Elegant Casual?

[KT32]

I'll be on my first voyage with Cunard next month and am thinking about what to pack. The formal nights I have a pretty good idea of what to wear. But I'm a little concerned about the elegant casual nights. What do ladies & gentlemen typically wear for elegant casual nights?

 

I know on the website it says "Elegant Casual: Jacket, no tie required for gentlemen. Dress, skirt or trousers for ladies. No shorts or jeans." but that seems fairly vague to me.

 

Do men still wear suits or sportcoats & ties? Would I be out of place in a sundress? Would a less fancy cocktail dress or dressy skirt/pants & top be more appropriate?

 

Thanks for your help!

[imacruizer]

Congratulations on booking your first Cunard voyage. I looked at you post list and saw that you are sailing on the QM2 on one of the shorter voyages.

 

A lovely dressy sundress would be very appropriate for elegant casual evenings. So would dressy pants/skirts and a beautiful top. I don't think you really need cocktail type dresses for elegant casual.

 

Most men will wear dress pants and a jacket on elegant casual evenings. About 30 to 50 percent will wear a tie. I don't think you will see too many suits on elegant casual nights.

 

One of the highlights of sailing on Cunard is being able to dress up each night and feel like you are returning to the golden age of sailing when ladies and gentlemen boarded the ship with steamer trunks full of beautiful clothes and dressed to the nines each night.

 

Enjoy your cruise and return and tell us about it! The QM2 is an amazing ship.

 

Beth

[wynyardworld]

I'll be on my first voyage with Cunard next month and am thinking about what to pack. The formal nights I have a pretty good idea of what to wear. But I'm a little concerned about the elegant casual nights. What do ladies & gentlemen typically wear for elegant casual nights?

 

I know on the website it says "Elegant Casual: Jacket, no tie required for gentlemen. Dress, skirt or trousers for ladies. No shorts or jeans." but that seems fairly vague to me.

 

Do men still wear suits or sportcoats & ties? Would I be out of place in a sundress? Would a less fancy cocktail dress or dressy skirt/pants & top be more appropriate?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

One of the joys for me, particularly on a transatlantic crossing, is the opportunity to dress for dinner and be dressed smart in the day. So I would suggest, if you like to put on your finery this is the place to do it.

 

If you want to be a little more casual, you will not be on your own, but as is the case anywhere you will be judged by what you wear.

 

What ever you feel comfortable in you should be able to have a really good time on this wonderful ship, I do hope that is the case. Enjoy.

[rjms74]

If you are in one of the Grill Restaurants most men will wear a jacket & tie on elegant casual evening especially the Queens Grill on QE2.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[bobnatt]

If you are in one of the Grill Restaurants most men will wear a jacket & tie on elegant casual evening especially the Queens Grill on QE2.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

 

disagree for the QM2. Just got back from a 13 day QM2 Caribbean cruise and in the Queens Grill most guys had sport jackets/blazers but no ties. Maybe this is different on the TA.

 

My personal feeling is that a tie is the most useless piece of clothing ever invented and i look forward to the day that all tie manufacturers go out of business...

[The Real PM]

:D I just got back from the thirteen day cruise on the QM2 and I purposely looked to see just how many men had worn a tie on on Elegant Casual nights (my husband just loved Elegant Casual because he finds neckties to be a most painful experience--I don't know why). Anyway, there were very few ties in the Brittania Restaurant on those nights. It almost seemed like a rebellion of the uniformed masses with most men in their open jackets, open shirts, tan pants and big smiles on their faces!

[rjms74]

that's interesting re the Queens Grill on QM2 - the QE2 still is one of the most formal ships afloat which on my 7 cruises to date onboard 6 of which have been Queens Grill has been evident on both crossings & cruises.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[The Real PM]

I can't speak of what goes on in the Grills. I was down in steerage. Believe it or not, we had a wonderful time down there in spite of the rowing.

[bobnatt]

that's interesting re the Queens Grill on QM2 - the QE2 still is one of the most formal ships afloat which on my 7 cruises to date onboard 6 of which have been Queens Grill has been evident on both crossings & cruises.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

 

 

Don't get me wrong, in the Queens Grill people dressed according to the dress code for that night. But elegant casual brought out the blue blazers, the open shirt and either a grey or brown pair of pants. A bunch of men wore loafers without socks (who ever thought that this was cool?). I didn't do this but I did notice a number of men wearing pull over golf type shirts with three buttons at the top, a collar, and a blazer.

 

For formal nights virtually everyone had a tux or a white dinner jacket. i actually brought both. I wore the tux the first and last formal night when the weather was colder and my white dinner jacket during the formal nights in the Caribbean. The reason I was able to do this was that I live in CT and was able to take all this by car to the pier in New York without worrying about weight, etc.

[KT32]

Thanks for all your help!

 

We'll be on the 5-day Canada/New England itinerary in May with 2 formal nights and 3 elegant casual. We've booked a B4 guarantee cabin, Britannia dining room (unless a very generous upgrade fairy visits us).

 

I think I've got a good idea of the gents attire. My dh will probably bring his tux for the formal nights and a blazer & dress pants with an open shirt for the other nights.

 

Any more advice on the ladies?

[foot in mouth]

disagree for the QM2. Just got back from a 13 day QM2 Caribbean cruise and in the Queens Grill most guys had sport jackets/blazers but no ties. Maybe this is different on the TA.

 

My personal feeling is that a tie is the most useless piece of clothing ever invented and i look forward to the day that all tie manufacturers go out of business...

 

 

Thank goodness for the dress code, that is advertised well in advance, shocking that some decide to be above this and have total disregard for their fellow passengers.

 

We will be in Princess Grill on QM2 in June and wil follow the dress codes

 

F

[Crowsnesters]

The discussion here is about elegant casual night so the men wearing jackets, collared shirts slacks but no ties were following the dress code. I absolutely agree with you that people who totally flaunt the dress codes(i.e. the young women on the QV in January wearing slacks, (jeans in one case), blouse and ordinary short jackets on formal night) are showing disrepect for their fellow passengers but lumping people who follow the dress code, but not to your standard (as above or dark suit and tie for men on formal nights) with them is counter productive, and not very polite.

[foot in mouth]

The discussion here is about elegant casual night so the men wearing jackets, collared shirts slacks but no ties were following the dress code. I absolutely agree with you that people who totally flaunt the dress codes(i.e. the young women on the QV in January wearing slacks, (jeans in one case), blouse and ordinary short jackets on formal night) are showing disrepect for their fellow passengers but lumping people who follow the dress code, but not to your standard (as above or dark suit and tie for men on formal nights) with them is counter productive, and not very polite.

 

 

 

You need to re read the post.....where does it say "as above dark suite for men on formal nights" you are making your own words out of something that is not there.........not polite...you need to look at your post...

 

F

[Charles4515]

Don't get me wrong, in the Queens Grill people dressed according to the dress code for that night. But elegant casual brought out the blue blazers, the open shirt and either a grey or brown pair of pants. A bunch of men wore loafers without socks (who ever thought that this was cool?). I didn't do this but I did notice a number of men wearing pull over golf type shirts with three buttons at the top, a collar, and a blazer.

 

 

What are you saying? Isn't a blue blazer an open shirt that has a collar, and grey or tan pants in compliance with the elegant casual code? I figure I will wear the above on Elegant causal. On the semi-formal nights I will wear the blue blazer with a tie. On the formal nights I will wear my tux.

[The Real PM]

The Dress Code on the Cunard ships is quite specific. The following is from "Your Cunard Voyage Guide" and states:

 

"Formal: Black tie or formal dark suit for gentleman. Evening dress or other formal attire for ladies.

 

Semi-Formal: Jacket and tie for gentlemen. Cocktail dress or trouser suit for ladies. No jeans.

 

Elegant Casual: Jacket, no tie required for gentlemen. Dress, skirt or trousers for ladies. No shorts or jeans."

 

 

So Charles, I think you are right on with what you will be wearing.

[foot in mouth]

What are you saying? Isn't a blue blazer an open shirt that has a collar, and grey or tan pants in compliance with the elegant casual code? I figure I will wear the above on Elegant causal. On the semi-formal nights I will wear the blue blazer with a tie. On the formal nights I will wear my tux.

 

 

 

Spot on

 

Dont you get sick with people who decide what colour your shirt / blazer must be, no where on the cunard site or documents does it say any thing about what the colour must be.

 

Why do they insist and forcing this on others

 

I have no doubt with the above you will be smart and follow the dress code laid down by Cunard and not other passengers

 

F