Gala/Formal Evenings

[mcloaked]

Of course there is also the fact that for people who want to not dress up in the evenings at all there are many more cruise lines that offer cruises on board ships where you can dress as you like and never have to dress up for a formal or Gala evening - but for those of us who enjoy being a part of the atmosphere where almost everyone is dressing formally a couple of evenings a week, there are only a few cruise lines on whose ships we can do it.  Most people who do like dressing up do not go onto the forums for the other cruise lines complaining that they don't require formal dress on some evenings, but it seems there are always some who will be on this forum saying they should have the freedom to not adhere to a request to dress formally on the few nights in a week when it is requested. Let those who like to do it enjoy the cruises lines where this remains a custom that clearly many continue to get pleasure from, and let those who wish not to do so enjoy the many opportunities offered by a significant number of cruise ships where no request to do so is ever made.

[ExArkie]

2 hours ago, mcloaked said:

...but for those of us who enjoy being a part of the atmosphere where almost everyone is dressing formally a couple of evenings a week, there are only a few cruise lines on whose ships we can do it...

First, let me whole heartedly agree with your assessment. Many of the complaints about "you shouldn't make me wear a tie" will also point out that one can wear formal attire when desired without requiring everyone to do so. However, the atmosphere of the ship is different when everyone is formally attired as opposed to half or fewer of the passengers having done so. This is the main point (to me) about having formal evenings - it makes me feel like I am a part of something different than what I encounter every other day of my life. That is important.

 

Short illustration: When I was in college, longer ago than many can imagine, the choir and madrigal group wore tuxes for our concert performances. When we had an afternoon performance and an evening performance, the break time usually did not coincide with meal service times in the dining hall. Therefore, several of us usually ended up at a fast-food outlet dressed in our tuxes and eating burgers. That would satisfy the "if you want to dress up, you can" comments, but definitely did not have the atmosphere that one encounters on Cunard Gala Evenings.

 

Second, a question - you state that there are "only a few cruise lines" with formal nights. What are the others, besides Cunard? I was not aware any other lines ever expected men to wear ties.

[Windsurfboy]

Other lines with formal  black tie/DJ/Tuxedo nights I know of.

 

P&O

Saga

Silversea

 

 

[mcloaked]

4 hours ago, ExArkie said:

First, let me whole heartedly agree with your assessment. Many of the complaints about "you shouldn't make me wear a tie" will also point out that one can wear formal attire when desired without requiring everyone to do so. However, the atmosphere of the ship is different when everyone is formally attired as opposed to half or fewer of the passengers having done so. This is the main point (to me) about having formal evenings - it makes me feel like I am a part of something different than what I encounter every other day of my life. That is important.

 

Short illustration: When I was in college, longer ago than many can imagine, the choir and madrigal group wore tuxes for our concert performances. When we had an afternoon performance and an evening performance, the break time usually did not coincide with meal service times in the dining hall. Therefore, several of us usually ended up at a fast-food outlet dressed in our tuxes and eating burgers. That would satisfy the "if you want to dress up, you can" comments, but definitely did not have the atmosphere that one encounters on Cunard Gala Evenings.

 

Second, a question - you state that there are "only a few cruise lines" with formal nights. What are the others, besides Cunard? I was not aware any other lines ever expected men to wear ties.

 

One example is Crystal Cruises - see https://www.crystalcruises.com/guidebook/shipboard-life-guidelines-policies

 

and the section therein called "Black Tie Optional Attire"

[orchestrapal]

10 minutes ago, mcloaked said:

 

One example is Crystal Cruises - see https://www.crystalcruises.com/guidebook/shipboard-life-guidelines-policies

 

and the section therein called "Black Tie Optional Attire"

And it is truly OPTIONAL. We saw very few Tuxes and many men in sports jackets on Crystal.

It was and hopefully will still be a wonderful experience.

 

[Jim9310]

6 minutes ago, orchestrapal said:

And it is truly OPTIONAL. We saw very few Tuxes and many men in sports jackets on Crystal.

It was and hopefully will still be a wonderful experience.

 

 

Heartily agree!  I prefer lengthy cruises, and Crystal has been  my favorite Cruise line, to date!

[lissie]

19 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

NO. It would appear that Cunard is not really the venue for your life style. It is traditional attire and when they state country club attire they do not mean your local public course. absolutely no shorts after 6 pm any wear on the ship.

And this is the sort of nonsense that made me nearly back out of Cunard before I'd sailed. Personally I've eaten dinner on the QE wearing a swimsuit, sarong and bare feet. Admittedly it was an "australian bbq" on the pool deck - and I don't think it was a formal night! 

 

I certainly saw shorts being worn by men in the Lido after 6pm.

[Host Hattie]

On deck is fine but not indoors after 6pm according to the published dress code

[PORT ROYAL]

5 minutes ago, lissie said:

And this is the sort of nonsense that made me nearly back out of Cunard before I'd sailed. Personally I've eaten dinner on the QE wearing a swimsuit, sarong and bare feet. Admittedly it was an "australian bbq" on the pool deck - and I don't think it was a formal night! 

 

I certainly saw shorts being worn by men in the Lido after 6pm.

Perhaps the men wearing shorts on the QE after 6 pm were the Australians that were barbecued?
Interesting deterrent for any noncompliance of the Cunard dress code.😉

[Liberal_Baggie]

I make a point of running around the decks from about 5.0 pm in my shorts/running top then when the penguins start flapping around about 5.45 I pack it in and have a shower by the poolside and jump in the pool to cool off. Grab a towel and cover myself up as much as possible then keep out of the way and creep back to the cabin using little used routes. Never had a problem. Then its pre -dinner drinks time once dressed up too the code and its great! really missing my Cunard ships.

 

[Lakesregion]

22 hours ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I make a point of running around the decks from about 5.0 pm in my shorts/running top then when the penguins start flapping around about 5.45 I pack it in and have a shower by the poolside and jump in the pool to cool off. Grab a towel and cover myself up as much as possible then keep out of the way and creep back to the cabin using little used routes. Never had a problem. Then its pre -dinner drinks time once dressed up too the code and its great! really missing my Cunard ships.

 

Consider using the robe provided by Cunard.

[lissie]

4 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Consider using the robe provided by Cunard.

Yeah because people jogging  or walking around the desk look so much more well dressed wearing a robe????? 

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

Yeah because people jogging  or walking around the desk look so much more well dressed wearing a robe????? 

You need to read the post I was replying to. The poster stated that they wrapped a towel around themselves after showering and snuck back to their cabin. No one is criticizing their running attire.

[lissie]

6 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

You need to read the post I was replying to. The poster stated that they wrapped a towel around themselves after showering and snuck back to their cabin. No one is criticizing their running attire.

I did read it - I did something similar. How was the poster supposed to have their robe when they'd gone straight from running  to the pool?  I use a sarong which I can wear as a scarf when exercising but I can understand a man not wanting to do that.  The point is that he didn't go back to his room.  

 

Our cabin was on level 1 - I got in the habit of putting togs  on under shorts - doing some laps of deck 3 walking up to the aft pool - having a swim and then grabbing a towel to wrap around me to get back to my room. I too discovered which lifts to use which were less busy. I sure as hell wasn't wearing a robe all the way though that exercise. 

[Victoria2]

3 hours ago, lissie said:

I did read it - I did something similar. How was the poster supposed to have their robe when they'd gone straight from running  to the pool?  I use a sarong which I can wear as a scarf when exercising but I can understand a man not wanting to do that.  The point is that he didn't go back to his room.  

 

Our cabin was on level 1 - I got in the habit of putting togs  on under shorts - doing some laps of deck 3 walking up to the aft pool - having a swim and then grabbing a towel to wrap around me to get back to my room. I too discovered which lifts to use which were less busy. I sure as hell wasn't wearing a robe all the way though that exercise. 

And if everyone did this? I'm all for a bit of leeway if men take their jackets off in the restaurants in very hot temperatures but not grabbing towels to wrap around swimwear  to sneak back through the ship, and that goes for male or female.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Victoria2

[lissie]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

And if everyone did this? I'm all for a bit of leeway if men take their jackets off in the restaurants in very hot temperatures but not grabbing towels to wrap around swimwear  to sneak back through the ship, and that goes for male or female.

So how would you prefer prefer people to get back from the pool? Naked? 

[wolfie789]

17 minutes ago, lissie said:

So how would you prefer prefer people to get back from the pool? Naked? 

We have never struggled to take a bag of clean clothes and change at the pool in the facilities provided. Just as in a smart hotel we would never think it acceptable to walk through the ship in a towel or a robe for that matter. 

[PORT ROYAL]

What a person deems to be acceptable when some on cruise lines, is not on seen to be de riguour  on Cunard.  This is the essence of the debate.  Therefore, before booking, there has to be a question asked to self. To Cunard or not to Cunard?  There are no half measures, or yea buts.

 

[majortom10]

End of the day its down to people's personal standards and manners. I would never consider walking through a hotel from my room to pool/spa area wearing a swimsuit and just a towel so why should it be different on a 5 star cruise line.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

So how would you prefer prefer people to get back from the pool? Naked? 

 

Try changing poolside to required cover ups. It's not difficult.

[PORT ROYAL]

A thought.

Lissie from Australia? 

Is your father Leslie?
 

[ExArkie]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

So how would you prefer prefer people to get back from the pool? Naked? 

You know, technically I don't know that that is specifically prohibited under the day time dress code. Definitely in violation of the spirit, if not the specific language, for evening dress.

[Victoria2]

32 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

You know, technically I don't know that that is specifically prohibited under the day time dress code. Definitely in violation of the spirit, if not the specific language, for evening dress.

Technically, I agree. A towel does cover parts of the body. Sadly, Cunard might have to be even more specific for those few passengers who deem  a towel sufficient an article, can't call it clothing, to cover up swimwear in enclosed areas of the ship, day or evening.

[Craigrlewis]

Towelgate thread alert

[lissie]

7 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

 

Try changing poolside to required cover ups. It's not difficult.

There aren't changing rooms next to the pool - so you are suggesting I wriggle out of wet togs under a towel rather than wrap the towel around me? Or do you put a cover up on and just let it get wet through - dunno about men - but for woman that can be much more revealing