Slippery Slope for QE and the rest of the fleet.

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Having always lived in cities in the U.K., I have no idea what a country club is or even if we have them here. What is special about the way members of them dress?

Actually the folks that respond about country club casual have no idea how real country clubs of only a few years ago functioned. What they say is country club casual got you into the sandwich bar out by the links. To be admitted into the real dining room at areal country club required real shoes, slacks and a blazer and tie for the gentlemen (only gentlemen belonged to country clubs the rest played at the public links) and the ladies for lunch were expected to be in afternoon dresses and the evening required an up tick. Those playing tennis ate at the links food shop, terrace or whatever name the lesser place was called not in the dining room.

 

Today, country clubs have lowered the dress standards to attract paying members just as the cruise industry has lowered the standards to attract people to fill the huge number of cabins available every day 365 days of the year.

 

Cunard looking at adding a fourth ship to the line realizes that traditional passengers no matter what the age are becoming fewer by the year and thus the lowering of standards. It will not be long before the jacket and the dress and even real shoes are gone and eventually the elegance of the interiors will be gone. Carnival has but a single real customer. Their shareholders and they could give a whit about tradition as long as the bottom line keeps increasing along with the value of their shares.

 

Bean counters have ruined more fine hospitality and retail trades than the internet could do in a life time.

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Having always lived in cities in the U.K., I have no idea what a country club is or even if we have them here. What is special about the way members of them dress?

"Country Club: casual is a polite phrase for clothing that can be easily located in every restaurant including Mickie d's, every garden center and on every home owner out washing the car. Only these clothes are supposed to be more expensive hence the term "country club" casual. A better turn of golf shirt, sports shirt and slack a better turn of ladies pants etc. So when you read "Country Club"casual or the other totally absurd term "Smart" attire think common everyday clothes at a higher price and you have it.

[Desert Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Lakesregion said:

"Country Club: casual is a polite phrase for clothing that can be easily located in every restaurant including Mickie d's, every garden center and on every home owner out washing the car. Only these clothes are supposed to be more expensive hence the term "country club" casual. A better turn of golf shirt, sports shirt and slack a better turn of ladies pants etc. So when you read "Country Club"casual or the other totally absurd term "Smart" attire think common everyday clothes at a higher price and you have it.

All I know is my experience onboard Crystal, Oceania, and Azamara.  Despite not having a Cunard-type dress code, most people do dress nicely in the evening for dinner.  The passengers on those lines don't go into the dining room dressed like they are going to wash the car or pick up some plants at the garden center. People do wear "real shoes". 

 

I respect people who want to maintain the Cunard tradition.  However, I was just sharing my perspective.  On our QE Alaska cruise last summer, we sat with two other couples - one from England and one from Australia.  All of us were in our late 50s - early 70s.  All of us dressed appropriately depending upon the dress code for the evening.  We all felt the same way about the dress code in that it needed to reflect a more relaxed (but not sloppy) atmosphere on some evenings - for example, ditch the jacket requirement on some evenings.  

 

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, Desert Cruisers said:

All I know is my experience onboard Crystal, Oceania, and Azamara.  Despite not having a Cunard-type dress code, most people do dress nicely in the evening for dinner.  The passengers on those lines don't go into the dining room dressed like they are going to wash the car or pick up some plants at the garden center. People do wear "real shoes". 

 

I respect people who want to maintain the Cunard tradition.  However, I was just sharing my perspective.  On our QE Alaska cruise last summer, we sat with two other couples - one from England and one from Australia.  All of us were in our late 50s - early 70s.  All of us dressed appropriately depending upon the dress code for the evening.  We all felt the same way about the dress code in that it needed to reflect a more relaxed (but not sloppy) atmosphere on some evenings - for example, ditch the jacket requirement on some evenings.  

 

 

Totally agree, for dining in the Buffet.

[Wordzz]

11 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

 

Totally agree, for dining in the Buffet.

Hear, hear!

[Victoria2]

15 hours ago, Desert Cruisers said:

All I know is my experience onboard Crystal, Oceania, and Azamara.  Despite not having a Cunard-type dress code, most people do dress nicely in the evening for dinner.  The passengers on those lines don't go into the dining room dressed like they are going to wash the car or pick up some plants at the garden center. People do wear "real shoes". 

 

I respect people who want to maintain the Cunard tradition.  However, I was just sharing my perspective.  On our QE Alaska cruise last summer, we sat with two other couples - one from England and one from Australia.  All of us were in our late 50s - early 70s.  All of us dressed appropriately depending upon the dress code for the evening.  We all felt the same way about the dress code in that it needed to reflect a more relaxed (but not sloppy) atmosphere on some evenings - for example, ditch the jacket requirement on some evenings.  

 

Come on here and ask for/ share advice and you'll often get it from a personal  perspective, especially concerning the evening dress issues. Some aspire to keep things as they were and no movement on that allowed even though experiences, which are impossible to  contradict unless those claiming an opposite opinion were also there  in person, at that time, have shown there are occasions when ambiances have differed from the norm.

 

An almost stiff upper lip approach in times of absolute discomfort has been advised,  advice those with potential health issues are quite rightly not prepared to take as this is a vacation, not a state dinner.

 

In an ideal world, what you see  [from wardrobe, as I found out when I complimented the wearer/model on her beautiful dress]  in the Cunard brochure is what you would see onboard and there are some passengers who have been gifted the genes [and cash?] to actually look like that.

The majority, [me included] do our best to conform and although I also think well cut beautiful ''country club casuals'' trump rumpled ill matched jacket and trousers, that is not what Cunard is about.

 

I hope the code isn't downgraded any more than it is because although we have experienced and enjoyed the odd casual [jacket not required] evening and the heavens didn't fall and everyone looked splendid from what I could see in QG, I concur with the die hards there will always be passengers who will undercut any dress code, and if the base level is downgraded, so might the under dressing and come the time the equivalent  of ''country club casual''  becomes  regular allowable evening attire throughout the fleet in the Britannia and Grills , is the day Cunard will have  lost its niche.

[mcloaked]

I think that dress code is an ongoing contentious issue - mostly people dress up and enjoy doing so.  However there will likely always be some who have no interest in being part of it.  However let's face it, the cruise costs a lot more than the cost of a reasonable suit these days - there are local shops in many parts of the UK where you can get a suit, including a waistcoat, for somewhat less than £100!  Equally for ladies there are plenty of shops where you can buy a pretty lovely looking evening dress also for less than £100 - compared to the cost of the cruise that is tiny!

 

Having a room where everyone looks smart is enjoyed by many - especially in the dining room and the ballroom.

[NSWP]

On 12/9/2019 at 2:26 AM, Jack E Dawson said:

 

Interesting you should notice NSWP. I don't remember his name but he was the first passenger we met on he QM2. He was an older fellow (like me) and a widower. His son (who took the picture) had treated him to this crossing, and you are right NSWP, he had never been on a Cunard ship before. But he was a real gentleman and a class act. I'm pretty sure he didn't wear the cap to the MDR but I'm positive that his tablemates thoroughly enjoyed his company. I remember how happy and proud his son was to be taking this voyage with his dad. I didn't realize he was in the background of the picture and actually hadn't even thought about him since that voyage. Thinking about it, I guess being a real Cunarder is more than the clothes. 

Thanks NSWP for bringing back some GREAT memories.

Jack

Sorry to offend, 'Chav' was really in jest, I am sure he was a nice chap.   Have a good Christmas.

[NSWP]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:25 AM, exlondoner said:

 

I'm sure this is a joke. Because calling someone unknown to one a chav, based on an (inaccurate) assessment of their dress, is surely more graceless than failing to wear a tie as required.

Sorry to offend, 'Chav' was a jocular term.  Merry Xmas.

[MelbTone]

From my recent QE cruise, the no jackets relaxation definitely changed things over my previous Cunard cruises. I'd taken it to mean that as a man you'd be dressed as you might at the office on a summer day, i.e. white/monocolour/pinstripe shirt, no tie, but plenty were complying with the code as written but wearing collared shirts that would be more at place on the beach, not dissimilar to the one on page 1 of this thread. On formal nights though everyone did fall into line.

[CateW]

We have no problem with a dress code, I actually like dressing up when we cruise because we certainly don't do that at home.   We are doing a 21 night transatlantic sailing on QM2 this summer and I am surprised to see that there are only 7 gala nights.  We've done 14 nights before and there were more than that.   That said, I'm likely to wear a cocktail dress most nights and at a minimum my husband will wear a jacket on smart nights and his tux on gala nights.   I would love to see them move the late seating dining time to 8:00 - early is definitely too early but 8:30 is a little bit too late.   Brittania Club is sold out on our cruise but for the difference in price we can eat at the Verandah and the alternative specialities and the MDR only a couple of times in each of the 7 days.   Interestingly, when I booked this we were automatically put on the wait list for early seating (maybe because of our ages) so I had to call and change that to late.   We don't eat at 6:00 at home so definitely don't want to do that on holiday.

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, CateW said:

... We are doing a 21 night transatlantic sailing on QM2 this summer and I am surprised to see that there are only 7 gala nights.  We've done 14 nights before and there were more than that.   ...

 

To help clarify that point, as a general rule, there are three gala nights on a conventional 7-night crossing and typically two gala nights per week on other cruises with port calls. The 14-night portion of your QM2 voyage is treated as a cruise for the purposes of the dress code since it includes port calls in Corner Brook, Halifax, Reykjavik (overnight), and Greenock.

 

You'll find exceptions to that rule, but it applies to your 21-night voyage. You have two gala evening per week on that 14-night crossing and three gala evenings on the 7-night crossing for a total of seven gala evenings. That's how it was for QM2's similar 21-night voyage last year as well.

[lissie]

On 1/20/2020 at 1:49 PM, MelbTone said:

From my recent QE cruise, the no jackets relaxation definitely changed things over my previous Cunard cruises. I'd taken it to mean that as a man you'd be dressed as you might at the office on a summer day, i.e. white/monocolour/pinstripe shirt, no tie, but plenty were complying with the code as written but wearing collared shirts that would be more at place on the beach, not dissimilar to the one on page 1 of this thread. On formal nights though everyone did fall into line.

I don't think anyone wears white shirts or pinstripes to the office anymore!  Just off to buy my partner some shirts for our upcoming QE cruise out of Sydney - and yes he now owns a jacket too - but the shirts on sale are mainly patterned and quite often floral (which he won't go for) - I'm surprised - but I guess its the fashion 

[navybankerteacher]

On 12/14/2019 at 3:42 PM, Lakesregion said:

"Country Club: casual is a polite phrase for clothing that can be easily located in every restaurant including Mickie d's, every garden center and on every home owner out washing the car. Only these clothes are supposed to be more expensive hence the term "country club" casual. A better turn of golf shirt, sports shirt and slack a better turn of ladies pants etc. So when you read "Country Club"casual or the other totally absurd term "Smart" attire think common everyday clothes at a higher price and you have it.

Absurd!  

 

At garden centers and “out washing the car” you are going to see tee shirts, jeans and cut-offs, as well as flip-flops — none of which goes with “country club casual”.

 

And “smart” attire is not just “everyday clothes at a higher price”  - and “more expensive” has little to do with something being “country club casual”.