Cunard to go ‘Casual’? Really?

Cunard Cruisers have been left stunned by the news that Cunard are relaxing their dress codes. Cunard have always been known for their formality especially when dressing for dinner and it is one of the reasons why most of their loyal fans choose to cruise with them, they enjoy dressing for dinner each evening. So why the change?

The change has obviously come about from feedback from fly/cruise passengers who are joining the Queen Victoria who is based out in the Med each summer. After a day of travelling to join the ship, and flights arriving at various times passengers sometimes might not have time to change for dinner so they will be allowed to go to dinner as they are on that first evening – just the first evening mind, guests will still be expected to adhere to the dress codes for the rest of the voyage.

A minor change, but is this the start of a tide of change for Cunard? Are they joining other cruise lines in the shift towards more casual cruising? NCL and Carnival long since relaxed their dress codes, and last year Celebrity announced that they too were dispensing with formal nights opting instead for ‘Evening Chic’ – no jackets and ties required.

What do you think? I know this is not a major change from Cunard but it is a definite change for them. I know that cruising is horses for courses and people choose cruise lines for their own personal preferences.

For me, I enjoy a relaxed holiday. We dress for work each day and when I am not working I want to be relaxed. That doesn’t mean that I want to see people in shorts and t-shirts for dinner, not at all, but evening casual suits me just fine to be honest, added to which I am more than happy to dine in the buffet restaurant several nights during a cruise and skip the whole formal dining thing.

I’m not sure how traditional Cunard fans will view this change but I for one am really in favour of it. I think it’s a step in the right direction!

If you would like to chat about cruising, as always you can call me on 0800 408 6084 or email me at [email protected] and I will be delighted to help you.

Happy Cruising Folks!