Knowing what to wear on a cruise is simpler than it looks: casual clothes by day, swimwear only around the pool, and smart-casual outfits for most evenings. Many lines also hold one or two dressier nights a week, from cocktail-dress optional on Carnival or Royal Caribbean to proper black tie on Cunard and P&O Cruises. The rest of this guide covers each situation, gives the current dress code for each major line and ends with a 7-night packing list.
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What to wear on a cruise: the quick rules
Almost every cruise line uses some version of the same pattern. Once you know it, packing gets much easier.
- Daytime on board: relaxed holiday clothes such as shorts, T-shirts, sundresses, linen and trainers or sandals.
- Pool and sun decks: swimwear is fine here, but bring a cover-up for walking through the ship and for the buffet.
- Most evenings: smart casual. That means trousers or chinos with a collared shirt, or a dress, skirt or smart trousers with a nice top.
- Dressy or formal nights: anything from a cocktail dress and a shirt with a jacket to a ball gown and a dinner jacket, depending on the line.
- Everywhere indoors: wear shoes and a shirt. Wet swimwear, bare feet and bathrobes are not allowed in restaurants on any mainstream line.
Dress codes usually start around 6pm. If you would rather not dress up on a given night, the buffet and some casual venues stay relaxed, so you are never stuck.
Cruise dress codes by line
Every line has its own names for its evening codes, and some have changed recently. The table shows the position in late 2026. Always check your cruise planner or app before you pack, because lines adjust these rules from time to time.
| Cruise line | Most evenings | Dressiest night(s) | How formal it gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Casual or smart casual | Formal Night, also called “Dress Your Best” | Suits, cocktail dresses or gowns. Tuxedos are optional. One on 3-5 night cruises, two on 6-10 nights and three or more on longer sailings. |
| Carnival | Cruise casual | Cruise Elegant evening | Dressy but optional. Cruises of 6+ days have two. Select sailings of 5 days or fewer now swap theirs for an all-white “White Hot Night”. |
| Norwegian (NCL) | Cruise casual | No compulsory formal night | Relaxed, but signs seen on board in 2026 list tank tops, hoodies, ripped jeans and caps as unsuitable in restaurants, and shorts and flip-flops as unsuitable in some specialty restaurants. |
| Celebrity | Smart casual | Evening Chic | Dressed up but flexible: a cocktail dress, smart separates, or a jacket with or without a tie. |
| Princess | Smart casual | Formal Nights | Suits, gowns or cocktail dresses. Tuxedos are welcome but optional. |
| MSC | Smart or resort casual | Gala Night | Optional but popular. Many guests wear cocktail dresses and suits. |
| P&O Cruises (UK) | Evening Casual | Black Tie, including Celebration Night | Among the most formal: dinner jackets, dark suits, ball gowns and cocktail dresses. Celebration Night is a five-course dinner with a black tie dress code. |
| Cunard | Smart Attire | Gala Evenings | Black tie tradition. Men wear a dinner jacket or a dark lounge suit, women wear a gown or cocktail dress. |
| Virgin Voyages | No dress code | Scarlet Night (theme) | No formal nights at all. Guests are simply asked to wear something red on Scarlet Night. |
| Holland America | Smart casual | Dressy Nights | Semi-formal. A jacket and cocktail dress are typical. |
On P&O and Cunard, more guests dress up fully than on the US-focused lines, and black tie nights are taken seriously, especially on longer voyages. For a closer look at how formal each brand feels on board, see our ranking of the poshest and least posh cruise lines.
Daytime, pool and excursion outfits
Around the ship
Daytime on board is relaxed on every line. Pack breathable shorts, light trousers, T-shirts, polo shirts and sundresses or casual dresses. Bring comfortable flat shoes too, because large ships involve a lot of walking and some stairs. A light cardigan or overshirt is useful because restaurants, theatres and lounges can feel cold with the air conditioning on.
At the pool
Two swimsuits are enough for most people, so one can dry while you wear the other. Add a cover-up or kaftan, sandals that can get wet, sunglasses and a sun hat. Most lines supply pool towels, so you don’t need to bring beach towels. The usual rule is to wear a cover-up and footwear when you leave the pool deck, including at the buffet.
On shore excursions
Dress for the port and the activity, not the ship. City tours call for supportive shoes and breathable layers. Beach days call for swimwear under your clothes and water shoes on rocky coves. Many churches and religious sites, including those in Rome, Venice, Istanbul and parts of Greece, expect covered shoulders and knees, so keep a lightweight scarf or sarong in your day bag. A compact backpack or crossbody bag is safer than a tote in busy ports. Our guide to the best carry-on bags for a cruise includes options that work for both embarkation day and excursions.
Evening wear: casual, smart casual, formal and theme nights
Smart casual (most nights)
For men, this usually means chinos or smart trousers with a collared shirt or a smart polo, plus loafers or clean trainers where allowed. Women can wear a maxi or midi dress, a jumpsuit, smart trousers with a blouse, or a skirt and top. Dark jeans without rips are fine on most US-based lines, but not on Cunard or P&O in the evening.
Cruise formal nights
What counts as a cruise formal night depends heavily on the line. On Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC and Carnival, a suit or a jacket with smart trousers is fine for men, and a cocktail dress or dressy separates works for women. Some guests go further with tuxedos and gowns, but this is optional. On Cunard and P&O, many men wear a dinner jacket and bow tie and many women wear long gowns. A dark suit and tie is the accepted minimum for men.
You can skip formal night entirely. You can eat at the buffet or a casual venue instead, but you should not turn up in the main dining room in shorts.
Theme nights
Theme nights are fun extras, not requirements. Common ones include white nights (Carnival’s White Hot Night, MSC’s White Party and similar parties on other lines), Virgin Voyages’ red-themed Scarlet Night, and 70s, 80s or tropical parties. On P&O’s UK sailings, deck parties with a British flavour are often part of the programme. One white outfit and one bright or patterned outfit cover most of them.
What to wear on a cruise by destination
Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico
Expect heat and humidity all year. Pack linen, cotton and moisture-wicking fabrics, plenty of swimwear, reef-safe sun protection and one light layer for cold indoor spaces. Evenings stay warm, so lightweight dresses and short-sleeved shirts work well even at dinner.
Mediterranean
Summers are hot, while spring and autumn can be cool in the evenings. Comfortable walking sandals or trainers are essential for cobbled old towns, and the shoulders-and-knees rule for churches applies across Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Bring a light jacket for sail-aways after dark.
Norway, Alaska and northern Europe
Layering matters most here. Pack a waterproof jacket with a hood, a fleece or warm mid-layer, thermal base layers for glacier days or winter sailings, waterproof walking shoes, gloves and a hat. Even in July, the deck can feel cold during scenic cruising in the fjords. Evenings on board stay smart casual as usual. If you are sailing from Southampton, our guide to a Norwegian fjords cruise from the UK covers the route and the best time to go.
Sample 7-night cruise capsule packing list
A capsule wardrobe uses a small set of pieces that all mix and match. Choose two or three base colours, such as navy, white and one accent colour. This list assumes a warm-weather week with two dressy nights. Adjust it for colder routes using the destination advice above.
- Daytime tops (5-6): T-shirts, polos or vests, plus one long-sleeved layer for sun protection.
- Daytime bottoms (3): two pairs of shorts or skirts and one pair of light trousers.
- Swimwear (2) and one cover-up.
- Smart casual evening outfits (3-4): two shirts or tops that pair with one pair of chinos or smart trousers, plus one or two dresses or jumpsuits.
- Dressy night outfits (2): a suit or dinner jacket with two shirts and ties, or two cocktail dresses or gowns. One dress can be restyled with different accessories.
- Theme night piece (1): a white outfit doubles as smart casual.
- Layers (2): a cardigan or light knit and a packable rain jacket.
- Shoes (3-4): walking trainers, sandals or pool shoes, and smart evening shoes. Add water shoes for beach ports.
- Accessories: sun hat, sunglasses, a scarf or sarong for churches, a small evening bag, and a day backpack or crossbody bag.
- Extras: sleepwear, underwear and socks for 7-8 days, a gym kit if you will use it, and a lanyard for your cruise card.
This list fits comfortably in one medium suitcase per person, plus a carry-on for the first day, when your main luggage may not reach your cabin until the afternoon. Pack swimwear, medication and a change of clothes in the carry-on. River cruises are more casual and need less. Our Viking river cruise packing list covers that style of trip.
What not to wear on a cruise
- Swimwear or wet clothes in dining rooms: no line allows this in its restaurants, and Virgin Voyages, which has no dress code, still asks guests to wear more than a swimsuit.
- Bare feet indoors: shoes are required in indoor public areas.
- Bathrobes and pyjamas away from the spa or your cabin: the exception is an organised pyjama party.
- Shorts, vests and caps at dinner: these are fine at the buffet on most lines, but not in the main dining room or specialty restaurants in the evening.
- Ripped jeans, hoodies and sportswear on evenings with a dress code: NCL now lists several of these on restaurant signs, and they fall short of the code on Cunard and P&O.
- Camouflage clothing on Caribbean port days: several Caribbean countries, including Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, restrict civilians from wearing camouflage, so leave it at home.
Laundry, irons and packing light
Bring fewer clothes and plan to re-wear them. Most ships offer a paid laundry and pressing service, and many lines run good-value “fill a bag” laundry deals partway through the cruise. Some ships, including many P&O and Cunard ships and some Princess ships, have self-service launderettes. Most lines ban irons and steamers in cabins because they are a fire risk, so use the pressing service or pack crease-resistant fabrics. Hanging clothes in the bathroom while you shower also helps creases drop out. A few multi-purpose pieces will serve you better than a full suitcase.
Rain jackets and warm layers matter most in Alaska, especially if you’re planning a day ashore at the Juneau cruise port where showers are common even in July.
If you are still deciding on an outfit for the dressiest evenings, our guide to cruise formal night dresses covers styles, fabrics and each line’s rules.
FAQs
Do you have to dress up every night on a cruise?
No. Most evenings are smart casual, and only one to three nights a week are dressier on most lines. If you would rather not dress up, the buffet and casual venues stay relaxed every night.
Can you wear jeans on a cruise?
Yes, during the day on any line. In the evening, smart dark jeans are fine on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, NCL, MSC and Virgin Voyages, but not in the main restaurants on Cunard or on P&O formal nights. Ripped jeans are increasingly unwelcome at dinner.
What do you wear on a cruise formal night?
On mainstream lines, men can wear a suit or a jacket with smart trousers, and women can wear a cocktail dress or dressy separates. On Cunard Gala Evenings and P&O Black Tie nights, dinner jackets, dark suits, long gowns and cocktail dresses are the norm.
How many outfits do I need for a 7-day cruise?
Plan on roughly five or six daytime outfits, two swimsuits, three or four smart casual evening outfits and two dressy outfits, all mixed and matched from a small capsule wardrobe. Laundry services let you re-wear favourites.
Can you wear shorts to dinner on a cruise?
Shorts are usually fine at the buffet but not in the main dining room or specialty restaurants in the evening. NCL, one of the most relaxed lines, now asks guests not to wear shorts in some of its specialty restaurants.
