Not another dress code thread

[Windsurfboy]

21 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Smart Attire Dress Code

Having read many posts and Cunard’s information on the dress code.  One has reached the conclusion it’s the taste mindset of the poster that determines the direction of travel.  

On one side a Casual will set their limits in accordance with an interpretation of Cunard’s dress code minimums as being in good taste.  While those seeking to uphold Cunard’s dress code traditions feel the Cunard minimums interpretation by Casuals are perceived as being in poor taste. 
The gulf between taste mindsets will always remain.

 

 

All dress codes are by definition minimums.  I can only feel for those who find Cunards  Smart attire dress code as not being good taste . 

 

One should accept it, even if you are sad/angry at Cunards direction of travel. No one on this board traditionalist or casual has made the decision that is purely down to Cunard .

[Windsurfboy]

Personally  I'd have formal wear every night.

[PORT ROYAL]

13 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

All dress codes are by definition minimums.  I can only feel for those who find Cunards  Smart attire dress code as not being good taste . 

 

One should accept it, even if you are sad/angry at Cunards direction of travel. No one on this board traditionalist or casual has made the decision that is purely down to Cunard .

Accepted Carnavalisation is currently the direction of travel for Cunard Dress Codes, but one will decline to comply, having already decided to follow one’s own codes, regardless of anything published by Cunard.
One will commence this September by joining others following an unofficial Formal wear code, and interested to discover the level of comments received.  
 

Hopefully, there will be no ridicule by Casuals.  If so, it will be considered abuse, reported and sanctions pressed for.

 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

I love the idea of simply choosing to be more formal. Our two cruises booked for June and October will bracket the heavy gardening season during which we get dirty and sweaty every day growing and processing food for the year. There’s little I enjoy more than putting the dirty work aside for a week or ten days and seeing ourselves and our surroundings in a wholly different light.

 

we’re with the two posters above! Formal as we can be!

[Victoria2]

17 hours ago, D&N said:

Yes, we plan pretty much everything. We never go to the kitchen and say what would you like for lunch. We know what is planned before we shop. We can of course make changes to the plans.

There's close to 9 metres of packed rails in the wardrobes. We don't have space for my wife to take around 100 potential outfits so have whittled that down to what we agree are the best for evening wear and lunches. Many of the separates can be swapped giving more choice.

Incidentally if we go out for lunch at home, that is as a preference to dining because transport is easier. We're perhaps slightly more casual than in evenings, but we still dress differently than we would staying in.

You wouldn't like it at our house.  

Meals are often 'three jumps at the cupboard [fridge] door'!  😄

I have similar wardrobe issues, or should I say my husband has the  issues, I just have  metres of  packed rails!!

Pre Covid, apart from long dresses and other formal attire, I would say I wear at sea what I would wear at home. As leggings and extra large men's cashmere [for a tunic effect] sweaters have been my Covid winter staple, I am SO looking forward to actually wearing 'decent' clothes again. 

Bring on the cruises for '22!🙂

 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Accepted Carnavalisation is currently the direction of travel for Cunard Dress Codes, but one will decline to comply, having already decided to follow one’s own codes, regardless of anything published by Cunard.
One will commence this September by joining others following an unofficial Formal wear code, and interested to discover the level of comments received.  
 

Hopefully, there will be no ridicule by Casuals.  If so, it will be considered abuse, reported and sanctions pressed for.

 

I can't for one moment imagine there will be any detrimental comments about the level of dress of an evening from those who choose not to follow pre Covid dress ideals, and more specifically, dress less to impress and move to the frequently mentioned casual end of the scale.

 

Sadly, I can imagine the reverse from one or two.

 

 

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Personally  I'd have formal wear every night.

I would agree if it wasn't for the fact my husband wouldn't. Three evenings a week would be about right for us.

[Electra 7]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I would agree if it wasn't for the fact my husband wouldn't. Three evenings a week would be about right for us.

 

4 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Personally  I'd have formal wear every night.

If I was to make a choice I would go formal every night instead of casual

what I do not understand is why we cannot have at least one ship that will stay traditional I kept asking P&0 that and have now jumped ship to Cunard to find it is going the same way 

[PORT ROYAL]

36 minutes ago, Electra 7 said:

 

If I was to make a choice I would go formal every night instead of casual

what I do not understand is why we cannot have at least one ship that will stay traditional I kept asking P&0 that and have now jumped ship to Cunard to find it is going the same way 

Make that choice and go Formal every night, ignoring whatever is published by Cunard.

It’s one’s cruise, it’s one’s choice to fully enjoy, make a statement, make a stand.

Edited March 15, 2022 by PORT ROYAL

[Victoria2]

59 minutes ago, Electra 7 said:

 

If I was to make a choice I would go formal every night instead of casual

what I do not understand is why we cannot have at least one ship that will stay traditional I kept asking P&0 that and have now jumped ship to Cunard to find it is going the same way 

Mandatory formal every night on even one ship would more than likely be a financial black hole for  Cunard and the suits will be completely aware of that.

 

There is nothing stopping any passenger from scrubbing up to Black Tie every night should they so wish, but my husband doesn't possess enough dress shirts for thirteen nights of Black Tie, never mind three weeks or more which was our normal length of cruise,  so ship's laundry would do quite well out of us as I'm blowed if I would launder and iron pure cotton dress shirts!

[bluemarble]

10 hours ago, Mostonian said:

I have just received a leaflet from Cunard with regard to my next cruise. There is a photo of a group of people obviously having dinner in the  dining room and the man is depicted in a long sleeve shirt and no tie.  And the message is therefore that a jacket is no longer required as long  as you are smartly dressed, as is stated in their advice on what to wear.

 

Is the photo in your leaflet similar to this one Cunard is using as the main image of their Britannia Restaurant website page?

 

 

Hard to know for certain if this is meant to represent dinner rather than lunch. But we've had previous discussions on this board about how Cunard seems to have introduced more images like this in their restaurant photos the past few years.

[D&N]

6 hours ago, alc13 said:

As @D&N said, he looked a right scruff next to his wife in her gowns....

She's only taking 3 gowns, and only one of the gowns can compete with 3 x separates and one cocktail dress. Most of the others are just "dresses". This jump suit was the only garment I thought I would feel comfortable without a tie next to Nora.

But can't think why I would bother. I've never had a problem with wearing a tie. Early in my career I drove buses for 8 years (easiest job I've ever had). In summer colleagues were desperate to take their ties off as soon as the sun came out. If I had a particularly hot cab I would loosen the tie very slightly and open the top button of the shirt. I could never understand why some folk felt the need to display substantial quantities of hairy chest or sweat stained vest!

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

 

Is the photo in your leaflet similar to this one Cunard is using as the main image of their Britannia Restaurant website page?

 

 

Hard to know for certain if this is meant to represent dinner rather than lunch. But we've had previous discussions on this board about how Cunard seems to have introduced more images like this in their restaurant photos the past few years.

The waiter is in a white jacket, does that mean it's lunch ? Don't they usually wear dark jackets in the evening ?

[majortom10]

From my recent cruises on QE in August and November from last year and my experience from both Britannia restaurant and Princess Grill the dress code in the photograph would be acceptable and was seen on Smart Attire evenings.

[alc13]

55 minutes ago, D&N said:

She's only taking 3 gowns, and only one of the gowns can compete with 3 x separates and one cocktail dress. Most of the others are just "dresses". This jump suit was the only garment I thought I would feel comfortable without a tie next to Nora.

But can't think why I would bother. I've never had a problem with wearing a tie. Early in my career I drove buses for 8 years (easiest job I've ever had). In summer colleagues were desperate to take their ties off as soon as the sun came out. If I had a particularly hot cab I would loosen the tie very slightly and open the top button of the shirt. I could never understand why some folk felt the need to display substantial quantities of hairy chest or sweat stained vest!

After seeing your photo, I want to eat at your table -

[Lakesregion]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Mandatory formal every night on even one ship would more than likely be a financial black hole for  Cunard and the suits will be completely aware of that.

 

There is nothing stopping any passenger from scrubbing up to Black Tie every night should they so wish, but my husband doesn't possess enough dress shirts for thirteen nights of Black Tie, never mind three weeks or more which was our normal length of cruise,  so ship's laundry would do quite well out of us as I'm blowed if I would launder and iron pure cotton dress shirts!

The QE2 was formal every evening while at sea and many times even port days. And Cunard made serious money with that ship. So doubt they would have issues filling a real ocean liners with just traditionalists.

[lissie]

4 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

The QE2 was formal every evening while at sea and many times even port days. And Cunard made serious money with that ship. So doubt they would have issues filling a real ocean liners with just traditionalists.

You'd need a time machine - the QE2 retired in 2008. In 2008 my partner still  wore a suit and tie to the office. That stopped long before he retired - and he retired 5  years ago 

[Windsurfboy]

I just hope the , "formalists" stop worrying about other people's clothes enough to enjoy their cruise 

[exlondoner]

15 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Make that choice and go Formal every night, ignoring whatever is published by Cunard.

It’s one’s cruise, it’s one’s choice to fully enjoy, make a statement, make a stand.

 

Ironically, that is, mutatis mutandis, almost the same wording I have seen used by those who wish to justify wearing T shirts and shorts on formal nights.

 

Anyway, I do think the nice thing about Gala nights is that (nearly) everyone makes an effort and dresses up.

[Victoria2]

12 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

The QE2 was formal every evening while at sea and many times even port days. And Cunard made serious money with that ship. So doubt they would have issues filling a real ocean liners with just traditionalists.

QE2.  The good old days apparently. I wouldn't know as we never travelled with her.

 

These dress code topics which have the usual smatterings of bring back the gilded age of formality  make diverting topics  to debate.

 

Mandatory black tie for all every night, or when at sea, might have been  a ship filler in years gone by but If the idea were to be such a cash cow in today’s market, Cunard would have already used it as a marketing tool. Going forward,  it  will never, ever happen on a Cunard ship now, however much some CC members seem to want it.

 

For those on this board who have expressed their desire for every night [or at the very least every sea day] to be a Formal night on at least one ship, there is absolutely nothing stopping any one from dressing to their high standards in a personal capacity every night, so go for it. Uphold your ideals. 

 

To those who do it rather than just talk the talk,  I will admire  tremendously,  I really will, and will take time to consider seriously any amount of  gilded age issues from those people because they have principles by which they stand. If folk espouse the ideals but won't put them into practice, reality wins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

12 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

...Anyway, I do think the nice thing about Gala nights is that (nearly) everyone makes an effort and dresses up.

I agree and it gives me the chance to wear my formal  long dresses which quite frankly, very rarely see the light of day these days. 🙂

[exlondoner]

7 hours ago, lissie said:

You'd need a time machine - the QE2 retired in 2008. In 2008 my partner still  wore a suit and tie to the office. That stopped long before he retired - and he retired 5  years ago 

 

Actually it was long before she stopped sailing that QE2 stopped being formal every night and it was certainly before 1997, when I first sailed on her. And if you look at the publicity associated with her launch, she was supposed to be a contemporary modern Cunarder, not even with a red funnel, and there are many photos of people in trendy (for the time) 60s clothes.

[2BACRUISER]

56 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I agree and it gives me the chance to wear my formal  long dresses which quite frankly, very rarely see the light of day these days. 🙂

Ditto. The only time we get really dressed up for these days are weddings, hunt balls and days at The races, where ironically the uncouth youth all manage to be suited tied and booted and the doormen strict on dress code. 

[majortom10]

13 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

The QE2 was formal every evening while at sea and many times even port days. And Cunard made serious money with that ship. So doubt they would have issues filling a real ocean liners with just traditionalists.

Sorry much that I like formality on Cunard you cannot compare something today from something that hasnt sailed since 2008 a lot has changed since 2008 especially cruising.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

QE2.  The good old days apparently. I wouldn't know as we never travelled with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our very first cruise was on QE2 in 1997 and we had a fantastic time but being our first cruise we had nothing to compare how good it was and went on to cruise on her 4 or 5 times in proceeding years. There was certainly a lot more snobbery in those days pushed by not only some people who cruised on her but also the staff. We had 2 issues on our time on QE2 the first one being during afternoon tea in Queens Room and we sat at a table with a couple and he asked what I did for a living and told him I was  Firefighter and he said "oh an officer" and I replied no a Firefighter at which he clicked his fingers to the waiter to pick up his plate and tea and walked off and sat on another table with his wife following like a lapdog. The second was we were in a queue for some reason and cannot specifically remember what for when a member of staff came through saying "excuse me Queens Grill coming through they dont queue". On our last cruise on QE2 it was that bad we wrote and complained to Cunard and said I didnt want compensation as I would never cruise again on QE2 they replied with an offer of compensation for a future cruise on QE2 which I wrote back and declined saying I dont want compensation and like I had said previously wasnt complaining to get compensation. They wrote back and increased the offer of compensation and said I could use it on any Cunard ship which we did which meant a cruise on Caronia was virtually free. It was one of her last cruises before she was sold to Saga. On her retirement QE2 was well past her sell by date and was not "fit for purpose" but Cunarders with rose coloured spectacles imagined her as something that she wasnt and was surviving on history. After our Caronia cruise we did not sail again on Cunard for nearly 15 yrs and only returned because of my desire to sail on QM2.