Formal night on the cruise - The agony and the ecstasy! How better to describe the romantic night when cruise passengers don their best formal cruise wear and strut their stuff?

For some men, it's the agony of picking out your finest formal cruise wear, carefully packing them in your suitcase, unpacking and un-wrinkling them, and then, worst of all.. having to put the threads on. For other men, it's the romantic ecstasy of seeing your dazzling beauty dressed in her finest, and walking arm-in-arm through the elegant dining room.

For some women, it's the agony of deciding what to pack for the formal cruise wear night. Should it be black or brightly colored? Long or short? Or should it be slacks or a gown? For other women it's the ecstasy of a wonderful romantic night of elegance.

Formal wear is somewhat subjective when it comes to cruises. Most often for men, it will mean wearing a dark suit or jacket and a tie. Tuxedos on some cruises are more common. In fact, many cruise ships will have tuxedos and formal cruise wear available for rent - in advance from the cruise line. You will however want to pre-plan and book your rental as soon as possible before you sail so you won't be disappointed.

That was easy for the men. There is formal cruise wear available for rent for women as well. The same early planning and booking applies as for men. However...

For many women the task of preparing formal cruise wear can be much more exciting or much more daunting. Formal evening gowns are elegant and can be show-stoppers. But pant suits and slacks or skirts and tops can be glamorous as well! In fact a very practical article for any woman to pack is a pair of black silky "cocktail" type slacks. They take up very little room in the luggage and resist wrinkling! Matched them with a couple of tops, and you have formal cruise wear ensembles with very little fuss. And, most have stretchy waistbands so you can enjoy the wonderful culinary masterpieces in comfort! Flat or low heeled shoes make navigating onboard much easier and more comfortable.

These formal nights can make your cruise a wonderful romantic getaway! Exquisite cuisine, elegant dining rooms, intimate lounges, stage shows and reviews all lend themselves to enhance romance on board. Imagine a nightclub filled with tuxedoed men and sequin covered dresses on women. And everyone is basking in the radiant delight of the evening.

Some of the cruise lines request that you remain in your formal cruise wear for the entire evening. Others are more relaxed about the attire. And some, like Norwegian cruise lines operate on a relaxed "Freestyle" cruising atmosphere.

For those of you who absolutely despise getting all gussied up, most cruise ships have dining areas that always allow casual cruise wear. Remember however that most reservation only dining restaurants require formal or informal dress attire.

It's always best, if you have any concerns about what constitutes formal cruise wear on your chosen ship, to check with the cruise line in advance.

So..now you can relax. The tough formal cruise wear packing has been taken care of... and the excitement builds!