Dress code for men on Cunard gala

[Tattycoram]

In the last few months after booking our TA, I've watched a number of cruising videos from Emma Cruises and Gary Bembridge, most on the Cunard, some not.  There is definitely a visible step up on Cunard in the evening, and I think more in the day also.  

 

(I've outed myself as a men-in-tuxedos fan; I'm not a huge fan of men in short--they seem infantilizing to me unless it's for a specific task like gardening or tennis--and even then I dream of Monty Don or Rod Laver).

[D&N]

10 minutes ago, Tattycoram said:

I'm not a huge fan of men in short

Apart from my seafront runs and gym visits, I did wear shorts a few times in the last fortnight for 10km walks with my wife in sunshine. My last bloods did show a slight decline in vitamin D. I thought I best expose a bit more skin to the sun. It'll be a while before I let the doc have another look at me so there is plenty of time to raise the reading.

 

But I probably will be wearing tailored shorts around the house and outside in daytime for the next few months because the temperature isn't going to drop below 20C until September, and probably 30C+ in the sun for most of that time.

[david63]

3 hours ago, Ocean_Liner_Traveller said:

Certainly things change and Cunard had to follow suit

Is it change or evolution?

[Ocean_Liner_Traveller]

21 minutes ago, david63 said:

Is it change or evolution?

 

I think this depends on each viewer's point of view.

 

Is evolution always a progress, for example?

 

You gain some. you lose some.

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, Ocean_Liner_Traveller said:

We somehow older Cunardians (I was blessed to travel on QE2) were forever spoiled 🙂 by Cunard dress code, when at least a jacket was nessesary for men during 'Elegant Casual' nights, or jacket and tie during 'Semi-Formal' nights. Then every night, not only gala ones, was a feast.

 

Certainly things change and Cunard had to follow suit by relaxing the dress code, but it is so much worth dressing elegantly even beyond gala nights and contributing voluntarily to this special atmosphere.

 

Ha.....I remember those QE2 days of Formal, Semi Formal, Elegant Casual and in the Caribbean on one of those Tropical Outside Deck Buffets....Resort Casual....

 

So Simple Phrases remembered from one sailing to the next sailing.

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, Tattycoram said:

(I've outed myself as a men-in-tuxedos fan; I'm not a huge fan of men in short--they seem infantilizing to me unless it's for a specific task like gardening or tennis--and even then I dream of Monty Don or Rod Laver).

 

We feel very comfortable in shorts on board from breakfast on for on deck activities and tour excursions.

 

Of course they should look presentable and not like going out to wash the car or water the lawn.

[exlondoner]

31 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

We feel very comfortable in shorts on board from breakfast on for on deck activities and tour excursions.

 

Of course they should look presentable and not like going out to wash the car or water the lawn.

You have different categories of shorts??

[Tattycoram]

22 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

 

23 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

We feel very comfortable in shorts on board from breakfast on for on deck activities and tour excursions.

 

Of course they should look presentable and not like going out to wash the car or water the lawn.

Indeed!

 

I just caught the final (I think) episode of Ben and David's "brutal" (their word) video review on YouTube of their recent TA.  One of their complaints in their summary was that the ship was not formal enough!  I found this funny considering in an earlier episode they'd complained a bit about how they liked to be comfortable and how ties and shoes were uncomfortable and it was a pain to pack a suit--yet one of them had a jacket that was too short and tight and the other had a light-colored large checked suit for day wear.  Also none of their button-down shirts were ironed. Ironing is a unisex life-skill!  They made a bit of a deal out of Cunard billing itself as a luxury line (do they?) but much of the experience struck them as Margaritaville.

 

Lots of things they didn't like are exactly what I'm looking forward to: time to read and talk without being bombarded by announcements, noisy jollity, waiters in the halls shilling special drinks.  I must say the food they showed often looked fairly unappetizing.  They found the crew overworked and glum.

 

I also continue to be puzzled by how much they paid--$5000, I think they said, for a sheltered balcony.  That's more than twice what we paid for the same.

[Tattycoram]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

You have different categories of shorts??

Sure!  I agree!  Like the differences between hiking shorts with all those cargo pockets, tailored Bermuda shorts, and Bertie Wooster's description of "flutter bags"!

[NE John]

13 minutes ago, Tattycoram said:

Ben and David's "brutal" (their word)

They use lots of “clickbait” language on their channel. They seem to like the more party/active ships and their constant drama of being in “fourth class” became a bore after awhile. Implying that they were in fourth-class/steerage while showing videos of them experiencing the beautiful Britannia MDR, white-gloved served afternoon tea, and their nice sheltered balcony room seems non-credible. 
Yes, Cunard does themselves non favor sometimes by overhyping themselves a bit and while being too wordy with marketing. 
 

 

Edited June 16 by NE John

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

You have different categories of shorts??

 

Yes, in the USA we do have many various styles of shorts and many mail order catalogs available to us as Tattycoram describes. And maybe even more in boutique, outdoors and hunting catalogs.

 

I wouldn't do a sailing with cargo shorts for added space. 

[Tattycoram]

I currently live in Vineyard Vines country.  What's the fashion in your part of Brooklyn, if that's where you still live?

[BklynBoy8]

16 minutes ago, Tattycoram said:

I currently live in Vineyard Vines country.  What's the fashion in your part of Brooklyn, if that's where you still live?

 

Multi Cultural - Multi Ethic.....you name it - we got it !

[PORT ROYAL]

9 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

Multi Cultural - Multi Ethic.....you name it - we got it !

Agree… Also diversity in manners and toilet training.

[WantedOnVoyage]

There are shorts and shorts.  Surely that cannot be an obtuse concept?  Gym, track, running, hiking, golf, resort wear... the list is as boundless as the occcasion. 

 

On Mediterranean cruises (after "turning the corner"), in the Grills, I will get by with "deck" shorts for breakfast but always change for lunch into long linen shorts and a button-down short-sleeve shirt. And change again to go back on deck. 

 

And Merchant Navy shorts.... I could not fit into mine anymore even I wanted to,but those awful white polyester short shorts of the 1980s-90s. Yuck!  The knee socks did not save the look, either.

 

Happily, Cunard have never had "tropical" rig like P&O and BI or "Red Sea Rig" for evenings, either. 

 

 

 

 

[NE John]

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

Multi Cultural - Multi Ethic.....you name it - we got it !

I’m stuck between you two: Connecticut and Brooklyn!  Definitely New England preppy up here but I miss my Brooklyn days in a lot of ways too. 

[BklynBoy8]

3 minutes ago, NE John said:

I’m stuck between you two: Connecticut and Brooklyn!  Definitely New England preppy up here but I miss my Brooklyn days in a lot of ways too. 

[Napagirl]

On 6/16/2024 at 12:06 PM, Tattycoram said:

 

Lots of things they didn't like are exactly what I'm looking forward to: time to read and talk without being bombarded by announcements, noisy jollity, waiters in the halls shilling special drinks. 

 

I don't recall if I saw it in the video or in one of their comments, but there was a complaint that there wasn't music piped into the public spaces. THANK GOODNESS! Sometimes that piped in music is so bad - sorry, I'm a little bit of a music snob haha - but I'd rather silence if it's fake "jazz" or some such. 

[Classiccruiser777]

On 6/13/2024 at 7:53 AM, MCC retired said:

Never witnessed 99% wearing tux's onboard17 Cunard sailings?

Perhaps the Grills guests but not Brittania.

Dark suit will be just fine.

Just off QM2 after 23 days. On “gala evenings” in Britannia most men had tuxes or a white dinner jacket and the others dark suits with ties. On the less formal evenings most men wore a sport jacket/blazer, many with a tie.

[Windsurfboy]

On 6/16/2024 at 3:10 PM, BklynBoy8 said:

 

 

I feel bad for those on the other lines of what they are missing celebrating the true meaning of Sailing.

 

I presume you unconsciously mean other US cruise lines , as the British lines in the main have the same dress code as Cunard on formal nights  with a similar high degree of conformity.