New Dress Code Designations?

[Host Hattie]

They have, the definitions are shown in your VP, and have been posted in this thread above. Here they are -

 

 

. The below descriptions will give you an idea of what to pack for your voyage.

 

During the day, feel free to relax and dress as you please in all areas of the ship.

 

From 6pm*on 'Informal' nights, we ask that you wear smart attire in most of our bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. On our much-anticipated*Gala evenings, dress attire is Formal. We invite you to dress to impress and celebrate with us. There are two or three of these Gala evenings for every seven days of your voyage.*

 

Informal/Smart Attire:*Gentlemen, every night we request you wear smart trousers with a shirt and jacket; tie is optional. Ladies, blouses and skirts or stylish trousers and dresses are welcome.

 

Formal/Gala Evenings:*It’s Showtime. Dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit for the men with a regular tie or bow tie. Evening or cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separates for the ladies please.*

 

Of course, if you prefer to spend your evenings in more relaxed attire, feel free to dress casually as you visit any of the following venues: Kings Court or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge and G32 or Yacht Club.*Non-ripped jeans are appropriate, but please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces.**

 

Please ensure you pack appropriate clothing for your voyage. During the winter months in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Islands we suggest that you pack a waterproof jacket and clothing that can be layered, so you can be comfortable in all conditions from sunny afternoons to chilly nights.*

[kohl57]

Me, I hate to see jeans of any description even in a dress code so that's a big negative. But at least... for now... the jacket required for most of the ship.. remains and I am grateful for that.

 

I like the list of "casual" venues.... Cunard has quietly and without notice, morphed back to the old three classes c. 1950: First (the Grills), Cabin (Britannia and the "smart attire" public rooms) and Tourist (the "casual" public rooms).

 

How things have changed. When I was 17, I sailed in Italian Line's LEONARDO DA VINCI bare min. Tourist Class and used to sneak into First Class most evenings. After about nine days, a purser pulled me aside and said he knew just what I was up to but because I was so well dressed, it wasn't a problem! Now, people spend thousands to go on a ship so they can wear what they'd mow the lawn in at home. They wouldn't last 10 mins in "Prima Classe" on the old Italian Line... even if they had a ticket.

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

i just checked the Cunard VP for our September 2018 cruise - affected by the changes - despite our never being advised. Cunard took down the VP and this amended DRESS CODE EXPLANATION HAS BEEN UPLOADED. The red lettering is mine - so there are changes, dramatic ones IMO - Relaxed attire (yet another term) can now be worn any night in the FOOD COURTS, GOLDEN LION PUB, CASINO, CARINTHIA LOUNGE/WINTER GARDENS, AND NIGHTCLUBS/G32/YACHT CLUB (which is pretty well most of the ships) and JEANS ARE NOW APPROPRIATE - its not clear which nights this applies to, presumably ALL evenings, even GALA evenings. So despite Cunard's ridiculous claim that nothing has changed - MUCH HAS CHANGED!!

 

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What to Wear

The Voyage itinerary section includes guidance forevening dress attire. The below descriptions will give you an idea of what to pack for your voyage.

 

During the day, feel free to relax and dress as you please in all areas of the ship.

 

From 6pm on 'Informal' nights, we ask that you wear smart attire in most of our bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.

 

On our much-anticipated Gala evenings, dress attire is Formal. We invite you to dress to impress and celebrate with us. There are two or three of theseGala evenings for every seven days of your voyage.

 

Informal/Smart Attire: Gentlemen, every night we request you wear smart trousers with a shirt and jacket; tie is optional. Ladies, blouses and skirts or stylish trousers and dresses are welcome.

 

Formal/Gala Evenings:It’s Showtime. Dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit for the men with a regular tie or bow tie. Evening or cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separates for the ladies please.

 

Of course, if you prefer to spend your evenings in more relaxed attire, feel free to dress casually as you visit any of the following venues: Kings Court or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion,Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge and G32 or Yacht Club.

 

Non-ripped jeans are appropriate, but please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleevelesst-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces.

Edited March 28, 2018 by DT_PB_all_at_sea

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

They have, the definitions are shown in your VP, and have been posted in this thread above. Here they are -

 

 

. The below descriptions will give you an idea of what to pack for your voyage.

 

During the day, feel free to relax and dress as you please in all areas of the ship.

 

From 6pm*on 'Informal' nights, we ask that you wear smart attire in most of our bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. On our much-anticipated*Gala evenings, dress attire is Formal. We invite you to dress to impress and celebrate with us. There are two or three of these Gala evenings for every seven days of your voyage.*

 

Informal/Smart Attire:*Gentlemen, every night we request you wear smart trousers with a shirt and jacket; tie is optional. Ladies, blouses and skirts or stylish trousers and dresses are welcome.

 

Formal/Gala Evenings:*It’s Showtime. Dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit for the men with a regular tie or bow tie. Evening or cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separates for the ladies please.*

 

Of course, if you prefer to spend your evenings in more relaxed attire, feel free to dress casually as you visit any of the following venues: Kings Court or Lido Buffet, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, Winter Garden/Winter Lounge and G32 or Yacht Club.*Non-ripped jeans are appropriate, but please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces.**

 

Please ensure you pack appropriate clothing for your voyage. During the winter months in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Islands we suggest that you pack a waterproof jacket and clothing that can be layered, so you can be comfortable in all conditions from sunny afternoons to chilly nights.*

 

Thanks - looked like the VP was taken down to make the changes = SORRY THERE ARE NO CHANGES ACCORDING TO CUNARD!! appreciate your assistance - not happy with the changes but....

[deck chair]

Me, I hate to see jeans of any description even in a dress code so that's a big negative. But at least... for now... the jacket required for most of the ship.. remains and I am grateful for that.

 

I like the list of "casual" venues.... Cunard has quietly and without notice, morphed back to the old three classes c. 1950: First (the Grills), Cabin (Britannia and the "smart attire" public rooms) and Tourist (the "casual" public rooms).

 

How things have changed. When I was 17, I sailed in Italian Line's LEONARDO DA VINCI bare min. Tourist Class and used to sneak into First Class most evenings. After about nine days, a purser pulled me aside and said he knew just what I was up to but because I was so well dressed, it wasn't a problem! Now, people spend thousands to go on a ship so they can wear what they'd mow the lawn in at home. They wouldn't last 10 mins in "Prima Classe" on the old Italian Line... even if they had a ticket.

 

I was on the great Leonardo Da Vinci for a 21 day cruise in Summer 1975. Had an inside with bath down the hall. Great trip.

[kohl57]

Well I think were we on the very same 23-day "Mediterranean-Go-Round" New York to Madeira, Algeciras, Cannes, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Casablanca and back to NY. Sailed in mid June 1975. Student fare $660 for a cabin about the size of a walk-in closet in Queens Grill suite, no facs. But what a blast!

[deck chair]

Well I think were we on the very same 23-day "Mediterranean-Go-Round" New York to Madeira, Algeciras, Cannes, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Casablanca and back to NY. Sailed in mid June 1975. Student fare $660 for a cabin about the size of a walk-in closet in Queens Grill suite, no facs. But what a blast!

 

 

I was on that exact same voyage! Round trip from New York. Sailed from the new Westside piers. First port of call was Funchal....I shared my cabin with some guy. He had the upper berth and I had the lower. He got off in Naples so from that point on had the cabin to myself. What a great trip. A lot of students were onboard sailing to Europe for a Summer study experience. It is a shame what happened to the LDV and Italian Line in general....

 

 

Deck Chair

[Sikwemu]

We've got three cruises booked with Cunard. The first one in July is under the "new designation". We'll be waiting to see what happens before we book anymore because, like most on here, we go because it's one of the only places to still get the proper clothes out. Why, oh why, did they do it

[Lakesregion]

Cunard knows full well that they will have a rebellion with the new codes, so they have come up with what they believe is the clever way to win the war. By expanding the places those in purely casual attire (read no jackets but clean jeans) are allowed such as the casino the G32 and the pub they will have many of these folks mixing in with the properly dressed until it will be a natural occurrence to just remove the jacket requirement for the men and loosen up the requirements for the ladies.

 

Particularly on the QM2 the casino and the pub are across from each other and one must navigate through this area from the Britannia dining room so the overall ambiance for the public rooms in this area will be totally gone. Then there is the G32. The only entrances to this disco is through the "formal" Queens Room. So now we have jeans and very casual strolling through the formally nice dance room and making comments. If you have ever tried to dress where the general level is lower than what you have on, you attract many a comment from the insecure who feel that no one should be better dressed than themselves. And so it goes. Within one year from the initial sailing under this new attire code, Cunard will have totally slide under the waves. Guess they will be showing the Titanic on a loop on the in-room TVs to get folks ready for its demise.

[princeton12321]

We've got three cruises booked with Cunard. The first one in July is under the "new designation". We'll be waiting to see what happens before we book anymore because, like most on here, we go because it's one of the only places to still get the proper clothes out. Why, oh why, did they do it

 

 

 

I mean it’s fairly obvious why they did it- it’s the trend these days in major cities everywhere. Formal restaurants I would be taken to as a kid that always requires a strict dress code can’t make any money if they stick to them and they’ve either adapted to the times or closed up shop. Private city clubs might be the last bastion of a regularly enforced dress code but even those I see are being relaxed.

 

Cunard is smart- people spend more time out drinking and gambling when they’re comfortable. Don’t blame Cunard for this- it’s not their fault- this is merely a sign of the times. Society has gotten more casual in the workplace and it’s spilled into peoples lifestyle. It’s not like there are any viable alternatives anymore anyway- on land or sea.

[onehappystudio]

I'm taking my first TA in August, and I still plan to dress up as if the dress code hasn't changed at all. As this is a bucket list item, I doubt that I will be going on any other Cunard (or any other cruiseline), so I don't expect to be terribly disappointed, but I can imagine it is a disappointment for those who have been traveling on the Queens for many years, or who have trips booked into next year and beyond.

 

(It would have been nice if they made the announcement two weeks ago, before the 2020 cruises become bookable - will people lose deposits if they cancel those bookings?)

[sppunk]

Regardless of the written dress code, one can wear the fanciest of clothes on earth every evening with no issues. If the ship atmosphere adheres, dress will maintain quality.

[kohl57]

It's true... one can exceed the dress requirements. I certainly do on Oceania and always wear a jacket. On QE, I wore a jacket and tie every "informal" evening. But it is relentlessly demoralizing to be on an otherwise elegant ship whose staff work to create an ambiance of luxury, refinement and sophistication and have "gentlemen" wearing a baseball cap to dinner (and on Oceania, they really do), windbreakers, blue jeans and track suits. As other posters have suggested, they make YOU feel like the odd man out and yes, eventually, it just wears down to their level.

 

We live in age of the Common Man and sadly they all take cruises now. It may sound elitist (and why I guess it is at that), but I liked cruising and steamship travel when it was special and yes, cost way more than it does now. My $660 23-day cruise in LEONARDO DA VINCI seemed a deal then but in today's money, that's $3065. And you can take quite a cruise today for that. Even as students, we all dressed for dinner back then because it was expected and it was a special. Now people dress on a ship as they would to go the post office. And if they don't care, why should the staff? As Basil Fawlty said of his guests, they could get by on "a barrel of beans garnished with two dead dogs".

 

Oh well, just think of the workout your eyebrow muscles will get this summer people watching in the evening on Cunard. The Midships Bar is a perfect venue. Anyone taking bets on the first baseball cap spotted?

[Blu-iTT]

Hi All,

This is the response I received from a Personal Cruise Expert / Carnival UK:

 

"Smart Attire means to us the equivalent of the informal (Jacket Required) as detailed and enforced in the majority of the public areas on board the ship. Hope this information helps in the preparation of your cruise"

I have requested that they simply make this update to their website:

Gala Nights:

Evening wear consists of an evening or cocktail dress or smart trouser suit for ladies. A tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit with appropriate neck wear for men or you may wear formal national dress and military uniform.

Smart Attire (Jacket Required):

Evenings would consist of a required jacket and optional tie for gentlemen, whilst ladies should wear cocktail dresses, stylish separates or equivalent. No jeans or shorts.

[LB_NJ]

Unfortunately the trend for more casual clothing has been going on for a while. I just remembered the scene from Downton Abbey that goes as follows:

 

Lord Grantham: I nearly came down in a dinner jacket tonight.

The Dowager Countess: Really? Well why not a dressing gown? Or, better still, pajamas?

[princeton12321]

Hi All,

This is the response I received from a Personal Cruise Expert / Carnival UK:

 

"Smart Attire means to us the equivalent of the informal (Jacket Required) as detailed and enforced in the majority of the public areas on board the ship. Hope this information helps in the preparation of your cruise"

I have requested that they simply make this update to their website:

Gala Nights:

Evening wear consists of an evening or cocktail dress or smart trouser suit for ladies. A tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit with appropriate neck wear for men or you may wear formal national dress and military uniform.

Smart Attire (Jacket Required):

Evenings would consist of a required jacket and optional tie for gentlemen, whilst ladies should wear cocktail dresses, stylish separates or equivalent. No jeans or shorts.

 

 

 

They won’t- this is their attempt to pacify those who want to see the rules remain in place but also entice those who were put off by them to step onboard. If they had any intention of keeping things the same they wouldn’t have changed the wording at all.

[Summergee]

By changing the desk 6 of the dress code surely it will help those that only see "smart attire " and "gala" on the vp realise what is being asked of them. Not everyone reads the small print and this will help people realise that new jeans are not informal and a clean polo shirt is not what is required for a gala night.

[hamrag]

They won’t- this is their attempt to pacify those who want to see the rules remain in place but also entice those who were put off by them to step onboard. If they had any intention of keeping things the same they wouldn’t have changed the wording at all.

 

I agree, and it is the thin edge of the wedge. As time passes, some will ask on board why Gala Nights and Smart Attire are not identical to the other Carnival Corporation ships. The plan is clearly to ease us slowly into the new dress world over the next year or so. Then there will be no jacket required for Smart Attire and the Gala Night will become jacket, but no neck tie etc.

 

To me, the strategy is as clear as day despite their protestations. As many have commented, if there really is to be no change then why rename the dress requirement? This change, and it will be a change over time, was created in the Marketing Division of Carnival.

[Wordzz]

I agree with others that this is likely the thin end of the wedge, and that things are changing. The slide has begun. At the very least they are blurring the edges, with people dressed 'formally' and 'informally' henceforth using some of the same venues. Apart from changing the ambiance, that will make it pretty difficult to enforce any kind of dress code around the ship, seems to me.

 

What I don't quite understand is how they are going to reconcile these changes with their marketing of Cunard. As an example, the lavish ads they take out in the UK press aimed at a particular readership (e.g. the Daily Telegraph on a Saturday) play heavily on the tradition, grandeur, history, glamour and elegance of sailing with Cunard. Some of the ads are linked to journeys on The Orient Express, which uses a similar marketing strategy. The whole focus is on projecting an upscale, special, glamorous experience. In the light of the changes made so far, let alone any gradual slide into further dumbing down, that advertising pitch doesn't make sense to me.

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

They just put up the definitions on the website.

 

Thanks - not good.

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

oops he also added the word jacket to his definition of smart attire... not sure what he had in mind though.

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Forums mobile app

 

The problem is Cunard seems not to instruct the restaurant/bar management to enforce the current dress code - they simply don't bother. Having a far more relaxed dress code - jeans in the restaurants and apart from pool wear - wear what you want is likely to make the situation worse. Cunard will simply become a much more expensive version of Carnival Cruise Line ships.

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

Me, I hate to see jeans of any description even in a dress code so that's a big negative. But at least... for now... the jacket required for most of the ship.. remains and I am grateful for that.

 

I like the list of "casual" venues.... Cunard has quietly and without notice, morphed back to the old three classes c. 1950: First (the Grills), Cabin (Britannia and the "smart attire" public rooms) and Tourist (the "casual" public rooms).

 

How things have changed. When I was 17, I sailed in Italian Line's LEONARDO DA VINCI bare min. Tourist Class and used to sneak into First Class most evenings. After about nine days, a purser pulled me aside and said he knew just what I was up to but because I was so well dressed, it wasn't a problem! Now, people spend thousands to go on a ship so they can wear what they'd mow the lawn in at home. They wouldn't last 10 mins in "Prima Classe" on the old Italian Line... even if they had a ticket.

 

I appreciate what you say - with an even more relaxed dress code even The Grills passengers will be able to wear jeans for dinner and not necessarily 'toe the line' with the new wishy-washy dress code. Even now the restaurant/bar managers seldom if ever implement the dress code. The Grills could become far less smart and Ist Class than it is now - why then would one pay the higher Grills fares?

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

Cunard knows full well that they will have a rebellion with the new codes, so they have come up with what they believe is the clever way to win the war. By expanding the places those in purely casual attire (read no jackets but clean jeans) are allowed such as the casino the G32 and the pub they will have many of these folks mixing in with the properly dressed until it will be a natural occurrence to just remove the jacket requirement for the men and loosen up the requirements for the ladies.

 

Particularly on the QM2 the casino and the pub are across from each other and one must navigate through this area from the Britannia dining room so the overall ambiance for the public rooms in this area will be totally gone. Then there is the G32. The only entrances to this disco is through the "formal" Queens Room. So now we have jeans and very casual strolling through the formally nice dance room and making comments. If you have ever tried to dress where the general level is lower than what you have on, you attract many a comment from the insecure who feel that no one should be better dressed than themselves. And so it goes. Within one year from the initial sailing under this new attire code, Cunard will have totally slide under the waves. Guess they will be showing the Titanic on a loop on the in-room TVs to get folks ready for its demise.

 

Sorry to say I have to agree with you as regular passengers with Cunard and with two booking this summer 20018, a full World Cruise and an Alaska cruise booked for 2019 I am disgusted that the so called managers at Holland America Line (they 'manage' Cunard & P&O UK now) & Cunard did not advise those with live bookings/tickets BEFORE they rolled out the change. Or were they afraid they may get cancellations or lose new bookings. The entire thing has been badly handled - which may be a precursor under the new regime!

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

I'm taking my first TA in August, and I still plan to dress up as if the dress code hasn't changed at all. As this is a bucket list item, I doubt that I will be going on any other Cunard (or any other cruiseline), so I don't expect to be terribly disappointed, but I can imagine it is a disappointment for those who have been traveling on the Queens for many years, or who have trips booked into next year and beyond.

 

(It would have been nice if they made the announcement two weeks ago, before the 2020 cruises become bookable - will people lose deposits if they cancel those bookings?)

 

Totally agree - we have four more voyages booked with Cunard in 2018 and 2019 and will dress a properly as we have always done - FORMAL & INFORMAL (jacket and for me a tie). What happens when we have used up the current tickets remains to be seen. A

s a regular passenger with Cunard and with two booking this summer 20018, a full World Cruise and an Alaska cruise booked for 2019 I am disgusted that the so called managers at Holland America Line (they 'manage' Cunard & P&O UK now) & Cunard did not advise those with live bookings/tickets BEFORE they rolled out the change. Or were they afraid they may get cancellations or lose new bookings. Yes you lose the deposit. The entire thing has been badly handled - which may be a precursor under the new regime!

[DT_PB_all_at_sea]

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:

 

Clearly Angus Struthers either lied or does not know what is happening in his own company LOL. :evilsmile:

 

Despite assurances yesterday from @Cunard via Facebook DM andCruiseCritic that “no changes to the DRESS CODE were planned” having justchecked the Cunard VP under Dining ‘what to wear’ – SURPRISE, SURPRISE CUNARD HASCHANGED THE DRESS CODE DRAMATICALLY seemingly from MID SUMMER 2018, but booked passengers like me were not advised before the change? FORMAL is now ‘GALA EVENING’ & INFORMAL is now ‘SMART ATTIRE’ But the major change seem tobe that now a more ‘Relaxed Attire; another category’ which includes jeans cannow be worn any pretty well everywhere in the ship every evening, FOOD COURTS, GOLDEN LION PUB, CASINO, CARINTHIA LOUNGE/WINTER GARDENS, AND NIGHT CLUBS/G32/YACHT CLUB - JEANS ARE NOW APPROPRIATE FOR EVENINGS –I am a regular and loyal passenger on Cunard and I would be interested to know why Cunard made these extensive changes to the ambiance on board BEFORE advising passengers with current bookings – hardly good customer service and has been poorly managed.

Edited March 29, 2018 by DT_PB_all_at_sea
Typo errors