow suit on the other ships as well. That means these dates on QM2 are suspect.

 

QM2 Masquerade evenings listed through July 2022

June 29th  (on June 24th westbound crossing)

July 19th  (on July 15th Mediterranean cruise)

 

The recent QV schedules I've received indicate Masquerade themes are still scheduled during August on QV and I can confirm they are still scheduled during September on our QM2 voyage.

[bluemarble]

On 3/24/2022 at 1:00 PM, bluemarble said:

I've learned the May 7th and May 25th evenings on QE no longer have Masquerade themes (as anticipated). Apparently those evenings are non-themed gala evenings now. I will assume the April 29th evening on QM2 will no longer have a Masquerade theme as well and will list it without a theme until I hear otherwise.

 

For anyone that might be interested, I've received confirmation that the April 29th evening on QM2 (originally scheduled for the Masquerade theme) is now indeed listed with no theme in My Cunard.

[techteach]

8 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

For anyone that might be interested, I've received confirmation that the April 29th evening on QM2 (originally scheduled for the Masquerade theme) is now indeed listed with no theme in My Cunard.

This is certainly short notice. I think if I’d spent lots of time preparing for a theme and then they dropped it I would be unhappy.

[lissie]

On 3/25/2022 at 8:53 AM, D&N said:

 

Our booking was made over 14 months before travel, replacing previous similar bookings that were cancelled twice. Therefore we've planned outfits for over 3 years and we feel it's a bit unreasonable to change at short notice. I think we're perfectly entitled to try to change their minds.

Well we cruised QE in Feb 2020  and I didn't know the gala nights were such a big deal - but they did have a South Pacific themed formal night. I was happy to find a floral, glittery top for it.  The day of the event it was turned into a gala with no theme.  I wore the top anyways And a few days later they had a South Pacific themed smart casual - which made a huge amount more sense actually. There is nothing formal about the South Pacific which fits with the Cunard dress code (bare feet and sarongs for men for example). 

[Bell Boy]

On 3/23/2022 at 8:21 PM, D&N said:

Not relevant of course to your excellent work in compiling these lists. Thank you for that.

 

It is quite annoying though. Cunard didn't sell us two crossings. It was sold as one 14 night roundtrip (M215A). It seems unreasonable that folk are offered two identical themed nights in a two week voyage. I've contacted Cunard by Messenger, and will try phoning if I don't get acceptable response.

There must be lots of customers who sail both ways who will be affected by this. OK many don't bother with the themes but for those that do .............

My goodness, if you have a problem with repeat themed evenings, you had better brace your self on your return leg for the occasional  repeat menu in the evenings. 

[D&N]

2 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

My goodness, if you have a problem with repeat themed evenings, you had better brace your self on your return leg for the occasional  repeat menu in the evenings. 

My goodness, I didn't realise there was no choice on the evening menus! 🤣  I'll just have to hope it's something I like. 🍷

 

I'm also slightly puzzled why some of the folk who have commented here give the impression that it's unreasonable to question the reason for any changes that might be made to long standing arrangements.

 

We don't actually care whether they have themed gala evenings or not. It only constrains the order in which evening outfits are worn if we choose to follow the theme. But I can't see the operational reason for the change. Nor have I seen any posts where people have complained of being scared by people wearing masks and demanding the removal of masquerade nights 🤡, or conversely folk demanding more roaring 20s nights so that they can roll out their wardrobe of flapper dresses 👗.