Ladies - Wardrobe Suggestions Summer Voyage QM2

[AnnintheGarden]

I was wondering if experienced travelers would share suggestions for wardrobe. We will be traveling in July NY to Southampton and then August back again.

 

I know we will have three formal occasional and I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share photographs of what they wore. I assumed initially that I would simply pack a few gowns but then read so many people say they wore black pants and a nice top — now I am wondering if what I think of as formal is too dressy.

 

I am also wondering how cool it will be in the evenings etc. 

 

Do people dress up for theater or only on formal evenings?

 

We are in QG although I am not sure that makes much of a difference when it comes to dress.

[TheOldBear]

My wife says - "It is impossible to be overdressed. If you have gowns, bring them"

 

I think the black pants/sparkly top [sequins, beaded, glitter] is targeted at folks who are luggage limited [air travel luggage allowance] or need to carry or stash luggage during a land portion of their vacation. For them packing small is essential.

 

We take the opposite approach, with no tolls, bridges or tunnels between out house and the Brooklyn terminal, we take lots of stuff [tux, gowns, dress shoes, dance shoes...]. Even Britannia rooms have lots of storage space.

[AnnintheGarden]

My wife says - "It is impossible to be overdressed. If you have gowns, bring them"

 

Ah — this is helpful. I did not want to wear a normal gown and then find everyone else in dress pants.

[harpy3]

Queens Grill--from my observations people will be dressy.  And its far better to err on the side of a bit overdressed than underdressed.  I agree, take the gowns and have fun.

[Tonopah]

We did a crossing in August, 2018. I had a cocktail dress, a little black dress, a long black skirt and flowy, dressy pants. I had sparkly tops to mix and match and various pashminas. Attached is a picture from a gala evening - long black skirt and sparkly top. I know it was gala because Mister is in his tux. Some ladies wore gowns to the nines. Others were even more simply than I. 

 

Be as dressed up as you like. You won’t be over dressed or stand out at all (except in a “WOW!’ way!) 

 

 

 

 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Here are some pictures from our late June 2018 crossing. An informal night, a formal night and the masquerade ball. The only gown that might be over the top is the big full skirted Cinderella style. Fully beaded or fully sequined (like my red one here) were common on our voyage. We were in Brittania MDR and loved it. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by HaveDogWillTravel

[BigMac1953]

We're always QG. Here's the boss for example:

 

 

 

 

[AnnintheGarden]

As far as formal wear this has been very helpful. I will bring the more form-fitting gowns and leave the full skirted gowns at home. 

[naturelovergirl]

For our upcoming formal nights I have planned

- Black & White Gala Night

Very sparkly cocktail dress

- Roaring 20s

Flapper dress and Art Deco beaded jacket

- Royal Cunard Ball

Long formal gown

 

For the Smart Attire nights I have very nice dresses and attractive skirts and tops

[Meliador]

Very useful thread....I’ve had the very same question. Thank you for the pictures!!

[Stella1250]

I am doing the Baltic Cruise this July on QV. We are in QG and our cruise has 2 gala nights. The themes are black and white and roaring 20's. For the black and white, I have a black gown with a white throw. And, for the roaring 20's, I have a blue one shoulder gown and I just bought a blue lace and beaded fascinator on Amazon for $11!  The remaining 7 nights will be cocktail dresses. My husband has one tux, an extra tuxedo jacket and four suits. I think we may only bring three of them. One is black, one is grey and the last is a brownish tan. Two sets of ties and cummerbunds with pocket squares completes the dressy look.

 

[myjillian]

On 4/9/2019 at 1:02 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Here are some pictures from our late June 2018 crossing. An informal night, a formal night and the masquerade ball. The only gown that might be over the top is the big full skirted Cinderella style. Fully beaded or fully sequined (like my red one here) were common on our voyage. We were in Brittania MDR and loved it. 

Lovely

[myjillian]

On 4/9/2019 at 3:35 AM, BigMac1953 said:

We're always QG. Here's the boss for example:

 

 

 

 

Beautiful evening wear ...nicely fitted...easy to pack

[HaveDogWillTravel]

21 hours ago, myjillian said:

Lovely

Thank you. Every evening after dinner we went up to the the aft bar and had a night cap with Allen, the very sweetest, nicest bartender we’ve ever met. He took our picture every night and they are our favorites. 

[AnnintheGarden]

I was wondering how cool or even chilly it would be on deck for this time of year — July-August NY to UK and back again. I am packing for myself and two girls and am not sure how many jackets and long sleeve tops to pack.

[exlondoner]

It's unlikely to be very warm, but, more significantly, there will always be a wind, particularly westbound. Even a mild 15 kt wind, plus the speed of the ship at 20+ generates a near gale,  so you'll want something to keep your arms warm.

[AnnintheGarden]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

It's unlikely to be very warm, but, more significantly, there will always be a wind, particularly westbound. Even a mild 15 kt wind, plus the speed of the ship at 20+ generates a near gale,  so you'll want something to keep your arms warm.

Thank you so much! 

 

What about footwear when walking on deck? 

 

Finally, what do people wear the day of embarkation? 

[Bigmike911]

1 hour ago, AnnintheGarden said:

Thank you so much! 

 

What about footwear when walking on deck? 

 

Finally, what do people wear the day of embarkation? 

For footwear, normal shoes you would wear with the out fit you are wearing. As for Embarkation, there is a lot of sitting and waiting, then going through security, so wear something that is going to be comfortable, and if you want your embarkation photo taken, something that looks smart. I usually wear my chinos, a blue shirt and my blazer, with a snappy pocket square, no tie. It is what I usually wear on an airplane too. 

[Sauer-kraut]

Day wear can be jeans or shorts, pack a lightweight windbreaker for on deck and it won't take up much space in the suitcase.  Day wear is casual....dressing up only after 6 pm.  Shoes that grip i.e. walking shoes, gym shoes, sandals with a rubber sole will be your friend.  Evening shoes I only wear flats EVER so never had a problem falling off heels when the ship lists.... 😄

[LibraryLaura]

Hey AnnintheGarden, we're on the NY to Southampton on July 7th as well. So looking forward to it! Our first time on Cunard.

I asked about daytime clothes on a Facebook group and layers were recommended. I guess you never know if it will be windy/chilly or warm. 

I'm packing dresses for the evenings also. I have a few long ones (one with a bit of a full-skirted poof, but it's just so beautiful and where else am I going to wear it!), then some shorter ones for other evenings. 

Hopefully, we'll get it right. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by LibraryLaura

[Tonopah]

35 minutes ago, LibraryLaura said:

Hey AnnintheGarden, we're on the NY to Southampton on July 7th as well. So looking forward to it! Our first time on Cunard.

I asked about daytime clothes on a Facebook group and layers were recommended. I guess you never know if it will be windy/chilly or warm. 

I'm packing dresses for the evenings also. I have a few long ones (one with a bit of a full-skirted poof, but it's just so beautiful and where else am I going to wear it!), then some shorter ones for other evenings. 

Hopefully, we'll get it right. 

It sounds just right. Be sure to take pictures! I’d love to see what you wore.