Masquerade Ball on QM2

We will be travelling on QM2 to the Norwegian Fjords in June. Can anyone tell me how many people actually wear masks on the night of the Masquerade Ball please? Looking at videos on Youtube, very few seem to. I don't want to go to the trouble of getting masks only to find that hardly anyone else has made the effort.

You will not be out of place if you don't get a mask.

The masks are not worn at dinner or round the ship. They are only worn in the ballroom. A few people keep their masks on all night but most don't. Many people don't bother with masks. If you have one, you are invited to parade around the ballroom wearing your mask, at about 10pm. It will add to the enjoyment of those without a mask, to see those who have made the effort. Do you want to be a 'watcher' or a 'watched'? Do you enjoy joining in?

Masks are on sale at the ballroom entrance for those who wish to buy one. I think they are around $20. You can buy some wonderful creations on the internet with very little effort. If you have a few hours spare and a good craft shop nearby, it is simple and fun to make your own, and to have one matching your outfit.

Last week we saw just a handful. Roaring 20s and the B/W ball saw much more participation.

Cunard was selling masks the day of the ball.

It's hard to say how many will wear masks, but there are not usually that many. You would not be the only one, so if you want to join in, go for it.

Thank you for the speedy replies, all of which are really helpful :)

There are some lovely masks available online, but one real problem for us is that my husband wears glasses and it is not easy to find some that will comfortably go on over glasses - even those described as suitable. Do many people use the masks on sticks that you don't have to wear but just hold in place?

Not that many in masks. We once brought some Mardi Gras masks with us and used them at the ball, but only in the Queens Room for the promenade. It was fun for a few minutes. Not the highlight of my life.

Can anyone tell me how many people actually wear masks on the night of the Masquerade Ball please?

We had a Masquerade Ball on our November 2017 RT crossing. Fortunately, the Halloween masks were all on clearance shortly before we sailed and we found a couple of 'perfect-for-the-occasion' masks for about two bucks a piece. At least one in our party attached hers to a stick due to glasses. Both were in abundance at the party. There was a parade in the Queen's Room for all the participants who marched to Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera. Not everyone was in the parade as not everyone was wearing a mask. Seems like there was a prize for the most original mask but I don't remember what it was.

The most delightful surprise was the Asian couple who came wearing surgical masks. After the initial shock of wondering if they misunderstood the theme, we realized the joke was on us. They were lovely, posed for several pictures and marched in the parade. I am hoping to see them again this year!

They do sell masks in the Grand Lobby and I believe I saw them again at the entrance to the ballroom the evening of. We thought there would be a craft class offered that morning where you could make your own but there was not.

So whether you have a mask or not you should go. It's a hoot and those who are dressing up would appreciate being seen.

Cheers!

Cunard makes a big thing of the themed evenings - it gets people to bring formalwear - and wear it.

Our experience has often been disappointing. Masks at the masquerade ball are ofetn not worn or if they are, they are little more than a cheap sleeping mask with eye-holes.

What we don't like is their timing. We like to take the 2nd dining sitting and usually by the time we get to the ballroom, all the 'fun' part of the evening has already finished and we're left with the usual dance that they put on every night. So the purpose of the themes is wasted.

Like the theatre shows, they should cater to the second dinner shift with something in the ballroom for them - before the meal. If nothing else, they'll sell a lot of pre-dinner drinks.

Pity.

On the Q.V. we took gear for the roaring 20s, Victoriana ball and masquerade ball. We found hardly anyone taking part. A complete waste of time and money. The only well attended theme night was burns night. That was fantastic.

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Cunard makes a big thing of the themed evenings - it gets people to bring formalwear - and wear it.

Our experience has often been disappointing. Masks at the masquerade ball are ofetn not worn or if they are, they are little more than a cheap sleeping mask with eye-holes.

What we don't like is their timing. We like to take the 2nd dining sitting and usually by the time we get to the ballroom, all the 'fun' part of the evening has already finished and we're left with the usual dance that they put on every night. So the purpose of the themes is wasted.

Like the theatre shows, they should cater to the second dinner shift with something in the ballroom for them - before the meal. If nothing else, they'll sell a lot of pre-dinner drinks.

Pity.

Calling these things "balls" is absurd. They merely put a theme to the same gathering that would take place anyway.

If you're in the mood, wear a mask. My wife & I wear masks. But we don't spend a lot of money on them. It was nice to have a picture with us in masks surrounded by others in masks. But most people didn't have them. And very few wore them after 20 minutes in the ballroom. Some people had great masks. Some were very clever.

We enjoyed the ball - it was fun. And it seemed to us that most people not in masks also enjoyed the ball and had fun. Go figure.

So far on all our Cunard cruises (All on QV) more people made an - at least token - effort for the Masquerade ball. Of course especially after a Venice stop.

Roaring 20s ball tends to see a fair amount of dress ups. Black and white is nothing special and I don't get the point at all of that Royal Ascot ball. That one should be all about fancy hats, I would guess, if which there aren't many.

I am so not a fancy dress person, and I detest occasions such as Halloween or such "you must dress up in costume, or else", but the Masquerade ball is always nice.

We are travelling with our children on the QM2 next month. I am very excited about the theme nights, but honestly for selfish reasons. We have fun travelling and absorbing the moment. We will all dress up and take some wonderful photos of our family in the theme. After that, who knows! I full expect the masks to be forgotten shortly after the photo. But I want the children to be as excited as me, and they definitely are with their costumes for roaring 20s and their masks. As far as mask types, my mother and I will have the ones with a stick. Since we don't plan on wearing them long, it's just perfect.

Oh No! The Masquerade is ONLY masks? I was expecting a more comprehensive costume! More like totally incognito. Guess my animal costume is coming out of my suitcase.

Hi socialdancer. GO to the masquerade ball. If you do not wear a mask you will have a great time. If you do wear a mask you will have a great time and those watching will enjoy your efforts. It is all for fun, FUN! ENJOY the evenings! Go to them all. It is all there for you to enjoy, to be masked or not, to be B&W, or not, to be roaring 20ed, or not. It is fun. I too pass on the mask because I wear glasses. I do put in some effort on the other ball nights. I am IMPRESSED with the effort many women put into the evenings attire. Men get away easier. Just don’t worry.

The reply should be for all for all future revelers. Sorry I did not keep current.

It's quite a fun ball and takes the minimum of effort - we usually take a couple of the hand held masks with us - https://blog.rakkor.uk/2016/10/20/october-19th-at-sea/

We will be on the QM2 to Canada/New England on September 8.  Will there be two themed balls?   Which ones?  How do I find out this information ... can't find it on Cunard's website.   Thanks!

Doing a crossing on the QM2 this past September we observed that about 60%-75% of the women wore masks while about 25% of the men did in the Queens Room during the Masquerade Ball. These ranged from very simple to works of art. A little after 11:00PM (23:00) a contest was for the best male and female. Everyone with a mask lines up on the dance floor in a sort of Conga Line. There were at least a couple of hundred of people who participated with the winners getting bottles of champagne. It was all a lot of fun.

On 1/28/2019 at 3:41 PM, Lovecruisestoo said:

We will be on the QM2 to Canada/New England on September 8.  Will there be two themed balls?   Which ones?  How do I find out this information ... can't find it on Cunard's website.   Thanks!

The voyage personalizer will give you a day by day. Depending on the length of the cruise there may be no formal nights. 

We had fun on our crossing at the masquerade ball.  My wife found a shop in London before we sailed that sold these little masks that were basically a flat 2-D picture of the top half of a person's head with eye holes cut out.  Mine was of a London Bobby and my wife's was of the Queen with a big crown on her head.  The Cunard Social Host put us at the end of the parade line that went around the floor, with my wife at the end waving as the Queen.  That's as close to anything important as we will ever get!  

So I would advise you to go ahead and participate to whatever level you feel comfortable with, and just have fun.