The Queen Elizabeth in Alaska 2019.

There has been plenty said about the dress code as set out by Cunard. Next year how excited I was to see the Alaskan journeys posted. I have sailed the Alaskan waters several times, and have enjoyed the "relaxed" atmosphere that it has afforded. This is the land that considers "matching socks at dinner" , formal wear. That being said, we booked and are in fact looking forward to a little more formal experience. Makes for a little extra packing, but am looking forward to a return to a gentille sailing.

It has been said on the forums of some other lines that the dress standards are lower on Alaska cruises than on others. Two and a half years ago we took an Alaska cruise on Holland America. I didn't expect the formal nights to be very formal and I can't personally say whether it was any less formal than HAL cruises to other destinations, but the "regulars" we met said it was about the same.

We are booked on one of the QE voyages and certainly hope Cunard doesn't "dumb down" the standards because it is Alaska. It will, of course, depend on the attitude of the passengers. Cunard has not offered cruises to Alaska in about 20 years (and they were not major Cunard vessels used on that route) so we don't know what to expect. Four years ago we were on a one-week cruise to Norway on QE. It was every bit as formal as a crossing on the QM2. There were three formal nights that week unlike two on other Cunard cruises we have taken.

That is exactly what I am hoping for. No changing of the standards of protocol just because it is Alaska.

Having done an Alaska cruise on HAL's Amsterdam, I'd offer the opinion that the lack of a roof on the midships Lido Deck pool might be a minor shortcoming on the itinerary.