BobBranst

If you would kindly go back and read my previous posts #59, #78, and $90, you will see that I have been referring specifically to the ladies dress on the Queens Room Ballroom Dance Floor for the Black & White Ball - not the entire ship.   If you aren't dancing, I could care less what you wear.

41 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

 

Not really, most posters here try to answer questions based on Cunard's policy, not their own opinion of what is "respectful".

At the end of the second decade of the 21st century I had hoped we'd moved men feeling they could tell women how to dress.

In your opinion...  

I had hoped that people (both men & women) would continue to respect the historic Cunard traditions that are one of the main reasons so many people continue to chose Cunard even as Carnival whittles away at those traditions.  

I don't know of anyone who can actually "tell" a woman what to do or wear.  One can point out reasons why they should wear something, but everyone who has ever been married knows, todays women can't be told to do anything they don't want to do.   And yes... that is my opinion.

20 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

In your opinion ....

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk
 

Correct.... In my opinion..   Every post here is that person's opinion.

13 minutes ago, Se1lad said:

I didn't mention garish colours anywhere - (unless everything except for black and white is considered garish!)  The point I was trying to make was that if you are a first time cruiser on Cunard, based on the information available on the website you wouldn't have to be self centred or obsessed to decide not to pack for the optional theme nights. 

You are right though - there are some Adrianna Papell  bargains to be had in the UK too - just looked on John Lewis and you get gowns for under £75.

I did not mean to infer that you mentioned garish colors.   I was just trying to point out that a black &/or white gown can be quite stylish and would not be out of place on ANY night.   If a lady is limited to only one gown, B &/or W would be a good choice, whereas brightly colored dresses are of questionable taste for a Black & White Ball (on the Queens Room dance floor) even if the website does say "optional" and not "mandatory".

1 hour ago, Se1lad said:

You raise a good point - whilst 5.30 may be a little early for those on a late sitting,  it is when those on early dining would be coming down for an aperitif.  Maybe the solution would be to make one of the bars (like the chart room) formal from 5.30 for those dining early?

The most logical thing would be to change the entire ship to formal at 5:30.   

3 hours ago, Se1lad said:

 

She goes ballroom dancing occasionally, but has never done a cruise with any line.  I showed her all the information on the Cunard website on dress codes, and the descriptions of a few of the theme nights and asked her what she would wear.  For Roaring Twenties she said that she didn't have any art deco or vintage ballroom wear and for Black and White that she disliked wearing all black as it made her think of going to funerals and her complexion didn't really suit white. 

Perhaps your friend needs to watch the old Audrey Hepburn movie  "My Fair Lady" to see how beautiful (and non-funeral like) black and white dresses can be.   Today's dress designers continue to make evening gowns in black & /or white that stand out in a crowd without resorting to garish colors.

Prior to our first crossing on the QM2,  DW had never even owned a long evening gown nor learned ballroom style dancing.   We started taking ballroom dance lessons at our local ballroom and went shopping for evening wear .  We found her a moderately price black sequined gown suitable for dancing by Adrianna Papell at Macy's.  The sales lady told us that black dresses never go out of style and that appears to be the truth.    Now, years later, she takes a black gown along with a different gown for each of the other Formal (I hate calling it "Gala") nights.  They don't take up much space in the suitcase.   However, shoes...  

It is apparent that there are always going to be some who do not place much importance or value in the long standing traditions on the Cunard line.   The fortunate thing is that as Victoria2 said:   "It doesn't happen very often at the B&W ball as I would have noticed, and I haven't."

However, It's hard to ignore those who go out of  their way to be noticed, so we will  just have to hope that they select different cruises or crossings than the ones we select.         

Yes, you can wear what you want within the very general Cunard formal dress "code".    No doubt that some would interpret that as justification for wearing just about anything their mind can conceive.   I don't see anything in the code against ladies wearing bright florescence green or neon red dress with bright flashing lights in August, therefore it must be fine, even if it is not within the realm of reasonably good taste.   Just because you can do something, that doesn't necessarily mean you should.  

I have been seeing the oft repeated line here about how Cunard has to change because of a younger generation for years, but on the ship, the great majority remains over age 60.   Many, if not most long time repeat Cunard customers would likely leave Cunard if their ships were to become no different than all the other lines.    Carnival is smart enough to know the truth in the old saying:  "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush."

Watch Out - Like it or not, the younger generations are getting older too and people's likes and dislikes frequently change as they get older.

3 hours ago, Stella1250 said:

I agree with the last post. It is not what color a person is wearing, but what is in the heart that makes him/her an interesting individual. How can the color of a dress or suit "insult" anyone? If I want to view the dancing and am wearing a purple dress instead of black and white, so be it. Who amongst us can throw that first stone?

I don't believe anyone would ever object to you or anyone else viewing the Queens Room dancing in any color your heart desires.    However, unlike the other (Ballroom) themes or "Balls", that do not actually specify a color in the title, the "Black and White Ball" is pretty specific about the color expected to be worn on the ballroom dance floor.   My experience on QM2 crossings has been that the overwhelming majority of dancers follow Cunard tradition and dress accordingly.   

It's been my experience that, more often than not, the people who brag about their wealth are not the ones who have it.

14 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Of course I will follow the dress code. It is a little bit of an inconvenience for me but not as bad as for the crew , it necessitates a late night for the crew, who will also have an early and hard day ahead of them preparing for new passengers. 

I believe it would far more of an "inconvenience" for the crew if they were required to gather the thousands of suitcases earlier in the day or evening when the passengers are roaming the hallways.  This is part of their job and they are very efficient at doing it.

DW and I usually take one suitcase exclusively for our formal clothes and pack the other suitcases during the afternoon.   

57 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

The master dress code schedule for voyage V918 (July 14-28, Southampton-Southampton) indicates the Royal Cunard Ball will be on July 26, 2019. Your voyage V918B (July 16-25, Hamburg-Kiel) disembarks the day before on July 25, so it would appear you are going to miss that ball on your voyage.

Unfortunately, you can only use the dress code schedule as a general guide since the days and details are sometimes changed once you are on board the ship.  

We were once on a QM2 crossing which the schedule had shown St. Patrick's Day as is being Informal (what is now called Smart Attire).   I purchased a green fore-in-hand tie for that occasion and never got to wear it as the dress code was changed to Formal/Gala after we boarded the ship.

Our travel agent booked our transportation from LaGuardia airport to our NYC hotel and from our hotel to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with Embarque car service (866-444-2144).  They have an app avalable which will show the vehicle's location and a photo of your driver.   This was really helpful at LaGuardia with all of the construction going on.   At our hotel, the car was waiting for us at the front door.   We would definately us this car service again in the future.   

1 hour ago, fizzy1 said:

Am i right in thinking that the gentleman may not be able to visit the theatre in the evenings without a minimal dress of button down shirt and chinos ? Also  a lot of the bars require a jacket . Such a shame not to experience a huge amount of this wonderful ship . Maybe Cunard is not the right line to be sailing with 

Unless there has been a recent change, a jacket is required in the Royal Court Theater.   According to the Cunard website:  (QM2 venues underlined)

Relaxed evenings.

From time to time, not least after a rewarding discovery ashore, you might wish to round off the day in a more relaxed style. You will be pleased to know that many of our bars and lounges welcome you to unwind in more casual outfits during the evening, but we do ask that guests refrain from wearing torn or tattered clothing, pants, sandals or sleeveless t-shirts. Casual venues include: King Court, Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden, Garden Lounge, Yacht Club and G32.

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Hi there BigMac.

 

I'm afraid to say even on 'Gala 👿' nights on our recent Queen Victoria cruise you'd be lucky to see 20 couples dancing.

 

Other nights were considerably worse and I'd guess there would have been more activity on the Marie Celeste.

 

Not that I complained. No one to collide  with on our mach 2 Quickstep. 😀

I believe the number of dancers is largely dependent on the itinerary of the ship.   Even on the QM2, I've noticed fewer dancers on the floor when on WC segments with frequent port excursions as opposed to those on TA crossings, where the dance floor is almost aways packed on formal/Gala nights.

We usually save our Quickstep for non-Gala nights when the floor is less crowded.

9 minutes ago, Newleno said:

Really appreciate all the responses did not mean for my original post to be so morose or melancholy.  I just meant, well, you know, you go somewhere and there is a certain decorum that should be followed and then you get some joker that sais something like: "this is a free country I will do what I want"  Well I just didnt want to be that guy.  I hate to dress up and would try to bring the minimum just do get by, so I just figured I could wear khakis and a polo to the buffet and would fit right in. (I just was not sure that the buffett was open for dinner)  thanks again 

You can certainly do it that way, but it would a shame to cheat yourself out of the Cunard experience  because of the dress code.

12 minutes ago, Wiltonian said:

Don’t put yourself down! There’s no correlation between number of degrees and interesting conversation! (I can say that with 5, and could bore you silly talking about my research.) Just ask to be on a table with 6 or 8 people, and you’ll be fine.  Incidentally, we’re hugely cost-conscious too, funding our cruises by food shopping at LIDL.

I agree with Stuart.  Having or not having a college degree(s) has little correlation with being friendly or having interesting  conversations in the Britannia dining room.   Cunard is truely an International line, so your table mates could be not only be from the USA or UK, but Australia, the Ukraine or any number of other countries around the world.  

You don't even have to be at a large table.   We usually request a table for 2, and are still close enough to the table (or tables) next to ours to carry on a conversation if we desire.  (Of course, you have the option to not engage in conversation if you wish.)   On our last crossing, we were seated next to another table for 2 with a lovely couple from the UK and had a great time conversing with them every evening.   Most of the people we have met on Cunard have been very cordial, regarless of where they call home.

2 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

The themes are really aimed at the ballroom dancers who maybe amount to a couple of hundred out of 2000+, so the other 90% just carry on as normal as no other bar or venue participates.

The number of actual ballroom dancers seems to varies.

However, one constant is that the Queen Room ballroom is always SRO on "Ball" nights as hundreds of "watchers" come to observe the beautifully dressed ladies on and off of the dance floor.  It is not unusual to see people in the hallway outside the Queens Room waiting to get inside for the first couple of hours.

17 hours ago, Se1lad said:

Not disrespectful as the theme nights are optional:  

Cunard Theme Nights and Suggested Attire

Participation is optional, you are not required to follow the theme dress in the same way you are required to follow the dress code of the evening (i.e. formal / informal) 

As I  stated in my post, I am quite aware that there is no rule against wearing any color you wish on a formal/Gala evening.   However, it is still my opinion (IMO) that wearing a brightly colored outfit on the ballroom floor on B&W Ball night is of questionable taste (if "disrespectful" is too strong a word for some people).   

B&W should be one of easiest for a lady dancer, since I've never met a knowledgeable ballroom style dancer that didn't have at least one little black dress.   While I'm sure some (if not many) disagree with my opinion,  just because you can do something does not necessarily mean that you should.

If you are staying in NYC prior to your crossing, there are lots of businesses in the city that offer currency exchange at much better exchange rates than on the ship.  We found a small business near Times Square to get both pounds and Euros. at considerable savings in any amount you need..  Some even post thier daily exchange rates on their websites.     

8 minutes ago, orvil said:

Call me a rebel.  I love to dress for dinner.  But on the night of the Black and White ball, I wore bright red chiffon.  It was fun amongst all those beautifully black and white clad people in the ballroom.  Someone had to make a statement.  

I doubt if anyone would criticize you for not wearing Black & White to Dinner.   However, while there is no rule against it, (IMO) it is disrespectful to others to wear bright red on the Queens Room ballroom dance floor for the "Black & White Ball".   

On 5/11/2019 at 9:56 AM, Tonopah said:

On our crossing in August, 2018, gentlemen were reminded of the expected dress requirements at the theatre, Commodore Club, and Queen’s Room. 

On our last crossing, a casually dressed gentleman who had been in the Chart room prior to 6pm was told that he could no longer be served due to the dress requirements.  

9 hours ago, rafinmd said:

On 5/10/2019 at 5:53 PM, BobBranst said:

Absolutely true.   However, I've never met one of them while on-board the ship.   

I can't agree with that.  I've sailed QV 3 times and had such people as tablemates on 2 of them.

 

Sorry to hear that.  We have not been on the QV, so I can't compare experieces there.   Most of our Cunard  experience has been on QM2 crossings and WC  segments plus one Panama cruise on the QE.   Maybe we have just been lucky,  but life is too short to let a negative person spoil your sailing experience.   I would have asked to be moved to another table.

2 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

 

Some folks seem to enjoy running Cunard down.

Absolutely true.   However, I've never met one of them while on-board the ship.