Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced that, with effect from 1st July 2013, it will be streamlining the various dress codes for its cruise guests in the evenings across its fleet of four ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch.

Fred. Olsen will continue with its traditional ‘Black Tie’ ‘Formal Nights’ – usually three or four during a two-week cruise – but the dress code for the remainder of the evenings on board will be simplified to ‘Smart Casual’, allowing a more relaxed feel, whilst maintaining the high standards embraced and enjoyed by guests. The previous dress code of ‘Informal’ is being removed.

With the new ‘Smart Casual’ dress code, gentleman are at liberty to wear a jacket and tie, or equally they may prefer to opt for an open-necked shirt, with Chinos or smart, dark-coloured jeans. For ladies, the choice could be an elegant dress or casual separates.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Whilst many cruise lines have done away with dress codes altogether, we are aware that a significant number of our guests welcome the opportunity to dress up on special occasions, such as the ‘Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party’, so we will be continuing with the popular ‘Black Tie’ theme on these nights.

“However, we have listened to our guests’ feedback and there is a demand from many for a more relaxed and informal dress code for the remainder of the evenings on board. We hope that, by simplifying the dress code for these, we can make things easier for everyone when packing and ensure that no one feels constrained by too many rules; after all, our guests are on a relaxing cruise holiday!”

The ‘Theme Nights’ aboard Fred. Olsen’s cruise ships will continue, such as ‘Tropical’ and ‘Red, White and Blue’, with dedicated shows and activities on board, and guests are welcome to dress up in fancy dress costume for these, or adopt the new ‘Smart Casual’ dress code as an alternative, as they desire.