A sign of the shoddy times: Cunard dumbs down
These are worrying times for regular Cunard passengers, very worrying indeed.
Their key concern is this: Just what sort of riff raff will they be forced to rub shoulders with now the cruise line has unceremoniously discarded semi formal and elegant casual dress codes?
Their minds must be boggling.
The cruise line that prides itself on heritage, Great British culture, tradition and refinement has all-but turned itself into a floating RSL.
To recap this week's controversy, (some may say scandal), Cunard – the cruise line of the Queens – is relaxing its dress codes by dropping semi-formal and elegant casual dress nights and replacing them with – traditionalists would be advised to take a seat at this point – informal nights.
There. We've said it. Cunard. Informal. Two words that should never appear in the same sentence when talking about Cunard.
Queen Mary and Queen Victoria will not so much be turning in their graves as doing somersaults, while our current Queen Elizabeth surely would not have been amused at such an outrageous betrayal of tradition.
Cruise fans took to forums to articulate their anger, with many displaying a mixture of disappointment, confusion and concern at doing away with the semi formal and elegant casual dress nights. Quite right too.
Ponder this scenario, a scenario that will become all too familiar come April and May when Cunard's three Grand liners begin their new season of voyages.
On these newfangled informal nights, passengers, some of whom will be old enough to know better, will be allowed to enjoy dinner on one of these ship WITHOUT WEARING A TIE.
Yes, yes, gentlemen – how long will it before male Cunard guests are referred to as simply ‘men' – will still be required to wear jackets. But even so. Ties optional? It's tantamount to heresy.
Thankfully, formal nights are being retained, three times a week on Transatlantic crossings and twice each week on sailings in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and beyond.
But the dumbing down of semi-formal nights is surely the thin end of the wedge. How long before thongs and vests are acceptable in the Queens Grill?
It's a slippery slope, a very slippery slope.
Picture: Dashing James Bond lookalikes could be forced to rub shoulders with tie-less passengers.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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