Dressiest Cruises?

[SapphireGinGimlet]

We are booked to go on our first cruise this summer, and I am so excited I am already dreaming about future trips! What is the dressiest line/ship you've been on? :)

[cruisead]

The only true dressy cruise line is Cunard when they do their crossings from NYC to Southampton and reverse. Nearly every man wears a tux and the women bring out their fanciest clothing. Most of the mainstream lines have pretty much done away with real formal dressing and you'll not see many in formal clothes on Carnival, RCI, NCL and Costa. People have gotten, in my opinion, lazy and they just don't want to dress up anymore, so cruise lines have changed their policies to either get rid of formal clothing or don't enforce their dress codes.

[calliopecruiser]

Crystal has been the dressiest line I've sailed on, as at the time they still had formal nights and over half the men were in tuxes and the women in long or short formal wear. Since then they've joined the crowd and done away with formal-required nights and have made them "black tie optional".

 

People have gotten, in my opinion, lazy and they just don't want to dress up anymore, so cruise lines have changed their policies to either get rid of formal clothing or don't enforce their dress codes.

 

I don't think it's about laziness as much as personal preference and - the biggie - airline baggage fees.

[Grannycb]

European cruises tend to be dressier than Caribbean or Alaskan cruise on Princess and Royal Caribbean.

[jocap]

P&O are the dressiest I've been on....I should think over 90% are in dinner jackets or national dress, and the others are in the smartest suits, on formal nights. This dress code is applied to various parts of the ship such as some bars, all evening.

[SapphireGinGimlet]

Thanks everyone!

[Dancer Bob]

Cunard when sailing from Southampton. I have less experience with P&O but seems the same. However, most of the Cunard passengers I've talked to agree that if on a fly/cruise package, they'll be carrying few formal clothes because of airline baggage restriction.

[BlueRiband]

If you want the grand, elegant, ocean liner experience the dressiest is Cunard's Queen Mary 2 especially on a transatlantic crossing. Formal nights are expected to be just that - black tie for men and short or long evening dresses for women. Sea days include Afternoon Tea which is literally white glove service. It's not for anybody who does not like a formal atmosphere.

[cb at sea]

We haven't sailed on Cunard, but we've been VERY dressy on all our cruises! Hubby wears his tux (can't get much dressier than that, for a man!), and I wear an evening gown...no...not hoop skirts or a tiara or a train...but I look pretty damn nice...and fancy!

[kelmac]

For sure, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is very formal. I would rate Celebrity as number two, of all the lines we have cruised with.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[boogs]

European cruises tend to be dressier than Caribbean or Alaskan cruise on Princess and Royal Caribbean.

 

Same with Celebrity, which tends to be a bit dressier than Princess or RCI.

[SeagoingMom]

If you want the grand, elegant, ocean liner experience the dressiest is Cunard's Queen Mary 2 especially on a transatlantic crossing. Formal nights are expected to be just that - black tie for men and short or long evening dresses for women. Sea days include Afternoon Tea which is literally white glove service. It's not for anybody who does not like a formal atmosphere.

I understand that Cunard still has a "class" system, with some parts of the ship not accessible to certain pax. Is the entire ship equally dressy (as you describe) or just the higher class parts?

 

I have long been interested in trying Cunard, but I don't own an evening gown (I have some cocktail length dresses) and DH doesn't own a tux! So I am gathering info.

[BlueRiband]

I understand that Cunard still has a "class" system, with some parts of the ship not accessible to certain pax. Is the entire ship equally dressy (as you describe) or just the higher class parts?

 

I have long been interested in trying Cunard, but I don't own an evening gown (I have some cocktail length dresses) and DH doesn't own a tux! So I am gathering info.

 

It's nothing like the First/Cabin/Tourist classes of years ago when separate areas of the ship were assigned to each for sleeping, dining and entertainment and never met one another except at Sunday chapel. The "class system" is similar to that on any other cruise line these days: there are small areas exclusively for passengers who buy the most expensive suites but everyone has the run of the ship. On most ships today you will find a "class system" where certain pools or deck areas are reserved only for suite passengers.

 

(Most business hotels have a "class system" where only guests with key cards can access concierge floors.)

 

On Queen Mary 2 the "Grills" passengers have a small high aft deck for their use and a Concierge Lounge on the deck which is almost exclusively suites. There is no "in your face" roped-off area in the theatre or planetarium. Afternoon tea is served to all passengers.

 

On formal nights all the main restaurants and alternative dining require formal dress. Those who don't want to dress can use the buffet or room service. For formal dress a short cocktail dress for women or dark suit for men will do. For dinner, regardless of the dress code for that evening, jackets are always required for men. Ties are optional on informal nights.

 

Those who don't like a formal dinner atmosphere on their vacation won't like Cunard ships.

Edited May 1, 2014 by BlueRiband

[fishywood]

I understand that Cunard still has a "class" system, with some parts of the ship not accessible to certain pax. Is the entire ship equally dressy (as you describe) or just the higher class parts?

 

I have long been interested in trying Cunard, but I don't own an evening gown (I have some cocktail length dresses) and DH doesn't own a tux! So I am gathering info.

 

Cunard ships simply have a higher percentage of suite level passengers (the "Grills") than most other ships. But other than at meal time everyone blends together; there are far fewer "reserved" areas on Cunard than on the lines that have adopted the ship-within-a-ship "premium passenger" philosophy for those willing to pay the tariff: NCL, MSC...and coming soon to Celebrity.

 

When sets Cunard apart is the high compliance with the evening dress code--and the hue and cry from its faithful when said dress code was watered down just a bit last year. Gentlemen are still required to wear a jacket every evening, but official formal nights are now only two per week on cruises and three per week on Atlantic crossings (though some eight-night crossings have had four). Contrast with two lines cited upthread: Crystal now features "black tie optional" nights no more than once per week, and Celebrity has completely removed the requirement that gentlemen wear a tie on formal nights, only a jacket is required.

[jocap]

I think it's the same for most British managed lines....including Fred Olsen and P&O....the formal nights are in certain areas as well as the dining rooms, and the semi formal, with jackets, are the same. The 2 vast P&O family ships are cutting out the semi formal nights, but will still stop people entering the dining rooms in inappropriate clothes.