Can I survive being casual on Transatlantic Queen Victoria?

[durante]

You can definitely survive QV in casual clothes. And enjoy the experience. We have done over 15 Cunard cruises but had never previously thought about breaking the Formal nights as it has been fun dressing up for them and everyone looks fabulous.

However, last month we did a cruise on QV, and after eating in the main dining restaurant on the first night, because the service was so slow and the food dreadful, went to the Lido for the remaining evenings. Food was superior to MDR and it was really relaxing to be dressed casually sitting next to window. There were many other people doing the same thing.

 

Regarding going to the theatre etc in the evening, you would be fine as long as your clothes looked smart and your shoes were not obviously sport style.

[Jimsgirl]

You can definitely survive QV in casual clothes. And enjoy the experience. We have done over 15 Cunard cruises but had never previously thought about breaking the Formal nights as it has been fun dressing up for them and everyone looks fabulous.

However, last month we did a cruise on QV, and after eating in the main dining restaurant on the first night, because the service was so slow and the food dreadful, went to the Lido for the remaining evenings. Food was superior to MDR and it was really relaxing to be dressed casually sitting next to window. There were many other people doing the same thing.

 

Regarding going to the theatre etc in the evening, you would be fine as long as your clothes looked smart and your shoes were not obviously sport style.

 

What did you wear for evening ? Did you really feel you were doing the correct thing ignoring Cunards "request" that the dress code should be complied with after 6 p.m in the Public areas?

 

OP made it clear that he intended wearing jeans and T shirt. Such attire can never be designated "smart" it is always (even when clean and fresh )"casual". He also said he wanted to take his preferred choice of drink in a can to MDR.

 

I often buy a glass of wine in the Chart Room ( on QM2) and take it with me to the MDR, because the wine service -by the glass- is so slow, it often does not come until desert. However the glass is very obviously a wine glass, I cannot imagine anyone taking a can to the MDR for ANY MEAL.

 

I must also say that service is often slow on the first night. Several reasons :- waiters may have come on board that day. Passengers are slow to sit at table , slow to order because it is their first time on Cunard. I would have gone to the MDR the second night and if food and service was still poor, I would have spoken with the Maitre D'

 

I would never eat dinner in the buffet every night, do not find atmosphere pleasant, do not like walking around with a tray trying to find a table, with my food getting cold. Why pay $$$$ for such an experience?.

[bkecky]

Purell VF481 is in use on QM2 (both in the sprayers and in bottles) and has been shown to be effective against Noro. But still use soap and warm water as well.

 

http://www.handwashingforlife.com/files/Norovirus_Study.pdf (See page 40)

 

For those who are interested...

 

Yes, VF481 is the most effective, as shown here in this article from the journal of Food and Environmental Virology.

 

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12560-011-9053-x#page-1

Edited July 4, 2014 by bkecky

[uilleann]

What did you wear for evening ? Did you really feel you were doing the correct thing ignoring Cunards "request" that the dress code should be complied with after 6 p.m in the Public areas?

 

OP made it clear that he intended wearing jeans and T shirt. Such attire can never be designated "smart" it is always (even when clean and fresh )"casual". He also said he wanted to take his preferred choice of drink in a can to MDR.

 

I often buy a glass of wine in the Chart Room ( on QM2) and take it with me to the MDR, because the wine service -by the glass- is so slow, it often does not come until desert. However the glass is very obviously a wine glass, I cannot imagine anyone taking a can to the MDR for ANY MEAL.

 

I must also say that service is often slow on the first night. Several reasons :- waiters may have come on board that day. Passengers are slow to sit at table , slow to order because it is their first time on Cunard. I would have gone to the MDR the second night and if food and service was still poor, I would have spoken with the Maitre D'

 

I would never eat dinner in the buffet every night, do not find atmosphere pleasant, do not like walking around with a tray trying to find a table, with my food getting cold. Why pay $$$$ for such an experience?.

 

Uh OH.... Beware anyone providing reasonable answers to my question... The "dress code police" will jump all over you!!

[bkecky]

What did you wear for evening ? Did you really feel you were doing the correct thing ignoring Cunards "request" that the dress code should be complied with after 6 p.m in the Public areas?

 

OP made it clear that he intended wearing jeans and T shirt. Such attire can never be designated "smart" it is always (even when clean and fresh )"casual". He also said he wanted to take his preferred choice of drink in a can to MDR.

 

 

I think the OP originally was asking about eating in the Lido and other areas of the ship in the evening? Unless I missed something, which is possible :D I have actually seen people being turned away from the theatre due to not having at least a tie on. Perhaps standards have fallen since then. I suspect it is more down to the individual on the door. Although I am very much for upholding the dress code, there is the option to dine in the Lido or your cabin every night if you choose to do so and everyone has the right to do so.

 

And to the OP, I am 27 years old and I still like to uphold the formal standards of Cunard. I'm not old or overweight and I have met many young people on Cunard who feel the same way. You say that you don't dress to please anyone else, yet you are very quick to judge how others dress if they don't adhere to what you like (self-esteem, man-made rules etc.). I will wear high heels, I will wear make up and I will enjoy the experience. It's not for anyone else, it's for me. Just as you wore a suit every day for work, I on the other hand wear casual clothes most of the time and love the opportunity to dress up. It is nothing to do with self-esteem, it is because I love doing it. I first went on Cunard when I was 11 on the Caronia and I have such fond memories of my grandma and I getting ready together for the formal evenings. Well, we are still making those memories! And we have some wonderful pictures with my grandpa in his tux too!

 

There are areas you can go if you choose not to do that. I realise that isn't for everyone and there are areas you can go (although very few) if you wish to not dress formally. There is still the rest of the ship in the daytime. I'm not going to try to persuade you to dress up.

[pepperrn]

Uh OH.... Beware anyone providing reasonable answers to my question... The "dress code police" will jump all over you!!

There have been loads of "reasonable answers" in this thread to your original question (mine included, post #7).

 

However, you appear to define "reasonable answers" as only those which agree with your stated views. Beware anyone providing an answer you don't want to read.

Edited July 4, 2014 by pepperrn

[capnpugwash]

There have been a lot of answers and a degree of thread drift but rather than perpetuate this matter we can simplify the answers.

1. Yes you can.

2. No you can't.

3. Yes you should.

4. No you shouldn't, mustn't and daren't.

 

I think that the OP can perm any 2 from 4.

[pmb1]

... I on the other hand wear casual clothes most of the time and love the opportunity to dress up. It is nothing to do with self-esteem, it is because I love doing it. I first went on Cunard when I was 11 on the Caronia and I have such fond memories of my grandma and I getting ready together for the formal evenings. Well, we are still making those memories! And we have some wonderful pictures with my grandpa in his tux too! ...

Well said, bkecky! I pity those of the next generations who will have only jeans and tee shirt memories of their ancestors.

[Lady49Monet]

This thread has become a long yawn. I think it is clear to everyone that the original poster is not interested in any help or answers to his question. He can go stark naked into the MDR or dress in whatever he likes; Cunard will no doubt sort it out. I suggest he addresses his question to them.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[uilleann]

This thread has become a long yawn. I think it is clear to everyone that the original poster is not interested in any help or answers to his question. He can go stark naked into the MDR or dress in whatever he likes; Cunard will no doubt sort it out. I suggest he addresses his question to them.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Not true... Read my original question.

 

The question is .... Can I survive on the Queen Victoria if I am in my T shirt/ clean jeans/ and vest. That is my uniform of the day. Very comfortable. and its what I choose to wear. Can I eat at the Lido like this at all times? Are there other food venues that I can go to onboard. Will I be shot on site if I am walking the common areas of the ship during formal nights?

 

No Hissy Fits please.... Just the facts please.

 

I got several good valid answers. Yes you can survive being casual. Eat at the lido or bring your lido food to the garden area, or eat in your room. I even got some detailed answers on other transatlantic cruises that are less formal.

 

But the majority of answers were in the category of hissy fits. And if someone is rude to me.... I do not have the ability to hold back from being rude.

Although I have found that many of the fits were direct attacks on me where my were directed for at the types of people who behave this way.

 

I knew, from my experience on the HAL forum, that I would get some rude comments on my question, but on HAL at least about 20% of the comments were thoughtful valuable information. The Cunnard Snoot level, is much much higher. I would guess that about 5% added value..... but I did get the info I needed so thanks to those posters.

 

So yes.... I ultimately behaved like, what you Brits call, a wind up. But if you read the trail of posts here you will see that I did not start the wind up till some posters went off on my question.

 

BTW ..... Another. Observation on HAL. I had a bunch of people who would jump on very one of my questions. They were things like when and where can I smoke a cigar, how much wine can I bring on board. Can I sneak wine on board? Can I use walkie talkies on board? Can I leave my deck window open at night. All were valid questions and most, I did not know were hot buttons. I started to put people on my ignore list so I did not have to listen to the rude comments to my questions. But here is the interesting observation. None of the rude people were on our roll call? Further when i went to the get together on the cruise..... everyone was very nice, not snooty. They all had a good laugh with us when they found out who Uilleann was. Some of them said that they wanted to come to my rescue on the forum but did not want to deal with the rude people who were sure to descend on them. Also found a a couple who was MUCH more informal than us..... And I was glad to see it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Shawnino]

OK! Maybe that's settled then?

 

As long as we're asking questions, I was thinking about taking an EB crossing and I was wondering if I could bring my own, Pacific seawater for the QM2 to sail in. I spent nearly 40 years looking at Atlantic seawater and quite naturally I'm sick of that and it's time to throw off the oppression of Atlantic seawater. Just because that's what's always been between North America and England, I tell you now, you upper-crust whatevers, that's not the way it has to be. You may think you're better than everyone else with your fancy-schmantzy Atlantic seawater, but you're not.

 

118 posts further along the thread I'll openly admit to winding you all up, sure I will, but in the meantime I demand that this seawater issue be taken seriously.

 

No Hissy Fits Please... just the facts please...

[pmb1]

OK! Maybe that's settled then?

 

As long as we're asking questions, I was thinking about taking an EB crossing and I was wondering if I could bring my own, Pacific seawater for the QM2 to sail in. I spent nearly 40 years looking at Atlantic seawater and quite naturally I'm sick of that and it's time to throw off the oppression of Atlantic seawater. Just because that's what's always been between North America and England, I tell you now, you upper-crust whatevers, that's not the way it has to be. You may think you're better than everyone else with your fancy-schmantzy Atlantic seawater, but you're not.

 

118 posts further along the thread I'll openly admit to winding you all up, sure I will, but in the meantime I demand that this seawater issue be taken seriously.

 

No Hissy Fits Please... just the facts please...

No problem, Shawn, as far as I'm concerned anyway. But, you do realize that you will have to supply over a billion tons of Pacific sea water to pull this off, don't you? The math is straight forward: QM2 displacement (~75000 tons, note not her GRT) times the miles between Halifax and Southampton (~3000) times QM2 lengths per mile (~5), 75000 x 3000 x 5 = 1 125 000 000.

[Lady49Monet]

Not true... Read my original question.

 

The question is .... Can I survive on the Queen Victoria if I am in my T shirt/ clean jeans/ and vest. That is my uniform of the day. Very comfortable. and its what I choose to wear. Can I eat at the Lido like this at all times? Are there other food venues that I can go to onboard. Will I be shot on site if I am walking the common areas of the ship during formal nights?

 

No Hissy Fits please.... Just the facts please.

 

I got several good valid answers. Yes you can survive being casual. Eat at the lido or bring your lido food to the garden area, or eat in your room. I even got some detailed answers on other transatlantic cruises that are less formal.

 

But the majority of answers were in the category of hissy fits. And if someone is rude to me.... I do not have the ability to hold back from being rude.

Although I have found that many of the fits were direct attacks on me where my were directed for at the types of people who behave this way.

 

I knew, from my experience on the HAL forum, that I would get some rude comments on my question, but on HAL at least about 20% of the comments were thoughtful valuable information. The Cunnard Snoot level, is much much higher. I would guess that about 5% added value..... but I did get the info I needed so thanks to those posters.

 

So yes.... I ultimately behaved like, what you Brits call, a wind up. But if you read the trail of posts here you will see that I did not start the wind up till some posters went off on my question.

 

BTW ..... Another. Observation on HAL. I had a bunch of people who would jump on very one of my questions. They were things like when and where can I smoke a cigar, how much wine can I bring on board. Can I sneak wine on board? Can I use walkie talkies on board? Can I leave my deck window open at night. All were valid questions and most, I did not know were hot buttons. I started to put people on my ignore list so I did not have to listen to the rude comments to my questions. But here is the interesting observation. None of the rude people were on our roll call? Further when i went to the get together on the cruise..... everyone was very nice, not snooty. They all had a good laugh with us when they found out who Uilleann was. Some of them said that they wanted to come to my rescue on the forum but did not want to deal with the rude people who were sure to descend on them. Also found a a couple who was MUCH more informal than us..... And I was glad to see it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

Well that was all extremely amusing😃 if you didn't intend it to be suggest you seek help

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Shawnino]

@pmb1: Thank you. FINALLY somebody on these boards with a can-do attitude. A little bit of positivity was desperately overdue with all the nattering nabobs of negativism on this board. So I can just have the steward bring that water to my stateroom right?

 

I can only assume boarding my unicorn in the kennels will be similarly straightforward?

[pmb1]

@pmb1: Thank you. FINALLY somebody on these boards with a can-do attitude. A little bit of positivity was desperately overdue with all the nattering nabobs of negativism on this board. So I can just have the steward bring that water to my stateroom right?

 

I can only assume boarding my unicorn in the kennels will be similarly straightforward?

Get real, Shawn. Water in staterooms doesn't keep QM2 afloat; alcohol in passengers does. And the kennels rules are just as clear: "Kennels are only open on Queen Mary 2 ... for Dogs and Cats ..." Of course, if you have an assistance unicorn, no problem; in fact, it may accompany you free of charge.

[Underwatr]

You wouldn't want to do that. I can tell you from experience that Pacific water is much rougher than Atlantic.

[kahtrav]

We are sailing Cunard for the first time in Feb. We are not formal people but have the basics - May be a bit repetitive (sure don't have Maggie Mou's wardrobe - see Cunard world cruise threads) on formal nights, but we knew that when we booked (usually sail HAL).

 

There are lots of trips across the pond in the spring and even other times that aren't Cunard (and less expensive and less formal). Even though we may find Cunard a bit too formal for us, we'll be fine -(we wanted to give it a try - long test since its an 83 day WC lol). I think OP isn't going to be very happy with it.

[DreamflightPat]

You wouldn't want to do that. I can tell you from experience that Pacific water is much rougher than Atlantic.

Sailed the Pacific this February and I have never seen seas so calm. Couldn't believe it.

[jimmybean]

Dear uilleann,

 

I'm late reading this thread, but it does promote strong reaction from me.

 

Like you, for me the choice of going by sea has a lot to do with not being willing to fly. Unlike you, I think being respectful of our fellow man has a higher priority than being rebellious or self-centered or even an individualist.

 

If you traveled more, you would realize British people eat EVERYTHING with a knife and fork. To me, it looks like their forks are held upside-down and I'm sure they must think the same of my fork. But, beyond regional idiosyncrasies, there are also universal "good manners."

 

Being inconsiderate of others is just very bad manners. Sometimes, one just does what is right, because it is right. Disrespecting rules---which are important to others--is never right.

 

I don't believe Cunard's dress code should be interpreted as a ploy to alienate or intimidate. It is a universally applied standard onboard Cunard ships. It can be managed with good common sense. It doesn't have to be off-putting.

 

I started reading this thread feeling some sympathy for you. Not everyone fits into the same box of ideology and differences make the world go around.

There really are limits, however, to what can be individualism and what is being egocentric without considering how it affects others.

 

I am a huge fan of postings by Jimsgirl (Lynn). She is a hero to me and an offerer of sage wisdom. It is not right for you to adversely affect passengers like Lynn because of what can only be defined as choosing a path of selfishness.

 

Salacia was being kind, warning you that eating with your fingers could lead to illness. She could have said "crass and boorish" but she is too much of a lady to police your postings with comments that might be misconstrued as impolite and judgmental.

 

I would have encouraged you to problem-solve (like the fine, causally-dressed, poster who merely uses for room service for dinner on Cunard--sorry I forgot your CC name) or I would have encouraged you to just man-up and wear the uniform of the day, but really your selfishness would come out in some form onboard ship---which would, in the end, diminish some other passenger(s) voyage.

 

I could suggest you just take an airplane. From what I've read (I don't fly myself) there are large numbers of unpleasant people misbehaving on airplanes. You might find you fit in better in that setting.

 

Rather, I suggest you go look in the mirror, decide to be a good citizen of groups you want to join, sacrifice occasionally for the greater good, respect instead of rebel, change your CC name and come back to the forum with a different attitude. You would be embraced instead of flamed.

 

It really isn't clothes that make the man. It is attitude and character.

[Victoria2]

Objective answer to what has become a bit of a wind up issue.

 

The question is .... Can I survive on the Queen Victoria if I am in my T shirt/ clean jeans/ and vest. That is my uniform of the day. Very comfortable. and its what I choose to wear.

 

Yes

 

Can I eat at the Lido like this at all times?

Yes but take into consideration this Cunard advisory from the FAQ and which is published in the Daily Programme as a reminder-

'Please note that after 6pm, shorts and blue or worn denim (for men and women); sandals and sleeveless tops (for men) are not considered appropriate within the ship.'

 

Are there other food venues that I can go to onboard.

Yes

 

Will I be shot on site if I am walking the common areas of the ship during formal nights?

Cunard don't go in for blood sports but eye brows will be raised.

No Hissy Fits please.... Just the facts please.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

If you're asking can you eat in any other venue other than the Lido and your cabin of an evening, in your ultra casual attire, I think the answer will be, or should be, NO.

[jimmybean]

I apology, in advance, for my interpretation of Salacia's posting to be anything other than what she said---I have no way of knowing what Salacia's thoughts are. My comments were only my interpretation and I shouldn't have tried to apply any other meaning than what Salacia said herself.

My bad. I am sorry.