Great video, both! I remember being completely BAFFLED by the subject of dress codes on cruise ships before I took my first cruise, ha! Personally, I'd like to see more lines taking the position that Virgin do, where dress is very much 'as you like'. I do appreciate the odd formal night, but do feel that it's a bit much on Cunard sometimes. Maybe it's an age thing, but I'd love to be in the Dining room relaxing in jeans and a casual shirt after a long day in port, ha!
Thanks Fraser❤️ We are with you, on a average evening onboard we'd much rather be in the more casual side of smart casual. It's nice to dress up occasionally for a "date night", but not every night, and not on longer cruises too.
In order (as to our experience) of "dressy" for formal/chic night (1) Cunard (2) P&O (definitely for cultural outfits) (3)Celebrity (4) Princess. We're doing NCL & MSC, for the first time, in the coming weeks & we're packing for smart casual rather than dressy/formal. If it wasn't for cruising we'd never dress up these days, even work situations are far less formal now than in the past. Loving the sparkly jacket Mark, keeping up the standards for mankind, well done. One benefit of doing different cruise lines is you can pack the same outfits without any concerns 😁
I love all the outfits you wear especially the peasant tops. So pretty! I'm shopping for outfits for my first cruise based on what I have seen you wear!
Enjoyed the video. I would like to mention that P&O ships Iona and Arvia have formal dress code once a week, whereas the other ships generally have two per week. Very similar to Cunard 😊
Thank Lindsey, and you are spot on. Just from our experience (although you have far more on P&O than we do), we find that it is a MUCH higher percentage fully dress up on Cunard than P&O on the formal nights. Have you seen that too, and has it changed much in that way over the years?
@SuiteNatured It's certainly changed (not necessarily for the better but that's a whole different conversation). The older P&O ships are much more traditional and people who go on them generally accept dress codes. Iona and Arvia had a different regime intended from the start. We have noticed a more relaxed feel on Cunard but formal nights fortunately remain so (I'm not keen on the 1920s theme though!).
For many to be on holiday is to chill relax and unwind so to dress for comfort is Ideal.For others to dress up is to make a holiday an event and being more stylish and to make an effort is a pleasure not a chore.Luckily the cruise industry is a wide church and can offer different things to different people.I do detect a reverse snobbery regarding those who feel if you do enjoy more formal cruising that there's something wrong with that or something wrong with you. Horses for courses
I do like the idea of the formal night constituting something red. A formal night were I can wear my 2006 England away shirt. Must better than a suit and tie. Fun fact. I am 58. I have never worn a tuxedo or a bow tie. I am proud of that fact.
This is why I love celebrity. Your comment "the least impressive formal night" makes it my most impressive. There is no formal night on celebrity amd chic night means very little. Yes a few fellas, force themselves into their ill fitting tuxedos but most of us just enjoyed put nights dressed as we were the previous few nights. Jeans and polo shirt, usually with my Brooks running shoes. Sue me. I don't get arsey over much but being forced into a penguin suit on holiday would be one thing. Great video as usual. Easily the best cruise site now alongside Ben and David.
I think with Celebrity it depends very much on where the ship is sailing - out of Australia and the Eastern Med (mid summer) it was quite casual and jackets were very few and far between, even on Chic night. Recent cruise was on Apex ex Southampton and it was a bit more dressy, but still there were virtually no Dinner Jackets on show and not that many suits. Perhaps due to the fact the Buffet was incredibly popular in the evening in this cruise.
Linzi, we will be going on our 1st Cunard cruise. Please may I ask - where do you buy your gala night dresses from? Around how much do you have to pay for this? I may own some nice short dresses, but have nothing long, nor frankly any other occasion where I would wear a long dress going forward. Or could I hire something (large!) in London?
It's always a bit of a challenge Hilary as I don't wear them hardly ever outside of a cruise either. Have a look at Sosander, they've a 40% off this weekend sale on now and I just bought our next cruise formal one today. Also have a look at Shein and Joe Brown's both tend to have great stuff at good prices. Usually far cheaper than hiring. Hope this helps. Which ship is your 1st Cunard Cruise going to be?
@@SuiteNatured PS Thank you so much for these - I had not heard of any of them. I think the Joe Browns will be too tight! But there is a Sosander store near me & I shall go there. I guess the Shein is post orders only - they are really inexpensive - is the quality any good?
My wife is always giving me grief for putting on a jacket for dinner. _ My motto is: WWJB W? (What Would James Bond Wear?) I don't mind being the best dressed person in the room. I do mind it when others wear a t-shirt, and flip flops to dinner. Where's the pride? Formal night is black tie tuxedo shirt and kilt night.
I am not a dressy up person but decided to do a Celebrity cruise and was worried how formal we would have to dress for dinner. We took shirts and trousers the first time but now generally wear polos and chinos or smart jeans now but on more formal nights a shirt and chinos. We never wear ties or jackets.
Great video - i do think people get worried about formal wear etc - we like a chance to do black tie sometimes as we dont do it at home but as a rule we go smart casual most of the time in the evening but each to their own. We have never felt judged by other people or staff.
Great video, both! I remember being completely BAFFLED by the subject of dress codes on cruise ships before I took my first cruise, ha!
Personally, I'd like to see more lines taking the position that Virgin do, where dress is very much 'as you like'. I do appreciate the odd formal night, but do feel that it's a bit much on Cunard sometimes. Maybe it's an age thing, but I'd love to be in the Dining room relaxing in jeans and a casual shirt after a long day in port, ha!
Thanks Fraser❤️
We are with you, on a average evening onboard we'd much rather be in the more casual side of smart casual. It's nice to dress up occasionally for a "date night", but not every night, and not on longer cruises too.
In order (as to our experience) of "dressy" for formal/chic night (1) Cunard (2) P&O (definitely for cultural outfits) (3)Celebrity (4) Princess. We're doing NCL & MSC, for the first time, in the coming weeks & we're packing for smart casual rather than dressy/formal. If it wasn't for cruising we'd never dress up these days, even work situations are far less formal now than in the past. Loving the sparkly jacket Mark, keeping up the standards for mankind, well done. One benefit of doing different cruise lines is you can pack the same outfits without any concerns 😁
I love all the outfits you wear especially the peasant tops. So pretty! I'm shopping for outfits for my first cruise based on what I have seen you wear!
Awww thank you FW. Who is your first cruise with?
@@SuiteNatured A five day cruise on the Ruby Princess on February 15 leaving San Francisco, stopping in San Diego and Ensenada. I am so excited!
we are on our first cruise and it is amazing the different take on smart casual
It really is, for some smart casual is still a jacket and tie or cocktail dress and for others it is nice jeans and a polo.
Enjoyed the video. I would like to mention that P&O ships Iona and Arvia have formal dress code once a week, whereas the other ships generally have two per week. Very similar to Cunard 😊
Thank Lindsey, and you are spot on. Just from our experience (although you have far more on P&O than we do), we find that it is a MUCH higher percentage fully dress up on Cunard than P&O on the formal nights. Have you seen that too, and has it changed much in that way over the years?
@SuiteNatured It's certainly changed (not necessarily for the better but that's a whole different conversation). The older P&O ships are much more traditional and people who go on them generally accept dress codes. Iona and Arvia had a different regime intended from the start.
We have noticed a more relaxed feel on Cunard but formal nights fortunately remain so (I'm not keen on the 1920s theme though!).
New subscriber here… great video! Your outfits are just so stylish…love your style. Thanks for the comparison info…really enjoyed this
Hi Poppy, thank you so much for watching and subscribing and glad you like the outfits too❤️
For many to be on holiday is to chill relax and unwind so to dress for comfort is Ideal.For others to dress up is to make a holiday an event and being more stylish and to make an effort is a pleasure not a chore.Luckily the cruise industry is a wide church and can offer different things to different people.I do detect a reverse snobbery regarding those who feel if you do enjoy more formal cruising that there's something wrong with that or something wrong with you. Horses for courses
I do like the idea of the formal night constituting something red.
A formal night were I can wear my 2006 England away shirt.
Must better than a suit and tie.
Fun fact. I am 58.
I have never worn a tuxedo or a bow tie.
I am proud of that fact.
This is why I love celebrity.
Your comment "the least impressive formal night" makes it my most impressive.
There is no formal night on celebrity amd chic night means very little. Yes a few fellas, force themselves into their ill fitting tuxedos but most of us just enjoyed put nights dressed as we were the previous few nights.
Jeans and polo shirt, usually with my Brooks running shoes. Sue me.
I don't get arsey over much but being forced into a penguin suit on holiday would be one thing.
Great video as usual.
Easily the best cruise site now alongside Ben and David.
I think with Celebrity it depends very much on where the ship is sailing - out of Australia and the Eastern Med (mid summer) it was quite casual and jackets were very few and far between, even on Chic night. Recent cruise was on Apex ex Southampton and it was a bit more dressy, but still there were virtually no Dinner Jackets on show and not that many suits. Perhaps due to the fact the Buffet was incredibly popular in the evening in this cruise.
Linzi, we will be going on our 1st Cunard cruise. Please may I ask - where do you buy your gala night dresses from? Around how much do you have to pay for this? I may own some nice short dresses, but have nothing long, nor frankly any other occasion where I would wear a long dress going forward. Or could I hire something (large!) in London?
It's always a bit of a challenge Hilary as I don't wear them hardly ever outside of a cruise either.
Have a look at Sosander, they've a 40% off this weekend sale on now and I just bought our next cruise formal one today.
Also have a look at Shein and Joe Brown's both tend to have great stuff at good prices. Usually far cheaper than hiring.
Hope this helps. Which ship is your 1st Cunard Cruise going to be?
In our experience as long as you're comfortable dressy, short or long isn't an issue on formal night you'll see a wide variety of both on the ship.
@@Travel_Day_Dreams But the short dresses are what I intend to wear the other nights.
@@SuiteNatured It will be the Queen Anne (not till 2026). Thank you very much I shall look at those places.
@@SuiteNatured PS Thank you so much for these - I had not heard of any of them. I think the Joe Browns will be too tight! But there is a Sosander store near me & I shall go there. I guess the Shein is post orders only - they are really inexpensive - is the quality any good?
Love your facial expressions. 😂😂😂. I think you should dress nice for dinner.
My wife is always giving me grief for putting on a jacket for dinner. _ My motto is: WWJB W? (What Would James Bond Wear?) I don't mind being the best dressed person in the room. I do mind it when others wear a t-shirt, and flip flops to dinner. Where's the pride? Formal night is black tie tuxedo shirt and kilt night.
Loving the WWJBW ❤️
Yeah flip flops and t-shirt at a formal evening or speciality dining isn't making an effort.
The Australian people don't dress up much
As someone whose relatives live in Australia we can completely agree with that😂
I am not a dressy up person but decided to do a Celebrity cruise and was worried how formal we would have to dress for dinner. We took shirts and trousers the first time but now generally wear polos and chinos or smart jeans now but on more formal nights a shirt and chinos. We never wear ties or jackets.
Exactly like us. Try and avoid ties wherever possible. Jackets and a nice shirt for Mark and Cocktail dress for Linzi is ample (apart from on Cunard).
Great video - i do think people get worried about formal wear etc - we like a chance to do black tie sometimes as we dont do it at home but as a rule we go smart casual most of the time in the evening but each to their own. We have never felt judged by other people or staff.