Cunard: is it for me?

[Gill W]

A jacket - though not a tie - is required for men every night.

That's one of the reasons I couldn't see myself doing any more that a short break on a Cunard ship

[Andrea S]

Em, if it is chill out time do it in style. If that is over the top , nice jewellery and Chanel No 5 ????.!!!

[Solent Richard]

if you aren't comfortable dressing up then it's definitely not for you.

It's not so much about not being comfortable dressing up, I just don't want to be doing it every night of my holiday

Good morning Gill.

Then as I said, Cunard will not be for you.

Everyone else adheres to the rules for dining which makes Cunard what it is - that little bit more special - for those who have no problem dressing to a standard.

Have a nice day.

[Gill W]

if you aren't comfortable dressing up then it's definitely not for you.

It's not so much about not being comfortable dressing up, I just don't want to be doing it every night of my holiday

Good morning Gill.

Then as I said, Cunard will not be for you.

Everyone else adheres to the rules for dining which makes Cunard what it is - that little bit more special - for those who have no problem dressing to a standard.

Have a nice day.

Which ever ship I'm on I always adhere to the dress code each evening, and I'm happy to wear evening dress and cocktail dresss on the appropriate evenings.

But I don't want to do that every evening.

I enjoy smart casual evenings too, with the opportunity to wear a summer dress , or trousers and top, with carefully chosen accessories.

Smart casual is still dressing to a standard. Just because a person doesn't want to were sequins / jacket each evening, doesn't mean to say they want to slob out.

[towny44]

Hi John ,

At the end of the day (and strangely enough, it would be at the end of the day), if we are 'dining in' and not 'going out', what we wear is our business, and nothing to do with any cruiseline requirements.

When we 'go out' to eat we are never incorrectly dressed, and never break the dress code requirements. Likewise, if we eat in and then want to go out, we would still be correctly dressed in order to make use of the public areas.

Em

Would I be correct in assuming that for dining in the buffet no jacket would be required, if so would this standard of dress be satisfactory for the rest of the ship or not?

[david63]

Would I be correct in assuming that for dining in the buffet no jacket would be required, if so would this standard of dress be satisfactory for the rest of the ship or not?

Cunard dress codes can be found here and where they apply here

[towny44]

Would I be correct in assuming that for dining in the buffet no jacket would be required, if so would this standard of dress be satisfactory for the rest of the ship or not?

Cunard dress codes can be found here and where they apply here

Thanks David, seems the answer is yes, but you may feel like a pariah.

[Boris+]

Hi John,

I know for a fact that passengers can get away with a slight more relaxed way of dressing if they are simply going to the buffet - Kings Court or Lido. However, then there is the thorny problem that sometimes people who have 'dressed down' and eaten in the buffet wish to make use of public areas of the ship - and don't dress to the dress codes required.

I can sort of put up with passengers dressing down and going to and from the buffet, but no jeans or sportswear. However, it 'takes the biscuit' when some passengers blatantly use and enjoy the public areas whilst not going along with the dress code (eg jeans or shorts!) If we are 'dining in' (we've never had a main meal in Kings Court of the Lido) and we dress down, we don't go out and about unless we adhere to the dress code. Having said that, we don't go to many evening shows, and we try and do our onboard shopping on sea days during the day - especially in inclement weather as it is at least some exercise.

I have however seen people in shorts and tee shirts trying to get into public areas, and I have also seen people in bikinis and sarongs trying to get served afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge - it didn't work.

The most unfair thing I've ever seen though - and this was on Arcadia - one couple came into the Crows Nest bar. It was an informal evening, a bit later in the evening, and the chap was wearing a lovely V-neck sweater with shirt and tie. He was told to remove said item and get a jacket. Personally, considering it was an informal evening I didn't have a problem with the situation, everyone had sort of 'mellowed down', the music was mellow, and this chap looked very smart. They left the room and didn't return.

Em

[david63]

... and I have also seen people in bikinis and sarongs ...

Not sure I would want to go on a ship where men wear bikinis - but, hey, each to their own

[GillD46]

I believe passengers not wishing to wear a jacket may eat in the buffet and relax and have a drink in the Winter Gardens - at least that was definitely the case on the World Cruise this year. There were passengers ignoring the code throughout the ship (QM2) and sometimes they got away with it, sometimes they didn't. Providing they are clean and tidy, I don't have a problem personally, but accept others do.

My husband would like some evenings to be a little less formal - no jacket required for example - but that isn't the case and we like so much about Cunard, and especially the Grills, that we comply because that is what is requested.

[Dark Knight]

it appears that ,having read all the above posts, I will definitely not be darkening Cunard's door
I fully appreciate the dress codes but it seems to be taken to the Nth degree on Cunard
Not for me, a holiday is about relaxation and discovery, not poncing about in jackets and ties and Dinner jackets all the time

[Dancing Queen]

Hi John,

I know for a fact that passengers can get away with a slight more relaxed way of dressing if they are simply going to the buffet - Kings Court or Lido. However, then there is the thorny problem that sometimes people who have 'dressed down' and eaten in the buffet wish to make use of public areas of the ship - and don't dress to the dress codes required.

I can sort of put up with passengers dressing down and going to and from the buffet, but no jeans or sportswear. However, it 'takes the biscuit' when some passengers blatantly use and enjoy the public areas whilst not going along with the dress code (eg jeans or shorts!) If we are 'dining in' (we've never had a main meal in Kings Court of the Lido) and we dress down, we don't go out and about unless we adhere to the dress code. Having said that, we don't go to many evening shows, and we try and do our onboard shopping on sea days during the day - especially in inclement weather as it is at least some exercise.

I have however seen people in shorts and tee shirts trying to get into public areas, and I have also seen people in bikinis and sarongs trying to get served afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge - it didn't work.

The most unfair thing I've ever seen though - and this was on Arcadia - one couple came into the Crows Nest bar. It was an informal evening, a bit later in the evening, and the chap was wearing a lovely V-neck sweater with shirt and tie. He was told to remove said item and get a jacket. Personally, considering it was an informal evening I didn't have a problem with the situation, everyone had sort of 'mellowed down', the music was mellow, and this chap looked very smart. They left the room and didn't return.

Em

I do wish you wouldn't talk in riddles Em, you've recently told us that on your next cruise you are going to 'experiment' with 'dining in' and yet here you are saying 'if we are dining in and we dress down, we don't go out and about unless we adhere to the dress code' confused.com to say the least

[Quizzical Bob]

it appears that ,having read all the above posts, I will definitely not be darkening Cunard's door
I fully appreciate the dress codes but it seems to be taken to the Nth degree on Cunard
Not for me, a holiday is about relaxation and discovery, not poncing about in jackets and ties and Dinner jackets all the time

Thee and me Dk, thee and me.

[davecttr]

it appears that ,having read all the above posts, I will definitely not be darkening Cunard's door
I fully appreciate the dress codes but it seems to be taken to the Nth degree on Cunard
Not for me, a holiday is about relaxation and discovery, not poncing about in jackets and ties and Dinner jackets all the time

Thee and me Dk, thee and me.

Me too, if you remove the formality Cunard is just another cruise line.

[Boris+]

Hi Jo,

It's a busy day - trying to get something finished, so apologies if I've got it wrong.

Here is a shot at an explanation - it is completely and utterly true that we are determined to try out 'dining in' at some point this year. When we 'dine in' we most certainly will not be adhering to the dress code of the day, we will be relaxing in the suite. However, if it transpires that on a 'dining in' evening see that there is something worthwhile going 'out' for (a show maybe - but that's not very likely), then we would adhere to the dress code of the day in order to 'go with the flow' as far as the dress code is concerned and thereby cause no offence to other passengers.

It may well be that we will sort out our 'dining in' evenings according to whether there is any desire to go to a show etc. There's nothing confused about it - we'll go with the flow, and decide when we receive the ship newspaper and details of the entertainment for the following day what we think we are going to do about where we eat.

Making this change in our own personal approach to being onboard might just be the thing which prevents us from straying away from Cunard a bit (only now and again mind you).

Em

[Meg 50]

I have read this exchange with growing incredulity and more and more coming to the conclusion that I wouldn't touch Cunard with a bargepole

- why? because of the attitudes of a couple of posters on this thread.

I have several friends who sail Cunard regularly - including a couple who did the 3 Queens worldie and I am sure that from what all of them have said and from some of the saner, less demeaning posts on this thread that it is not that different from P&O...

BUT

I don't want to risk meeting the' holier than thou', that those couple of posters are exhibiting, in the flesh

[Dancing Queen]

Hi Jo,

It's a busy day - trying to get something finished, so apologies if I've got it wrong.

Here is a shot at an explanation - it is completely and utterly true that we are determined to try out 'dining in' at some point this year. When we 'dine in' we most certainly will not be adhering to the dress code of the day, we will be relaxing in the suite. However, if it transpires that on a 'dining in' evening see that there is something worthwhile going 'out' for (a show maybe - but that's not very likely), then we would adhere to the dress code of the day in order to 'go with the flow' as far as the dress code is concerned and thereby cause no offence to other passengers.

It may well be that we will sort out our 'dining in' evenings according to whether there is any desire to go to a show etc. There's nothing confused about it - we'll go with the flow, and decide when we receive the ship newspaper and details of the entertainment for the following day what we think we are going to do about where we eat.

Making this change in our own personal approach to being onboard might just be the thing which prevents us from straying away from Cunard a bit (only now and again mind you).

Em

I fully understood what you were saying Em the bit I didn't understand was what I highlighted in red so just for you here it is again ...
If we are 'dining in' (we've never had a main meal in Kings Court of the Lido) and we dress down, we don't go out and about unless we adhere to the dress code.

That suggests to me that you have already 'dined in' and yet you are telling us it is something 'new' that you will be trying.

I'm still confused.com.

[Boris+]

Hi Jo,

We've had breakfast in, and ordered stuff from the menu - just a sandwich etc each, but we haven't had dinner ordered in. However, when we've had breakfast and/or a snack lunch (sandwich etc), we've always ensured we are suitably dressed to go out.

We have not as yet dined in onboard any ship, as and when we do if there is a reason to go out and about we would dress correctly - however going out and about sort of defeats the point of dining in and taking it easy - so the going out bit probably won't happen.

Em

[Manoverboard]

I / we will not be going on a Cunard ship and for a number of valid reasons including that of my long standing objections to a segregated class system being operated by a Cruise Line in the 21st Century. Their itineraries are additionally far too similar to those churned out ad nausium by P&O so for us there is little point going to the same places albeit on a different ship.

Apart from that I simply cannot believe that anybody needs to put a jacket on every night for a fortnight to feel special, doesn't work for me

Tell me Gents ... apart from the Tux, how many jackets do you take with you on a Cunard fly cruise ?

[Dancing Queen]

What a shame Moby .. so no chance of me inviting you to one of my balcony parties I'll leave the invitation open though

We don't fly cruise but even sailing out of Southampton my husband only takes his DJ + Cream jacket ( if going to the tropics ) 2 suits and one other jacket .. that's his lot I'm not having him take up space that can be mine .. lbh who notices if a man wears something more than once but everyone notices if a woman does

[Dancing Queen]

Hi Jo,

We've had breakfast in, and ordered stuff from the menu - just a sandwich etc each, but we haven't had dinner ordered in. However, when we've had breakfast and/or a snack lunch (sandwich etc), we've always ensured we are suitably dressed to go out.

We have not as yet dined in onboard any ship, as and when we do if there is a reason to go out and about we would dress correctly - however going out and about sort of defeats the point of dining in and taking it easy - so the going out bit probably won't happen.

Em

Well you should have said that Em ... so breakfast and room service - no problem you are hardly likely to be inappropriately dressed during the day

[GillD46]

What a shame Moby .. so no chance of me inviting you to one of my balcony parties I'll leave the invitation open though

We don't fly cruise but even sailing out of Southampton my husband only takes his DJ + Cream jacket ( if going to the tropics ) 2 suits and one other jacket .. that's his lot I'm not having him take up space that can be mine .. lbh who notices if a man wears something more than once but everyone notices if a woman does

Can we come to your balcony party DQ? If we can go to yours, you can come to ours

[Dancing Queen]

Of course Gill .. we usually have several

[GillD46]

Wish we were on that December one after all.

[Manoverboard]

What a shame Moby .. so no chance of me inviting you to one of my balcony parties I'll leave the invitation open though

We don't fly cruise but even sailing out of Southampton my husband only takes his DJ + Cream jacket ( if going to the tropics ) 2 suits and one other jacket .. that's his lot I'm not having him take up space that can be mine .. lbh who notices if a man wears something more than once but everyone notices if a woman does

I note and appreciate the offer

Another reason not to book Cunard .... I haven't got FIVE jackets