First and last evening dressing for dinner

I originally posted this in another thread but think I may get a better response with a separate thread.

We are cruising the 3 day mini to Bruges in December and I am wondering about the dress code. We have only cruised Princess before and the first and last evenings have been a little more relaxed due to luggage arriving late or being packed early. I am very happy with the middle formal night but do not want to be incorrectly dressed on the other two nights. Is it still likely to be mainly cocktail dresses? My husband almost always wears a jacket and tie so he has no problems.

Many thanks for any help.

Yes, it's cocktail dresses, or something similar. The first and last nights will be informal, which for Cunard, in not casual at all, but still very smart. We've just returned from a five night cruise, with only one formal night, until we were on board and then we were informed that there would be two formal nights.

Enjoy your cruise, it will be very special.:)

A very interesting post. Quite often on these short mini cruises , especially only three nights, one often finds that all guests will make 'all three or four evenings' a sense of occasion. For many, these short cruises are a celebration of one kind or another.

The idea of dressing down on the first and last evening on a mini cruise is not so.

By the way 'Too Much' on Cunard is not enough. ;)

I originally posted this in another thread but think I may get a better response with a separate thread.

We are cruising the 3 day mini to Bruges in December and I am wondering about the dress code. We have only cruised Princess before and the first and last evenings have been a little more relaxed due to luggage arriving late or being packed early. I am very happy with the middle formal night but do not want to be incorrectly dressed on the other two nights. Is it still likely to be mainly cocktail dresses? My husband almost always wears a jacket and tie so he has no problems.

Many thanks for any help.

Hi konyagiqueen. My understanding is the first and last night of any ocean voyage calls for informal dress - a/k/a elegant casual/smart casual/ business casual. A cocktail dress would be inappropriate on the first or last night of any cruise for very practical reasons.

Frequent claims have been made that one can not be "overdressed" on a Cunard ship. With all due respect to those claimants, I disagree. Underdressed or overdressed are extremes to be avoided unless the ship is sinking ... I seem to remember my Grandmother told me that :)

Cheers,

Salacia

Any pointers would be helpful. Leaving out of New Orleans Dec. 6, 15.

Hi konyagiqueen. My understanding is the first and last night of any ocean voyage calls for informal dress - a/k/a elegant casual/smart casual/ business casual. A cocktail dress would be inappropriate on the first or last night of any cruise for very practical reasons.

 

Frequent claims have been made that one can not be "overdressed" on a Cunard ship. With all due respect to those claimants, I disagree. Underdressed or overdressed are extremes to be avoided unless the ship is sinking ... I seem to remember my Grandmother told me that :)

 

Cheers,

Salacia

A wise woman, your grandmother.

Having just returned from a 5 night cruise on Cunard, I can say that guests were dressed very smartly on the first and last nights, unlike other other cruise lines that we have sailed on, when everyone was dressed down,ready for the journey home. Ladies in cocktail dresses and gentlemen in suits. Cunard has the last sweep of luggage collected outside rooms by midnight which is later that other cruise lines.

Just our experience.:)

Having just returned from a 5 night cruise on Cunard, I can say that guests were dressed very smartly on the first and last nights, unlike other other cruise lines that we have sailed on, when everyone was dressed down,ready for the journey home. Ladies in cocktail dresses and gentlemen in suits. Cunard has the last sweep of luggage collected outside rooms by midnight which is later that other cruise lines.

 

Just our experience.:)

I agree., also our last chance to wear something nice before returning to the dreariness and drudgery of everyday life. My experience is that on all my cunard cruises/voyages that the usual high standard of the line is out in its full glory including mostly cocktail dresses on the ladies...(and some of the men but thats another story for another time)

I agree., also our last chance to wear something nice before returning to the dreariness and drudgery of everyday life. My experience is that on all my cunard cruises/voyages that the usual high standard of the line is out in its full glory....well in 98% of the passengers anyway...

Is it really your "last chance to wear something nice before returning to the dreariness and drudgery of everyday life"? That is truly a Dickensian aspect to Cunard voyages that I had not previously contemplated.

A very interesting post. Quite often on these short mini cruises , especially only three nights, one often finds that all guests will make 'all three or four evenings' a sense of occasion. For many, these short cruises are a celebration of one kind or another.

 

The idea of dressing down on the first and last evening on a mini cruise is not so.

 

By the way 'Too Much' on Cunard is not enough. ;)

I recall doing a short cruise where I was on and so were a few other friends and we all dressed in our formal wear for the last night. Rolled it all up after and popped into a carry-on / off clothes carrier bag.

We had a great final night on board Cunard.

We put all but one suitcase outside our cabin on the last night before dinner and spend our last evening in our finery, dance in the ballroom until 11.50 pm and then like Cinderella race back to the cabin to get changed and put my dress and his suit etc in the last case and place in the corridor, it has always been collected. Just don't forget to keep something to wear for the homeward journey in the morning. On the first evening I wear a simple but pretty dress for dinner so as not to look like I'm trying too hard to impress, plenty of time for that during the voyage ;)

We put all but one suitcase outside our cabin on the last night before dinner and spend our last evening in our finery, dance in the ballroom until 11.50 pm and then like Cinderella race back to the cabin to get changed and put my dress and his suit etc in the last case and place in the corridor, it has always been collected. Just don't forget to keep something to wear for the homeward journey in the morning. On the first evening I wear a simple but pretty dress for dinner so as not to look like I'm trying too hard to impress, plenty of time for that during the voyage ;)

On my first cruise remember a lady bewaiing that she hadn't a skirt to wear home and I thought well wear last nights out fit, BUT, if she had packed it last thing I can now see what the fuss was about :eek:

Hi, I like to dress up and like a few have posted on here you can either pack it late or take it off as hand luggage.

Catherine

Hi, I like to dress up and like a few have posted on here you can either pack it late or take it off as hand luggage.

 

Catherine

On my last cruise my friend was very glad that he had put his last-night suit into hand luggage. He had a ball to attend (and run) within a few hours of our getting back. Our suitcases did not make it to the plane but fortunately he had a suit in his hand luggage.