Packing Formal Wear

[2BACRUISER]

16 hours ago, sundaypeople5 said:

I want to experience the glamour to the fullest too!!  Dress to the nine's-thus find the biggest garment bag I can find!  

I too think its really great you want to throw yourself into your cruise with Cunard but i honestly think you need to slim down your luggage as sclepping it around will really takes its toll both physically and temperwise!!

Check Blue Marbles dress post pinned at the top of the page to see how many actual gala night you will have in 21 days probably 5 or 6 the rest of the evenings will be smart attire where you can mix and match smart separates. 

On our last cruise we had a B&W night and a roaring 20's i wore the same long black evening gown for both but accesorised differently for each of the nights,a white bolero and a black lace cape. 

I'm sure you will have a super time whatever you decide. 

If you go to 

 you can see what i wore on my first Cunard cruise HTH x

Edited March 13, 2023 by 2BACRUISER
typo

[BigMac1953]

Whereas for many years it was 3 formals per week on a crossing and 2 on a cruise, for the past few years it has 2 formals on a crossing and 3 per two weeks on a cruise. Therefore on a 21 nighter, there will br no more than 5 formals maximum.

 

I can only speak for what I've seen in QG, but happy to report that it's definitely all jackets and mostly ties. Happy to comply.

 

Still can't understand Cunard watering down their USP.

[bluemarble]

The OP's posting history indicates they will be on one of QV's 21-night Mediterranean cruises during 2024. Too soon to know what the dress code schedule will be for 2024. But I can say the OP's 21-night itinerary is being sold as three separate 7-night cruises (Barcelona-Civitavecchia, Civitavecchia-Trieste and Trieste-Civitavecchia). That means there ought to be a total of six gala evenings to ensure each of those individual 7-night cruises have the promised two gala evenings. Of course that's assuming Cunard keeps to that policy during 2024.

[lissie]

5 hours ago, bluemarble said:

The OP's posting history indicates they will be on one of QV's 21-night Mediterranean cruises during 2024. Too soon to know what the dress code schedule will be for 2024. But I can say the OP's 21-night itinerary is being sold as three separate 7-night cruises (Barcelona-Civitavecchia, Civitavecchia-Trieste and Trieste-Civitavecchia). That means there ought to be a total of six gala evenings to ensure each of those individual 7-night cruises have the promised two gala evenings. Of course that's assuming Cunard keeps to that policy during 2024.

Seems likely - there's 6 sea days on that itinerary - I can't imagine they ever do a gala on a port day 

[exlondoner]

23 minutes ago, lissie said:

Seems likely - there's 6 sea days on that itinerary - I can't imagine they ever do a gala on a port day 

They certainly have. It has happened to me more than once.

[BklynBoy8]

15 minutes ago, lissie said:

Seems likely - there's 6 sea days on that itinerary - I can't imagine they ever do a gala on a port day 

 

We did have one once. Wasn't easy for those when we left Port at 6PM but they made it.

[Down-Unders]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

They certainly have. It has happened to me more than once.

Last time QE on our Japan Cruise, think it was for the benefit of our Japanese passengers as they eat at 17.30.

[lissie]

3 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

Last time QE on our Japan Cruise, think it was for the benefit of our Japanese passengers as they eat at 17.30.

Early dining is at 17:30??? We're going on a japanese cruise next year - will make sure we're on late dining - that's crazy early 

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 hours ago, lissie said:

Early dining is at 17:30??? We're going on a japanese cruise next year - will make sure we're on late dining - that's crazy early 

 

About 5 years ago, I did Alaska on QE right after she had been in Asia and early dinner was 5:30. Late seating is too late for me, but 5:30 is too early. 

[IB2]

There are some very good videos on YouTube that explain how to pack formal clothes so that they take up the minimum of space and aren’t unduly creases.  Especially those that explain the rolling method.

 

In extremis, the laundries on board are, after the usual first day rush, pretty quiet early in a cruise or crossing, and the irons there can rescue you from undue embarrassment if you have made the mistake of sleeping in your formal clothes, or having packed them so that it looks that you have done so…

[shipgeeks]

OP, you mention the question of pressing wrinkled garments. We have always been able to avoid that, by packing our larger garments (tux, suits, dresses) as follows:

Open suitcase, place half of one garment into the case, with other half draped over the side. Place next garment on top, similarly draped in a different direction. Continue until half full. Then start folding the outside halves in, stacking them up until all are inside. This will avoid all the creases of sharp folding. I might mention that we also leave the hangers in the garments when packing, as well. It adds a bit of weight, but it means we can hang things in the closets as soon as we care to.

I agree that while admirable, DH might not need as many suits/jackets as you mention. Blue blazer with different slacks and shirts is always sharp, for example.  We, too, love dressing up in different nice outfits every night, but they don't all need to be entirely unique.

Wishing you a wonderful cruise!

[Lakesregion]

A bit early in the timeframe but one can never be to early when planning for a world cruise. As it looks now 9 months out, I will require 7 pieces of luggage plus a small carry on for all the blazers, trousers, tux, roaring 20's tux, white dinner jacket for "Down Under" and a large number of dress shirts for the "casual" evenings. Shoes for walking running and around the ship during the day, formal slippers, sneakers, hats, scarves ties etc. Cool weather jacket, rain jacket. Determined that it will be less expensive to rent an auto one way than to ship all of the luggage to the pier and I have total control of it all until handed off to the longshore union guys. On the return home, I will repeat the one-way rental. 

[lissie]

6 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

A bit early in the timeframe but one can never be to early when planning for a world cruise. As it looks now 9 months out, I will require 7 pieces of luggage plus a small carry on for all the blazers, trousers, tux, roaring 20's tux, white dinner jacket for "Down Under" and a large number of dress shirts for the "casual" evenings. Shoes for walking running and around the ship during the day, formal slippers, sneakers, hats, scarves ties etc. Cool weather jacket, rain jacket. Determined that it will be less expensive to rent an auto one way than to ship all of the luggage to the pier and I have total control of it all until handed off to the longshore union guys. On the return home, I will repeat the one-way rental. 

I don't even own 7 pieces of luggage  not to mention the clothing to fill it! 

[daisybel]

We always have 2 large checked bags and one carry on for final night. Husband takes black dinnersuit, white dinner jacket, cream linen suit , navy jacket , with

pairs wash and wear trousers. Plus 2 dinner shirts  I have 3 long dresses when required for gala nights one red, 10 years old,  one black 25 years old and at last a new fancy back one with sequins! Day wear t shirts tops , 2 pairs white pants/ shorts. Mr takes 1 pair of dress shoes, one brown pair and sneakers and wears another pair I take one silver pair, 1 fancy black pair, one other fancy pair and sandals and sneakers. All fit in !  Only use paid laundry for dinner shirts everything else we washout in the sink and hang in the bathroom it usually is dry overnight.

Usually cruise from 17-30 days 

the dinner suits are in suit packs which fold very flat. My dresses all roll up 
good luck and enjoy your cruise

[Bedruthen]

We do a transatlantic crossing each year with an extended road trip in between crossings. We have little spare capacity for any evening wear as we are in and out of hotels almost nightly. Trial and error and I can now happily dress up with one column style black dress, mid calf length and 3 silk overshirts/ jackets plus a pair of lightweight strappy sandals.

I have learnt that we can manage well by thinking in 7 day units and making use of laundry facilities. We can now pack for a 6 week holiday with two 23kg cases and a carry on case. I also use packing cubes and my evening wear is packed easily in to a separate cube. 

[BklynBoy8]

What wonderful ideas there are on this site.

 

Have to consider some for this upcoming sailing.