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New Dress Code Designations?


bluemarble
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I just noticed something curious regarding the dress code designations in voyage personaliser for our upcoming voyages on QM2. We are booked on three consecutive voyages M821 (eastbound crossing), M822 (Norwegian Fjords), and M823 (westbound crossing).

 

The dress code for our first crossing was posted in voyage personaliser a little over a month ago and is what I was expecting.

 

Voyage M821

10 June - New York Embark - Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

11 June - Sea Day - Dress: Formal (Royal Cunard Ball)

12 June - Sea Day - Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

13 June - Sea Day - Dress: Formal

14 June - Sea Day - Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

15 June - Sea Day - Dress: Formal (Roaring Twenties Ball)

16 June - Sea Day - Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

17 June- Southampton Disembark

 

The dress codes for our next two voyages were just posted today in voyage personaliser and are not exactly what I was expecting. Here is what is listed within the itineraries for those two voyages.

 

Voyage M822

17 June - Southampton Embark - Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

18 June - Sea Day - Dress: Gala Evening (Black & White Ball)

19 June - Bergen - Dress: Smart Attire

20 June - Alesund - Dress: Smart Attire

21 June - Flaam - Dress: Smart Attire

22 June - Stavanger - Dress: Gala Evening (Masquerade Ball)

23 June - Sea Day - Dress: Smart Attire

24 June - Southampton Disembark

 

Voyage M823

24 June - Southampton Embark - Dress: Smart Attire

25 June - Sea Day - Dress: Gala Evening (Black & White Ball)

26 June - Sea Day - Dress: Smart Attire

27 June - Sea Day - Dress: Gala Evening

28 June - Sea Day - Dress: Smart Attire

29 June - Sea Day - Dress: Gala Evening (Masquerade Ball)

30 June - Sea Day - Dress: Smart Attire

01 July - New York Disembark

 

The best I can make of this is that Cunard is starting to call the "Formal" dress code "Gala Evening" instead and is starting to call the "Informal" dress code "Smart Attire" instead. I hope that's all there is to it. I can find no definition of the "Gala Evening" and "Smart Attire" dress codes. I fact, the "What to Wear" page within voyager personaliser still refers to the dress codes as "Formal" and "Informal", so I'm not sure what to make of this.

 

Just wanted to bring this up in case anyone else has any other ideas about what Cunard may be up to with these new "Gala Evening" and "Smart Attire" dress code designations shown in our voyage personaliser itineraries.

 

John

Edited by bluemarble
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There are new pdf documents for all of 2018 now posted on the page for the question "What will the dress code be whilst I am on board?" on Cunard's UK FAQ site. Those documents are purported to be dress code documents for each ship. But when I look at them, they appear to be more like the theme night schedules. Each date is designated as either "Gala Evening" or blank. That doesn't seem add a lot to the discussion at this point, although I suppose one can assume any evening not designated as a "Gala Evening" in those documents will be "Informal" or perhaps the new "Smart Attire" designation.

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Probably makes more sense... "Formal", "Informal" are I guess confusing to some. But "Smart Attire" is... well interpretation is everything no? I frankly suspect Cunard's dress code will be dumbed down by the time the QUEEN K'DAM comes on line. Cunard is unique in the cruise industry for its formality and we all know how disdained that quality seems to be nowadays.

 

My wife and I love Oceania Cruises but after nine consecutive cruises on them, I admit we enjoyed Cunard if only to take a break from the dismal prospect of 500 men in "polo" shirts and "khakis" every night. The best cuisine afloat and beautiful surroundings and the people look like they are dressed to go down the road to their pub. Or mow the lawn.

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Ours is showing the same for our next cruise and we have a Black & White Ball on our last night [emoji33]
We are booked on the New Year Cruise on Queen Elizabeth. Our voyage personaliser when we booked showed New Years Eve as Formal and the remaining nights Informal. It now shows Gala Night (New Years Eve Ball) with the remainder Smart Attire. It gives the impression of a change of emphasis for which no announcement has been made.
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Seems like more than just a change of wording. Previously informal stated that a jacket was required. Smart Attire makes no such stipulation leaving the interpretation of what smart attire means to the individual. Many will interpret it as just collared shirt. Perhaps Cunard is following the lead of most luxury cruise lines and instituting a less formal dress code?

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Hi,

 

I just checked the Voyage Personaliser for my upcoming seven-day Mediterranean cruise on the Queen Victoria that departs from Venice on September 22, 2018. A similar change has been made for this cruise. The two sea days are designated as "Gala Evening." The first sea day is the Black and White Ball and the second sea day is the Venetian Masked Ball. All of the other evenings are now designated as "Smart Attire."

 

It seems like there may a change in the dress code.

 

Chuck

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Not good at all. One need only look to other lines to see how "elegant" and "smart" are interpreted: clean polo shirt and good baseball cap. What is to destinguish Cunard from any other cruise line...if they are just any other cruise line.

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I’ve not noticed this video before, or haven’t watched it, but I guess Cunard need to update the wording used in it:

 

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/mini/cunard/life-on-board/dress_code

 

The next voyage we’re booked on, in December, is now showing 3 Gala Evenings but everything else is blank. If the dressing up on Cunard is dumbed down too much we’ll do other holidays which will also be cheaper!

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Just viewed my voyage personaliser for our up-coming voyage on Queen Victoria in May (V817) and it still quotes Formal / Informal. However on our voyages after that (V834) in Nov & (M921A) in July next year my voyage personalisers quote Gala Evening & Smart, so something is definitely afoot !!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I’ve not noticed this video before, or haven’t watched it, but I guess Cunard need to update the wording used in it:

 

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/mini/cunard/life-on-board/dress_code

 

The next voyage we’re booked on, in December, is now showing 3 Gala Evenings but everything else is blank. If the dressing up on Cunard is dumbed down too much we’ll do other holidays which will also be cheaper!

 

I'm totally with you there. Our upcoming cruise in June now also states 'Gala Evening' and 'Smart Attire'. I agree that it sounds very much like a change in the dress code, and not a good one as far as I'm concerned. We can't be the only ones who value the dress code, surely? We choose Cunard for specific reasons to do with the ambience and elegance, and the dress code is very much part of that for us. Take that away, and we have much less incentive to sail with Cunard.

 

I wonder if the change will also apply to TAs? End of an era? Just as we've made it to Platinum, too!

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I had this reply on Twitter so that's all as clear as mud

 

"Hi Kate, rest assured we still do the same formal and evening casual dress codes on board, so the ambiance will remain very special. I will DM you some more information about what this entails :)"

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Yep. They just "populated" the dress codes for our 27 August cruise in QUEEN ELIZABETH and yep it's "Gala Evening" or "Smart Attire". And with no "jacket required" after "Smart Attire" as there was after "Informal", that's the end.... it's polo shirts and khakis and the "but my husband hates to dress up and loves to mow the lawn and eat dinner in the same clothes" crowd has prevailed. As we all knew they would eventually. Anyway, this will cut down by 80% the number of postings on this board, at least from newcomers, fraught with angst at having to dress and how. And it lets the Australians completely off the hook for QE's upcoming season from there, too.

 

Sad. Cunard is going down the same road as Holland America it seems.

 

But it means we can go back to Oceania as the mood strikes us now.

 

PS: they still have not updated the "What to Pack" section so it's still the old suggestions for Formal/Informal but I suspect that will be be updated soon.

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For our June cruise this year we also have two Gala Evenings - Black & White Ball and Royal Cunard Ball. The rest are Smart Attire.

 

As others have said that could be interpreted as smart jeans, smart t-shirt etc. :(

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Stop Press !!! I had drinks in the Commodore Bar last night ( Q. Vic 26th March) with Angus Struthers , he informs me there is no change in the dress code descriptions. Hopefully, all this sounds like a glitch in the system.:confused:

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I just called Cunard and they think the dress policy is changing. My Voyage Personaliser now states Smart Attire for some nights (used to be informal) and Gala Evening for what used to be formal nights.

Will be a couple of weeks until new definition.

I think the changeover will depend on the date of your cruise.

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Not really. If you want to find someone who knows nothing about his company, talk to one of its "Senior Executives". If you really want to know what's going on, talk to the receptionist. There is no way someone just changed these descriptions like that from 17 June onwards without a reason. And "Smart Attire" is a dead giveaway. Oceania calls it "Country Club Casual" which means the YMCA to some.

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