World Cruise Dress?????

[jeno]

I have noticed that posters refer to the fact that there are different dress expectations depending on which type of cruise you are on. We are on the QV World next year. I would love some feedback from the QE2 and QM2 World Cruisers from this year. We are cruising 105 days and I hope to pack what will really be called for and worn. I am happy to bring mostly formal wear if that is what I need, but if many nights are informal, I need to bring enough of those outfits. Thanks for any feedback. Jeanne

[Oahucruiser]

The QV may be a bit different than the QE2 which has formal dress for every night that you are "at sea." The QM2 is also fairly dressy but the QV, being a cruise ship, may be less so. Perhaps you can get some information by calling Cunard and asking if they know what the dress will be for a world cruise. Cunard is a dressier line compared to most which is a delight.

[guernseyguy]

The QV may be a bit different than the QE2 which has formal dress for every night that you are "at sea." The QM2 is also fairly dressy but the QV, being a cruise ship, may be less so.

 

In the brochure the dress code is identical between the QV and QM2:

 

First/last: Elegant Casual (QE2 Informal)

Sea Day: Formal - max 3/week (QE2 Formal, no limit.)

Day in Port - sail before 6pm: Informal (QE2 same)

Overnight in port/later sailing: Elegant Casual (QE2 same)

 

One watch out is that 'Informal' = Jacket & tie - in the US Cunard have started calling this 'semi-formal' as the 'informal' description does not appear to communicate what is intended....

 

So for the QV World Cruise of 15 weeks you could have up to 45 Formal nights - you have 37 ports, 11 of which sailing after 6pm and 3 overnights, so that might work out at:

 

Formal: 45 (max)

Informal: 25

Elegant Casual: 17

Who knows: Informal or Elegant Casual: 21 (66 sea days- but max 45 formal).

[jeno]

Thanks for the great info on the cruise wear. I do think that people in the US understand the term semi-formal better than informal. I tend to think of informal as casual so thanks for the clarification. Now- please clarify elegant casual. Again, I am happy to dress as formally as expected, as long as we can firgure out what that is. Thanks again for the fast reply. Jeanne

[J & J]

Jeanne, during the 2006 World Cruise (109 days) on the QE2, we had 46 formal nights, 11 elegant casual nights and 52 semi-formal/informal nights.

 

I can't recall seeing a great deal of difference in the dress code between sailing at 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm. When sailing out of a port much later, say 11:00 pm or midnight, that was considered an elegant casual evening and of course, being in port for an overnight, is an elegant casual evening also.

 

On elegant casual nights, I do recall men in jackets, shirts with a collar, but no ties; and ladies had on pant suits, or a more casual skirt, blouses, sweater sets, etc., etc., etc. - rather reflective of their spouse's attire.

 

If you are a grill passenger, remember that your 5 "grill events" will, generally, be in the ports where the ship leaves later in the day. Our grill events, in general, were elegant casual. Also the World Cruise Dinner will be in either one of the overnight ports or a port where the departure is later in the evening - our World Cruise Dinner was THE most formal night of the entire trip!

 

Hope this helps!