New Dress Code Designations?

Just goes to show that some people will never be satisfied.

Cunard seem to have clarified dress code in FAQ. Although the first line of dress code is wear what you feel comfortable with in the day

However lower down, when they describe the day dress code it clearly says shorts are not allowed in main restaurants, thus this means long trousers for main restaurants . Panic over.

Adhering to "Ocean Liner" travel works two ways. If Cunard wants us to dress in tuxedoes and gowns the way passengers did in the heyday of ocean travel they need to give us a commensurate atmosphere. They can start by eliminating all those bargain tables of cheap junk and gold by the inch that clutter the corridors and make the ship look like a middle Eastern bazaar. Can you imagine those on the original Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth?

They were actually hawking automobiles in the lobby of the Elizabeth towards the end- I think there are some pictures out there of it.

There is no Carinthia Lounge on QE/QV, the equivalent dress down area is the Garden Lounge/Winter Garden, next door to the Lido.

Really? Well we had coffee in the Carinthia Cafe on QE most days.. it's the first public room down the passageway from Britannia and Britannia Club on the starboard side. And off the main staircase/atrium.

But my error re. QUEEN VICTORIA where the comparable space is the Chart Room.

Really? Well we had coffee in the Carinthia Cafe on QE most days.. it's the first public room down the passageway from Britannia and Britannia Club on the starboard side. And off the main staircase/atrium.

 

But my error re. QUEEN VICTORIA where the comparable space is the Chart Room.

On the UK website, what I see that the man is wearing is a light blue shirt with a blazer, beige trousers and bright red shoes. And not a round neck jumper like you describe.

The woman is wearing a beige long-sleeved dress and is not what I would describe as evening wear. It looks more like day wear.

Well that IS confusing. Carinthia Cafe/Carinthia Lounge. But that answers my original concern that the dress code would not apply to Carthinia Cafe since it's smack dab in the "dressy" part of QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Well that IS confusing. Carinthia Cafe/Carinthia Lounge. But that answers my original concern that the dress code would not apply to Carthinia Cafe since it's smack dab in the "dressy" part of QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Yes that's correct, as after the upcoming 'refresh of the QE' ( not refit as there is not much more they can do ;)) Cafe Carinthia will be renamed Chart Room. .

"Refresh of the QE" when, one can only hope and pray, they discover another colour besides brown, beige, tan and... more brown!

Cunard seem to have clarified dress code in FAQ. Although the first line of dress code is wear what you feel comfortable with in the day

 

However lower down, when they describe the day dress code it clearly says shorts are not allowed in main restaurants, thus this means long trousers for main restaurants . Panic over.

Not that I want to put anyone back into panic mode, but have a look at my post #337 from earlier in this thread.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=55735969&postcount=337

My take on all this is that shorts have been allowed in the main restaurants for breakfast and lunch for quite some time now and that has been with Cunard's tacit blessing despite how the dress code has been worded in the FAQ giving the impression that shorts are not permitted in the main dining rooms. I certainly welcome other interpretations on this though.

I resent the implication that "Americans" are the ones who don't know how to dress. If you look at the demographics, the younger generation of ANY area of the world is becoming less formal and more casual. Simply economics. If Cunard is to survive as a company, they MUST adjust their rules to include a wider spectrum of individuals. I believe that this change is just one of many to come that will bring the company into the 21st Century and bring a wider segment of the population of the WORLD over to the cruise industry.

I myself have no problem with it. I have a Baltic cruise booked on Cunard for July 2019. I took a Norway Fjord cruise on HAL last year. I wore what made me feel comfortable, and never looked at what anyone else was wearing. I like to dress up, so it was no problem. It never bothered me if someone else in the MDR was not wearing a jacket or a floor length dress. We all pay our fare, and we all should be allowed to have a good time. I would never make a derogatory comment about someone else's dress the likes of those I have seen here. Live and let live, and be prepared for the future, whatever it may bring.

I resent the implication that "Americans" are the ones who don't know how to dress. If you look at the demographics, the younger generation of ANY area of the world is becoming less formal and more casual. Simply economics. If Cunard is to survive as a company, they MUST adjust their rules to include a wider spectrum of individuals. I believe that this change is just one of many to come that will bring the company into the 21st Century and bring a wider segment of the population of the WORLD over to the cruise industry.

 

I myself have no problem with it. I have a Baltic cruise booked on Cunard for July 2019. I took a Norway Fjord cruise on HAL last year. I wore what made me feel comfortable, and never looked at what anyone else was wearing. I like to dress up, so it was no problem. It never bothered me if someone else in the MDR was not wearing a jacket or a floor length dress. We all pay our fare, and we all should be allowed to have a good time. I would never make a derogatory comment about someone else's dress the likes of those I have seen here. Live and let live, and be prepared for the future, whatever it may bring.

Fantastic!!.....wear what feels comfortable...have a good time....live and let live.........Here comes the shorts,t shirt and baseball cap in the dining rooms !!!!

Fantastic!!.....wear what feels comfortable...have a good time....live and let live.........Here comes the shorts,t shirt and baseball cap in the dining rooms !!!!

Also in the Grills, Commodore Club and Theatre.

Why not just rename Cunard as Carnival, to satisfy the demands of our casual cousins, who require access to ships with a very relaxed dress code.

I resent the implication that "Americans" are the ones who don't know how to dress..

Yes, I agree that most "Americans" do know how to dress. The problem is that some of them, (especially those from the warmer climate states), simply refuse to do it. After all, It's the "Me" generation!

Also in the Grills, Commodore Club and Theatre.

Why not just rename Cunard as Carnival, to satisfy the demands of our casual cousins, who require access to ships with a very relaxed dress code.

Cunard is not a big line with loads of ships to fill. There are plenty that do want to dress formally and enjoy the elegant ambience of a Cunard evening without them having to relax their dress codes. It is the unique selling point of Cunard and without it I feel they are far more likely to lose custom as there would be no reason to pay more to travel with Cunard.

I see no problem with smart shorts at BREAKFAST, Especially in a Port morning, on a hot day when you are going on a trip and will be wearing shorts. Having to change again is a waste of time , especially if it's an early start.

I have a great empathy for the words of stella250

A dress code is a description of acceptable attire by the governing body.

I agree with those who have said in this tread that to believe that you are too important to follow the dress code shows an arrogance that is ill mannered.

I would like to say I also don't like the derogatory comments that I've seen in this thread either about people and ships that have a different dress code and also of anyone showing support for the changes in the dress code. It shows a similar arrogance to that above.

I see no problem with smart shorts at BREAKFAST, Especially in a Port morning, on a hot day when you are going on a trip and will be wearing shorts. Having to change again is a waste of time , especially if it's an early start.

Totally agree, it is quite acceptable to wear smart shorts to take breakfast in the King's Court or Lido, prior to going landside for the day.

I see no problem with smart shorts at BREAKFAST, Especially in a Port morning, on a hot day when you are going on a trip and will be wearing shorts. Having to change again is a waste of time , especially if it's an early start.

Well you have to consider too that the dress code this is based on is that of a transatlantic liner of a different period in time. Those voyages were to the most part cold weather, high speed dashes across the Atlantic in the name of transportation- not for leisure. The dress code was a continuation of what was custom in fine hotels and clubs ashore (mine you only in first class- second and third were always far more casual).

So to impose a cold weather, outdated dress code on a Caribbean or Med cruise is sort of unfair. People wouldn’t have dressed that way necessarily in the era that they’re pretending to replicate onboard.

But for a transatlantic trip it can be fun and a throwback to a different time. I think Cunard is going to have to pick and choose not as much what the dress code is going forward but when it’s asked for and enforced.

I for one love a transatlantic every once and a while on Cunard and getting dressed up is part of why it’s fun. But for a warm weather beach cruise in the Caribbean id much prefer a line like Seabourn which is much more upscale than Cunard while at the same time has a casual dress code that appropriate to where the ship is sailing.

I think Cunard is starting to realize this and merely making the changes they can to attract some of those passengers like me back and also find a new generation to replace the customers they will lose.

I have a great empathy for the words of stella250

 

A dress code is a description of acceptable attire by the governing body.

 

I agree with those who have said in this tread that to believe that you are too important to follow the dress code shows an arrogance that is ill mannered.

 

I would like to say I also don't like the derogatory comments that I've seen in this thread either about people and ships that have a different dress code and also of anyone showing support for the changes in the dress code. It shows a similar arrogance to that above.

Cunard is no a Mens Club or country club and as such does not have a governing body. It is a business that depends on what they feel the majority of their future passengers will want.

Cunard is no a Mens Club or country club and as such does not have a governing body. It is a business that depends on what they feel the majority of their future passengers will want.

Well said. And even then- those types of old city clubs and country clubs are actively figuring out ways to allow members to dress more casually without downgrading the whole club, like allowing casual dress in a certain bar while still requiring jackets for the dining room. It’s an established trend.

I am a Cunard customer. Not a Carnival shareholder. Frankly, I don't care about their bottom line or where the next generation of their customer comes from. I am on a cruise holiday which I pay for and choose because the product matches MY preferences. If you ever can be self-centered, where better than on YOUR vacation. If Cunard thinks, like too many lines (and companies in general nowadays) they need to attract a "new generation" by spoiling what attracts me... now.. to them, then they lose my business now. Holland America Line went down the same course and have been for the last decade. By now coincidence, I haven't been on them in seven years and have no intention of returning, either. Some of us, like a traditional cruise product and by now, Cunard is pretty much it. If you don't like the traditions of the line or the dress codes than help maintain them, choose one of the 98% of other lines that have no dress codes or traditions to uphold. There has to be enough people to fill three.. and soon four... ships who aspire to don something other than "khakis" and "polos" to dinner in the evening. Surely.

Cunard has to fill their ships and if they have to lose you (or me) to do so, c'est la vie.

I think they will keep a more formal dress code. The published code certainly doesn’t mean speedos and hairy chests in the dining rooms at all. Hyperbole doesn’t help. Yes, the dress code was relaxed a bit in a couple of venues, but overall they haven’t changed that much. Cunard knows what the brand stands for. What good would it be for the company to go bankrupt because they wouldn’t allow chinos in the pub?

I'm not sure if younger people do want to dress more casually. I'm 30 and took my first Cunard cruise 3 years ago. I actually really relish the chance to dress up and to see my husband dressed up in a way that we simply wouldn't do at home. I must admit that he was a bit nervous about dressing up for the first trip but we're soon to be going on our sixth cruise with Cunard and we were both dismayed by the thought of a more relaxed dress code. We're one of the ones muttering in the Commodore about lingerers in casual dress at ten past six! We've met lots of young people totally conforming to the dress code and enjoying it.

Having said that, we do tend to dress casually during the day and wouldn't think twice about having breakfast in shorts on a port day. No one wants to have racked up two outfits by 9am!