Fewer formal nights

We've got 4/14 on QV starting next weekend; one port day and three sea days. I was disappointed that there won't be more.

I had the same reaction as you when I read the number of formal nights for a Transatlantic I booked for next year. Three formal nights is too many for a 7-day cruise/crossing.

I don't think you will many on this board agreeing with you, one of the things most of us love about Cunard is the dress code. While I understand the reasons for a reduction in formal nights on a port intensive cruise, there is no need for it on a transatlantic.

We are doing a RT 16 night transatlantic on the QM in July (NY - NY) and there are 4 formal nights on each segment; I'm thrilled!

We are on the QV this New Year and there is only 1 formal night out of the 5. Not even New Year's Eve. I think that is pretty poor really.

Is NYE at sea or in port? If I recall, NYE on QE this year is formal (despite being docked in Madiera). I'm really looking forward to standing on deck in tux with champagne to see in 2016.

Beats the same old fireworks Sydney puts on each year.

I don't think you will many on this board agreeing with you, one of the things most of us love about Cunard is the dress code. While I understand the reasons for a reduction in formal nights on a port intensive cruise, there is no need for it on a transatlantic.

Definitely. While I wouldn't like formal every single night, 3-4 on a week long cruise sounds just perfect.

Is NYE at sea or in port? If I recall, NYE on QE this year is formal (despite being docked in Madiera). I'm really looking forward to standing on deck in tux with champagne to see in 2016.

It's in port in Amsterdam.

We only have 1 sea day out of 5, and that's the 30th, which is when the only formal night is. That's according to Cunard's FAQs at the moment. It's not showing up yet in my voyage personaliser.

I suppose they might make it optional ?

I suppose it's more practical for those who intend to go into the city but NYE will be formal on our table at least :)

It's in port in Amsterdam.

 

We only have 1 sea day out of 5, and that's the 30th, which is when the only formal night is. That's according to Cunard's FAQs at the moment. It's not showing up yet in my voyage personaliser.

 

I suppose they might make it optional ?

They could add an extra formal night given it is NYE, but since it is a port visit (overnighting?) they might not.

I bet Amsterdam will be a lovely place to see in the new year. Despite visiting the city once, I never saw any of it due to being horribly sick.

Even if there are two formal nights, you can probably get away with wearing the same outfit twice. It's only a 5 day cruise afterall.

We've only got 3 formals on an upcoming 12 night cruise on QE, I was expecting 4. Three years ago we had 4/12 on a P&O cruise!

One of the things that makes Cunard special for us is the number of formal nights. DW and I really enjoy dressing up for dinner as it makes it feel so much different and special from what we normally experience at home. Besides, if I have to lug a tuxedo half way around the world, I rather amortize the effort over more uses per cruise!

One of the things that makes Cunard special for us is the number of formal nights. DW and I really enjoy dressing up for dinner as it makes it feel so much different and special from what we normally experience at home. Besides, if I have to lug a tuxedo half way around the world, I rather amortize the effort over more uses per cruise!

I agree.

There will be 4 formal nights on our upcoming T/A. If there were only 2, we probably would not have book the trip.

I agree.

There will be 4 formal nights on our upcoming T/A. If there were only 2, we probably would not have book the trip.

We also have 4 formal nights on our upcoming crossing in August -- but it's an 8-day voyage. But still better than 3 formal nights out of 7 as was our last TA.

I don't think you will many on this board agreeing with you, one of the things most of us love about Cunard is the dress code. While I understand the reasons for a reduction in formal nights on a port intensive cruise, there is no need for it on a transatlantic.

I agree with you Host Hattie. If people don't like the formal nights they should cruise with another cruise line. Let us keep Cunard very British and formal.

I was shocked that we had 3 formal nights on our westbound transatlantic last month. :eek: I expected two but three out of 7 is just a bit much for me. After traveling through Europe for three weeks, we did not have enough formal wear.

7 nights should have equaled 5 formal nights not three. How could you have not enough formal clothes? A tux is a Tux and while 3 gowns would have been nice I imagine a colored scarf or different earrings etc. could have thrown off the few who check out every formal presentation.

I am very disappointed to see only four formal evenings on our 14 night Canaries cruise on QV in November - and no Balls showing whatsoever!

That seems odd - hopefully it's just that they haven't decided which ones to have yet. It wouldn't be Cunard without the balls - let us know if they update your personaliser/calendar.

Hopefully yes, although to be honest the only themed night we only normally follow is B&W night. But it's nice to see others dressed in theme.

I think 3/7 is a reasonable number. Personally, I'd like 4/7 but I know that's unlikely.

 

Transatlantic crossings should be formal affairs.

It used to be 4/6 :)

I found nothing wrong with the old three tier system of Formal, Semi-formal & Elegant casual. Dressing down for dinner is certainly not what I want.

It could be argued that the new code is even dressier than the old one. Whereas the "jacket & tie" nights have been replaced with a minimum of "jacket required", so too have the first night/last night/evening-in-port casual nights. The minimum standard, for gentlemen, is now "jacket required" instead of "jacket/tie not required".

The combined effect of this is that, in practice, very little has changed. I would estimate that on an informal evening recently, approximately half the men were wearing either a suit or a jacket and tie (maybe a little under 50% on an in-port evening, maybe a little over 50% on an at-sea evening).

We've only got 3 formals on an upcoming 12 night cruise on QE, I was expecting 4. Three years ago we had 4/12 on a P&O cruise!

And we may yet still get them. It wouldn't be the first time (or second, or third) that the pre-announced schedule bears no resemblance to that issued once on-board. We've got sea days that are listed as informal, and port days listed as formal. While it's not a hard and fast rule, I'd be prepared to do some rearranging.

Regards, Colin.

I too like the formality and would not like to see less than 3 formal nights on a crossing.

Our TA Roundtrip in August has 8 formal of 16 nights. Can't wait. I'm not taking all that luggage to not get some wear out of it all :)

I am just back from a faboulous Queen Victoria voyage! We had two formal´s in 7 days and I found that QUITE ENOUGH! 3 formals in 14 nights are also QUITE ENOUGH! I too, love the more formal athmosphere which Cunard provides. Since we still have the jackets o nthe informal nights I thing those 2 or 3 formals are sufficient! The " balls" are really great- esp. in the Queens Room!

Only 2 formal nights out of 7? Not worth lugging my tuxedo half way around the world for that.

For anyone on the QV New Year Cruise, New Year's Eve will now be a formal evening !!! (as per the email I've just had from Cunard). Excellent.

For anyone on the QV New Year Cruise, New Year's Eve will now be a formal evening !!! (as per the email I've just had from Cunard). Excellent.

(Mind you, shouldn't New Year's Eve always have been scheduled as a formal night? Of all nights in the year? :confused: ... Maybe someone shoreside has just looked at a calendar and noted that New Year's Eve falls on December 31st this year... :rolleyes: )

Can I wish you a great New Year cruise, have the most wonderful time :)

Good news indeed :)

Mind you, shouldn't New Year's Eve always have been scheduled as a formal night?

Well Pepper, you would indeed have thought so.

This is what they have said "You may have read on Voyage Personaliser that we had planned to host one formal evening during your cruise. Following a review, and in light of the occasion we have increased our number of formal evenings to two. These will be held on Wednesday 30th December and on New Years Eve to coincide with the festivities on board."