Ladies who've sailed on Cunard

[Sue from Canada]

I've never sailed Cunard but now have a 21 day B2B (NY to Southampton to NY) cruise booked for July.  I'm not sure whether to cancel it before final payment.

I'm stressed out about all the evening wear I'd have to bring.  On HAL I only eat the the main dining room on formal nights.  But on Cunard's QM2 I've read about evening gowns etc.

So ladies, what kind of outfits did you bring / wear.  Thanks

 

[shipgeeks]

That sounds like a fabulous cruise!

I would highly recommend planning to eat in the MDR every evening.  Cunard's buffet does not compare well to HAL's, and as well, dress codes are enforced in most venues (theater, etc.), so passengers not dressed to the code are very limited as to where they can spend the evening.

That said, dress does not have to be ball gowns with poufy skirts.  Many will wear long dresses or cocktail dresses; others find a pair of dressy black slacks and a nice top more than adequate.  On non-formal nights men will be wearing suits or sport coats, so women tend to dress accordingly.  And you can certainly repeat all your evening outfits.

[*Miss G*]

You will love Cunard!  I never wore gowns; just cocktail dresses.  Don’t cancel!

[ABoatNerd]

Did QM2 in June.

 

I wore pant suits on formal nights - not a problem.

 

It is not as dressy as historical.

 

Don't worry - dress nicely as per a wedding for example. No need for gowns etc.

 

Gentlemen should have a jacket and a tie on the most formal nites - otherwise, a jacket.

 

Have a grand time on the best ship on the seas - QM2!

[bz]

I agree, don't cancel.  a long or short black dress can be dressed up many ways.  We were on for 16 nights and I fit everything into a 24 inch suitcase and a carry-on.  It was the Baltic in May, so also needed warm & cold wseather clothes.  Yes, it is dressier, but no need to go overboard.  Some sparkly earrings, a pretty shawl.  Wonderful speakers, great music, don't miss it.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I have sailed Cunard for years, and I love the ambiance of evenings on the Queens. Dress for dinner, don't default to the buffet. The food on QM2's buffet is good, but the layout is confusing and the ambiance is awful. 

 

The trick is to find simple dresses that pack well and don't take up huge amounts of space. I did a 7-day Montreal to NY on QM2 on just one suitcase and my carry-on. My friends had the same amount of luggage--actually less, as their carry-ons were smaller than mine. We ladies did gowns and cocktail dresses AND had enough clothing for the cool days in port. The gentleman managed a tux and a suit and daywear. 

 

I dress above the minimum, but I have done it long enough to know what travels well and shop and pack accordingly. I bring simple gowns for formal nights. Or a long black skirt and beaded tops (real beads on silk, not something with glitter on it), which will look like a gown. Not poufy ball gowns, although I've seen some of those on QM2. I have NO idea how I would pack a dress like that! I still follow the old 3-level system. Long dress for formal nights.  If it's informal (or whatever they call the not formal nights) and a sea day,  a cocktail dress (usually a LBD) and good jewelry. If it's informal and a port day, I might go the LBD route or pants and a "sparkly top." 

 

On a longer cruise, I will wear dresses more than once. Change up a shawl or lightweight jacket and you can get several wearings out of a LBD. For a crossing, I don't rewear formal night clothing, as that's only 3 nights, and I love dressing up. But the LBD and LRD might be worn twice with different accessories. Or if I have room, I throw in a green dress or a blue dress for variety.

 

If I'm sailing RT from NY, I will splurge on shoes and evening bags. If I'm flying, one pair of black heels and one pair of red or gold heels (sandals, so they don't take up much room). 

 

Don't stress about the theme nights. That's just a thing for dancing in the Queens Room, and it isn't mandatory. Most themes are easy, like black and white or Cunard (add something red!). I love the roaring 20's theme. I found a beaded "flapper" dress on ebay. It packs in almost no space and is fun to wear. I wondered if I would be the only one in my 1920's dress, but lots of women did.

 

[colonialinnkeeper]

We did the TA from Southampton to New York and loved every minute of it.  The speakers are top notch and very interesting (we had a retired astronaut, a former ambassador and a professor of music).  They have a wonderful library and we found comfortable places each day to read.  We roamed the ship looking at the different art work and admired the design and elegance of the ship.

 

Each evening we ate in the dining room as the "lido" kind of dining was not what we wanted to do.  The food and service are excellent.  There is dancing each evening, special lunches, lovely afternoon teas and interesting people to meet.   

 

My husband had a suit and tie for informal evenings and a tux for formal (suit is fine for formal evenings too).  I had  a long black skirt and took several silk tops for formal and then two long but less dressy dresses for the other evenings.   One was black and I took two pashmina's in bright colors to use with it.  I used a packing cube for all these things and were able to pack into one that was about 12 x 15 x 3 inches.  We had been in Europe for three weeks prior and done a HAL cruise for 14 days in Norway so needed layers for that.  We each took a 25" piece of luggage and one on board wheeler.    It is one of the memorable vacations--don't miss cruising on the QM2.   Enjoy and let us know what you think of your trip if you decide to go through with it.

[jimdee3636]

My wife and I (HAL 4-star Mariners) were on a similar QM2 21-night crossing this past summer (NY to Southampton and Liverpool, up to Reykjavik, back to NY by way of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia). There were seven formal nights. We ate dinner every night in the Britannia Restaurant (MDR) and had pre-dinner drinks every night at the Chart Room (adjacent to the restaurant). Everyone was "dressed up" in these venues on formal nights, but I saw very few floor-length gowns. As others have said, cocktail dresses or dressy slacks/fancy blouses are more the norm, as are tuxedos or white dinner jackets for men. But even on "informal" nights, men have to wear at least a sport coat in these venues (about a third of the men also wore ties), so women also tended to dress a bit more elegantly than on non-formal HAL nights. 

 

It all meant a bit more packing and a bit longer getting dressed for dinner, but it was worth it. I'd go for it if I were you.

[bennybear]

We too enjoyed Cunard, and didn’t find we had to dress much differently than Hal.  Only men must wear a jacket every night.   It did look very nice.  We found the buffet to be very good,  but the MDR a bit of a disappointment.   We really enjoyed their high teas and library! 

Edited November 25, 2019 by bennybear

[TiogaCruiser]

RuthC has posted in the past about using shoe clips to change up shoes. I’ve used her (brilliant) idea and Saved some weight and space.

[Seasick Sailor]

We were on QM2 from NYC to Southampton last year.  We dressed well each evening in MDR. The buffet area was not at all "confusing". A lively and lovely chocolate night. The soups and sushi were delicious. The Cunard cruises dress are a tad above HAL dress code, in my opinion. You will love the cruise!

[Sue from Canada]

A big thank you to all who've responded to my call for advise.  Wow, seven formals on a 21 night cruise!!!  You've convinced me to go ahead with the cruise (I'm going solo) and got a great deal on a balcony a while back plus free gratuities.   I love the idea about shoe clips.  Thank you again.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Sue from Canada

[mizcruz]

Loved our TA Southampton to NY in July 2018.  I wore a nice dress and husband a sport coat on all non-formal nights.  Formal nights I wore a long black skirt and different sparkly tops and husband wore a tux.  One thing the QM2 has that lots of ships no longer have it self serve laundry facilities.  The machines are free and they even supply the detergent!  You could always take fewer things to wear during the day and wash them as needed.  That leaves more room for your nice evening wear!

[3rdGenCunarder]

14 minutes ago, mizcruz said:

Loved our TA Southampton to NY in July 2018.  I wore a nice dress and husband a sport coat on all non-formal nights.  Formal nights I wore a long black skirt and different sparkly tops and husband wore a tux.  One thing the QM2 has that lots of ships no longer have it self serve laundry facilities.  The machines are free and they even supply the detergent!  You could always take fewer things to wear during the day and wash them as needed.  That leaves more room for your nice evening wear!

 

That's my strategy!

 

Plus there's often good gossip to be had in the launderettes. 

[rafinmd]

Sorry, not a lady but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyway.  Don't think of this as a 21-day cruise.  Most people will get off and on at the 2 Southampton stops and I see no reason not to pack for a 7-day cruise.

 

QM2 has excellent laundry rooms on pretty much every deck and they're free.  One thing that is missing and you may want to bring a few is dryer sheets.  Everything else you could want or need for the laundry is there.

 

Roy

[Sue from Canada]

10 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Sorry, not a lady but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyway.  Don't think of this as a 21-day cruise.  Most people will get off and on at the 2 Southampton stops and I see no reason not to pack for a 7-day cruise.

 

QM2 has excellent laundry rooms on pretty much every deck and they're free.  One thing that is missing and you may want to bring a few is dryer sheets.  Everything else you could want or need for the laundry is there.

 

Roy

Good points Roy.  I've just added dryer sheets to my list.  It will be hard doing my own laundry after having it free on HAL for a few years.  What can a lady do (LOL)

[Sue from Canada]

11 hours ago, mizcruz said:

Loved our TA Southampton to NY in July 2018.  I wore a nice dress and husband a sport coat on all non-formal nights.  Formal nights I wore a long black skirt and different sparkly tops and husband wore a tux.  One thing the QM2 has that lots of ships no longer have it self serve laundry facilities.  The machines are free and they even supply the detergent!  You could always take fewer things to wear during the day and wash them as needed.  That leaves more room for your nice evening wear!

Thanks for the tips.   Can't wait for the after Christmas sales as I need a long black skirt and dress.  This is going to be an adventure.

[Scrapnana]

I was on the 2014 World Voyage on Queen Elizabeth.  One of my tablemates had only one outfit for formal nights - a little black dress (we had 35 formal nights out of the 118 nights of the cruise).  She changed the dress up with scarves, jewelry, jackets, etc.  Even without the poufy ballgowns, the ambience of a formal night on Cunard is amazing.  You get a glimpse into what travel looked like when the transatlantic crossings were the way to go.

[Sue from Canada]

3 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I was on the 2014 World Voyage on Queen Elizabeth.  One of my tablemates had only one outfit for formal nights - a little black dress (we had 35 formal nights out of the 118 nights of the cruise).  She changed the dress up with scarves, jewelry, jackets, etc.  Even without the poufy ballgowns, the ambience of a formal night on Cunard is amazing.  You get a glimpse into what travel looked like when the transatlantic crossings were the way to go.

118 days and 35 formal night.  Goodness, I can't even imagine how much luggage one would have.  I remember one of my HAL cruises where this lady booked an inside cabin just for her 35 hat boxes!!!  Maybe I'll bring one of my fascinator hats for high tea.

[*Miss G*]

On my first Cunard cruise I was fascinated by a woman who had brought 17 suitcases of clothes for one of her sailings.  She said they stored them somewhere on the ship until she called for them as needed.  Imagine the logistics!  Some people care a whole lot more about clothes than I do.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 minute ago, *Miss G* said:

On my first Cunard cruise I was fascinated by a woman who had brought 17 suitcases of clothes for one of her sailings.  She said they stored them somewhere on the ship until she called for them as needed.  Imagine the logistics!  Some people care a whole lot more about clothes than I do.

 

If it was back in the days of QE2, that ship had a luggage master and a storage area adjacent to his office. I remember doing a crossing followed by a 10-day break and then a crossing to go home. We were able to leave excess luggage onboard with the luggage master. 

 

While it's certainly possible to rewear outfits, there is a poster on the Cunard boards who always takes a different outfit for each night, even on a long cruise. If we were back in the day when ladies had maids, I would do that. Come to think of it, I'd me more likely to have been the maid rather than the Lady.