Need advice: packing for Cunard Transatlantic.

[andros47]

Hive mind: Geisler dilemma. At the end of my 49-day journey in Croatia, France, Scotland, and England, I will find myself on the Queen Mary 2 sailing for the New World. The Cunard has four formal nights (formal dress required throughout the ship after 6pm) and three semi formal (blazers and trousers required throughout the ship after 6pm). The challenge is packing. For formal night you can wear a tuxedo or a dark suit (I always go with a dark suit). For semi-formal, jacket, button down, trousers (tie optional, except at dinner).

The dilemma is that I am extremely limited on luggage space as I only travel with carry-on on these trips which means a 22" spinner + a pretentious satchel. So, the suit is covered. First question, I have a charcoal suit, I want to put a back button down shirt under it with a charcoal tie, for two of the other formal nights, I want suggestions for colors (for the shirt and the tie on the charcoal suit) - gots to have a little variety.

I have another suit (Navy) whose jacket could work as a blazer combined with khaki trousers or gray trousers with black shoes.

I also have a shoe dilemma, I have only room for one pair of dress shoes. I have a pair of nice loafers from J&M I could wear with everything, the formal or informal wear - and they are "o so comfortable." Here is the loafer: Bradford Penny

Or I could wear a traditional laces dress shoe to wear with everything.
The argument for the loafter is that is is passable and is comfortable. The dress shoe is an oxford, laced, Oxford Black

So, can I pull off the loafers with the charcoal suit? Or must it be the Oxford Black? I know I can pull it off with the sports coat and the grey trousers, but can I wear it with the kaki trousers? I also don't like button down or a polo shirt under a blazer (I night being one), so I am thinking for the more pst a nice colored plain t-shirts per Banana Republic, tucked-in, with shirt tucked in with a belt and nice trousers and the TBD shoes.

If you've read this far, it is either to continue mocking me, or to help me. This is not Cardinal or Royal Caribbean or even the French Line, this is Cunard, the shipping company whose Captain Arthur Rostron rescued Titanic passengers after the ship foundered in the North Atlantic early Monday morning on a very cold night in April. Will the helpers help? Gay helpers are especially wanted here.

 

[Andy57]

You're going on a 49-day trip across Europe with only a 22-inch carry-on "suitcase", and then boarding the QM2 for a transatlantic voyage?

You are traveling on the QM2. If that doesn't motivate you to wear a dinner jacket then I can't help you.

 

[breakaway01]

I would never wear loafers with a charcoal suit for an evening event. I also would never wear a T-shirt under a navy jacket for a 'semi-formal' evening event.
I understand wanting to travel light for your 49-day trip through Europe. What about arranging to have another suitcase with your formal/semi-formal attire shipped to your port of departure? If you are staying at a hotel the night before, they very likely will be more than happy to receive your second suitcase and hold it there for you.

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

Can you pack the oxfords and wear the loafers while travelling?

 

[Veremund]

I want suggestions for colors (for the shirt and the tie on the charcoal suit) - gots to have a little variety.

White shirt. Only a white shirt for evenings, especially formal evenings. If you can only bring one suit, bring the navy. The hint is in the name.

And no, you don’t have to have variety. You don’t need to look different, you only need to look good.

And, oh yeah, black oxfords. That’s not even a question.