Cunard relaxes dress code.

Cunard cruise line, known for its long standing commitment to formal dress codes, has refined its evening wear options of ‘formal’, ‘semi-formal’, and ‘elegant casual’ to simply ‘formal’ and ‘informal’. The new relaxed measures will take effect before its ships the Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria begin their sailing seasons in April and May of this year. Peter Shanks, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, said the decision was in response to growing travel trends, “where everything seems to tend towards the casual”. Formal dress requirements will now be limited to three times a week on Transatlantic Crossings and twice a week on sailings to the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and beyond. The formal nights will be accompanied by four or five informal evenings, where ties are now optional but jackets will still be required. Travellers wishing to opt out of dressing formally will be allowed to access the ships’ main buffet restaurants as well as the Winter Garden and Garden Lounge bars, but restricted from entering other areas of the ships. Now isn't dressing up part of cruising? I quite enjoyed the 'formal' nights when I worked on Celebrity, waatching people take photographs, enjoyong a glass of bubbles. I suppose aas things change then cruise lines must change with it otherwise they will find that passengers wil not travel with them. I would love to hear what you think!