What to wear on a cruise that works for all dress codes

cruise dinner attire

Like I previously mentioned, after lounging at the pool deck, I like to get dressed up in a nice sundress to have a sunset cocktail before dinner. I usually head straight to dinner in the same dress and never had any problems. Now in the early evening after lounging on the resort deck, I like to wear a nice sundress or something a little dressy to have a sunset cocktail in. Thankfully for us ladies, I can usually wear the same dress to dinner without a problem. In the past few years, I’ve been on 8+ cruises, and each time I’ve perfected all the outfits you’d need to pack for your cruise.

How many outfits to pack per day on a cruise?

Solid-colored board shorts paired with a button-up shirt (nautical print encouraged) work just as well for a day on deck. Then, change from swim trunks and flip-flops to chinos and dress shoes before heading to the onboard restaurant. A Panama hat adds an element of holiday luxe no matter the time of day.

Disney Cruise Formal Night Guide - WDW Magazine

Disney Cruise Formal Night Guide.

Posted: Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Formal Night

So if you are just hanging out around the ship — having a drink in a bar, playing in the casino, watching an evening show — then you are perfectly fine dressing down. While many people participate in formal night, a considerable chunk of passengers don’t. We’ve taken dozens of cruise and know that for those unfamiliar with formal night, it can feel a bit unnerving trying to figure out the ins and outs of dressing up. At the same time, some people don’t want to dress up at all and prefer to know what other options they have. Choose pretty sundresses, flowy skirts, or lightweight pants for these evenings.

Freya Tie Dress - Black

For men, it’s fine to wear a suit, or even a buttoned-down shirt and a pair of slacks if you don’t want to get too fancy. Nice jeans would also be ok, although we’d suggest something slightly more dressy. Oceania cruises recommend their guests to wear country club or resort casual day clothes. And for a formal evening, they give freedom to wear elegant, relaxed resort wear.

Evening Cruise Outfits

However, you can almost guarantee that you will run into cooler weather during your cruise. Even in the heat of summer, you can be hit with cold and rainy weather in Alaska. During your Caribbean cruise, you can count on having at least one Formal Night or Dress Your Best. Shorter cruises will call this evening Dress Your Best while longer sailings will call it Formal Night. Of all the destinations you can cruise with Royal Caribbean, you can expect the most participation on Formal Night if you’re sailing on a European itinerary.

With these guidelines, you’ll never be turned away from the dining room or feel out of place with other cruisers. Packing for a cruise is depend on the time of year you are traveling and the facilities your cruise line gives to you. Here are some additional clothing items and other essential things that may be useful and can include. In that case, you can contact the cruise line for the proper guidelines because some of the luxury cruises have strict guidelines for attire while gives you freedom of your choice. Whether you are sailing on a cruise or planning what to wear on a cruise, these tips will help you style the most out of your clothing.

What clothes should you wear on a cruise?

Swap your athletic shorts for a flowy skirt or trousers, and trade your sneakers for a more formal pair of shoes, like chunky heels or loafers for a put-together look. Though it's tempting to pack everything, cruise outfits are meant to be laid-back, so plan to wear a few items of clothing more than once — no one will judge you, promise. Pack a few key staple pieces that can be paired together in several different mix and match styles — this is called a capsule wardrobe. If you're wondering what to pack for a five-day cruise, bring along six shirts, six sets of underwear, and three to four bottoms.

Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Night encourages guests to don red attire. You’d be surprised at how many things you need to bring with you when you leave your cruise cabin. Don’t forget your accessories like a sun hat and a pair of sunglasses. To avoid your hat getting blown away by the wind, find one with a chin strap.

Sofia Travel Costs

And they recommend men to wear a sports jacket, dark suit or a tuxedo with appropriate tie or tux. Even they can wear a military uniform or any formal national dress. Playing dress-up starts at a very early age, but dressing for a cruise vacation is the most exciting task. Just to make you aware, cruise packing always involves more clothes than you would take on a typical break. Check out these easy to follow cruise packing tips to ensure you have everything on your cruise packing list.

I hope this post has given you some ideas of what to wear on the first day of your cruise and shore excursions as well. Generally, formal nights, sometimes called gala evenings or chic evenings, call for a tuxedo, suit or dress pants and a sports jacket for men. However, in our experience in recent years, this has relaxed quite a bit and tuxedos in particular are far less common.

cruise dinner attire

Pack outfits that you'll be comfortable in even when the sun is scorching hot, so you don't have to worry about going back to the ship to get changed midday. Effortless flowy skirts and airy linen shirts make great cover-ups for swimwear that will protect your skin from the sun as you explore ancient sites. Comfortable shoes are a must for a trip like this, whether that's a flat sandal with straps or sneakers. Just make sure you're wearing something that won't get caught in the cobblestone streets of Cyprus. Add some fun accessories like a hat or sunglasses and a tote bag to carry all of your souvenirs, and voila — you have an all-day outfit mapped out. If you’re going on a family cruise, you might be wondering how dress codes apply to children.

These are great to have for strenuous activities, adventurous excursions, and exploring ports of call. You can bring heels, but keep in mind that you’ll be doing plenty of walking on cruise ships, and most of the time they are carpeted. If your heels are uncomfortable on land, they will be uncomfortable at sea.

Picture sailing away into the sunset from Italy, Spain or Greece after you’ve had an incredible day exploring in the sun. While I used to go all-out and pack ballgowns and high-heels, I’ve gravitated more towards versatile dresses that can easily be dressed up or down. Perhaps I will curl my hair and wear a little extra makeup on formal night these days. For my husband, he prefers to wear his sports coat or casual blazer rather than a tuxedo or suit. For many, a cruise vacation is all about spending as much time as possible in or near the sea.

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