rj1227

CPs, I am not an authority on ladies' dress, but you will do fine and feel comfortable. As a general statement, the TA crossing does allow those who want to dress up as much as they can to do so. But most respect the dress code rather than try to look like someone auditioning for a job as a model in the next Cunard brochure were they 35 years younger. 

On the male side, I do not wear a tuxedo. I bring a dark blue suit and wear white shirts and simple ties. I feel as dressed up as any other male passenger. This thread is now 13 pages. Those contributing make up about .0001 percent of those who sail on Cunard. And my guess is that one-tenth of those on a TA crossing feel really passionate about the strictest dress standards. I readily admit that most contributing on this thread have much more experience sailing on Cunard than do I. But based on a recent TA winter crossing, those are my thoughts.

Once more, you will do fine. 

Also, I travel in Europe before I sail back home, and there is no way I can carry with me the extra clothes needed for a TA crossing. I used Luggage Forward and will do so again. It is worth the money. And as a practical matter, I have no other options because again I cannot carry with me the extra clothes I wear on the QM2. 

Good luck to you and enjoy your voyage.

I keep reading "six-night westbound" crossing. I am sure that the crossing was only six nights, but I did not know Cunard offered such crossings. Every westbound crossing going forward on the Cunard website is seven or more nights--I do not see a six-night crossing.

I think your questions have already been answered. But I will note the following based on one westbound TA crossing in December 2023: 

1. A much higher percentage of men on gala nights wore tuxedos rather than dark suits. But I wore a dark suit and never felt out of place. 

2. There were no issues with elevators. 

3. There was a hot tub outside on the walking deck that was used. When walking outside the ship, I saw a few intrepid souls using it. 

4. On our crossing, one of the speakers was the naval architect who designed the QM2. He was excellent. 

5. My crossing was westbound. To catch a flight, I wanted to leave the ship as early as possible. We arrived in New York early. It seems I was off the ship by 7 am or so. A concern was whether I could carry both suitcases. At one level, there was an elevator to use as well as the escalators, which would have been an issue.

I was not going to respond again--this thread has already gone too many pages too long, though venting can be healthy. 

I disagree largely with, but can appreciate, the argument in favor of more frequent formal-dress nights and a dress-code that requires--requires--men wear ties on nonformal nights. But I also think the notion of theme nights is insipid. Note it doesn't bother me if people want to dress up in some Roaring 20s' apparel, but I am also not impressed. 

And--this will trigger responses--I also am not impressed with men wearing kilts on formal nights. Again, I really don't care and am admittedly not Scottish or British, but I am difficulty seeing how kilts match black-tie formality. A personal observation. 

In terms of pounds or dollars, I would think reducing the price by a very small percentage and giving onboard credit that is a small percentage of the fare are the same thing. I received from the travel agent onboard credit that was roughly five percent of the fare.

For my current booking, I booked directly with Cunard and then transferred the booking to a travel agent because of the onboard credit I received. I prefer to deal directly with the cruise line, but at some point, the amount of OBC justified the transfer of the booking to the TA.

Much like Cunard, the time devoted to dress-code issues on the Cunard forum is a throwback to a past age, even if one only two or three generations ago. 

This forum largely consists of two groups: Cunard devotees, and those thinking about a Cunard cruise or wanting a greater understanding of how Cunard is different. Though I have sailed before on Cunard (the quintessential TA crossing on the QM2), I still fall in the latter category.

Regarding dress code, I actually started perhaps nine months ago a thread on whether on nonformal nights a man could wear, instead of a collared shirt, a mock turtleneck, preferably with a sports coat. I personally think I look as smart in that attire as I might with a collared shirt. The thread lasted pages. I do not mention my prior thread as an attempt to relitigate the specific question raised. I do so only to highlight how passionate and even divisive these dress debates can surprisingly be. 

Again, my position: If the rules are clear and I sail, I will follow them. I have no intent of causing myself or anyone else at my dinner table discomfort over my dress. That would be rude. If I find the rules too bothersome, I won't sail. 

Going forward, Cunard's choices seem threefold as a matter of logic: 

1. Clearly define and maintain current dress standards. 

2. Revert to the past and make even more formal the dress standards, at least for some voyages like the TA crossings on the QM2. For example, the dress for men on the nonformal nights is coat and tie. 

3. Because of passenger demands, relax gently over time the dress requirements, at least on certain voyages like those on warm-weather cruises. To me, it does seem possible to tinker with, but still maintain, the core of Cunard's dress code, especially with sailings in the Caribbean. For the above discussion, I recognize there are those who disagree with my statement.

I am aware of reversion of the mean. The chances of my being on a sailing when you are giving a lecture are very small. But if I am, I will certainly attend, and introduce myself after, your presentation.

Brummel, I appreciate your response to my post. I don't think there is an objectively correct answer. As I said, if I sail with Cunard, I will follow the rules, and if I find the rules are too troublesome, I won't sail with Cunard. My upcoming with Cunard is a special-event TA crossing (the literary festival). For a sailing other than a TA crossing, I frankly would consider other cruise lines.

I agree that how we dress sets a tone. I have not visited San Francisco in decades and certainly did not walk down Market Street in the 1950s, but I suspect you are highlighting the difference between how people visiting the downtown area in major cities dressed three generations ago compared to how many dress today. I understand and largely agree with the point I think you are making, but I do not agree that your analogy is an appropriate one. On my one Cunard crossing, I found that my fellow passengers were well dressed--not how people look on major downtown thoroughfares in big American cities--and do not believe that a stricter dress code on the nonformal nights would have made for a more enjoyable experience. And your concern that dress-code changes will lead to more dramatic changes in the future seems questionable. 

I also can appreciate your desire for a cruise that seems especially special and reminds one of a past era because of its formality. But as the owners of any fine men's clothing store can attest, people are not dressing up as they once did, and they have had to change to some extent what they sell to keep in business. I suspect that for good marketing reasons, Cunard is doing the same.  

Also, both on the Cunard TA crossing I took and the one I will be taking, I will be boarding the ship after several weeks of independent travel in Europe. There is a cost to have a suitcase shipped to the QM2 with clothes just for the crossing, and the size of suitcase affects cost. 

Further, for decades, I had to wear a tie for work. I prefer not to wear one, though I have no problem wearing a sports coat. I suspect I am not alone. But again we are talking about personal preferences

I am a relative outsider in this debate. I have cruised only three times--only once with Cunard on a TA crossing, though I do have another cruise with Cunard booked (though the sole reason is the literary festival on the QM2 in November).

On my TA crossing last December, I did not see violations of the Cunard dress code. Personally, I would like to see the Cunard dress code relaxed a tad on the nonformal nights. On my cruises years ago on Oceania and Azamara, I certainly did not see a "dumbing down" or passengers poorly dressed. However, tell me what the rules are, and I will play by the rules. 

But I am struck by the lament in the original post that there were only five formal nights on a 35-day West Indies cruise. First, given the nature of the cruise--the West Indies rather than a TA crossing or European cruise--I can understand Cunard opting for a lesser number of formal nights than it might otherwise. People cruise the Caribbean and the West Indies to enjoy the warmer weather and to relax--in formality, it seems the antithesis of TA crossing. 

Second, it seems that some who have sailed Cunard for years view any hint of change or any change in the dressing code, however slight, as a dangerous assault on the essence of the Cunard experience. I have seen forum threads on dress codes that go on for pages. I would hope that the Cunard experience transcends the number of gala nights in a week. I largely agree with exlondoner (see post 152) that the Cunard experience is marked by serenity, an emphasis on things cultural, and the absence of the more raucous activities that the big cruise ships are known for. And I also agree with how he ended his post--"Why all this gloom?"

Many thanks to all who responded (or may still respond). 

It seems that Luggage Forward does not need the Cunard luggage tag (though the tag provides insurance that the bag is routed correctly). I will need to print my luggage tag for the suitcase I will be carrying and my boarding pass at a hotel where I will be staying. 

I still wish Cunard sent out the boarding pass and luggage tags earlier than 21 days before sailing. But it seems that I will be able to manage.

Cunard sends out its luggage tags exactly 21 days before the sailing. What do you do if you are beginning your trip more than 21 days before the sailing date--especially if you using Luggage Forward? 

As far as any bag I am carrying, I imagine that a hotel can help me print out the luggage tags I am sent. 

But if I leave a suitcase behind with a family member or neighbor for Luggage Forward to pick up, does Luggage Forward need the Cunard luggage tag, or is the basic information as to the sailing, sailing date, and cabin number sufficient?

I have made the necessary changes in my trip plans (I am now flying out of New Orleans on October 21) and just booked this crossing with Cunard. The daily programs attached were a major factor in my decision. 

The reason for my interest in a literary-festival crossing is that I have a completed nonfiction manuscript (genre would be sports or social history), which I have been sending to publishers and recently to literary agents. As someone who worked decades in another field, I am learning that the subject and quality of writing matter far less than brand or "marketing platform," which I do not have. I am optimistic about finalizing something this summer. But I need all the inspiration and information about the publishing industry that I can get. This seems like an ideal crossing for me. And I don't think I gave my December 2023 TA crossing a fair chance. I want to try this a second time.

Again, my sincere thanks to everyone who responded to my original post. Queenvee, I hope onboard I have the chance to personally thank you for the help you repeatedly provided.

My current plans are to leave on October 14 and return on November 5, which would be 21 nights away. My sweet spot with trips to Europe is 20-24 days. If I take the literary festival crossing, I will have to push back my departure date and change hotel reservations, but that can be done.  

Last December, I spent my last night at the Hampton Inn near Waterloo Station near London and took the train that morning to Southampton. I saw something of Southampton because I walked from the train station with my bags to the ship. I will not do that again. Portsmouth the night before sounds interesting.

A subject that goes well beyond my original post is use of a travel agent rather than booking directly with Cunard. I sent an email yesterday to an agent I have used regarding what on-board credit her agency might provide and am awaiting a response. (Coincidentally, Queenvee, she could be your neighbor, and I suspect you are familiar with agency. Under the forum rules, I can say only so much. But unless the on-board credit is more than modest, I prefer to deal dealing with the cruise line.) 

This thread may prove an instance where the responses to an original post not only provided much pertinent information but changed the travel plans of the OP.

If I had had earlier the information about this festival crossing that I have now, I would have booked this sailing months ago--and made very different plans for my October and early November trip. I have some decisions to make. I am not sure that on this forum the literary festival crossing has ever before been discussed in such depth. 

It is fitting that we are having this discussion on a day when Penguin Random House fired its top people at Alfred A. Knopf and Pantheon and Schocken. . 

I obviously blew it in 2023 because the festival program looked very good. I surely would have enjoyed it more than the mid-December westbound crossing I was on.

Queenvee, I keep saying thank you and then imposing. How long before the sailing does the festival brochure listing the presentations and classes come out? One can readily access online those who will be speaking. But as of this time, Cunard does not have a festival brochure for the 2024 program.

Queenvee, not long-winded at all and extremely helpful. NancyDrew, thanks for the different perspective. 

A challenge is that I have plans to be in England and France in October and early November and would have to rearrange and fill up days before the ship leaves Southampton.

Disclosure: I was on a westbound TA crossing last December and really did not enjoy it. But I do not blame Cunard. A few reasons I did not care for the crossing: I was in Europe for an extended period before sailing, was exhausted when I boarded the QM2, and was ready to be home. My companion for the trip had something arise so she had to cancel; I sailed solo and felt awkward as a solo male passenger. And I am not good at relaxing, have to stay busy, and found only so many activities on the daily program that interested me. I was admittedly thrilled when we arrived in New York and decided that as a solo passenger, I would never sail again on a TA crossing and most other cruises. And again, I am not critical of Cunard, which I thought delivered on what it promised. It was simply that, at least as a solo passenger, I was looking for something different from what Cunard was offering and from the experience so many of you enjoy.

But because for personal reasons I am very interested in the process of writing and the process of getting published (both are much more difficult than many believe), the festival crossing has some appeal. Again, I would have to make major changes to and extend the trip I have planned.  

A last question for anyone who knows: What are the writing workshops for which one must pay like? And what are the costs?

Thanks to all for providing your thoughts. And I certainly welcome any other comments anyone would care to offer. Bluemarble, the programme you attached was especially helpful.

To those who have sailed on a Literature Festival TA crossing on QM2, what is the crossing experience like? Doing a quick forum search, I have seen a post that a higher percentage of Brits are sailing and that the median passenger age is lower. My guess is that the festival makes for a more active crossing with more programs during the day that one can attend (I am assuming that any passenger can attend the festival events). Any comments anyone would care to offer would be appreciated.

My experience cruising pales compared to that of those who have already responded.

My gut feeling is that the preference should be as follows: 

 1. A travel agent with whom you have a relationship, who will be responsive to your questions, who has experience dealing with the cruise line, and whose agency may be able to offer some special credit.

 2. The cruise line. 

 3. Other travel agents 

If you don't have a travel agent who meets the criteria in the first category, then dealing directly with the cruise line seems a legitimate option.

A dark blue or gray suit is fine. Though most men wear a tuxedo, not all do. I wore a midnight blue suit and never felt uncomfortable for a moment.

Thanks to all for the thoughtful comments. There are some things I should have done differently. I was uncomfortable about attending the solo-traveler gatherings--I was thinking these are probably easier for the ladies--and I should have given them a shot. And I boarded the ship physically exhausted after two weeks of hard travel in Europe and was at that point ready to get home (and I was also determined with the holidays approaching not to put on weight).

And were I to do it again, I would choose for three reasons an eastbound passage, which I know is the minority position on this forum. First, flying over to Europe is tougher than flying back home. Second, I would have begun the crossing ready for an adventure, rather than ready for the adventure to end. Third, the almost daily time changes are tough, but I think I would actually prefer the 23-hour days than the 25-hour days because I personally did not find enough on the ship to keep me busy. 

There was music in the different clubs during the day, but it was more pleasant background music than anything else. The lectures overall were good, though I did not religiously attend them. The lectures by Stephen Payne on the sinking of the Titantic and his design of the QM2 were outstanding. He should be a frequent speaker because his topics are perfect for a TA crossing and he is an excellent speaker. The last Dodd lecture I caught was very good, and I wish I had attended his other talks. I caught the first presentation by McCarthy, and it was interesting. And I enjoyed a lecture by Gunn on the causes of crime, but hearing about prisons and then prisoner life during the holidays was depressing. 

I actually tried to do some work during the trip, but after laptop issues and the disappearance of a document, eventually recaptured through the help of an IT friend in calls made in the middle of the Atlantic, I set the work aside. 

A TA crossing on QM2 lends itself to any number of fascinating subjects for lectures and presentations-- naval history, the architecture and history of London and New York, the museums of those two cities, travel talks on the places Cunard will be sailing to in the next two years. A serious talk on the Battle of the Atlantic would have been ideal, even or especially on a ship with so many who are British and German. 

 And again, I failed to take advantage of the many bridge lessons being offered during the trip. That's on me.

I have been on other cruises, though some time ago. Oceania and Azamara. A very different experience. Those cruise lines are more expensive. Their ships are smaller. Their cruises tend to be port-heavy, especially Azamara. The dress in the evening is much more relaxed on both. And the food on Oceania was exceptional. 

Again, I am not critical of Cunard's execution, though there are areas where Cunard can improve. After having experienced the TA crossing, I probably would shy away from a cruise with a high number of sea days and from Cunard because of the dress code, and I would not go on any cruise as a solo traveler unless I knew others sailing.

I did try the MDR. And again I am not trying to be critical of Cunard, which largely delivered on the product it offered. I just learned that I would prefer a different product. The ship, incidentally, is beautiful. I do think that the type of wine and whiskey classes offered by Total Wine would be ideal for QM2 on TA crossings.