What to wear on a cruise, day and night
In this guide
A cruise packs several different dress codes into one trip: pool deck in the morning, a hike or a market ashore at noon, a sit down dinner at night, and perhaps a formal evening when half the ship dresses up for photos. The suitcase, meanwhile, has to fit in a cabin with very little storage.
This guide explains what to wear on a cruise for each part of the day, what the dining rooms actually expect, how elegant or formal nights work on the major lines, and how to pack a small, flexible wardrobe that covers all of it. Cruise lines set their own rules, so treat the specifics here as a guide and check your line's current dress code before you sail.
How cruise dress codes work
Most mainstream lines use two codes. The everyday one is called cruise casual, resort casual or smart casual depending on the line, and it applies to the main dining room most nights. The dressier one goes by names such as cruise elegant, formal night, Dress Your Best or dress up night, and it happens once or a few times per voyage depending on length. Carnival, for example, holds one or two cruise elegant evenings per cruise, while Norwegian does not have mandatory formal nights at all and offers an optional dress up night instead.
The codes apply to the evening in the main dining room and specialty restaurants. Around the pool, on the promenade and in the buffet, almost anything goes as long as you wear shoes and cover swimwear. Enforcement varies. Royal Caribbean's formal nights are optional, and fan sites that follow the line report that dress codes are rarely enforced, but staff can still turn away a swimsuit or a tank top at a dining room door. Luxury and traditional lines such as Cunard keep stricter evening codes, so read the rules for your ship.
What to wear on sea days and around the pool
On sea days, dress as you would at a beach resort. Swimwear, a cover up or shirt, shorts, linen trousers, sundresses, T shirts and sandals all work. Bring at least two swimsuits so one can dry, and a cover up or kaftan that looks decent enough for walking to lunch, since swimwear alone is not welcome in dining venues. Sun protection matters more than people expect at sea: the light reflects off the water, so a wide brim hat that will not fly off, sunglasses and a light shirt with long sleeves earn their space.
Choose fabrics that cope with humidity and quick washes. Norwegian's own advice for Caribbean sailings points to fabrics that dry quickly, such as cotton, linen and polyester. Linen shirts and dresses breathe well, and our guide to linen explains why. Rubber soled sandals or sneakers are better than slick soles on wet decks, and flip flops are fine poolside but banned in many restaurants.
What to wear on shore excursions
Dress for the activity and the destination, not the ship. For walking tours and towns, wear breathable clothes, comfortable closed toe shoes or supportive sandals, and a small crossbody bag. For snorkeling or beach days, wear swimwear under a cover up and bring water shoes if the shore is rocky. Norwegian notes that walking shoes, closed toe shoes or water shoes may be necessary for some excursions.
Visiting churches, mosques or temples in many ports requires covered shoulders and knees, for everyone. A light scarf or a shirt in your bag solves it without changing the whole outfit, as explained in our guide on what to wear to church. Cold weather cruises to Alaska, Norway or Canada need proper layers ashore: a waterproof shell, a warm midlayer, a hat and gloves, and waterproof shoes.
What to wear on a cruise in the evening
Most evenings in the main dining room call for something one step up from day wear, close to smart casual. For men, that means trousers, chinos or dark jeans without rips, with a collared shirt or polo, and loafers or clean sneakers. For women, a casual dress, a skirt or trousers with a blouse, or smart jeans with a nice top, with sandals or flats. Carnival's cruise casual list, for instance, includes dress pants, jeans, polo shirts and elegant shorts for men, and casual dresses, skirts or trousers with blouses for women.
What lines commonly rule out at dinner is consistent: swimwear, cut off jeans, tank tops for men, athletic wear, baseball caps and flip flops. Norwegian lists caps, visors, men's tank tops, swimwear and flip flops as not allowed in dining areas. If you want to skip dressing up on a given night, the buffet has a relaxed code on every line.
What to wear on cruise formal or elegant nights
Elegant nights are optional on most mainstream lines, but many passengers enjoy them. For men, a suit, or a sport coat with dress trousers and a shirt, with or without a tie, is right on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and similar lines; Carnival's cruise elegant code lists dress pants, sport jackets, suits and ties, and some men wear a tuxedo. For women, a cocktail dress, an elegant jumpsuit or pantsuit, dressy separates or an evening gown. Our guides to cocktail attire for women and cocktail attire for men cover the details.
On elegant nights, Carnival rules out shorts, T shirts, flip flops, swimwear, sportswear, baseball caps and jeans, so pack at least one pair of real trousers. On traditional lines such as Cunard, gala evenings are taken seriously: many men wear black tie or a dark suit and many women wear evening or cocktail dresses. A dark suit that can be worn with a tie on formal night and without it on other nights saves suitcase space, and a single dress that works with different jewelry and shoes does the same.
Is it cold on a cruise ship at night?
Often, yes. Decks catch the wind as the ship moves, evenings at sea cool quickly, and indoor spaces run strong air conditioning. Norwegian advises planning outfits that layer, noting that days can be hot while it feels chilly on board at night. A light cardigan, a pashmina or wrap, a denim or linen jacket, or a thin merino sweater fixes it without clashing with dinner clothes.
Season and route change the list. A Caribbean cruise in December is still warm by day but can be cool on deck at night, while a Mediterranean cruise in spring or fall swings from warm afternoons to cool evenings. For Alaska or northern Europe, pack as for 50 degree weather and rain, even in summer.
How many outfits do I need for a 7 day cruise?
Plan by occasion, not by day. For a seven night cruise, a comfortable pattern is two or three swimsuits and cover ups, four or five day outfits built from mixable shorts, skirts, tops and one pair of light trousers, four or five evening outfits for smart casual nights, one or two elegant night outfits, a warm layer, a light rain jacket, and three pairs of shoes: sandals, walking shoes and dinner shoes. Many cruisers wear the same dress or suit on both formal nights with different accessories, and few people notice.
Build the wardrobe around a small color palette so everything mixes, as in our guide to a capsule wardrobe for travel. Royal Caribbean and most other lines prohibit bringing clothes irons and steamers on board as a fire risk, so choose fabrics that shed wrinkles, hang clothes in the bathroom during a hot shower, and use the ship's laundry service if needed.
| Item | How many |
|---|---|
| Swimsuits and cover ups | Two or three |
| Day outfits from mixable shorts, skirts, tops | Four or five, plus one pair of light trousers |
| Smart casual evening outfits | Four or five |
| Elegant night outfits | One or two, easily worn twice with new accessories |
| Layers | One warm layer and a light rain jacket |
| Shoes | Three pairs: sandals, walking shoes, dinner shoes |
Most lines ban irons and steamers on board, so pack fabrics that shed wrinkles.
Common mistakes
Packing only for the heat
Air conditioning and wind on deck make evenings cooler than you expect. Bring at least one warm layer.
Wearing swimwear into restaurants
Dining venues require a cover up at minimum. Keep a shirt or kaftan with your pool bag.
Relying on an iron
Most lines prohibit irons in cabins. Pack knits, blends and fabrics that hang out smooth.
Questions people ask
What should a man wear on a cruise?
By day, shorts, T shirts or polos, swim trunks and sandals or sneakers. For dinner, chinos or dark jeans with a collared shirt and loafers. For elegant nights, a suit or a sport coat with dress trousers; a tie is welcome but optional on most mainstream lines.
Can I wear jeans to dinner on a cruise?
On ordinary evenings, yes on most lines, as long as they are not ripped or cut off. On formal or elegant nights, some lines, including Carnival, exclude jeans in the main dining room, so bring one pair of real trousers.
Do I have to dress up on formal night?
On most mainstream lines, no: formal nights are optional and you can eat in the buffet in casual clothes. Many people enjoy dressing up for photos and dinner. On luxury and traditional lines, formal nights are taken more seriously in the main restaurant.
What to wear on a cruise over 60 or in a plus size?
The same codes apply to everyone, and comfort matters more than trends. Flowing maxi dresses, wide leg linen trousers, soft jackets and cushioned sandals work at every age and size. Choose breathable fabrics and a layer for cool evenings.
Sources and further reading
References used for this guide. Each opens the original page in a new tab.
- Carnival Cruise Line dress code, cruise casual and cruise elegant Opens in a new tab
- Royal Caribbean Blog guide to the Royal Caribbean dress code Opens in a new tab
- Norwegian Cruise Line style guide for a Caribbean cruise Opens in a new tab
- Royal Caribbean policy on irons and steamers Opens in a new tab
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