'Royal Ascot' formal evening.

[Slugsta]

I'm not sure what 'Royal Ascot' means in relation to evening wear. After all, Royal Ascot is a daytime event and some of the dresses worn there are far from suitable for the Cunard dining room!

 

Is there anything specific expected other than my lovely evening gown?

 

Many thanks.

[Lanky Lad]

I'm not sure what 'Royal Ascot' means in relation to evening wear. After all, Royal Ascot is a daytime event and some of the dresses worn there are far from suitable for the Cunard dining room!

 

Is there anything specific expected other than my lovely evening gown?

 

Many thanks.

 

Most people don't bother, but if you want to join in with the theme then a hat is all you need. If you don't want to bring one they usually have a workshop where you can make one.

[Jenny27]

I'm not sure what 'Royal Ascot' means in relation to evening wear. After all, Royal Ascot is a daytime event and some of the dresses worn there are far from suitable for the Cunard dining room!

 

Is there anything specific expected other than my lovely evening gown?

 

Many thanks.

 

Have attached the formal attire as posted by Cunard. Hope this helps.

 

Janice

cunard_theme_attire.pdf

[Underwatr]

Aside from Black and White, the ball wear is generally not expected in the dining room.

 

There's a guide to attire published on Cunard's website. For the Royal Ascot ball, they say,

The Royal Ascot Ball may be scheduled on a Formal or Semi-Formal night

Gentlemen - Black or grey morning coat, including a waistcoat and top hat

Ladies - Elaborately decorated hats or hair fascinators

(A hat decorating workshop is usually held on the afternoon before the ball)

[Lakesregion]

Aside from Black and White, the ball wear is generally not expected in the dining room.

 

There's a guide to attire published on Cunard's website. For the Royal Ascot ball, they say,

The Royal Ascot Ball may be scheduled on a Formal or Semi-Formal night

Gentlemen - Black or grey morning coat, including a waistcoat and top hat

Ladies - Elaborately decorated hats or hair fascinators

(A hat decorating workshop is usually held on the afternoon before the ball)

 

It would seem that even Cunard is conflicted with a Royal Ascot Ball and then telling the gentlemen to wear morning coats. The morning coat along with striped trousers was at one time the attire for all city gentlemen during the day followed up with white tie and tails for dinner and the evening. How far we have slipped in such a short period of time.

 

Better Cunard should hold a Royal Ascot Tea and offer up strawberries and cream along with champagne.

[Tothesunset]

It would seem that even Cunard is conflicted with a Royal Ascot Ball and then telling the gentlemen to wear morning coats. The morning coat along with striped trousers was at one time the attire for all city gentlemen during the day followed up with white tie and tails for dinner and the evening. How far we have slipped in such a short period of time.

 

Better Cunard should hold a Royal Ascot Tea and offer up strawberries and cream along with champagne.

Just one point of order Mr Chairman. In the UK white tie was traditionally reserved for royal occasions but has now been devalued as a dress code in less elevated circles. However, white tie is still de rigueur for royal formal dinners (or mess kit with white waistcoat[which are hideously expensive, by the way] for Officers).

[Slugsta]

Hubby was muttering about a top hat - but I pointed out that this was a formal dinner, not fancy dress. Perhaps I was wrong!

 

I think a hat would look a bit daft with my strapless dress but a fascinator might be OK. I am the archetypal clutz, it would be interesting to see what I ended up with, should I decide to have a go at decorating one myself! :D

 

Thanks for your input, it is always nice to hear what people actually do, as opposed to what Cunard suggest.

[BigMac1953]

Hubby was muttering about a top hat - but I pointed out that this was a formal dinner, not fancy dress. Perhaps I was wrong!

.

 

Don't get too excited! You will find that only a very small percentage of the pax will bother, and they are the ballroom dancers. The other 2,899 won't bother.

 

Stewart

[david,Mississauga]

On only two of my last seven crossings have I seen a gentleman in a tail coat, and in both cases it wasn't the suggested morning coat but evening white tie. It was an evening function, after all. On one crossing, on the evening of the Royal Ascot ball the gentleman arrived for dinner in the Queen's Grill wearing his top hat, which he handed to Osman who kept it for him during the meal.

[3rdGenCunarder]

It would seem that even Cunard is conflicted with a Royal Ascot Ball and then telling the gentlemen to wear morning coats. The morning coat along with striped trousers was at one time the attire for all city gentlemen during the day followed up with white tie and tails for dinner and the evening. How far we have slipped in such a short period of time.

 

Better Cunard should hold a Royal Ascot Tea and offer up strawberries and cream along with champagne.

 

Yes, please!

 

As others have said, not a lot of people bother with the Royal Ascot "dress code." I did see a fair number of fascinators, as they're easy to pack. But I didn't see any morning coats or top hats on our crossing.

 

For a real Ascot hat, you'd want something larger, and that would have to travel in its own hatbos (carried onboard by your maid, of course ;)).

[Lakesregion]

Yes, please!

 

 

 

For a real Ascot hat, you'd want something larger, and that would have to travel in its own hatbos (carried onboard by your maid, of course ;)).

 

That is what all those inside cabins on the upper decks on the QE2 were for as they were near the Grill cabins and the "maid, Man Servant or Nanny" could be close by. I have a couple of passenger lists that show passengers traveling with attendants and this was in 2008. Wonder how many there are today with Cunard's mass marketing efforts?

[majortom10]

Just returned today from QM2 and very few people dressed any differently than any other formal night. A few made dodgy strange hats onboard and there were a few women wearing fascinators other than that there was nothing special.

[Azafran]

I went to our local McMillan Charity shop and got a lovely hat for £5 to go with one of my cocktail dresses which I will be wearing for our upcoming cruise on QM2. Not sure whether to wear hat to dinner or go back to cabin after dinner to collection it.

 

Advice greatly rec'd. Hubby won't be wearing a top hat & tails tho. Tux suit for him with matching bow tie to my dress/hat colours.