I am still confused about the dress code.

[bluemarble]

@WestonOne, I may be able to help with the concerns you are having about whether that jacket you have suggested fits the dress code 'to the letter'. Although you probably won't find the Gala Evening dress code written this way on the Cunard website these days, here is how it has been written out more fully in the past (emphasis mine).

 

"Gala:

On Gala nights it’s dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit for the men with a regular tie or bow tie. Evening or cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separates for the ladies please. You can also wear formal national dress and military uniform."

[WestonOne]

I have little doubt Cunard would accept the jacket.  My concern, in so far as I have any, is about other passengers.  I want them to enjoy their holidays as well.  Judging by the posts on here, most people would be quite happy.  So it is interesting to hear from one who might not be,  to represent the other view (if that is indeed their view.)

Edited July 26, 2022 by WestonOne

[Victoria2]

27 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I have little doubt Cunard would accept the jacket.  My concern, in so far as I have any, is about other passengers.  I want them to enjoy their holidays as well.  Judging by the posts on here, most people would be quite happy.  So it is interesting to hear from one who might not be,  to represent the other view (if that is indeed their view.)

It's incredibly thoughtful of you to consider your fellow passenger's feelings but may I say without appearing glib, most of your fellow passengers wouldn't give a fig if you wore your lovely coat, or not on a Gala night. 

 

Any rose coloured view of an evening on Cunard does not match the reality of being onboard. Most passengers will comply in some way with the advised dress of the evening but although some might wish to perpetuate it, the Gilded Age of 'dressing for dinner' in Black or even White tie, is over. Gala nights give those who wish, a chance to bring out their finery and your coat sounds pretty fine to me. Wear it with panache. No 'offense' will be given and if it does, the problem will lie with them, not you.

 

[sandancer]

We happily comply with the Cunard dress code, indeed Gala nights are one of the reasons we sail with Cunard. We have however, only sailed in Europe. Is the dress code for smart casual evening relaxed for more tropical waters? I am thinking here of short sleeved collared shirts. Still smart but no tie or cufflinks. 

[PORT ROYAL]

2 hours ago, sandancer said:

We happily comply with the Cunard dress code, indeed Gala nights are one of the reasons we sail with Cunard. We have however, only sailed in Europe. Is the dress code for smart casual evening relaxed for more tropical waters? I am thinking here of short sleeved collared shirts. Still smart but no tie or cufflinks. 

Unable to comment on the current, or future, dress codes.  However, based on one’s previous tropical cruise experiences, the suggestion made would be perfectly acceptable for day and/or evening buffet wear.

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by PORT ROYAL

[groryjm]

On 7/18/2022 at 3:17 AM, bluemarble said:

.......

Then last year the dress code was amended so that jackets are no longer required for gentlemen on Smart Attire evenings. The photos on the "What to pack" page were never changed (both gentlemen are still wearing jackets) but the wording on that page was changed to read as follows.

 

"Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress."

 

I suppose it's still up for discussion whether a t-shirt ever qualifies as a dress shirt. However, once you are on board the ship, here is how the Smart Attire dress code is actually worded in the daily programmes.

 

"Smart Attire.
Gentlemen, every night we request you wear trousers with a collared shirt; jacket and tie are optional. Ladies, blouses and skirts or stylish trousers and dresses are welcome."

.......

My Gastrgnome and I are new to Cunard but not cruising. We usually cruise Celebrity out of Southampton and if anything probably over dress for that line but we dress for our pleasure not others. We are taking a cruise in Oct to the Northern Lights on Queen Victoria in a Q2 and the dress code is confusing. If it was Black Tie or White Tie as in the heyday of crusing then I we would have no problem and the gala nights seem fairly straight forward. I assume a white dinner jacket would be ok for "Black and White" and a black dinner jacket with a Masqurade themed waist coat and tie would work for "Masqurade"

 

 

For "Roaring Twenties" could I get away with my marroon paisly velvet dinner jacket?

 

 

The smart atire is where I'm unsure. Mostly I would wear a waist coat, so as to wear my watch, and probably a jacket but on occasions when I don't wear a tie, which the code seems to say is ok, I would choose a collarless shirt. Not a tee shirt but a white linnen buttoned shirt or a Nepalese style shirt.....

 

 

 

 

 

.....are these ok for smart atire or should I not pack any of my collarless shirts and pack only collared ones for these evenings?

 

Also is black tie acceptable on nights designated as "smart".

 

I am afraid this will probably be the first of many questions on this board over the next couple of months as while we are comfortable with cruising and very much like to dress in the evenings we are new to cunard and very much looking forward to a new experience. My Gastrognome is less worried as she always seems to look good but wants to know what I will pack so as to coordinate her dresses and trouser suits to my attire.

Edited July 26, 2022 by groryjm

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, sandancer said:

We happily comply with the Cunard dress code, indeed Gala nights are one of the reasons we sail with Cunard. We have however, only sailed in Europe. Is the dress code for smart casual evening relaxed for more tropical waters? I am thinking here of short sleeved collared shirts. Still smart but no tie or cufflinks. 

In our QV past experiences, I'm thinking the Pacific Ocean here, common sense reigned and chaps who were getting hot under the collar in a hot restaurant, were actively encouraged to take off their jackets. That level of heat didn't happen too often but it did occur.

 

Like Port Royal, I have no experience of the post Covid dress advice changes and in the absence of any first hand knowledge [maybe this will generate definitive rather than aspirational answers] I would say a short sleeved collared [as opposed to polo style] 'dress' shirt worn under a jacket, would be entirely correct and if too hot in the restaurant and  you took off your jacket, I don't think you'd be offending.

 

 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

groryjmcIn my non new dress code experience my personal opinion is the photo of your Nehru shirt and waistcoat would to me, be of the more daytime look but may be others with actual experience will be able to tell you definitively.

Your  Gala wear is very different and will be fine. There will be other chaps equally colourfully dressed. Not many but you will have some fellow friends. You'll all definitely stand out in the crowd! 😃

[carlmm]

34 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

In our QV past experiences, I'm thinking the Pacific Ocean here, common sense reigned and chaps who were getting hot under the collar in a hot restaurant, were actively encouraged to take off their jackets. That level of heat didn't happen too often but it did occur.

 

Like Port Royal, I have no experience of the post Covid dress advice changes and in the absence of any first hand knowledge [maybe this will generate definitive rather than aspirational answers] I would say a short sleeved collared [as opposed to polo style] 'dress' shirt worn under a jacket, would be entirely correct and if too hot in the restaurant and  you took off your jacket, I don't think you'd be offending.

 

 

 

 

 

Totally opposite to my experience, certainly no encouragement to take your jacket off. That is a total no. 

Also a total no to short sleeved shirts in the rooms that follow the Dress code.

[carlmm]

52 minutes ago, groryjm said:

My Gastrgnome and I are new to Cunard but not cruising. We usually cruise Celebrity out of Southampton and if anything probably over dress for that line but we dress for our pleasure not others. We are taking a cruise in Oct to the Northern Lights on Queen Victoria in a Q2 and the dress code is confusing. If it was Black Tie or White Tie as in the heyday of crusing then I we would have no problem and the gala nights seem fairly straight forward. I assume a white dinner jacket would be ok for "Black and White" and a black dinner jacket with a Masqurade themed waist coat and tie would work for "Masqurade"

 

 

For "Roaring Twenties" could I get away with my marroon paisly velvet dinner jacket?

 

 

The smart atire is where I'm unsure. Mostly I would wear a waist coat, so as to wear my watch, and probably a jacket but on occasions when I don't wear a tie, which the code seems to say is ok, I would choose a collarless shirt. Not a tee shirt but a white linnen buttoned shirt or a Nepalese style shirt.....

 

 

 

 

 

.....are these ok for smart atire or should I not pack any of my collarless shirts and pack only collared ones for these evenings?

 

Also is black tie acceptable on nights designated as "smart".

 

I am afraid this will probably be the first of many questions on this board over the next couple of months as while we are comfortable with cruising and very much like to dress in the evenings we are new to cunard and very much looking forward to a new experience. My Gastrognome is less worried as she always seems to look good but wants to know what I will pack so as to coordinate her dresses and trouser suits to my attire.

Yes, you should pack collared shirts instead.

[Victoria2]

26 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Totally opposite to my experience, certainly no encouragement to take your jacket off. That is a total no. 

Also a total no to short sleeved shirts in the rooms that follow the Dress code.

Experiences differ.

Unless you were on the same cruises as us and in the same restaurant, you cannot say the taking off of jackets is/ was a total no no or that senior wait staff didn't encourage that so please do not say 'That is a total no no'.

It happened. In fact, it  happened a few times on various Pacific Ocean cruises.

 

I defer to your knowledge on short sleeved shirts as you must have current first hand experience of the new tweaked evening attire for the chaps to be so definite.

 

That is of course, unless your comment is borne out of aspirations rather than actual onboard experience

 

Either way, a short sleeved 'dress' shirt under a jacket is absolutely fine and if a fellow diner with such a shirt removed his jacket due to a hot restaurant with  aircon which couldn't cope [and yes, it happens],  I will add to  my comment by saying I would not be offended at the short sleeves.

Edited July 26, 2022 by Victoria2
added 'at the short sleeves'.

[Windsurfboy]

The taking off of jackets question is irrelevant now jackets are optional.

 

As for shirts dress code says a dress shirt, which actually has no agreed definition. However I think it's accepted it means a collar, but not a polo shirt. No guidelines about sleeve length or pattern, but a Hawian shirts I guess would fail.

 

As for groryjm Neru shirt,  in India it would be a dress shirt.  Cunard do not say which country's definition of dress shirt to follow.

 

As for groryjm  pictures, in principle all look fine within dress code, but I hope I don't sound too judgemental,  but an iron might make one or two of them more "smart attire"

[Victoria2]

26 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

The taking off of jackets question is irrelevant now jackets are optional.

 

As for shirts dress code says a dress shirt, which actually has no agreed definition. However I think it's accepted it means a collar, but not a polo shirt. No guidelines about sleeve length or pattern, but a Hawian shirts I guess would fail.

 

As for groryjm Neru shirt,  in India it would be a dress shirt.  Cunard do not say which country's definition of dress shirt to follow.

 

As for groryjm  pictures, in principle all look fine within dress code, but I hope I don't sound too judgemental,  but an iron might make one or two of them more "smart attire"

You are correct in principle but it isn't irrelevant if short sleeved shirts don't meet the required ask and are therefore worn under a jacket, which was the point of my contribution. 

 

As to shirt sleeve length, I'll leave that to those who have experience of evening casual wear in the New World of Cunard evening attire.

[sandancer]

So my DH will save his short sleeves for daytime wear and wear long sleeve shirts in the evening. However, as it is now acceptable to go jacketless, he will not wear a jacket every night. Gala nights will be white DJ as we are in warmer waters. Black DJ stays home this time. 

[Victoria2]

30 minutes ago, sandancer said:

So my DH will save his short sleeves for daytime wear and wear long sleeve shirts in the evening. However, as it is now acceptable to go jacketless, he will not wear a jacket every night. Gala nights will be white DJ as we are in warmer waters. Black DJ stays home this time. 

You never know, s.s.shirts might be acceptable evening casual  in warmer climes. Those with actual experience will be able to help you out more than those of us who have yet to experience the new order..

 

Whatever, have a wonderful cruise. 🙂

[escrick]

Having read all the posts on this topic, I am beginning to question whether my husband and I will fit into the Cunard culture.  We have not been on Cunard before, and currently have deposits on two cruises in the next year.  We are used to formal attire as both of our careers required us to attend black tie events.  We are retired now and, although we will follow the dress codes, we are not about to suffer angst over our choices. I understand that a lot of people need reassurances, but some of the responses seem somewhat dictatorial and maybe arrogant.  Please forgive me if I am being too analytical here.

[Victoria2]

18 minutes ago, escrick said:

Having read all the posts on this topic, I am beginning to question whether my husband and I will fit into the Cunard culture.  We have not been on Cunard before, and currently have deposits on two cruises in the next year.  We are used to formal attire as both of our careers required us to attend black tie events.  We are retired now and, although we will follow the dress codes, we are not about to suffer angst over our choices. I understand that a lot of people need reassurances, but some of the responses seem somewhat dictatorial and maybe arrogant.  Please forgive me if I am being too analytical here.

You are not the first 'newbie' to question whether Cunard 'is for you' and you definitely won't be the last.

 

A lovely post #45 says it all. What you read here might be seen as over analytical and definitely there is a degree of arrogance  from some in any dress code'ish threads. The reality onboard is quite different. 

Most passengers will  follow the code of the day to the best of their ability and if their interpretation doesn't match those of the 'not like this in our day' school of thought then tough.

 

No one will be judging apart from admiring colourful waistcoats and [me] envying those ladies who are capable of wearing absolutely stunning dresses. 😄

 

[elmsliebev]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

You are correct in principle but it isn't irrelevant if short sleeved shirts don't meet the required ask and are therefore worn under a jacket, which was the point of my contribution. 

 

As to shirt sleeve length, I'll leave that to those who have experience of evening casual wear in the New World of Cunard evening attire.

We are currently on board. Short sleeved shirts are fine in the Britannia dining room, as are polo shirts, with or without jackets. The key word is “collared”. Polo shirts have a collar and are acceptable. Some gents are in a long sleeved shirt and tie, some are not. I’ve not seen any jeans in the Britannia dining room in the evening. 
As I’ve said before most people are dressing up for gala nights, and there are some lovely outfits. 

[sandancer]

That’s good news. Can’t see him in a polo shirt but short sleeves are definitely go. 

[Victoria2]

9 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

We are currently on board. Short sleeved shirts are fine in the Britannia dining room, as are polo shirts, with or without jackets. The key word is “collared”. Polo shirts have a collar and are acceptable. Some gents are in a long sleeved shirt and tie, some are not. I’ve not seen any jeans in the Britannia dining room in the evening. 
As I’ve said before most people are dressing up for gala nights, and there are some lovely outfits. 

Great. Definitive advice from a passenger onboard now.

 

Thank you.

 

Hope you're having a wonderful time.

[rrraydon]

“The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules” 😉

Edited July 26, 2022 by rrraydon

[Host Hattie]

9 minutes ago, rrraydon said:

“The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules” 😉

Have you sailed with Cunard ? I have seen and heard people reminded of the code of the day after 6pm.

[rrraydon]

8 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Have you sailed with Cunard ? I have seen and heard people reminded of the code of the day after 6pm.

Allow me to attempt to clarify..

 

”The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules”~~Barbossa

 

Loosen up…

[escrick]

9 minutes ago, rrraydon said:

 

Allow me to attempt to clarify..

 

”The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules”~~Barbossa

 

Loosen up…

Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses to me.  I have time to change my mind about Cunard.  I understand that posts sometimes go from one extreme to another.  I think “moderation” is usually a path that helps rather than hinders.

[D&N]

I must stress that this is my personal opinion and others are more than entitled to theirs, and Cunard can accept or enforce whatsoever they choose.

 

I own many polo shirts. To me the key is in the name 'polo', therefore I consider them to be sports wear and only wear them in casual settings and wouldn't consider wearing one to a restaurant for lunch or dinner. They're not much use for sport either not being made of sweat wicking fabrics.

I wouldn't consider a shirt to be collared unless it's designed to be worn with a tie.

 

I break shirts into:

White, winged collar, double cuffed for formal nights.

Long sleeved, no pocket, are dress shirts, not for business as there's nowhere for a pen.

Long or short sleeved with pocket, business shirts.

I wore some of the latter at breakfast and lunch on QM2 and do so for dinner on hot summer nights at Riviera restaurants.