Some questions from a newby on Cunard

[cruising.mark.uk]

20 minutes ago, ShipboardSteve said:

From what I have seen and experience on many Cunard voyages over quite a number of years, and including this year, is that the majority of people on Cunard cruises know what smart attire means

I very much doubt that the majority of people on Cunard know what Cunard means by smart attire, given that it is very clear from this thread that Cunard as a line does not know itself and the only opinion that matters is that of their staff.  I sense that you meant to write 'the majority of people on Cunard cruises know how they interpret what Cunard means by smart attire'.  That allows a very wide degree of variance, whilst still remaining well within the bounds of the stated dress code.  It is unfair to suggest that individuals are 'pushing the limits' whilst they are complying in full with the dress code.  And, as I've said before, how the way that a passenger dresses in accordance with the dress code, whether at the 'casual end of smart' in the opinion of some or otherwise, has any impact on the 'overall atmosphere' for other cruisers is entirely beyond me.

[NE John]

All these vague definitions also make it hard for the M’d’s and staff to enforce a semblance of any dress code. 
I believe a real concern or “fear”’ of a looser dress code may equate into a lower code of onboard behavior. When pax respect the dress code (whatever “word salad” Cunard gives us) they also respect themselves and others. Those who go out of the way onboard to push the boundaries (asking about polo shirts is not pushing the boundaries and am not saying anyone here is doing that) show a lack of respect to others. In my opinion only, I don’t think wearing polo shirts after 6pm follows the spirit of the Cunard dress code. I see enough polo shirts daily that I don’t need to go away and see more. Again, that’s only my opinion. Polo and rugby shirts are my go to Cunard daytime shirts however. 
There are so few places to dress up a bit so I hope Cunard continues to be a place to do so. 
 

 

Edited Sunday at 02:35 PM by NE John

[Caipi]

23 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

I very much doubt that the majority of people on Cunard know what Cunard means by smart attire, given that it is very clear from this thread that Cunard as a line does not know itself and the only opinion that matters is that of their staff.  I sense that you meant to write 'the majority of people on Cunard cruises know how they interpret what Cunard means by smart attire'.  That allows a very wide degree of variance, whilst still remaining well within the bounds of the stated dress code.  It is unfair to suggest that individuals are 'pushing the limits' whilst they are complying in full with the dress code.  And, as I've said before, how the way that a passenger dresses in accordance with the dress code, whether at the 'casual end of smart' in the opinion of some or otherwise, has any impact on the 'overall atmosphere' for other cruisers is entirely beyond me.

 

I agree with ShipboardSteve that people definitely know what can 'safely' be regarded as smart attire. But I also think one can have reasons for questions regarding the 'casual end of smart', I did ask as well in a Facebook group, months ago, because my husband had a lot of (designer) polo shirts, but only 1-2 'real' shirts. So why buy new clothes when you don't have to? But after I got my answer, (and some insults because of that really scandalous question,) we did buy several new shirts for him. 

Edited Sunday at 02:39 PM by Caipi

[Host Hattie]

1 minute ago, Caipi said:

 

I agree with ShipboardSteve that people definitely know what can 'safely' be regarded as smart attire. But I also think one can have reasons for questions regarding the 'casual end of smart', I did as well, months ago, because my husband had a lot of (designer) polo shirts, but only 1-2 'real' shirts. So why buy new clothes when you don't have to? But after I got my answer, (and some insults because of that really scandalous question,) we did buy several new shirts for him. 

I can't find a thread from you asking about the dress code before you sailed. These are moderated boards and we don't allow insults.

[Caipi]

10 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I can't find a thread from you asking about the dress code before you sailed. These are moderated boards and we don't allow insults.

Sorry I've just edited my post and wrote that it was in a Facebook-group. 

Edited Sunday at 02:50 PM by Caipi

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I can't find a thread from you asking about the dress code before you sailed. These are moderated boards and we don't allow insults.

Unless it is about Cunard’s IT, obviously. 😀

[david63]

There is the other argument regarding polo shirts in that sports wear is, supposedly, not allowed after 18:00 and by definition a polo shirt is sports wear.

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, david63 said:

There is the other argument regarding polo shirts in that sports wear is, supposedly, not allowed after 18:00 and by definition a polo shirt is sports wear.

I think that may be a red herring. People who wear polo shirts are not on the whole polo players, and I’m not sure polo players even wear them. And nobody would suggest someone wearing a sports jacket on a non-formal night was inappropriately dressed, despite the nomenclature.

[Caipi]

1 minute ago, david63 said:

There is the other argument regarding polo shirts in that sports wear is, supposedly, not allowed after 18:00 and by definition a polo shirt is sports wear.

I do not agree, it started as sportswear, but the unicoloured versions (of course without any text or numbers) are meanwhile the more elegant version of a T-shirt. Lots of men wear them in 'stylish restaurants'. 

[ernnnn]

4 minutes ago, Caipi said:

I do not agree, it started as sportswear, but the unicoloured versions (of course without any text or numbers) are meanwhile the more elegant version of a T-shirt. Lots of men wear them in 'stylish restaurants'. 

And those are the ones I want to wear, designer unicolour polo shirts, without text or numbers. I'm not going to wear a Formula 1 team polo, for example.

[Caipi]

18 minutes ago, ernnnn said:

And those are the ones I want to wear, designer unicolour polo shirts, without text or numbers. I'm not going to wear a Formula 1 team polo, for example.

 

🙂

Whether it complies with the dress code or not, I saw Polo-Shirts in the evening in Britannia Club Restaurant and even on a Gala Night when going through the Britannia Restaurant. But I thought to myself that the airline must had lost his luggage. 🙂

Edited Sunday at 03:26 PM by Caipi

[ernnnn]

3 minutes ago, Caipi said:

 

🙂

Whether it complies with the dress code or not, I saw Polo-Shirts in the evening in Britannia Club Restaurant and even on a Gala Night when going through the Britannia Restaurant. But I thought to myself that the airline must had lost his luggage. 🙂

I consider non respectful for the rest of passengers wearing a polo shirt on a Gala Night. Wearing a suit is what I will do (with a polo shirt 😂. No, just kidding) on Gala Nights.

[D&N]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I think that may be a red herring. People who wear polo shirts are not on the whole polo players, and I’m not sure polo players even wear them. And nobody would suggest someone wearing a sports jacket on a non-formal night was inappropriately dressed, despite the nomenclature.

Easily solved. Call it a blazer.

[D&N]

23 hours ago, Caipi said:

 

I never saw someone attacking the dress code, what would that be good for? It is as it is, and as you said if they don't like it they could book another ship anyway. (And Germans who were with us on QM2 did not bring evening wear at all, they just went to the buffet.) 

What I did see in several groups are 'traditionalists' attacking people who don't plan to wear a tuxedo or a suit every night, because according to them you have to, although Cunard clearly states that is not the case (anymore), only on formal nights. 

 

As long as people are following the dress code which is stated by Cunard they can wear anything and noone has the right to criticize them for it. 

I think in my post you quoted I typed choose partly, when it should probably have been partly choose.

 

Attacking may be a bit strong. But from time to time folk appear on these forums making their case for wearing something that is not within the dress code.

There may be a concern amongst traditionalists that if there were to be a relaxation of enforcement of the dress code, eventually those who currently dress in a more formal manner may feel out of place.

It doesn't bother us if we stand out from the crowd by wearing suits and ties for me and glitzy or elegant dresses for my wife. But some people don't have that confidence and want to fit in with those around them.

I don't think there's much risk of that on Cunard in the near future but it appears to have been the case on several other lines that once had more formal codes.

[exlondoner]

28 minutes ago, D&N said:

Easily solved. Call it a blazer.

Sounds like something firemen wear. Or, more realistically, official dress for sports teams. And have you seen the MCC blazer? 😀

Edited Sunday at 04:37 PM by exlondoner

[NE John]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Sounds like something firemen wear. 😀

Hey, we have a new Cunard theme night!

[D&N]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Sounds like something firemen wear. Or, more realistically, official dress for sports teams. And have you seen the MCC blazer? 😀

O.M.G.

[david63]

For the record I noticed four polo shirts and one pair of jeans in the Grills Lounge tonight whilst I was there

[exlondoner]

12 minutes ago, david63 said:

For the record I noticed four polo shirts and one pair of jeans in the Grills Lounge tonight whilst I was there

Are you on QA? I don’t think I would notice if people were entirely naked in the gloom of the Grills Lounge.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, D&N said:

O.M.G.

I believe there is also a discreet one in navy.

[david63]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Are you on QA? I don’t think I would notice if people were entirely naked in the gloom of the Grills Lounge.

QV

[moses0]

On 9/14/2024 at 9:27 AM, cruising.mark.uk said:

The rules are not 'so different'.  @Victoria2 provided you some excellent advice above.    

My advice would be to remember that of all the hundreds of thousands of passengers who sail Cunard each year and enjoy their cruises, only a fraction of 1% are active contributors to these boards and there is a tendency for some of them to have views and opinions at the extreme end of the spectrum on issues such as dress code which are not in any way representative or typical of the vast majority of cruisers on Cunard.    I sense that many cruisers trying to find out about Cunard via these boards are scared off by some of the views they read on here (which often bear no resemblance to the truth and sometimes contain blatant misinformation) and thereby miss out on experiencing this cruise line.  That is sad.

 

What the dress code actually says (on the UK site) for smart attire is:  'Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Essentially, choose something along the same vein as you’d wear to a stylish restaurant or the theatre on a special occasion'.  Jeans meet any but the most extreme definition of trousers and, given that Cunard does not make a distinction between jeans and other types of trousers, neither should anyone cruising on Cunard.  I often wear jeans to stylish restaurants and have regularly worn jeans to the dining room on non-gala nights.  Many other passengers clearly do likewise.  

 

The situation with polo shirts is a little more complex.  'Dress shirt' as per the dress regs means something different depending on where you are from.  In the UK, a dress shirt is a formal shirt worn with a dinner jacket and bow tie.  That is clearly not what the Cunard dress regs mean by the term when talking about 'smart attire'.  I suspect that what they have in mind is more aligned with the US definition, which I interpret as a shirt with buttons down the front, long sleeves and a collar.  Whether or not a polo shirt will meet that definition may be open to debate.  However, the only opinion that matters is that of the maitre d' at the restaurant or the staff in the venue you are visiting.  It might be wise to ask the maitre d' on the first night on board and to take some more traditional style shirts with you just in case.

 

I cannot understand why some are so fixated on what other people wear.  It is nothing to do with them and should have no impact on how they experience their cruise.  Your cruise is your cruise and you should wear clothes that you feel comfortable in and which comply with the dress regs.  Only the staff can judge whether what someone is wearing complies or not.  My advice is not to be put off by what you might read on here, to ignore any (spurious) claims that you will feel under-dressed if you are not wearing very formal clothing every night and to give Cunard a try because it offers a good value cruise experience which is very similar in many respects to other mainstream lines at a similar price poi

On 9/14/2024 at 9:27 AM, cruising.mark.uk said:

The rules are not 'so different'.  @Victoria2 provided you some excellent advice above.    

My advice would be to remember that of all the hundreds of thousands of passengers who sail Cunard each year and enjoy their cruises, only a fraction of 1% are active contributors to these boards and there is a tendency for some of them to have views and opinions at the extreme end of the spectrum on issues such as dress code which are not in any way representative or typical of the vast majority of cruisers on Cunard.    I sense that many cruisers trying to find out about Cunard via these boards are scared off by some of the views they read on here (which often bear no resemblance to the truth and sometimes contain blatant misinformation) and thereby miss out on experiencing this cruise line.  That is sad.

 

What the dress code actually says (on the UK site) for smart attire is:  'Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Essentially, choose something along the same vein as you’d wear to a stylish restaurant or the theatre on a special occasion'.  Jeans meet any but the most extreme definition of trousers and, given that Cunard does not make a distinction between jeans and other types of trousers, neither should anyone cruising on Cunard.  I often wear jeans to stylish restaurants and have regularly worn jeans to the dining room on non-gala nights.  Many other passengers clearly do likewise.  

 

The situation with polo shirts is a little more complex.  'Dress shirt' as per the dress regs means something different depending on where you are from.  In the UK, a dress shirt is a formal shirt worn with a dinner jacket and bow tie.  That is clearly not what the Cunard dress regs mean by the term when talking about 'smart attire'.  I suspect that what they have in mind is more aligned with the US definition, which I interpret as a shirt with buttons down the front, long sleeves and a collar.  Whether or not a polo shirt will meet that definition may be open to debate.  However, the only opinion that matters is that of the maitre d' at the restaurant or the staff in the venue you are visiting.  It might be wise to ask the maitre d' on the first night on board and to take some more traditional style shirts with you just in case.

 

I cannot understand why some are so fixated on what other people wear.  It is nothing to do with them and should have no impact on how they experience their cruise.  Your cruise is your cruise and you should wear clothes that you feel comfortable in and which comply with the dress regs.  Only the staff can judge whether what someone is wearing complies or not.  My advice is not to be put off by what you might read on here, to ignore any (spurious) claims that you will feel under-dressed if you are not wearing very formal clothing every night and to give Cunard a try because it offers a good value cruise experience which is very similar in many respects to other mainstream lines at a similar price point, with some interesting and unique characteristics of its own.  I'm sure you will have fun.  If what you choose to wear results in a couple of other passengers not having fun because they are spluttering into their gin and tonics about you wearing jeans, that, in my opinion, is their problem, not yours.

nt, with some interesting and unique characteristics of its own.  I'm sure you will have fun.  If what you choose to wear results in a couple of other passengers not having fun because they are spluttering into their gin and tonics about you wearing jeans, that, in my opinion, is their problem, not yours.

 

[moses0]

 

What cruising.mark.uk said is right on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hat 

[elaine5]

Husband took his tux last year, as he has few opportunities to wear it. While a number do wear tuxes and ladies in ball gown, many do not. Any suit (not just dark) and tie on gala/formal night is fine. Or even trousers and blazer, just add a tie for dinner and take it off later.  
I did not see anyone last summer in jeans for dinner, but if other poster did, then that must be fine now. Worst case, you need to wear in trousers instead. We enjoyed Cunard and did not find it “stuffy” at all. You’ll find it similar to Princess. 

Edited Monday at 01:56 AM by elaine5

[WantedOnVoyage]

52 minutes ago, elaine5 said:

Worst case, you need to wear in trousers instead.

 

Oh dear... the "worse case" is having to wear trousers to dinner on Cunard. I do despair.