Well said Burrow's...my husband & me went on our 1st cruise on P&O Arcadia last may, our 25th wedding anniversary, & had our VOWS renewed...It was fabulous! I shopped for months before, & enjoyed every minute! My husband was "Wowed" by me in my finery, & he looked so handsome in his D.J, we were like Bond & moneypenny & it was great! People who don't want to dress "STAY OFF" our formal cruises! Like I keep saying, there are plenty of freestyle cruises for them! I took 13 pairs of shoes(!) & wore them all, I had long frocks, cocktail dresses, pretty tops & linen trousers & a lovely dress for our vows. My hubby wore a linen suit for the vows, had a DJ & a smart suit & some smart linen trousers & shirts! We looked & felt a million dollars, & we loved it soooo much we are going again in August. Then AGAIN in dec 2009, although that one is Caribbean which i'm told due to the heat the formal nights are more relaxed...but hey, I will be shopping for tropical, cool long dresses & will still go for the dressy look! Don't forget your bling, enjoy being a woman...my hubby was dead proud of me & told me I took his breath away!!! Ahhhhh....x

Dont kid yourslf,Mr Newson!! If your Wife and Daughter are anything like me, they will still spend just as much time clothes shopping in advance of your cruise whether you make them aware of detailed dress codes or not. It's part of the fun of cruising....just relax and enjoy(my Husband has learned to!) On the topic of adhering to dress codes, I totally agree with Mr/MRs Burrows, there is nothing more "glam" than a ship on formal night when everyone takes the trouble to dress and I find it sad that progressively less people take the trouble to do so. So go on , encourage your 2 ladies to dress up and enjoy feeling proud of them both!

I usually wear a cocktail type dress for formal nights and black silky trousers and various glittery tops for smart casual nights ...I would think a 16 year old could wear smart jeans for casual nights. There is always the informal dining for those who don't want to dress up!! Enjoy your cruise!

I am in dispair at the number of times that the very same questions get asked! Do people just dress in shell suits 24/7 when they are home or what? Does nobody understand anymore what dressing "Formal", "Smart" or "Casual" means? When on a 4* luxury cruise I try to enter into the ambiance of the ship and dress as smartly as I can at ALL times! I don't want to look like a slob, even if others are satisfied to just walk around in the latest Man. United football kit! Just take the smartest clothes that you have for wearing on the ship (dress for comfort when ashore). For a start, you cannot be overdressed for a formal night! Dress to impress with dinner jackets/smart suits with cufflinks for men, and cocktail dresses or ballgowns with clutch bags, etc for ladies. I have even seen two young women wearing tiaras on one cruise! Informal/smart casual is usually an open neck shirt and trousers with or without a jacket for men, and a nice dress or trousers and blouse for women. Casual would be teeshirts and long trousers for men, with strappy tops and skirts, etc for women. Quite simple really. Obviously you can dress in shorts and swimwear when on deck during the day. It is evening wear in the public rooms that we are talking about here. With dress standards steadily dropping year by year, it is important that people at least TRY to keep to the dress code, otherwise you soon won't be able to spot the difference between a cruise and a week at Butlins! Happy cruising.

Casual nights are linen trousers and tops skirts/tops. Anything you would wear to a nice pub for a meal. I took a couple of dresses but I actually felt a bit overdressed on the casual nights.

We went on Voyager last November and dressed as follows:- Formal = 3 nights - Ladies wore dresses from evening type to smart dresses any length. Men wore tuxedo's (Not Many) or smart suits, collar and tie. Some men didn't wear jackets. Smart casual nights were exactly that, casual but smart. Ladies in trousers would be fine with a nice top. Men in trousers and shirt. Casual is casual but no shorts. This is for the main dining room only. In the Windjammer self service restaurant you can were anything except swimming costumes. Have a nice cruise and just relax!

For females : Casual nights trouser suit or sporty outfit; Informal dress or trouser outfit and finally Formal cocktail dress or a long gown, although long gowns are not as popular as a few years ago, but still and option.