It all turned out for the best.

Tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.

Tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.

Obviously, we all knew that. :)

Speaking for myself, it's tough being flawed what with so many paragons of virtue around here. :rolleyes:

I will be enjoying my first Curnard cruise in a few weeks and can not wait. It has been on my bucket list since I started cruising and the reason is because of the dress code. I can not understand how people book with curnard and then complain due to the fact they can not wear tatty jeans etc in the dining room.

I have been more concerned with my packing that I have packed the correct clothes for each night as I do not want to offend anyone...especially Whitemarsh(lol) as they will be on the same cruise as me!. I am so looking forward to dressing up as I never really dress to the extent that I will be on the cruise. I even went out and purchased some gowns for formal nights as I NEVER wear dresses these days...lol

 

I so look forward to meeting whitemarsh and I also look forward to sitting back and people watching what everyone is wearing.

In short....I CAN NOT WAIT...:D

 

Chez

Your post inspired me to get my packing done and I am pleased to say that I am all finished (well 99% finished).

Seeing everyone (well nearly everyone) so beautifully dressed is one of the pleasures of a Cunard cruise, in my opinion, and I'm sure you're going to look fantastic. A bit of advice, don't be disheartened if some people look a bit shambolic on the first night, that happened on my last voyage but it picked up after that.

Looking forward to meeting you too, this is going to be a great cruise.

Tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.

Obviously, we all knew that. :)

 

Speaking for myself, it's tough being flawed what with so many paragons of virtue around here. :rolleyes:

As the song says

" O Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way."

Tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.

I miss the good old days when humor (and attempts at it) were understood here.

Thanks, that's a relief. No doubt that if we were sitting at a table together, and you made the same statements about Americans as you wrote earlier, there would be visual clues to convey that you were only kidding around. Your tone of voice would perhaps also give an indication that you weren't being serious.:)

Unfortunately, those clues aren't available to us here. We have only smilies to help convey the message that what write isn't what we mean - on those occasions where we don't mean what we write, otherwise people are correct in thinking what we write is what we mean. At least, I think that's the way it's supposed to work, but at this point, I'm not sure of anything. (Only kidding :D)

Luckily, when we are aboard the beautiful QM2, people seem to enjoy our company. If conversations on board were anything like the postings on Cruise Critic, I seriously doubt if we would spend the big dollars to leave our beautiful enviourement, leave our beloved pets, be hassled at airports, and get on a ship where the staff tells us what we can do and when we can do it.

Wouldn't it be charming if the people at the dinner table gave their honest opinion of fellow passengers and their choice of attire? :)

 

Wouldn't it be charming if the people at the dinner table gave their honest opinion of fellow passengers and their choice of attire? :)

Yes, but we do that later don't we.

David.

To all of you about to set off, I really hope you will be posting comments on the forums. Just wish I could afford to do another cruise. Have an absolutely brilliant time :-)

Yes, but we do that later don't we.

 

David.

Yes, we most certainly do. But only in the privacy of the cabin and on Cruise Critic. :)

I will be enjoying my first Curnard cruise in a few weeks and can not wait. It has been on my bucket list since I started cruising and the reason is because of the dress code. I can not understand how people book with curnard and then complain due to the fact they can not wear tatty jeans etc in the dining room.

I have been more concerned with my packing that I have packed the correct clothes for each night as I do not want to offend anyone...especially Whitemarsh(lol) as they will be on the same cruise as me!. I am so looking forward to dressing up as I never really dress to the extent that I will be on the cruise. I even went out and purchased some gowns for formal nights as I NEVER wear dresses these days...lol

 

I so look forward to meeting whitemarsh and I also look forward to sitting back and people watching what everyone is wearing.

In short....I CAN NOT WAIT...:D

 

Chez

Whitemarsh is wonderful. Just don't let that annoying little dog pull away the curtain,however LOL!

Could it be that there is a greater need to police it elsewhere?

 

Apart from the one or two who, apparently deliberately, flout the dress code on Cunard it is almost universaly followed (at least in spirit, if not to the letter). On several FO cruises, the numbers who have to be reminded at the restaurant entrance suggests that it needs to be done.

 

Also, those who are stopped at the restaurant entrance (on FO) don't seem to find it a problem or make an issue of it. In spite of the ships being smaller, carrrying fewer passengers and (I'm convinced) more people being stopped at the restaurant door you won't find post after post about the "fashion police" on the FO board.

 

At this point I have to plead "mia culpa." Returning from a morning tour, we headed straight into the restaurant for lunch only to be stopped. It was pointed out that my sleeveless T-shirt wasn't acceptible. I agreed. Any thought of my attire simply hadn't entered my head. It wasn't a problem, a quick trip to the cabin and a change of shirt was all it took.

 

Regards, Colin.

We never had issue with casual at lunch after an early excursion. I just made sure I had decent shorts & at least a polo type shirt on. The cutoff shirt might be a bit too casual. I mean if you looked like Brad Pitt..well I'd make an exception!

Possibly because they didn't feel the need to police the entrance thinking that no one would be so rude and crude to use a formal diningroom as a walk thru.....especially in beach attire. Someone should have nabbed that family because logically, if they are capable of that.....I wouldn't trust them to keep their grubby fingers out of the buffet food either. :p

We had a guy in wet bathing suit trying to cut through the Princess Grill(Qm2)It wasn't easy for the Maitre D to remove him. The guy felt entitled to walk wearever he thought. Yes, he was from a certain European country east of England & west of Germany. I always noticed these guys getting booted off the Grills deck or refusing to use the sanitisors.

Perhaps because there are too many ill-behaved Americans on Cunard..

:confused:

Well, in late 2006 we were on a shorter QM2 trip(8 days)in the Caribbean. Seems there was a real discount to a lot of "low budget" British pax, who otherwise, would never set foot on Cunard. A ship load of "Onslows"! Whitemarsh would have been appalled! So we Yanks don't have all the ill behaved(just a large portion)

 

If you looked like Brad Pitt, we'd all make an exception. :D

Hi Whitmarsh- I can´t wait to read your report- I did so enjoy my QM 2 tour over a month ago now. Greetings and have wonderful journey ( nobody is allowed to call a Cunard JOURNEY a CRUISE - that is for the others- so I was told by a nice british Lady on this my last VOYAGE on board QM 2 !

Thanks Don,

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your observation regarding the differences between the topics of conversation on the Cunard board and that of other cruise lines.

 

Cunard does (in my opinion) attract people who desire a particular style of service (waiters who refrain from singing & dancing) and ambiance on board etc etc. It pretty much has this particular market segment all to itself, which is why I have always thought that suggestions that Cunard should divulge itself of any differences that differentiate Cunard (dress code etc) to attract a wider market, would be, in the long run, a bad move as Cunard would be competing for the same market that RCCL and Carnival have sewn up - but with no point of difference.

 

Anecdotal evidence that the new dress code is being adhered to, with ties worn on informal nights for example, suggests to me that it's a good thing that Cunard has retained the selling points of its dress code and more formal service - there is, obviously, a market for this.

 

I hope I enjoy my upcoming voyage too. I'm pretty confident I will as I have enjoyed every other Cunard cruise I've taken. Britannia or the Grills - it's all been good in my experience.

 

But then perhaps that's a personal thing as, to quote William Blake, "Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night."

 

Have a fantastic time on your QV world voyage - you have a wonderful itinerary to look forward to. I look forward to reading your thoughts and feedback after the voyage.

Whitemarsh, I am going on my first Cunard Cruise and Your observations give me heart that this trip will be like no other. My husband of 33 years has purchased a tux for the "Black and White" and I have excitedly bought a few formal dresses. To say my husband is the original Marlboro Man is an understatement so I'm glad to hear the dress code is gladly adhered to. If Marlboro man shows up and everyone is in jeans I will never hear the end of it! Just going to purchase nice clothes was exciting, (he cleans up nice!) Can I ask a question? I see there is a Masquerade Ball planned, have you been to one on this cruise line and if so does everyone bring costumes?

Whitemarsh, I am going on my first Cunard Cruise and Your observations give me heart that this trip will be like no other. My husband of 33 years has purchased a tux for the "Black and White" and I have excitedly bought a few formal dresses. To say my husband is the original Marlboro Man is an understatement so I'm glad to hear the dress code is gladly adhered to. If Marlboro man shows up and everyone is in jeans I will never hear the end of it! Just going to purchase nice clothes was exciting, (he cleans up nice!) Can I ask a question? I see there is a Masquerade Ball planned, have you been to one on this cruise line and if so does everyone bring costumes?

Very few people wear masks other than to the actual Ball itself, in November a couple did come into the Britannia restaurant wearing them to dinner. When they removed them I understood why they wore them! :)

Have a great trip.

if you looked like brad pitt, we'd all make an exception. :d

lol!

Whitemarsh, I am going on my first Cunard Cruise and Your observations give me heart that this trip will be like no other. My husband of 33 years has purchased a tux for the "Black and White" and I have excitedly bought a few formal dresses. To say my husband is the original Marlboro Man is an understatement so I'm glad to hear the dress code is gladly adhered to. If Marlboro man shows up and everyone is in jeans I will never hear the end of it! Just going to purchase nice clothes was exciting, (he cleans up nice!) Can I ask a question? I see there is a Masquerade Ball planned, have you been to one on this cruise line and if so does everyone bring costumes?

Most just wear their nice eve. clothes, & a mask. They do have them for purchase on board, But I'd recommend bringing one along. The selection that Cunard has is pretty lame & the prices pretty high.

I realised today that we haven't had a "dress code" thread for ages. You know, the ones were someone comes on (usually their first post) and claims that they're transporting their elephant from Dubai to Pago Pago and that's the only reason why they're travelling Cunard. Following on from this (or any other sob story) they usually ask whether exceptions be made for them with the dress code. Someone will reply no and then someone else will announce that we're all a bunch of snobs etc etc and it all ends in tears.

 

Whilst I sometimes miss the "cut & thrust" (as one of my more sympathetic correspondents once put it) of a Cunard dress code debate it would appear that the recent change to the dress code has simplified the matter for - seemingly - everyone and perhaps that's why the dress code threads died a natural death.

 

Whether of not the lack of dress code threads is good thing or not, feedback from passengers on cruises after the changes were implemented has (to my memory) been pretty positive with most stating that the (new) dress code is being nearly uniformly complied with.

 

So all in all, it's all turned out pretty good. And I think that's something worth acknowledging. :)

This is my first Cunard cruise and I am interested in your discussion about the dress code. Since buying our tickets for the SF to Sidney leg of the QE world cruise trip, I have convinced my husband of 33 years its time to get a suit and a tux for the trip (Heaven knows where we're going to fit all these clothes). I have to say it was a lot of fun to get him to the store to try on suits and dinner jackets. Anyway, the original Grizzly Adams now has some nice duds, and I am heartened to hear the gowns I bought will not go to waste. I wanted to ask you about the Masquerade Ball, does everyone dress in costume?

Thanks Don,

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your observation regarding the differences between the topics of conversation on the Cunard board and that of other cruise lines.

 

Cunard does (in my opinion) attract people who desire a particular style of service (waiters who refrain from singing & dancing) and ambiance on board etc etc. It pretty much has this particular market segment all to itself, which is why I have always thought that suggestions that Cunard should divulge itself of any differences that differentiate Cunard (dress code etc) to attract a wider market, would be, in the long run, a bad move as Cunard would be competing for the same market that RCCL and Carnival have sewn up - but with no point of difference.

 

Anecdotal evidence that the new dress code is being adhered to, with ties worn on informal nights for example, suggests to me that it's a good thing that Cunard has retained the selling points of its dress code and more formal service - there is, obviously, a market for this.

 

I hope I enjoy my upcoming voyage too. I'm pretty confident I will as I have enjoyed every other Cunard cruise I've taken. Britannia or the Grills - it's all been good in my experience.

 

But then perhaps that's a personal thing as, to quote William Blake, "Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night."

 

Have a fantastic time on your QV world voyage - you have a wonderful itinerary to look forward to. I look forward to reading your thoughts and feedback after the voyage.

I am so glad to know the suit and tux I forced my very own Grizzly Adams to buy won't go to waste. Does the Masquerade Ball also get a lot of costumed attendees?

Thanks everyone, couldn't see my posts and now have posted three times. Promise to be more careful. Sheesh!

Thanks everyone, couldn't see my posts and now have posted three times. Promise to be more careful. Sheesh!

Hi, don't worry about it. You won't get in trouble from your husband as on formal nights the vast majority of the men (over 80 or 90%) will be in tuxedos.

As Pugwash said, no really does anything for the balls except the masquerade ball where quite a few people wear masks (which you can buy during the day).

Thank you so much. Looking forward to the Journey.