Not another dress code thread

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Ironically, that is, mutatis mutandis, almost the same wording I have seen used by those who wish to justify wearing T shirts and shorts on formal nights.

Fair point and well made.  
However, one group is seeking to raise evening dress standards, while others are pressing to lower, then again lower.  

Although, on the surface, scrips may appear similar, there will never be a meeting of mindsets.

 

 

[david,Mississauga]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

Actually it was long before she stopped sailing that QE2 stopped being formal every night and it was certainly before 1997, when I first sailed on her. And if you look at the publicity associated with her launch, she was supposed to be a contemporary modern Cunarder, not even with a red funnel, and there are many photos of people in trendy (for the time) 60s clothes.

 

The QE2 became more formal in the 1990s than in the earlier years. We took only crossings, never a cruise, on that ship. On our crossings in the 1970s and 80s the ship was designated First Class and Tourist, later rebranded as Transatlantic Class. As with all liners it was not the custom for those in Tourist to wear formal dress. A jacket and tie at minimum was required, as I said earlier, every night. So on those five-night crossings there were three formal nights in First Class only.

 

When the categories of First and Tourist were dropped the entire ship became formal. The crossings were lengthened to six nights and there were four formal nights, i., e. every night except the first and last. On our last QE2 crossing just a few months before the end in 2008 there were four formal nights. That was in all four restaurant categories.

 

On all our QE2 crossings I never encountered any snobbery. We never travelled in the Grills, but alternated between Tourist and First. If you were in Tourist you were not supposed to go into the areas marked as First (such as the Queen's Room) but this is not snobbery.

[BigMac1953]

Which one was the fifth? 🙂

(Mauritania, Caronia, Britannia Grill, Princess Grill and Queen's Grill)

[david,Mississauga]

5 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Which one was the fifth? 🙂

(Mauritania, Caronia, Britannia Grill, Princess Grill and Queen's Grill)

 

I understood the Britannia Grill and Princess Grill restaurants were the same category, i.e. Princess Grill.  I was told passengers were assigned one or the other according to their cabin number. Not having travelled in the Grills on the QE2 I don't know how it was determined who got which restaurant.

 

When we travelled in Britannia Club on the QM2 it was never explained to me how it was determined which of the two Club restaurants we were assigned to. Our assignment card simply said Britannia Club, so for our first meal we picked one and it turned out to be the one we were assigned to according to the MD's computer.

[exlondoner]

I think at one stage, one was smoking, one non.

[Host Hattie]

7 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think at one stage, one was smoking, one non.

Princess Grill was the non-smoking restaurant when we sailed in 2008.

[Lakesregion]

9 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Which one was the fifth? 🙂

(Mauritania, Caronia, Britannia Grill, Princess Grill and Queen's Grill)

Caronia was the middle range dining. It was an anytime arrangement but usually all the people at table agreed to a set time for dinner. For Breakfast and lunch folks arrived and left at their own schedule. My first ride on the QE2 I chose Caronia as from the brochure and on-line photo of Mauritania dining room looked very low ceiling. Once on board I realized the photo were wrong and for my world cruise in 2008 I chose Mauritania. Wonderful room, fantastic set table and time for dinner  table of 10 etc.

[BklynBoy8]

13 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

enjoy their cruise 

Ditto......

[BklynBoy8]

12 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

My first ride on the QE2 I chose Caronia as from the brochure and on-line photo of Mauritania dining room looked very low ceiling. Once on board I realized the photo were wrong and for my world cruise in 2008 I chose Mauritania. Wonderful room, fantastic set table and time for dinner  table of 10 etc.

Mauritania was a low seating when we were there once. I know it was once called the Tables of the World.

 

Image it once had umbrellas in it when it was Tables.

 

We liked Caronia very much and the layout with the Twin Horses in the Middle of the Room lite up. And the model of the old Caronia displayed all in Green paint.

[Broadside]

On 3/15/2022 at 7:41 PM, bluemarble said:

 

Is the photo in your leaflet similar to this one Cunard is using as the main image of their Britannia Restaurant website page?

 

 

Hard to know for certain if this is meant to represent dinner rather than lunch. But we've had previous discussions on this board about how Cunard seems to have introduced more images like this in their restaurant photos the past few years.

 

 

One would only need to email Cunard for confirmation and to await six to twelve months for the due Cunard formal enquiry response.  If one remains dissatisfied then rely upon the traditional Cunard escalation process. It may help one receive an expediated Cunard response if one details the formal attire adorned whilst the email was composed and sent.

[ashurou]

Hi there! Do you get the old side-eye if you dress too formal? Like a costume? I've got this awesome corset and period dress theme going, are they gonna kick me out? My period dresses are not modern formal wear, is that gonna be ok? I know most people are gonna dress down, and I'm sure I will stick out in the oldie crowd anyway, but will I be turned away? I don't want to offend, but I'm crazy about the old-timey feel of the ship and plan to go a bit extravagant! Especially for the masked ball - I know most people will just be in modern-barely-formals and a simple mask, but I want to totally go all out! - if I can...! What do you guys think? Have you seen anybody go all out on the galas with full-on period costumes?

[lissie]

4 minutes ago, ashurou said:

Hi there! Do you get the old side-eye if you dress too formal? Like a costume? I've got this awesome corset and period dress theme going, are they gonna kick me out? My period dresses are not modern formal wear, is that gonna be ok? I know most people are gonna dress down, and I'm sure I will stick out in the oldie crowd anyway, but will I be turned away? I don't want to offend, but I'm crazy about the old-timey feel of the ship and plan to go a bit extravagant! Especially for the masked ball - I know most people will just be in modern-barely-formals and a simple mask, but I want to totally go all out! - if I can...! What do you guys think? Have you seen anybody go all out on the galas with full-on period costumes?

I have no idea if you will turned away  - but if you are female (which I'm kinda assuming) - then that 's highly unlikely anyways unless you are wearing  jeans/shorts. 

 

IMHO you  could look out of place -  formal dress is NOT fancy dress/historic costume . I wouldn't do "full-on period" . But it depends on how you do it. There is nothing particularly vintage about wearing  a corset these days.  Check out this youtuber - she's clearly a fan of historical costumes - and recently cruised on QE - this is what she wore - I think its appropriate mix - note that her more historic outfits appear to be day time.  

 

[Tonopah]

9 minutes ago, ashurou said:

Hi there! Do you get the old side-eye if you dress too formal? Like a costume? I've got this awesome corset and period dress theme going, are they gonna kick me out? My period dresses are not modern formal wear, is that gonna be ok? I know most people are gonna dress down, and I'm sure I will stick out in the oldie crowd anyway, but will I be turned away? I don't want to offend, but I'm crazy about the old-timey feel of the ship and plan to go a bit extravagant! Especially for the masked ball - I know most people will just be in modern-barely-formals and a simple mask, but I want to totally go all out! - if I can...! What do you guys think? Have you seen anybody go all out on the galas with full-on period costumes?

You will not get a side eye, although others may look at you with awe and perhaps a bit of envy. When we were on the ship lots of people dressed WAY up for gala nights and there was one couple who dressed in period clothing every night. They were minor passenger celebs that week.

 

[PORT ROYAL]

39 minutes ago, ashurou said:

Hi there! Do you get the old side-eye if you dress too formal? Like a costume? I've got this awesome corset and period dress theme going, are they gonna kick me out? My period dresses are not modern formal wear, is that gonna be ok? I know most people are gonna dress down, and I'm sure I will stick out in the oldie crowd anyway, but will I be turned away? I don't want to offend, but I'm crazy about the old-timey feel of the ship and plan to go a bit extravagant! Especially for the masked ball - I know most people will just be in modern-barely-formals and a simple mask, but I want to totally go all out! - if I can...! What do you guys think? Have you seen anybody go all out on the galas with full-on period costumes?

On a masked ball evening, a wonderful couple we are still friends with - Full Pierrot and Columbine - They did not win!

In the the next part of a B2B, he went full Harlequin - Again did not win

 

Could not get my head around how they lost each time.

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by PORT ROYAL
Next b2b

[LittleFish1976]

1 hour ago, ashurou said:

Hi there! Do you get the old side-eye if you dress too formal? Like a costume? I've got this awesome corset and period dress theme going, are they gonna kick me out? My period dresses are not modern formal wear, is that gonna be ok? I know most people are gonna dress down, and I'm sure I will stick out in the oldie crowd anyway, but will I be turned away? I don't want to offend, but I'm crazy about the old-timey feel of the ship and plan to go a bit extravagant! Especially for the masked ball - I know most people will just be in modern-barely-formals and a simple mask, but I want to totally go all out! - if I can...! What do you guys think? Have you seen anybody go all out on the galas with full-on period costumes?

 

Maybe post a photo of what you are thinking of wearing so people here can have a better understanding of what you mean and can offer you better advice.

 

 

[D&N]

23 hours ago, lissie said:

Check out this youtuber - she's clearly a fan of historical costumes - and recently cruised on QE - this is what she wore

We stay in a small town where it is claimed that the 1538 Treaty of Nice was signed in the village "Chateau".  There is a François 1er society who stage a re-enactment each summer. Some of her costumes are very similar.

On dress codes; we dined at one of our favourite local restaurants this evening. Attached is my wife's reaction when I commented that most of our dining companions were slobs. One young woman passed our table returning from the loos wearing jeans substantially ripped at both knees. So much for French chic!

 

[Drumbeat16]

On 3/19/2022 at 6:09 AM, lissie said:

I have no idea if you will turned away  - but if you are female (which I'm kinda assuming) - then that 's highly unlikely anyways unless you are wearing  jeans/shorts. 

 

IMHO you  could look out of place -  formal dress is NOT fancy dress/historic costume . I wouldn't do "full-on period" . But it depends on how you do it. There is nothing particularly vintage about wearing  a corset these days.  Check out this youtuber - she's clearly a fan of historical costumes - and recently cruised on QE - this is what she wore - I think its appropriate mix - note that her more historic outfits appear to be day time.  

 

She has some gorgeous outfits but how much luggage does she take??!!

[lissie]

2 hours ago, Drumbeat16 said:

She has some gorgeous outfits but how much luggage does she take??!!

Exactly - personally I'm happiest with carry on only - but I think my partner and I can get away with one checked bag between us. Basically  one long black dress does me - he takes up most of the rest of the case LOL 

[Barnacle Ed]

Does the formal night dress code still apply to all the public areas, or is it only for the dining room? I'm traveling light and don't have room to bring two suits, and I certainly don't want to wear black every single night, so my plan was to wear a grey suit for my five informal nights and skip the dining room for the two gala nights, but I don't want to be banished to my cabin for the entire evening either.

 

I think my only other option would be to come to dinner in shirtsleeves most nights and wear black for the formal nights, but this sounds a lot less fun for everyone involved.

[lissie]

2 hours ago, Barnacle Ed said:

 

I think my only other option would be to come to dinner in shirtsleeves most nights and wear black for the formal nights, but this sounds a lot less fun for everyone involved.

That's perfectly fine as per  the published dress code. 

 

What the dress code USED to say was that it applied everywhere EXCEPT the Golden Lion, Garden Bar - so did include the Royal Theatre and most bars. I notice they don't specify the WHERE any longer Our packing guide - Ship dress code - Cunard cruises 

[bluemarble]

4 hours ago, Barnacle Ed said:

Does the formal night dress code still apply to all the public areas, or is it only for the dining room?

 

Once again Cunard's website in general and their "What to pack" page in particular are vague on those details. About all they have to say concerning the evening casual venues is "you’ll find many areas on board where casual dress is welcome."

 

Fortunately "My Cunard" still provides the list of casual venues. That's only available after a voyage has been booked, not for prospective guests, but I digress. For the record, here is the quote from "My Cunard" providing the list of venues where casual dress is welcome during the evening.

 

"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 or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge, and G32 or Yacht Club."

[Barnacle Ed]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

 

Once again Cunard's website in general and their "What to pack" page in particular are vague on those details. About all they have to say concerning the evening casual venues is "you’ll find many areas on board where casual dress is welcome."

 

Fortunately "My Cunard" still provides the list of casual venues. That's only available after a voyage has been booked, not for prospective guests, but I digress. For the record, here is the quote from "My Cunard" providing the list of venues where casual dress is welcome during the evening.

 

"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 or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge, and G32 or Yacht Club."

 

Exactly what I needed, thanks!

[P2l]

15 hours ago, bluemarble said:

"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 or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge, and G32 or Yacht Club."

Of course, you have to pass through the Queen's Room to get to G32.

 

I noted a slightly less than 100% compliance to the dress code. I'm not sure if it was a change in clientele after Hamburg, or the theme (B&W), or something else, but our 2nd formal night seemed to have a greater proportion of more formally attired folk.