What to Wear on a Cruise: Dress Codes, Formal Nights and Jeans

On a mainstream cruise you wear casual resort clothes during the day and smart casual in the evening. For men that means slacks, chinos or nice jeans with a collared shirt or polo; for women, a sundress, skirt, or nice pants and a top. Most seven-night cruises add one or two dressier nights, when many passengers wear cocktail dresses, suits or sport coats, though on the big mainstream lines this is optional and smart casual is still accepted in the main dining room.

The rules that are actually enforced are few: no swimwear, bare feet or tank tops in the dining rooms at dinner, and shirts and shoes everywhere inside. Everything else is guidance, and it varies more by line than by ship.

Dress codes by cruise line

The mainstream lines have converged on a relaxed standard, while the premium and traditional lines keep more structure. Here is how the main ones describe their evening dress in 2026.

Royal Caribbean’s dress code sets the number of formal nights by length: one on a five-night cruise, two on six to ten nights, three on 11 to 14 nights. Princess uses a similar scale, and Holland America’s Dressy nights follow the same pattern. On Carnival, the official dress code lists jeans, khakis, tailored dress shorts and collared or nice T-shirts as Cruise Casual, and dress jeans with an optional sport coat for Cruise Elegant nights.

What formal night actually looks like

On a mainstream ship, “formal night” is a mix. Some passengers wear tuxedos and evening gowns. Many more wear a suit or sport coat, or a cocktail dress. Plenty wear exactly what they wore the night before. Royal Caribbean describes formal wear as suits and ties, tuxedos, cocktail dresses or evening gowns, and Holland America says outright that black tie and tuxedos have never been required.

For most people, a practical formal night outfit is:

• Men: dark trousers, a dress shirt and a jacket. A tie is a nice touch but rarely checked.
• Women: a cocktail dress, a dressy jumpsuit or smart separates. Floor-length gowns are welcome but uncommon.
• Kids: whatever they will tolerate. A collared shirt or party dress is plenty, and the rest of family packing is covered in cruising with kids.

If you would rather not dress up at all, you do not have to. The buffet and casual venues have no evening dress code beyond shirts, cover-ups and shoes, and on Royal Caribbean smart casual is accepted in the main dining room on formal night. Specialty restaurants usually follow smart casual every night, and they add a service charge to the bill much like the automatic gratuities added to your account.

Theme nights are optional too. Carnival runs a White Hot Night party and an ’80s night on longer sailings, MSC has a White Party, and Disney has a pirate night. One white outfit covers most of them.

The stricter lines: Holland America, Celebrity and Cunard

If you are sailing on a premium or traditional line, the evenings are a little more structured, and it is worth reading the line’s own wording before you pack.

Holland America asks for smart casual in its table-service restaurants every evening and does not allow shorts, pool or beachwear, distressed jeans or men’s tank tops there. On Dressy nights, jeans are not permitted at all, according to Holland America’s clothing FAQ. A seven-night cruise usually has two of them.

Celebrity requires smart casual in the main dining room, specialty restaurants and the theater, and is specific that shorts and flip-flops do not count. Its one or two Evening Chic nights are dressier, but designer jeans are still acceptable. Swimsuits, tank tops, T-shirts and baseball caps are not allowed in dining venues.

Cunard is the most traditional of the big lines. From 6 p.m., men wear collared shirts with trousers, and jackets are encouraged. Jeans, shorts and sportswear are not permitted in the evening. Gala Evenings call for dinner jackets, tuxedos or dark suits with a tie, and cocktail or evening dresses. Cunard describes these evenings as optional, but in practice most guests in the main restaurants dress for them, and the alternative is the buffet.

On any of these lines, one dark suit or a blazer and good trousers, plus one dressy outfit for women, covers every evening of a week-long cruise.

What to wear during the day

Daytime on a cruise ship is as casual as a beach resort. Shorts, T-shirts, sundresses and sneakers are normal everywhere, including at breakfast and lunch in the main dining room on Royal Caribbean. The only real rules:

• Swimwear stays at the pool. Royal Caribbean keeps swimwear to the pool deck, and Carnival requires shirts, cover-ups and footwear in the Lido buffet.
• No bare feet or wet clothes in casinos, bars, shops, lounges and theaters, which Carnival states explicitly.
• Bring a light layer. Air conditioning in theaters and dining rooms is strong, and upper decks are windy even in the Caribbean.

Sea days are the most casual of all. Port days are about what you will be doing ashore.

What to wear in port

Dress for the excursion, not the ship. That usually means comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, and a small bag for a water bottle and sunscreen. A few rules are worth knowing:

• Churches and the Vatican. The Vatican Museums refuse entry to visitors in sleeveless or low-cut clothing, shorts above the knee, miniskirts or hats. Many churches in Italy, Spain and Greece expect the same. A light scarf or shawl solves it.
• Mosques and religious sites in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa generally expect covered shoulders and knees, and women may be asked to cover their hair. MSC’s own guidance for shore excursions to religious sites is covered knees and shoulders.
• Camouflage. Carnival warns that camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and St. Lucia.
• Active tours. Snorkeling, ziplining and hiking excursions need closed shoes or water shoes and clothes you do not mind getting wet.

The kind of tour you choose changes what you need to wear and carry. Our comparison of ship excursions and going independent covers how port days usually work.

Alaska, Europe and winter cruises

Warm-weather packing does not work everywhere.

Alaska is cool and wet even in July. The National Weather Service gives normal summer highs in Juneau in the low 60s, with lows in the mid to upper 40s, and notes that the region can see up to 250 wet days a year. The National Park Service puts summer highs in Glacier Bay between 50 and 60 degrees and calls good rain gear essential. On glacier viewing days the wind off the ice makes the deck much colder than the forecast. Pack:

• A waterproof jacket with a hood
• A fleece or insulated mid-layer
• Long pants and waterproof walking shoes
• A warm hat and light gloves for deck time

A balcony matters more on this route than almost anywhere, but you will want warm layers to use it, as explained in which cruise cabin to book.

Mediterranean summers are hot, and city ports involve a lot of walking on stone streets. Light, breathable clothes and supportive shoes matter more than anything fashionable.

Northern Europe and winter Caribbean sailings can both surprise people. A December Caribbean cruise leaving from New York or Baltimore spends its first day or two at sea in cold weather, so pack a warm layer for the start of the trip even if the destination is tropical.

How much to pack

For a seven-night warm-weather cruise, most people need far less than they bring:

• Four or five daytime outfits, since you can rewear shorts and swap tops
• Two swimsuits and a cover-up
• Four or five smart casual evening outfits
• One or two dressier outfits for formal or elegant nights
• Walking shoes, sandals and one pair of dressier shoes
• A light jacket or cardigan

Irons and garment steamers are banned on every major line, so pack clothes that travel well, or use the ship’s laundry service. The full list of what to bring and what security will take away is in our cruise packing list.

First-time cruisers tend to overthink clothes and underthink everything else. The first cruise tips guide covers what actually trips people up, and how much a cruise costs covers the budget. If you only remember one rule, make it this: pack one outfit you would be happy to wear to a nice restaurant at home, and you are ready for any night on a mainstream ship.