Queen Elizabeth 54 days of cruising on her this year. My views

[lissie]

14 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

I would love to see pictures of your formal wear!  I am not great at fashion so love examples of what to look for visually.  What I like usually does not suit me, so I always like to see what others ideas are.

Sure finally got some formal photos taken - didn't pay for the digital versions though so apologies for the quality.   The trousers are black merino - which saved me from freezing in San Francisco in summer and on the flight home. The Hawaiian top is a $!5  cheapie which surprisingly has not lost a rhinestone yet. I also wear it over a long straight sheath sometimes. The black & gold dress I made - because I'm fat, don't' want to hide in a dress and don't want to spend a fortune on a dress.  The B&W outfit dresses down for day wear too. We are both wearing suede soled dance shoes - they are lighter than regular shoes - my partners  are about to fall apart fortunately you can't see that under a trouser LOL.  i've also got a light weight shrug made out of a spectacular cheap sari - I wear it with the skirt and black t-shirt. 

 

[Mareblu]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

Sure finally got some formal photos taken - didn't pay for the digital versions though so apologies for the quality.   The trousers are black merino - which saved me from freezing in San Francisco in summer and on the flight home. The Hawaiian top is a $!5  cheapie which surprisingly has not lost a rhinestone yet. I also wear it over a long straight sheath sometimes. The black & gold dress I made - because I'm fat, don't' want to hide in a dress and don't want to spend a fortune on a dress.  The B&W outfit dresses down for day wear too. We are both wearing suede soled dance shoes - they are lighter than regular shoes - my partners  are about to fall apart fortunately you can't see that under a trouser LOL.  i've also got a light weight shrug made out of a spectacular cheap sari - I wear it with the skirt and black t-shirt. 

 

Lovely pics, and I’ll be wearing similarly-styled attire on Cunard evenings.  DH will be wearing his velvet dinner jacket (tuxedo for our US friends) with a bow tie and black pants for gala evenings.

[Mareblu]

4 hours ago, lissie said:

Haha - I've thought the same thing! Basically, I think its people being keyboard warriors. You can certainly pay more and get a more exclusive experience - but none of those lines e.g. Oceania, Windstar do formal as far as I know. And smaller ships don't have dance floors and orchestras/bands.  

 

I don't really understand the argument - if you want to dress up above and beyond the dress code you'll not going to get told off!  

We don’t do Oceania for “a more exclusive experience”, rather because their ships are smaller, and the ambience is comfortable, and as formal as you wish to make it by choosing to dress for dinner, or even just for cocktails.  Oceania ships not only have bands/orchestras with superb musicians, they also have quite spacious dance floors which many passengers use and enjoy.  I haven’t as yet passed an opinion on the Cunard experience, because  we haven’t sailed Cunard as yet, but look forward to sailing on QE in January.  Then, and only then, will I do so.  It’s only natural to express loyalty to the lines we’ve enjoyed, but every line has positives and negatives, and it’s admirable and healthy to acknowledge both.

[lissie]

55 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

We don’t do Oceania for “a more exclusive experience”, rather because their ships are smaller, and the ambience is comfortable, and as formal as you wish to make it by choosing to dress for dinner, or even just for cocktails.  Oceania ships not only have bands/orchestras with superb musicians, they also have quite spacious dance floors which many passengers use and enjoy.  I haven’t as yet passed an opinion on the Cunard experience, because  we haven’t sailed Cunard as yet, but look forward to sailing on QE in January.  Then, and only then, will I do so.  It’s only natural to express loyalty to the lines we’ve enjoyed, but every line has positives and negatives, and it’s admirable and healthy to acknowledge both.

I wasn't addressing you particularly - I  too am just genuinely confused as to where else you could ballroom dance at sea - which is my definition of dancing - not shaking your body  while standing in one spot 🙂 Ballroom (and to a lesser extent Latin) - needs a fair amount of space - and anything smaller than the Queens Room isn't big enough 

[Mareblu]

56 minutes ago, lissie said:

I wasn't addressing you particularly - I  too am just genuinely confused as to where else you could ballroom dance at sea - which is my definition of dancing - not shaking your body  while standing in one spot 🙂 Ballroom (and to a lesser extent Latin) - needs a fair amount of space - and anything smaller than the Queens Room isn't big enough 

Couldn’t agree more😊.   Give me a tango, above all, any day

[techteach]

15 hours ago, Mareblu said:

We don’t do Oceania for “a more exclusive experience”, rather because their ships are smaller, and the ambience is comfortable, and as formal as you wish to make it by choosing to dress for dinner, or even just for cocktails.  Oceania ships not only have bands/orchestras with superb musicians, they also have quite spacious dance floors which many passengers use and enjoy.  I haven’t as yet passed an opinion on the Cunard experience, because  we haven’t sailed Cunard as yet, but look forward to sailing on QE in January.  Then, and only then, will I do so.  It’s only natural to express loyalty to the lines we’ve enjoyed, but every line has positives and negatives, and it’s admirable and healthy to acknowledge both.

Thanks for sharing this @Mareblu. We have a cruise booked on Oceania for Sept. 2023. I was hoping I could wear my pretty dresses. Would a tux be out of place?

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you, Lissie, for your great pictures!  My "eye" for spotting clothes and the potential for outfits needs a lot of work!  

[lissie]

1 minute ago, alibabacruisers said:

Thank you, Lissie, for your great pictures!  My "eye" for spotting clothes and the potential for outfits needs a lot of work!  

The best money on clothes I ever didn't spend was to hire a personal stylist to come to my home and go through my wardrobe. Her honest advice of what suited me and what didn't was invaluable.  She then took me shopping (to cheap chain stores) and some of those items I have still - but the style was the important thing I know to narrow down some key things that suit me and go with those. 

[Mareblu]

8 hours ago, techteach said:

Thanks for sharing this @Mareblu. We have a cruise booked on Oceania for Sept. 2023. I was hoping I could wear my pretty dresses. Would a tux be out of place?

Pleasure, techteach😊  I can't recall ever noticing anyone in a tux, but that doesn't mean they haven't, of course.  Mario always wears a navy or black jacket over a collared shirt, sometimes with a tie, although not quite so much on the last two cruises, because like Cunard (from what I've read and observed on "My Cunard") ties are not so visible these days.  Gala evenings on Cunard would, of course, be the opposite.  We would always dress for dinner, just as we do when dining out in Australia (or anywhere for that matter), so we would notice if others weren't doing the same.  I firmly believe that if you want to wear a tux, then wear a tux.  It makes an elegant statement.  And pretty dresses?  Always 🥰

[Mareblu]

I meant to add:  Enjoy your Sept. 23 cruise.  What's the itinerary?

[techteach]

@Mareblu LA to LA. California ports. Since it’s our first Oceania we wanted a close port and short itinerary. It’s the Regatta, which also sails from Seattle to Alaska, but often gets mixed reviews. We have a Vista Suite and hope the food is as good as it sounds. 

[Mareblu]

43 minutes ago, techteach said:

@Mareblu LA to LA. California ports. Since it’s our first Oceania we wanted a close port and short itinerary. It’s the Regatta, which also sails from Seattle to Alaska, but often gets mixed reviews. We have a Vista Suite and hope the food is as good as it sounds. 

Regatta is a sister ship to Sirena, on which we sailed this September, also, coincidentally, in a Vista Suite.  Most mixed reviews concern the small spaces, particularly bathrooms, in smaller staterooms on this class of ship in Oceania’s fleet.  Marina, Riviera, and the new Vista all offer much more spacious accommodation in each stateroom category.  

You will not regret your time in the Vista Suite. It’s a luxurious, flowing and functional space.  The bathroom is a wonderfully reimagined, marble-clad space, and the powder room adjacent to the entry door is an added bonus.  The huge, front-facing balcony over the bow is a marvellous vantage point.  The one real drawback:  because ours was a front-facing Vista Suite, the noise and motion in the heaving North Sea was incredible.  Would we book it again? Certainly!

We found Oceania’s cuisine, once again, to be superb.  Attaching a sample of Ginger’s dishes, (specialty, free, restaurant) and a couple of the suite

[Mareblu]

Sorry for the double  photos above, and enjoy your LA-LA cruise

[techteach]

@Mareblu Thank you SO much for posting this information and the pictures. I’m looking forward to a warm weather cruise sitting on that Vista balcony with a cold drink in my hand.

[alibabacruisers]

Thanks for your experience Lissie!  There used to be a show that I remember watching years ago, a UK series, Trinnie and Susannah?  They used to show women what clothes suited them and I used to think that is what I need but could never do it on TV!  It had some great ideas too.

[bazzaw]

Cunard dress code? She is now in Australia - I have read elsewhere that Aussie's sense of dress is "casual - to the point of indifference " 🙂 Most of our Cunard cruises have been from Southampton (2x3 Queens)  - with one QE from San Francisco to Sydney. We have a short 8 dayer on QE in January (think HOT summer)  Sydney to Hobart and return. I am expecting it to be a bit rough!! 

[Solent Richard]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:14 AM, Mareblu said:

We don’t do Oceania for “a more exclusive experience”, rather because their ships are smaller, and the ambience is comfortable, and as formal as you wish to make it by choosing to dress for dinner, or even just for cocktails.  Oceania ships not only have bands/orchestras with superb musicians, they also have quite spacious dance floors which many passengers use and enjoy.  I haven’t as yet passed an opinion on the Cunard experience, because  we haven’t sailed Cunard as yet, but look forward to sailing on QE in January.  Then, and only then, will I do so.  It’s only natural to express loyalty to the lines we’ve enjoyed, but every line has positives and negatives, and it’s admirable and healthy to acknowledge both.

 

I can only concur with what you have said. 

 

My wife and I found ample space onboard Oceania with good live music to indulge ourselves both with Ballroom and Latin dance: often with more than enough space to step out with full routines...

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Solent Richard

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Cunard dress code? She is now in Australia - I have read elsewhere that Aussie's sense of dress is "casual - to the point of indifference " 🙂 Most of our Cunard cruises have been from Southampton (2x3 Queens)  - with one QE from San Francisco to Sydney. We have a short 8 dayer on QE in January (think HOT summer)  Sydney to Hobart and return. I am expecting it to be a bit rough!! 

I was on one of the 3 Queens with 400 Aussies and I must say that, as far as I could tell, they were just as smart as everyone else, that is pretty smart. Is it different at home?

[Solent Richard]

On 11/10/2022 at 4:09 AM, Mareblu said:

Couldn’t agree more😊.   Give me a tango, above all, any day

Now we are talking....

 

...and where better than a Buenos Aires street.

[Solent Richard]

On 11/10/2022 at 3:11 AM, lissie said:

I wasn't addressing you particularly - I  too am just genuinely confused as to where else you could ballroom dance at sea - which is my definition of dancing - not shaking your body  while standing in one spot 🙂 Ballroom (and to a lesser extent Latin) - needs a fair amount of space - and anything smaller than the Queens Room isn't big enough 

 

Oh I don't know, my wife and I found both the music and style ...

 

 

....certainly equal to Cunard when onboard Saga's Spirit of Discovery. As for dance floor space, there was certainly more than enough for us...

 

 

*****

 

 

*****

 

 

...aided of course by the fact many of the passengers sadly are no longer as agile as they once were.

[Solent Richard]

16 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I was on one of the 3 Queens with 400 Aussies and I must say that, as far as I could tell, they were just as smart as everyone else, that is pretty smart. Is it different at home?

 

Agree. 

 

We sail from Southampton to Sydney onboard Queen Mary 2 and swopped over 800 Brits for Aussies at Los Angeles before crossing the Pacific. 

 

As a bit of a fanatic on 'dress codes' I had nothing to complain about following the changeover. Indeed, if anything the daytime standards were appeared to be raised.

[addo]

We returned last week from Barcelona to Fremantle on QE. The dress code became very casual after Singapore when 1000 Aussies came onboard.  The restaurants were very quiet but the buffet busy at night and also the Golden Lion.  We like Lissie have done many days this year  (88) on QE Southampton to San Francisco and Vancouver to Barcelona and this was definately the most casual in the latter part.

 

It will be interesting to see on the World Cruise as we go around Australia on QV if this is the case as well.

[bazzaw]

7 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I was on one of the 3 Queens with 400 Aussies and I must say that, as far as I could tell, they were just as smart as everyone else, that is pretty smart. Is it different at home?

Yes - I think so. I have been on Cunard ships with a large contingent of Aussies and most wore Black Tie. But Black Tie is very rare in Australia.

[Mareblu]

4 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Yes - I think so. I have been on Cunard ships with a large contingent of Aussies and most wore Black Tie. But Black Tie is very rare in Australia.

Sigh.....please read my earlier post on formal wear in Australia.  

[Mareblu]

9 hours ago, addo said:

We returned last week from Barcelona to Fremantle on QE. The dress code became very casual after Singapore when 1000 Aussies came onboard.  The restaurants were very quiet but the buffet busy at night and also the Golden Lion.  We like Lissie have done many days this year  (88) on QE Southampton to San Francisco and Vancouver to Barcelona and this was definately the most casual in the latter part.

 

It will be interesting to see on the World Cruise as we go around Australia on QV if this is the case as well.

So you frequented the buffet and the Golden Lion?