Cruising

Cunard is generally for people who enjoy a more dressy experience but, as others have said, the buffet and the pub allow non- formal dress on the celebration nights (2 per week, usually themed). Bear in mind though, on formal nights even to go in to the theatre you do need to dress accordingly. I saw the staff very charmingly refuse entry to one chap in his shorts.
Wi-fi is also extra.
There are many less dressy cruise lines under the Carnival umbrella. Could you get your prize transferred to one of them?

You have nothing to worry about. Cruises are all-inclusive, unless you want extras, which are not obligatory.
Formal outfits are only required for fine dining, which is optional.
Booze can be expensive, but how much are you going to need to drink?
Afterall - its best to check with the cruise company. They will give you all the details.

And it's an opportunity to get some lovely photographs taken of you in your finery too.

Oh you lucky thing! Cunard never been as I’d be spoilt forever. Get to a charity shop for a couple of dresses. It be a shame to miss the formal party night atmosphere.

Cunard are probably the 'smartest' of the cruise lines in terms of dress.

Some, but not all, passengers dress to the nines every night. Most people dress as if going to a smart restaurant to go to the main dining room and theatre - men are requested to wear long trousers and a collared shirt but no jacket and tie except on Formal/Celebration Nights. Women go from black trousers (could be non-ripped jeans) and a nice top, to (rarely on non-formal nights) the full long dress.

On Formal Nights dark suits or dinner jacket and bow tie or national dress eg kilt with all the trimmings, is expected in the main dining room, with many women in long dress or certainly quite smart cocktail dress. Some people go completely over the top eg with fancy embroidered silk jackets etc (both sexes), which is fabulous to see.

You can wear more-or-less what you want in the buffet and some of the bars, but no shorts, sleeveless tee shirts or sportswear after 6pm.

BUT, travelling on Cunard is a unique experience. The main dining room has a real Wow factor, specially when it is fully of beautifully-dressed people. It would be a shame to miss the whole point of a Cunard voyage for the sake of a trip to the charity shop for a lovely dress or a DJ or dark jacket for OH. And in the midst of it you might regret not throwing yourself into the whole thing when it's the norm - it's not often you get the chance. They even provide ballroom dancing lessons so you could bravely try a little turn in the Ballroom; there are some real experts there to enjoy, but they are very tolerant of shuffling (or stopping-for-an-argument-about-feet) beginners.

As PP said, drinks are hotel prices, but it's part of the experience to sit in a lovely bar with a cocktail. You can take a litre of wine on board to drink in your cabin to keep costs down.

Tips are an issue. Cunard add them as a daily charge and it does add up. You can ask for them to be removed, but when you meet the lovely staff and see how thoughtfully, tirelessly and cheerfully they work for you, for very low wages, leaving their families for weeks on end, you might want to think about saving a little elsewhere in your life in order to be able to leave the tips on. They also go to the people you don't meet who keep things running like clockwork behind the scenes.

I've been on a couple of cruises and loved them. I'm incredibly scruffy. Extras - I did tip - particularly our room attendant who was lovely, bought maybe one or two drinks over the week (don't get the drinks package). I sneakily took a water bottle. Almost all entertainment was provided (we didn't do the gambling or casino). We also paid extra for a massage. I didn't get any new clothes.

You'll have a fabulous time OP. Enjoy 😄

You can spend as much or as little as your budget allows on a cruise.

Cunard do add tips daily for each passenger. Just go to the pursers desk (reception) and ask for them to be removed - you can be honest and tell them you won and can't afford it OR just say you'll be tipping as you go.

The tea coffee and water is included. NOT soft drinks - juice is available at breakfast time in the restaurant and buffet. But you can take your own bottle of squash and water bottle on.

There's no pressure to buy drinks and if you eat in the buffet you don't have to dress up.

If you want to I would look on facebay / vinted / charity shops - you can find some really cheap dresses and accessories!

Also you need a credit or debit card to register at check in for them to charge your spend to - then you use your room key card to py and it gets charged to that.
If yiu have a credit card use that as they do pre authorizations which means sometimes they put a hold on your mon
To check you have money in the account on a debit card - this can take a few days to come off and mean you can't access your money when you get home - another way to get ahead of this is to take cash and pay it in at reception so that they never need to charge your account - you can add as you go or withdraw what you don't spend at the end.

Cruising is amazing and you will meet all sorts of people. Don't be put off by the anxiety of it being different the crew are lovely and can always answer your questions.
If I were you I'd go and enjoy it!

The service is an add on on Cunard and is about £12 a day ($16) - it is superb though and you can't begrudge it; the staff really work hard and at least the you don't have to worry about tipping.

There is a 15% service charge on top of the drinks, but they are not unreasonably prices - DON'T get the drinks packages they are not worth it.

As others have said, it's not any way as formal as the website makes out- smart casual seems the norm. Even on 'gala nights' lots of people are in short dresses not evening wear.

We’re looking at going on a cruise next year. From what I’ve seen gratuities are included in the coat of the cruise so no need to tip on board. Drinks package is expensive unless you drink a lot of alcohol but the drinks prices seem reasonable on board. You can pay extra for excursions but not necessary. If you’ve won a cruise you could do it without spending out anything I’d you wanted to!

Cunard drinks menu below - but bear in mind a 18% service charge will be added to anything bought:

https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qv/qv_deck_bar_menu_aug_2022a.pdf

You pretty much do have to tip (which almost everyone does by paying the "gratuities" charge). Even if it's notionally a British cruise line, the staff will be paid on an American model, which is to say, badly. I treat tips like added VAT — something annoying but unavoidable.

You don't need the drinks package unless you plan to drink quite a lot. Individual drinks will be at hotel prices, so a bit more than a pub, but not £30 for a pint or anything too stupid.

Can't disagree with that, KimberleyClark, and it's worse still if they're given a balcony since that would quickly become another "must"

Then there's Grills Class (I just had an amazing deal to go in it and oh wow!!) and what happens if she discovers the real premium lines such as Oceania, Seabourn and the rest

Never mind ... there's always the lottery

I've been on a few cruises and have never paid for a drinks package, doesn't stop you buying alcohol and I'm told that unless you drink a fair bit it's not worth the price, also a lot of branded drinks aren't included in some packages so you'd have to pay extra anyway.

Drinks are included on the line we cruise with, you can buy a package if you want a wider choice of wines and spirit brands but we never bother as the “house” ones are usually fine.

You don't have to tip or take the drinks package.

I've been on a few cruises and have never paid for a drinks package, doesn't stop you buying alcohol and I'm told that unless you drink a fair bit it's not worth the price, also a lot of branded drinks aren't included in some packages so you'd have to pay extra anyway.

Tipping was only something we did on the day we came home, we left some euros in our cabin for the person that tidied our room.

Dress code is quite casual, some cruise lines have a night where you dine with the captain but its not compulsory and even if you did want to go smart clothing will do, doesn't have to be anything that you'll probably never wear again.

Just take enough spending money, which in all honesty as all foods supplied you may only need it for drinks and a souvenir for when out and about so doesn't have to be loads.

Go, and I hope you a wonderful time.

Cunard are wonderful if it suits, though it's true they're a bit more "dressy" than some, so personally I'd get on ebay/Vinted or whatever for a few items which can easily be resold afterwards - unless like so many of us you get addicted, in which case you'll need them again

As a fellow cruise addict, the only downside I can see with Cunard is that if OP really enjoys it and wants to do it again she will have been spoilt for other cruise lines!

Forgot to add this is a great resource for DIY visits to ports - it even gives you maps to take along (cruise line ones are usually rubbish and last month Cunard weren't providing even those)

https://www.whatsinport.com/

BTW internet is also ££££ to buy onboard, but unless you need constant connectivity you can log on while onland by visiting a cafe for access

Cunard are wonderful if it suits, though it's true they're a bit more "dressy" than some, so personally I'd get on ebay/Vinted or whatever for a few items which can easily be resold afterwards - unless like so many of us you get addicted, in which case you'll need them again

They also have free self service laundrettes, so really you only need enough decent stuff for 3 days then repeat. Granted you could stick to the buffet in ultra-casuals, but you'd miss so much for the sake of spending a few quid to access the better dining

Drink prices are extortionate as are drinks packages, so if money's tight I'd stick with soft stuff just for a week, and definitely avoid ship tours if where you're going is suitable for DIY wandering (where are you going BTW?)

Gratuities are the thorny one; personally I pay them, but if you really must there's nothing to stop you asking at the purser's desk for them to be removed. It's seen as "not the thing to do" because they help to make up staff wages, but others feel that's for the cruise line to address and you'd by no means be alone

Lastly, unless it's a Southampton departure, are flights are included in the prize? Sometimes they're not so it's worth checking

Go, OP! YOLO!

We just got home from a cruise, our fourth one.

Dressing up not necessary. We lived in shorts and t shirts and stayed like this for formal nights....plenty of people do....they go to the buffet that night where dressing up is not required.

We did not have a drinks package. We took two cabin size suitcases full of cans of soft drink and bottles of water. If it's from the UK, this is allowed. We got extra water on board (free). I bought two cocktails on the whole cruise. Our total drinks bill was £21 per week. Drinks packages are not mandatory and not worth it in my opinion unless you are heavy alcohol and posh coffee drinkers.

And there's all sorts of people on board. Some of them will want to tell you about the 1000 other cruises they have been on but you don't have to talk to them again if this is annoying! You will fit in just fine.

We dressed up on the first cruise we went on but decided that wasn’t going to happen again as we felt as if we were on a film set. We’ve been on several since and the most dressed up we’ve been is smart black trousers and a nice top - just as if you were going out for a meal somewhere. We didn’t do the formal evening dress nights - on those nights we just went to the buffet instead.

Yes we don’t bother with dressing up any more, the line we go with doesn’t do formal nights. I just take some summer maxis that I’ve bought in sales.

This ^^
I have been on cruises including trans Atlantic on the Queen Mary which was as posh as you like.

Not everyone took part in the formal dinner nights. They just ate in one of the informal buffet restaurants. No long evening dresses in there.

Just buy yourself a couple of pretty dresses with some nice sandals. Otherwise, clean jeans and tee shirts with clean trainers for trips ashore.

For your man, chinos and polo shirts. Deck shoes. A pair of nice trousers and a decent shirt or two to change for dinner. Take a tie just in case.

Alternatively, advertise the holiday and sell it on.

Definitely do not buy the drinks package- its really not worth it! Just get an occasional cocktail if you fancy it otherwise drink the included drinks. If you speak to guest services they can remove gratuities or adjust to affordable amount. We mostly lived in jeans and t-shirts on the couple of cruises we have been on- there is no dress code in the buffet. Go to a charity shop and pick up a couple of dresses if you want an alternative or to go to the main restaurant or some if the bars on formal night. Don't do shore excursions if they are too expensive- there's usually plenty you can do just getting off and wandering about. And mainly, enjoy!

Vinted for the clothes!

We dressed up on the first cruise we went on but decided that wasn’t going to happen again as we felt as if we were on a film set. We’ve been on several since and the most dressed up we’ve been is smart black trousers and a nice top - just as if you were going out for a meal somewhere. We didn’t do the formal evening dress nights - on those nights we just went to the buffet instead.
we don’t drink alcohol so didn’t pay for any drinks
The only money we spent was on a couple of organised excursions in ports as we wanted to go out further into the country. But you don’t need to do that if you are visiting places for the first time.
Go and enjoy it!