Queen Victoria Informal Nights

I have seen a lot of advice about Formal Night dress code but I am more interested in what to wear on Informal Nights. the Cunard site mentions cocktail wear but is Smart Casual acceptable. I have some really nice dresses but wouldn't call them cocktail dresses. As we are flying home I can't just take some of everything.

Any constructive advice would be greatly appreciated

I don't have an answer but I too am curious about this. I am doing a trial pack today and getting overwhelmed. Are nice sundresses with ballet flats appropriate? What about dark denim dressed up with a nice blouse and jewelry? Thanks ;)

Hopefully you don't mind a guy chipping in here ;) I would think more 'Elegant' Casual rather than just smart, a little bit of bling with one or two good accessories. To be very honest, with most females on Cunard Line there isn't all that much difference when dressing between the informal evening and formal, all evenings for the ladies on Cunard are always a sense of occasion :)

I'm afraid it's some of the Guys who occasionally let the side down ....

Issues with jackets in public venues;)

I'm doing a semi trial pack this weekend too.

My eveningwear is cocktail dresses for informal nights and full length for the two formals on board. My sundresses will be used in the daytime.

Any type of denim in the evening is frowned upon but plain trousers are acceptable with a nice blouse etc. I would imagine that denim would be hot in the med though and something lighter would be much more comfortable. I wear my ballet flats in the daytime for walking but they are ideal evening shoes for people who cannot wear heels.

I do find there's more of a mix on the med cruises due to the flying element of having weight restrictions. I usually take a pair of shoes for each evening outfit, but this time I am taking two pairs of evening shoes for 7 nights :mad:

The one thing I do enjoy about Cunard is that you can wear clothes you don't normally wear and treat the evenings as a special occasion, exactly as Bell Boys says.

Another guy chipping in, with the Cunard Dress Code from their site:

Formal:

Evening wear consists of an evening or cocktail dress or smart trouser suit for ladies. A tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit with appropriate neck wear for men or you may wear formal national dress and military uniform.

Informal (Jacket Required):

Evenings would consist of a required jacket and optional tie for gentlemen, whilst ladies should wear cocktail dresses, stylish separates or equivalent.

No jeans or shorts.

Informal (Jacket Optional):

The Informal (Jacket Optional) dress code amendment applies to Queen Victoria's summer fly Mediterranean season on embarkation days only, in Athens, Barcelona, Rome and Venice. Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will continue to have the standard Formal and Informal (Jacket Required) dress codes. The ship's newspaper will confirm the dress code of the day.

Hope this helps, have a GREAT cruise!

Easiest thing for informal nights is a Little Black Dress. You can wear it with different scarves, jackets, shawls, jewelry and make it into many different outfits. If packing space is at a premium, a LBD is the way to go.

Thanks all! And I do appreciate the men chiming in too. :)

I was trying to pack everything into a carry on ( for 7 day Med because of airline price and weight limits); my husband will be checking a bag. But this is verging on the impossible, Lol.

Your advice has been quite helpful though. ;)

Only 7 more days to go!

Hi Wisden

I am on a 7 nighter in October on QV planning to take on Informal nights

Tea Style dresses which I brought from East and the White Stuff with Open

toe Wedges though as I work in a school always in trousers I will pack as

many as hubby can get into case Cocktail dresses which I would love to wear even

On a non formal night with my blingly "strictly style" dressy Heels 👗👗👠👠

Mrs Blue Sky

It's a pleasure rmrm, remember some of the worlds most fashionable women have been dressed by Males :D

I have just got off the Queen Victoria today, my first Cunard cruise.

There were plenty of ladies wearing full length dresses for formal nights.

The informal nights were just that, I didn't see any smart denim, and the ladies wore quite a wide range of clothing from linen dresses to skirts/separates.

I wore a dress every evening apart from one when we just ate in the Lido buffet. That night I wore linen pants and a black sleeveless blouse.

In all honesty the whole cruise wasn't as formal as I expected, maybe because it was a summer Med cruise. I saw more full length dresses on the P&O formal nights last summer!!

Hi Wisden, The lovely dresses you described would be great on Informal nights on Cunard. I would keep your cocktail dresses for Formal evening, to wear as a change from a long dress. Of course, you can wear some if you wish and they won't be out of place. But a lot of ladies wear very smart trousers with dressy tops, and nice skirts and dressy tops as well. You definitely have a lot of choice. Have a wonderful cruise. Cunard is fabulous.

Just come back from cruise on the Victoria, most women wore long or cocktail dresses for formal nights. Majority of men wore Black tie. Other evenings a variety of dresses and trousers with pretty tops. Didn't see jeans at all during evening.