Monaco Grand Prix

We will be sailing on the Star Pride on May 21 which will feature the Monaco Grand Prix. We have sailed on Windstar 5 times as well as Oceania several times so we are very familiar with the country club casual dress code. On this cruise however we will be attending a cocktail dinner party at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco as part of our Grand Prix package. I assume that this will be very dressy, tuxedos and gowns. Am I correct in this assumption? Also, there is a Grand Prix dinner on board as part of the festivities. How dressy would this dinner be? Any help or opinion would be appreciated. I don't want to pack more than I need, but I also don't want to look like a slob.

Thanks.

Polecat

I can't help with specifics, but I do know that Monaco tends to be pretty formal. I don't think you can go wrong with a dark, conservative suit and tie and very dressy cocktail dress. Might be easier to pack than a gown and tux.

We have been to a couple of "white tie" events in Europe where the crowd was mixed between white tie, black tie, suits, and even sport coats and open collar Oxfords, and ladies wore everything from a gown (but not a ball gown) to a nice street length dress, with a lot of LBD's mixed in. The people on the middle ground seemed to blend in the best, and were by far the majority.

Have a great time!

Thanks for your insight. More than likely this will be my only opportunity to be in Monaco for the Grand Prix and I want it to be special.

Polecat

We are on this cruise too. I asked about the dress code for the Hotel de Paris meal when I was making our final payment. The Windstar agent said they had not been given any specific direction on dress code, except for entry to the casino there, where black tie is required. She suggested that we take formal wear for the cocktail dinner party, just in case it was required.

Thanks Toucanbritz. That helps a lot.

Polecat

I was doing some research on Cannes and realized that the Grand Prix cruise is visiting it when the Cannes Film Festival is on. A nice bonus in addition to the Grand Prix itself :)

We are also booked on that wonderful cruise and have both been wondering the exact same thing. This will be our first cruise with Windstar, but we have sailed with Oceania and figure both dress codes to be very similar.

So it seems we are all in the same boat (pun intended ;)) and no one has any more insight on the tough question of what to wear to the 2 special evenings!

We are now thinking about the tux and gown option, but we definitely don't want to be overdressed, such a dilemna... Sigh...

Maybe has we get closer to the sail date, we will get more clues. Can't wait!!!

Isa & Pierre from Montreal, Canada

Hi Babesia,

We have pretty much decided on a tux and gown for the dinner at the Hotel de Paris, but are still up in the air about the dinner on board. I have a black blazer that travels well so maybe I'll bring that and press it into service if need be. We have been on 5 Windstar cruises and 5 Oceania cruises and the dress code is very similar, but this cruise is a bit different.

See you on board.

I e-mailed Windstar about the dress code for the Hotel de Paris and received the following reply:

"Although aboard our yacht we do not have any formal dress requirements, Hotel De Paris is a formal venue so it would require a sports jacket(at least) and for women you will need to wear a dress."

Hope this helps!

See you onboard!

Thanks Toucanbritz. I'm still bringing the Tux. I think if they say formal, they mean formal, not a sport coat.

See you soon.

Polecat

Yes, totally agree with you, Polecat. Despite the response from the cruise line, we are still taking formal wear. Going to Monaco for the Grand Prix is a "bucket list" event for us, and we want it to be memorable for the right reasons, not for being told our outfits aren't dressy enough. :)

Must admit, this conversation has brought to mind a previous cruise we were on where some of our dinner companions came to the formal dinner in jeans - not because they didn't want to dress up, but because when they asked the cruise line what type of clothes they needed to pack, they were told T-shirts, shorts and jeans. They were not happy learning they'd been incorrectly informed. And this was from a cruise line where every sailing of 7 nights or longer has formal nights as standard practice!

My wife and I are also booked for this trip. Thank you so much for all the wonderful information. Given the discussion here, we too plan to bring formal attire for the special events and to be able to go to the Casino. Looking forward to see you all!

Thank you all. We also will be bringing formal wear. There will at least be some passengers dressed up like us!

Can't wait for the vacation to start.

Isa and Pierre

After reading this thread, I was wondering if any if you have an update on the experience?

Thanks!

You won't feel out of place in formal attire in the Casino (after 8:00) but these days all that's really needed in the evenings is a dark suite for the men and cocktail dresses for the ladies. If you plan on sprinkling some serious bucks around to get into and play with the big boys in the 'back room', dress formal.

As for the hotel, unless it's a State or celebrity filled function I can't remember the last time I saw any guest wearing formal attire in the hotel. Dressing formal might make you stand out and perhaps make you feel a little uncomfortable. To be safe I would email the hotel for advice as the Grand Prix might have special requirements.

Fun fact, your ship will be smaller than some of the yachts that will be parked in the harbor! I was in Monte Carlo two weeks ago on the Legend and the big (really big) boats were not even there but still there were a few 'boats' as big as we were!

For our meal at Hotel de Paris in 2014, dark suits or smart blazers and pants were the norm for the men and cocktail dresses for the women. Formal wear was worn by a few. For safety reasons the women were asked to remove high heels when boarding to/from the transfer vessel. Windstar provided bus transfers to/from the hotel. After the meal, we opted to walk back to the port. It was a great experience walking down a section of the road that was in fact part of the track and to see (and hear!) all of the parties in full swing on the various yachts moored in the harbour. We also saw lots of expensive and rare luxury vehicles, which my husband thoroughly enjoyed.

The whole Grand Prix experience was fantastic - great seats in the grandstand; and for those keen fans (such as ourselves) who wanted to see the support races on both days, Windstar provided us with very tasty lunch boxes.

Definitely a "must do" experience for Formula 1 fans.