I have been reading this thread with interest. In three weeks I am on QA for my very first cruise. I am aged 65 and have never ever done black tie.
I used to wear a collar and tie for work, but not in the last 20 years or so. Normally I wear jeans/chinos and a polo shirt. Occasionally I will wear a nice shirt and jacket if we go out for a meal. And I do have a couple of nice suits, which don’t get worn very often.
My first thoughts were that I’m not all that bothered about dressing up. However my partner is really looking forward to the gala nights. So I’ve bought a tuxedo, shirts, bow tie, new shoes etc.
So I will definitely be adhering to the dress code, and will probably wear a jacket much more than I normally do. But dressing “to the nines” or “channeling my inner James Bond”? No definitely not!