Formal nights

We are sailing for 14 nights on Queen Victoria on 8th August would someone be able to tell me what we are expected to wear for 175 ball

Victorian ball and Royal ascot nights

We are new to sailing and this is our first time with Cunard

These theme nights are a bit open to interpretation. Cunard 175 is Cunard colours theme really. Ascot, well I have a grey tuxedo, lol. However they just like you to go dressed formal. You can research the themes on the internet and see if you have anything already that might fit in with the images on the net for Elizabethan, Victorian, Ascot or whatever they list. Not everybody follows the "theme" closely.

Regards John

The themes are mainly about the ball in the Queens Room. If it's just colors, like the Black and White ball or the 175 (which is probably what my crossing calls Red, Black, and Gold), people may or may not dress according to that theme. For masquerade balls, people tended to simply take a mask to the Queen's Room, but not wear a mask or a "fancy dress" costume to dinner. Ascot is about hats, and some people do bring them, but again, in my experience, they don't wear them to dinner.

And you do not have to do anything special for these themes if you don't want to. It's perfectly acceptable to go to the Queens Room and see what others are doing. I've seen women wearing colors on the night of the Black and White Ball, and nobody tsk'd or barred them from going anywhere. I remember one Black and White Ball where all the women seemed to comply (long black dresses for the most part) except for one young woman in a rather short red cocktail dress. She looked stunning and all I could think was how easily she would find her photograph the next day!

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Do not stress over the theme nights. It is fun to watch those who go all out for these but you will find that the vast majority will just be in formal clothing.

Enjoy your cruise!

We noticed that the 175 ball seemed no different to the other formal, with a few notable exceptions. The black and white ball was more obviously adhered to, easier to do I suppose