Packing Formal Wear

[sundaypeople5]

     This our first time sailing with Cunard and we are excited about all of the dressing up we will get to do. The problem is, how on earth do we fit EVERYTHING we need for a 21 day cruise into suitcases and get it to the ship?  Formal wear takes up a ton of room and wrinkles easily. We have sailed with Princess before and had just enough room for a couple of dress up nights and our casual clothes. With Cunard’s after 6 pm attire requirements, we will need to bring more fancy clothes than usual.  Thus the wrinkle and suitcase problem. How do seasoned Cunard passengers manage it?

     I have looked into using a garment bag for my husband's and my formal wear, but most are not durable enough to withstand the rough treatment the airlines put luggage through.  We will be flying from the US to Barcelona, staying for a couple of days, sailing for 21 days and then travelling Italy for a week afrerward.  In addition, a couple of the gowns are slightly "fluffy" and fill up the suitcases quite easily, not leaving a ton of storage for the rest of our garments.  I am planning on bringing 4 formal gowns for the various gala nights along with elegant outfits for the "smart attire" evenings.  My husband plans to bring a tux, 2-3 suits and 2 sport coats.  That doesnt include our day wear!  Ugh, I envision ourselves bringing 3 suitcases each, which obviously we don't want to do.  We have used laundry service in the past, which we plan to do again for our day clothes, but I’m not sure how that would work with gowns and suits. Any good advice is appreciated!,,

[3rdGenCunarder]

I use the kind of garment bag that zips all around and can stand up like a suitcase. It has been through more trips than I can count in at least 20 years. 

 

I could get enough "posh frocks" and DH's tux, and suit into it for as much as 10-12 day cruise. When we did 22 days around Australia, we traveled with two such garment bags. Plus suitcases. 

 

Over the years, I have learned to choose clothes that travel well. No fluffy dresses. Nothing that comes out of the garment bag looking like I slept in it. I do have one gown that I love despite the fact that I have to iron the skirt. Everything else travels well. I can steam it in the bathroom while I take a shower. For the nongala nights, I have a classic LBD plus its twins in red and blue. By changing out jewelry and lightweight jackets, I can make a lot of different outfits. If I don't want to take multiple gowns, depending on the number of gala nights, I can get by with a long black skirt and some of the beaded silk tops I have in my "cruise closet." 

 

Fortunately, Cunard has launderettes, and there is an iron and ironing board. If you think you will iron clothes, take a sturdy cotton handkerchief along to use as a press cloth. The sole plate on some of the irons can be a bit grubby. 

 

You can send things out to be pressed by the ship's laundry.

 

One thing I suggest is shipping a bag home after the cruise to lighten your burdens while you do your land travel. Somewhere on Cunard's website is the number to call for luggage service. They used to call it "white star luggage service;" maybe they still do. It's expensive for international shipping, but worth it. 

[ballroom-cruisers]

Everyone has their own way of deciding what volume of luggage they are able and happy to take. Many take a couple of suitcases each, plus possible suit bags as 3rdGenCunarder described.  But we have also known couples take over a dozen cases with them - how they manage to actually transport them is beyond me, and where they put them during a cruise I have no idea unless the ship has somewhere for storing them at extra cost? But we manage to squeeze in a lightweight dinner suit, and a carefully selected set of dresses for my wife - though shoes are something that takes more space than the other clothes particularly when you need shoes for the evening and different shoes for day excursions or being out on deck in the sun - and for dancers additional dance shoes adds space too.  So it is never an easy set of decisions about what to take, but as each holiday is taken it becomes a little easier with experience - but is always a personal decision. Having the laundrettes means you don't have to take clothes for every day and you can wear some more than once.  Lots of people will have their own hints and tips about space saving, and what decisions they make about what to take in the luggage.

[lissie]

2 hours ago, sundaypeople5 said:

     I have looked into using a garment bag for my husband's and my formal wear, but most are not durable enough to withstand the rough treatment the airlines put luggage through.  We will be flying from the US to Barcelona, staying for a couple of days, sailing for 21 days and then travelling Italy for a week afrerward.  In addition, a couple of the gowns are slightly "fluffy" and fill up the suitcases quite easily, not leaving a ton of storage for the rest of our garments.  I am planning on bringing 4 formal gowns for the various gala nights along with elegant outfits for the "smart attire" evenings.  My husband plans to bring a tux, 2-3 suits and 2 sport coats.  That doesnt include our day wear!  Ugh, I envision ourselves bringing 3 suitcases each, which obviously we don't want to do.  We have used laundry service in the past, which we plan to do again for our day clothes, but I’m not sure how that would work with gowns and suits. Any good advice is appreciated!,,

We did 2 cruises on Cunard last year 35 days and 20 days with luggage stored in Barcelona between the 2. The stuff we stored was one not completely full case with: 

1 suit

1 formal man's shoes 

2 pairs dance shoes (he and me) 

3/4  mans shirts inc one dress 

1/2  ties 

waistcoat

1 long formal dress 

1  dance skirt 

3/4 tops mainly chiffon and very, very light 

jewellery (fake) 

scarfs (zero weight) 

2 x shrugs 

extra shoes 

 

We took carry-on only around Europe which were are day wear which we wore on the cruise - plus a pair of beautiful merino black trousers which are comfortable enough to wear to bed , warm enough to wear in the cold and get comment when dressed up with a chiffon top on board. 

 

We had fixed dining, and never once  did anyone say we were underdressed or inappropriately dressed - we danced almost night in the Queens  Room. Dancing is our thing which is why we have specialist dance shoes. 

 

We are  cruising HAL this year and will go carry on only as we don't need the dance shoes or the suit for him. 

 

Formal night outfits - the b&w is matched with my black dance skirt  -the black & cold is full length - I spot washed that under the arms but didn't put it through the laundromat.  The chiffon top in the last image goes over trousers or even a full length black dress (didn't take that this time).  The first 3 pics are all gala nights. The chiffon I hand wash and hang to dry in the shower which it does  overnight. Its beaded it can't go in a washing machine. 

 

His suit is nothing special - but I folded it into the large duffle bag  with the shoulders inside each other (see youtube) - I thought it would need a press but it didn't . There are irons in the laundromats for the shirts.  All our luggage - one small bag is a CPAP. The black day pack is full of electronics (we carry 2 laptops and I have a camera with extra lenses). 

 

We were in the Mediterranean from August to October so we had some cooler weather clothes (seen in the last pic) that we only ever needed in San Francisco and early October in Slovenia (inland).  Smart attire nights men no longer need a suit jacket  otherwise my partner would have needed a second jacket.  Women's  formal clothes can take next to no space or all the space - I choose next to no space. The shoes take more space particularly his formal shoes 

Edited March 11, 2023 by lissie
typos

[Lakesregion]

57 minutes ago, lissie said:

We did 2 cruises on Cunard last year 35 days and 20 days with luggage stored in Barcelona between the 2. The stuff we stored was one not completely full case with: 

1 suit

1 formal man's shoes 

2 pairs dance shoes (he and me) 

3/4  mans shirts inc one dress 

1/2  ties 

waistcoat

1 long formal dress 

1  dance skirt 

3/4 tops mainly chiffon and very, very light 

jewellery (fake) 

scarfs (zero weight) 

2 x shrugs 

extra shoes 

 

We took carry-on only around Europe which were are day wear which we wore on the cruise - plus a pair of beautiful merino black trousers which are comfortable enough to wear to bed , warm enough to wear in the cold and get comment when dressed up with a chiffon top on board. 

 

We had fixed dining, and never once  did anyone say we were underdressed or inappropriately dressed - we danced almost night in the Queens  Room. Dancing is our thing which is why we have specialist dance shoes. 

 

We are  cruising HAL this year and will go carry on only as we don't need the dance shoes or the suit for him. 

 

Formal night outfits - the b&w is matched with my black dance skirt  -the black & cold is full length - I spot washed that under the arms but didn't put it through the laundromat.  The chiffon top in the last image goes over trousers or even a full length black dress (didn't take that this time).  The first 3 pics are all gala nights. The chiffon I hand wash and hang to dry in the shower which it does  overnight. Its beaded it can't go in a washing machine. 

 

His suit is nothing special - but I folded it into the large duffle bag  with the shoulders inside each other (see youtube) - I thought it would need a press but it didn't . There are irons in the laundromats for the shirts.  All our luggage - one small bag is a CPAP. The black day pack is full of electronics (we carry 2 laptops and I have a camera with extra lenses). 

 

We were in the Mediterranean from August to October so we had some cooler weather clothes (seen in the last pic) that we only ever needed in San Francisco and early October in Slovenia (inland).  Smart attire nights men no longer need a suit jacket  otherwise my partner would have needed a second jacket.  Women's  formal clothes can take next to no space or all the space - I choose next to no space. The shoes take more space particularly his formal shoes 

From that list it would appear that you were frequent visitors to the free laundry service offered by Cunard. Can't imagine you wore that few clothes for that many days with dancing etc without very frequent washes. Cunard does make it easy to travel lightly but the laundry is a time taker away from other more interesting day time events on board.

[lissie]

1 minute ago, Lakesregion said:

From that list it would appear that you were frequent visitors to the free laundry service offered by Cunard. Can't imagine you wore that few clothes for that many days with dancing etc without very frequent washes. Cunard does make it easy to travel lightly but the laundry is a time taker away from other more interesting day time events on board.

I washed once a week.   I always do when we travel so that's not any different. You don't need to wash clothes that have only been worn for a few hours at night unless you sweat all over them or spill something!  The chiffon -  i just rinse out in the sink.  Man's shirts got washed about every 3rd wear unless he had an accident!  The merino trousers can go  3 or so wears before needing a wash.  Merino, Lycocell, silk, linen - all can take multiple wears before washing unless you really sweat all over them - its one of the few advantages of getting older is not sweating as much. 

 

Some things like the b& w top I'd wear clean for an evening and then a few days later I'd wear it during the day dressed down and toss it in the wash after that. The black skirt got washed once (at the end of the cruise before storage). As was the man's suit (we sent that out for dry cleaning).  

 

I will happily trade a few minutes putting clothes in and out of machines once a week for all the hassle and expense of multiple bags. In fact, our first cruise the laundries were shut because of Covid for a long stretch - but they gave us 1/2 price laundry which was great. HAL doesn't have self-serve laundries so I just budget to put a bag out once a week. 

[alc13]

4 hours ago, sundaypeople5 said:

     This our first time sailing with Cunard and we are excited about all of the dressing up we will get to do. The problem is, how on earth do we fit EVERYTHING we need for a 21 day cruise into suitcases and get it to the ship?  Formal wear takes up a ton of room and wrinkles easily. We have sailed with Princess before and had just enough room for a couple of dress up nights and our casual clothes. With Cunard’s after 6 pm attire requirements, we will need to bring more fancy clothes than usual.  Thus the wrinkle and suitcase problem. How do seasoned Cunard passengers manage it?

     I have looked into using a garment bag for my husband's and my formal wear, but most are not durable enough to withstand the rough treatment the airlines put luggage through.  We will be flying from the US to Barcelona, staying for a couple of days, sailing for 21 days and then travelling Italy for a week afrerward.  In addition, a couple of the gowns are slightly "fluffy" and fill up the suitcases quite easily, not leaving a ton of storage for the rest of our garments.  I am planning on bringing 4 formal gowns for the various gala nights along with elegant outfits for the "smart attire" evenings.  My husband plans to bring a tux, 2-3 suits and 2 sport coats.  That doesnt include our day wear!  Ugh, I envision ourselves bringing 3 suitcases each, which obviously we don't want to do.  We have used laundry service in the past, which we plan to do again for our day clothes, but I’m not sure how that would work with gowns and suits. Any good advice is appreciated!,,

I admire your willingness to dress up!  I think you might be able to pare your list slightly, though.  Keep in mind that not one will notice if you wear the same outfit 3 times, so maybe you could leave the fluffiest dress at home.  Lightweight wraps in different colors can make different outfits from the same dress.  Your husband could get by with just one suit, I think.

 

Mr ALC usually presses his shirts after unpacking them.  But his suits and sports coats and my long gowns seem to survive packing if we are careful about it.  We use a rolling suit bag that opens up long enough to accommodate his pants; and I double my gowns over some filler item to avoid wrinkles at the fold.  All the evening wear goes in that bag - one tux, one suit, 1-2 sport coats, 2 long gowns and 3+ casual attire dresses, plus as many shoes as we can fit.  Day wear goes in our regular suitcases, one checked bag each.  We do make use of laundromats for day wear, both on board and when we're on our own before or after the cruise.

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

[Victoria2]

I too applaud the fact you're a dressing  up newbie. Fingers crossed this bodes well for newbies who will follow.

 

If you were a UK resident on a Southampton departure round trip, your clothes list would be no problem. However, your itinerary suggests your list needs paring down. Admirable  though it is to pack 2/3 suits for instance,  one would do and even then, pack an extra jacket and the suit could be ditched. Three Gala dresses instead of four because as has been said,  no one will bother [or even notice?]  if you wear clothes s twice. Only you will know.

 

Shipping a case will be expensive. Cheaper is to pare down and use laundry facilities. The passenger laundry facilities are great, plus the ship's laundry is there if needs be. We have pared down the amount we bring and utilise the passenger laundry if needed and the ship's laundry for my husband's shirts as they need pressing after washing and I don't do ironing on my holidays.

 

[TouchstoneFeste]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

Shipping a case will be expensive.

"Expensive" is in the eye of the beholder, though. It cost us $275 to ship a large case from Southampton to Ohio last year. That's not nothing, but it's not more than a couple nights at nice restaurants. For us, it was definitely worth it - we weren't lugging around clothing we couldn't use ashore, and we had the clothes we really wanted onboard. Not to diminish your advice or that of others on the forum - if you can pack lighter and do laundry onboard, do so; but shipping is an alternative.

[Victoria2]

31 minutes ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

"Expensive" is in the eye of the beholder, though. It cost us $275 to ship a large case from Southampton to Ohio last year. That's not nothing, but it's not more than a couple nights at nice restaurants. For us, it was definitely worth it - we weren't lugging around clothing we couldn't use ashore, and we had the clothes we really wanted onboard. Not to diminish your advice or that of others on the forum - if you can pack lighter and do laundry onboard, do so; but shipping is an alternative.

Assuming that's one way, to ship to and from the ship would be double? I call that an expense I could do without if judicious packing negates the need to ship a case.

[TouchstoneFeste]

34 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Assuming that's one way, to ship to and from the ship would be double? I call that an expense I could do without if judicious packing negates the need to ship a case.

Yep, one way. Still worth it for us.

[sundaypeople5]

Is there a good particular garment bag that holds a lot that you would recommend?

[alc13]

We bought our years ago but a google search for rolling suit bag turns up several that look similar.  If you can find reviews it could help identify those that are more durable and roomier than others.

 

On the subject of shipping a bag, we haven't done it because we can manage the 3 bags we take easily.  I'd look into it if we were moving around a lot after a cruise, though.

[ExArkie]

3 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Assuming that's one way, to ship to and from the ship would be double? I call that an expense I could do without if judicious packing negates the need to ship a case.

Probably would be double only if both directions are international and require Customs clearance. Our shipped bag from Michigan to Southampton was about twice the cost of the same bag shipped from Brooklyn back home.

[3rdGenCunarder]

52 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

Probably would be double only if both directions are international and require Customs clearance. Our shipped bag from Michigan to Southampton was about twice the cost of the same bag shipped from Brooklyn back home.

 

That's right. For international shipping the luggage service acts as your customs agent, getting the bag through inspection, making sure all the right paperwork is there, etc. I don't know if they put in an amount of work equal to what they charge, but that's the reason for the price difference. 

[TouchstoneFeste]

1 hour ago, ExArkie said:

Probably would be double only if both directions are international and require Customs clearance. Our shipped bag from Michigan to Southampton was about twice the cost of the same bag shipped from Brooklyn back home.

You're right, our "round trip" was less than double. Cleveland to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal was $124 for a large bag. I think the original posters would be doing a Southampton to Southampton cruise, though, since they're doing Spain before and Italy after.

 

Wow.

 

Hey, @sundaypeople5, you could, you know, hire me to drag your bags around ...

 

[bunny76]

For smart attire after 6pm, I found that a silk or chiffon pashmina with a sparkly necklace can dress up an ordinary top and skirt. A black or navy blue skirt can be worn more than once with different tops. On a 21 day cruise no-one will notice if you wear the same outfit twice.  Men no longer have to wear jackets after 6pm so that will save some room. I write down in advance of the cruise what I plan to wear each day, noting any mix and match outfits , so that I don't overpack. Shoes are the biggest issue- (I would take more if I could Lol ). I always put one of my evening dresses plus shoes/bag into my husband's suitcase in case my suitcase gets lost. I hope you enjoy your first Cunard cruise and the week in Italy afterwards.

[NE John]

To follow-up with the above question for the group:

Do most diners in the Grills wear a blazer/sports jacket, at least, even during “Smart Attire” evenings?
I’ll be a rookie in PG on an upcoming (TA) and certainly looking forward to this Crossing and dressing the part. 

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, NE John said:

To follow-up with the above question for the group:

Do most diners in the Grills wear a blazer/sports jacket, at least, even during “Smart Attire” evenings?
I’ll be a rookie in PG on an upcoming (TA) and certainly looking forward to this Crossing and dressing the part. 

I think it may depend where the cruise is. Last summer on the QM2 in the Med, when it was very hot, most gents nonetheless seemed to be wearing jackets in QG, but I have no idea if that is universal.

[57eric]

22 hours ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

Everyone has their own way of deciding what volume of luggage they are able and happy to take. Many take a couple of suitcases each, plus possible suit bags as 3rdGenCunarder described.  But we have also known couples take over a dozen cases with them - how they manage to actually transport them is beyond me, and where they put them during a cruise I have no idea unless the ship has somewhere for storing them at extra cost? But we manage to squeeze in a lightweight dinner suit, and a carefully selected set of dresses for my wife - though shoes are something that takes more space than the other clothes particularly when you need shoes for the evening and different shoes for day excursions or being out on deck in the sun - and for dancers additional dance shoes adds space too.  So it is never an easy set of decisions about what to take, but as each holiday is taken it becomes a little easier with experience - but is always a personal decision. Having the laundrettes means you don't have to take clothes for every day and you can wear some more than once.  Lots of people will have their own hints and tips about space saving, and what decisions they make about what to take in the luggage.

A dozen cases will easily fit under the beds if you have 3 piece (i.e. nesting) luggage.

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, NE John said:

To follow-up with the above question for the group:

Do most diners in the Grills wear a blazer/sports jacket, at least, even during “Smart Attire” evenings?
I’ll be a rookie in PG on an upcoming (TA) and certainly looking forward to this Crossing and dressing the part. 

Hi Rookie.....

Yes, did on last sailing. I think the ship deserves us to look good on smart attire evening.

Also may need  it if AC is high.

Edited March 12, 2023 by BklynBoy8

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I think it may depend where the cruise is. Last summer on the QM2 in the Med, when it was very hot, most gents nonetheless seemed to be wearing jackets in QG, but I have no idea if that is universal.

We were on a Northern Europe cruise last August and from my limited view, I would say most of the of chaps wore a jacket for dinner in QG.

[NE John]

I promise not to disappoint even the most ardent Cunarders (along with my own standards)! 
What’s the use of going on our beautiful ships and not match the decor??…

But, as @Victoria2stated several times, I won’t let other people’s choice’s negatively affect my voyage. 

[sundaypeople5]

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

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 minutes 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!  

 

Go for it! I hope I get to sail with you one day!!!