So January is well past now and you know what that means – the TV and Movie World’s award season has well and truly begun. I love all the hype surrounding each of the big events – not loving the time difference between here and the US so much when watching at 1 am in the morning!! Who is going to win? Who is going to be snubbed – yet again? Is this year going to be the year Glenn Close finally wins that elusive Oscar or is acting newbie Lady Gaga going to run away with that statue?

Most importantly the main question on every ladies, and some gents, minds is what are they going to be wearing? Will we have any disasters like the year when Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her dress walking up the steps to collect her Oscar – oh the embarrassment, I would have just laid there! Or the time that Bjork turned up wearing a swan dress, yes a SWAN DRESS!!!

It must be all the footage of the fashion in the news but I have had a few calls this week regarding that very important question, uttered by everyone of us cruisers – What on earth am I going to wear on the ships formal nights?

The main thing I always say is relax, try not to stress about it. Practically every other lady on the ship is thinking the exact same thing. Gone are the days when you would bring out your ball gowns for the stiff, Downton Abbey-ish, formal dinners. The traditional feel to cruise ships dining options are evolving along with the world around it. Yes, you will always have those people that like to crack open the attic and bring out the tux they bought 25 years ago, but you will also have the people that simply feel intimidated with the thought of the few formal nights on board. Please cruisers – keep those moth balls in the wardrobe!!

I am going to start a one woman campaign to get rid of the snobbery and elitism that some cruise passengers portray when men aren’t wearing tuxes and when woman haven’t gone and borrowed a full drawer of Harry Winston jewellery (complete with armed guard by their side of course)  to wear along with their sweeping ball gown that would put even Cinderella to shame (well after the fairy godmother sorted her out that is).

My rule of thumb is, Can you wear the dress/outfit to a wedding? If the answer is yes, then knock your self out and I am sure you will be stunning. If you wouldn’t be caught wearing it at a wedding – well don’t be taking it on board with you. Plus, remember ladies, a lovely, fancy trouser suit is a perfect alternative to a dress for the formal nights. Glitz it up with a nice piece of jewellery, lovely hairdo and you too will be the belle of the ball.

There will always be those die hard cruisers that go all out on the formal nights. That is fine, it’s their choice. But don’t feel under dressed yourself if you don’t go the whole hog. Wearing fashion successfully is all about eluding confidence and not chopping and changing your mind too much. If you do that you won’t be happy with what ever you have eventually chosen.

So go on, get that packing done and most importantly – just have fun and enjoy the formal nights. They are a great experience and will give you loads to talk about the next day when you doing a Joan Rivers and are dissecting every one else’s fashion disasters.