Not another dress code thread

[ak1004]

7 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

It’s a mindset……

As previously stated, one will establish one’s diary for Dress Code when on Cunard, by maintaining a Tux on the Gala Evenings (may consider White Tie), then on a smart attire evening, reviving “Semi-Formal” (Dark Suit & Tie), also bringing back “Informal” (Tailored Jacket/Blazer & Tie), sprinkled with an occasional smart casual jacket.  Of course with the correct and matching footwear.

 

I would suggest for 7 days transatlantic cruises 7 levels of dress code, one for each day:

1. Strictly formal.
2. Almost formal.
3. Still formal.
4. Semi formal.
5. Informal.
6. Medium informal.
7. Smart informal.

[Craigrlewis]

I just don’t get these threads at times.

 

There are umpteen cruise lines to chose if one wishes to wear casual clothes 24/7.

 

I don't understand why they then try to insist Cunard should change the policy or insist it is out of date.

 

I dont want a party ship so I don't chose Carnival or The Enormous of The Sea. So consequently I dont go onto the threads for those lines and post “I’d like to cruise on Carnival but they should not have limbo contest by the pool but have a harpist playing and as they don't they’re losing passengers”

 

Society seems to increasingly be what the vocal minority want as they are so vocal.  I fear that social media people at Carnival are guided by the vocal minority and don’t listen enough to their loyal clientele

 

We chose Cunard for the dressing for dinner aspect and the formality. Im finding the constant chipping away and erosion of this aspect is disappointing.

 

To be blunt people shouldn't  book if they dont want to follow the dress codes and I wish these threads would just be closed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Craigrlewis

[Host Hattie]

To be fair to the OP they were asking for clarification not saying they wanted to wear casual clothes.

[Craigrlewis]

6 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

To be fair to the OP they were asking for clarification not saying they wanted to wear casual clothes.

Sorry yes noted.  
Wasn’t meaning to be judgmental

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, P2l said:

No waistcoat?

With each of the suits….

Edited March 11, 2022 by PORT ROYAL
Each

[bitob]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

To be fair to the OP they were asking for clarification not saying they wanted to wear casual clothes.

Exactly

[Craigrlewis]

10 minutes ago, bitob said:

Exactly

Apologies if I caused offence 

[ak1004]

2 hours ago, Craigrlewis said:

I just don’t get these threads at times.

 

There are umpteen cruise lines to chose if one wishes to wear casual clothes 24/7.

 

I don't understand why they then try to insist Cunard should change the policy or insist it is out of date.

 

I dont want a party ship so I don't chose Carnival or The Enormous of The Sea. So consequently I dont go onto the threads for those lines and post “I’d like to cruise on Carnival but they should not have limbo contest by the pool but have a harpist playing and as they don't they’re losing passengers”

 

Society seems to increasingly be what the vocal minority want as they are so vocal.  I fear that social media people at Carnival are guided by the vocal minority and don’t listen enough to their loyal clientele

 

We chose Cunard for the dressing for dinner aspect and the formality. Im finding the constant chipping away and erosion of this aspect is disappointing.

 

To be blunt people shouldn't  book if they dont want to follow the dress codes and I wish these threads would just be closed

 

 

We don't like party ships. We don't like limbo contests by the pool. And we would never sail on a line like Carnival. 

 

But we do like an upscale and sophisticated cruise experience that Cunard offers. We do like the excellent entertainment and enrichment programs. The food might be not as good as Oceania, but entertainment and activities are poor on Oceania, so not so suitable for transatlantic. 

 

So maybe instead of attacking, just try to understand where those people are coming from. You can wear your tuxedo every day, why does it hurt you if I don't wear the same - as long as I dress respectfully, but not necessarily a suit? People dressed like you will still be in majority. 

 

And yes, I fully support no jeans/shorts etc. policy.

Edited March 11, 2022 by ak1004

[LittleFish1976]

31 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

as long as I dress respectfully, but not necessarily a suit?

 

But therein lies the rub; what one person considers 'respectful' may not be another person's 'respectful' which is why Cunard do their best to define the dress code in descriptive terms.

 

 

[majortom10]

I for one am very disappointed in the dumbing down of the dress code to Smart Attire which leaves interpretation wide open for standards of dress. We chose Cunard because we like the formal standards on Cunard and the dumbing down is just making Cunard just another cruise line and nothing special anymore.

[majortom10]

I wish that they would have stuck to the traditional formal nights and "jackets required" for the rest and then those that dont want to wear should look elsewhere. I never want party ships so would not dream of booking a Carnival cruise and would never dream of booking with them and then moan I dont like their dress code standards. That would mean to me that I have chosen the wrong cruise line.

[Lakesregion]

6 hours ago, ak1004 said:

In terms of dress code, Cunard still leaves in the past. Many people avoid the line because they don't want to bring a suit to a vacation. Nothing wrong if some people still want wearing a suit and a tie, but it should not be mandatory. Most lines are already way past it.

Then that is where most people should be sailing and leave the one place that still offers tradition to the traditionalists instead of trying to make it just like all the rest.

[ak1004]

2 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

But therein lies the rub; what one person considers 'respectful' may not be another person's 'respectful' which is why Cunard do their best to define the dress code in descriptive terms.

 

 

There is no problem if it's well defined and clear.

 

"Tuxedo or dark suit, tie optional on formal nights" is very clear and well defined.

"No jeans, shorts, t-shirts" is very clear and well defined.

 

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I for one am very disappointed in the dumbing down of the dress code to Smart Attire which leaves interpretation wide open for standards of dress. We chose Cunard because we like the formal standards on Cunard and the dumbing down is just making Cunard just another cruise line and nothing special anymore.

A lot of things make Cunard special. The whole atmosphere, enrichment program, ballroom dancing, masquerade ball and many other things. Men not wearing jackets doesn't make Cunard less special. 

 

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I wish that they would have stuck to the traditional formal nights and "jackets required" for the rest and then those that dont want to wear should look elsewhere. I never want party ships so would not dream of booking a Carnival cruise and would never dream of booking with them and then moan I dont like their dress code standards. That would mean to me that I have chosen the wrong cruise line.

No sure why everyone keep comparing it to Carnival. Cunard is not Carnival and never will be, even if they cancel formal nights all alone.

 

We sailed on Crystal, and they did have formal nights. Some men were wearing tuxedo, some suits, with tie or no tie. Jackets were optional, even on formal nights. Didn't make it any less special.

 

But if people judge other people by the way they dress, maybe the problem is with them and not with Cunard?

[Desert Cruisers]

3 hours ago, bitob said:

Exactly

I think that I saw your CruiseCritic tag on the Crystal board.  Welcome to Cunard and don't be disappointed by the more outspoken folks.  We have sailed on both Cunard and Crystal. While many Cunard passengers prefer formal dressing up every night, there are also many who would prefer a mix of formal and what would have been worn by most Crystal passengers in the evening [which I describe as fancy restaurant attire].  My husband likes the idea of having the option to wear or not to wear a jacket on informal nights.

 

I was speaking to a customer representative this afternoon and she confirmed the jacket/tie optional policy for informal nights.

[Lakesregion]

38 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

There is no problem if it's well defined and clear.

 

"Tuxedo or dark suit, tie optional on formal nights" is very clear and well defined.

"No jeans, shorts, t-shirts" is very clear and well defined.

 

A lot of things make Cunard special. The whole atmosphere, enrichment program, ballroom dancing, masquerade ball and many other things. Men not wearing jackets doesn't make Cunard less special. 

 

No sure why everyone keep comparing it to Carnival. Cunard is not Carnival and never will be, even if they cancel formal nights all alone.

 

We sailed on Crystal, and they did have formal nights. Some men were wearing tuxedo, some suits, with tie or no tie. Jackets were optional, even on formal nights. Didn't make it any less special.

 

But if people judge other people by the way they dress, maybe the problem is with them and not with Cunard?

You mention atmosphere as part of the Cunard value. Take away the more traditional attire requirements and you greatly diminish the Cunard atmosphere. Atmosphere does not create itself, it is created by the sum of all the parts and a well traditionally attired passenger consist is a very large part of the mix.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Lakesregion said:

You mention atmosphere as part of the Cunard value. Take away the more traditional attire requirements and you greatly diminish the Cunard atmosphere. Atmosphere does not create itself, it is created by the sum of all the parts and a well traditionally attired passenger consist is a very large part of the mix.

 

Agree 100%. But I'm not suggesting removing formal nights or allowing jeans or shorts. I just don't see how men wearing nice dressy outfits (just without jackets) will change the atmosphere.

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

Agree 100%. But I'm not suggesting removing formal nights or allowing jeans or shorts. I just don't see how men wearing nice dressy outfits (just without jackets) will change the atmosphere.

Then there is nothing further to discuss. You say vase and I say Vase and nary the twain shall meet.

[BklynBoy8]

As mentioned in the past, being Cunarder's for quite sometime and more, we follow the suggested format stated on the Cunard Website.

 

First start sailing on the QE2 than Caronia and QM2 we enjoy the experience that we call the Ocean Liner Experience. After everyday living and working, heading on board a Cunard Ship is exciting and thrilling. Dressing for Dinner each night with the suggested Dress is not inconvenience for us especially when the rest of the Dining Room is the same.

 

Even when we sailed early on the HAL ships, we continued to enjoy the Dressing Up theme for the evening.

 

I know other ships don't enforce dress codes that much.

[nybumpkin]

6 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

We don't like party ships. We don't like limbo contests by the pool. And we would never sail on a line like Carnival. 

 

But we do like an upscale and sophisticated cruise experience that Cunard offers. We do like the excellent entertainment and enrichment programs.

As you can see from my signature, DH and I have 25 Carnival cruises under our belts - with #26 booked this summer. Trust me when I say that relaxing the dress code on Cunard isn't going to result in an influx of Carnival passengers demanding to wear tee shirts and cutoffs to dinner on Cunard. (Truth be told, that's the exception rather than the rule at Carnival dinners - while passengers aren't dressed to the nines, the vast majority dress respectably.) The main deal-breaker for Carnival (and RCI and NCL) cruisers would be the activities. Cunard just wouldn't suit them. Now if Cunard announced plans for a rock-climbing wall....

[exlondoner]

I have asked this before, I know, but not really got an answer. Other than temperature, what is the objection men have to wearing a jacket?

[PORT ROYAL]

Here’s another personal thought.

The majority of repeat Cunarders wish to experience their Queen as a ‘second home’ together with the ambiance created by the ship, crew and other Cunarders.  
Cunarders take a voyage, a journey, an experience, that encompasses every aspect of Cunard, places visited, the time between ports and Cunarders, which includes the tradition of dress codes.  To Cunarders It is a marriage of the whole, not just a jump on a ship to take a casually dressed holiday.

 

[lissie]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I have asked this before, I know, but not really got an answer. Other than temperature, what is the objection men have to wearing a jacket?

Its not about wearing a jacket particularly - well not for my man anyways. But its bulky to pack to fly to the cruise. And its uncomfortable to wear a normal jacket when dancing- a proper dancing jackets is  designed so it bunches un attractively in front - UNLESS you have your arms up in a proper ballroom hold. So they don't working sitting at dinner. The ideal compromise is actually a cardigan or waistcoat.   He'll probably take a waistcoat now  that the jacket requirement has gone. 

 

Men's clothing already take more bulk than women's - particularly their shoes - so a jacket is just yet another thing to have to lug on and off ship. We don't just cruise - this year we'll spend 3.5 months overseas and will have to pay to have a bag stored  between cruises. I can get my evening wear down to very minimal - carry on sized - if required - but he can't even with the new rules as he still needs a suit. 

 

We also had to go and buy a jacket for him specifically for Cunard. Its not something that he ever wears in real life in NZ - I can't even think of an occasion he would. We could afford the $250 odd - but I suspect its a barrier for some. (and no we didn't op shop - op shops don't do large sizes!) 

Edited March 12, 2022 by lissie

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Here’s another personal thought.

The majority of repeat Cunarders wish to experience their Queen as a ‘second home’ together with the ambiance created by the ship, crew and other Cunarders.  
 

 

 

Who knows what the majority feel? But I like to go on Cunard because it is as unlike a second home as can be. It is clean, tidy, spacious, people bring me food and drink I haven't made, there is no garden to worry about, and it provides a wonderful, everchanging view of the sea. And I can dress up in a way I rarely do at home. If home were like this, I probably would not bother with Cunard.

[lissie]

19 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Here’s another personal thought.

The majority of repeat Cunarders wish to experience their Queen as a ‘second home’ together with the ambiance created by the ship, crew and other Cunarders.  
Cunarders take a voyage, a journey, an experience, that encompasses every aspect of Cunard, places visited, the time between ports and Cunarders, which includes the tradition of dress codes.  To Cunarders It is a marriage of the whole, not just a jump on a ship to take a casually dressed holiday.

 

I've only done one  big ship cruise - which was Cunard - so I can't say  for sure. But do you really think the  ambiance of Cunard is the same evey time? I doubt it - our last cruise was about 90% Australians on board. Cruising ex SF I think it will be a mix of UK and US , out of Barcelona back towards  Australia there will maybe more Ozzies again? I suspect both of this year's cruises will be quite different 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, lissie said:

Its not about wearing a jacket particularly - well not for my man anyways. But its bulky to pack to fly to the cruise. And its uncomfortable to wear a normal jacket when dancing- a proper dancing jackets is  designed so it bunches un attractively in front - UNLESS you have your arms up in a proper ballroom hold. The idea compromise is actually a cardigan or waistcoat. 

 

We also had to go and buy a jacket for him specifically for Cunard. Its not something that he ever wears in real life in NZ - I can't even think of an occasion he would. We could afford the $250 odd - but I suspect its a barrier for some. (and no we didn't op shop - op shops don't do large sizes!) 

 

 I thought NZ had pretty cool winters. What do people wear if not jackets? I appreciate they may not be the right sort of jacket, however. An op shop? Obviously not a walk in hospital, but what? 😀