What to Wear on a Cruise: Cruise Line Dress Codes

More and more cruise lines are following in Norwegian Cruise Line’s footsteps, which started the move toward freestyle cruising a decade ago by loosening its dress code dinner policies onboard. The days of tuxedos and evening gowns are gone on most lines, replaced by suits, cocktail dresses, and even jeans.

So come dinnertime, trade in your bathing suit, flip flops, shorts and sneakers for a more resort-casual vibe — you can usually leave the tux at home. Want to know what’s appropriate dress on your favorite line? Here’s our line-by-line breakdown of cruise line dress code:

Azamara Club Cruises

Policy: Azamara is casual. It has no formal nights. Light fabrics such as cotton, silk, and linen are always appropriate.

Men: Pants, khakis, sportswear, shorts, and button-downs.

Women: Casual dresses, pants, skirts, blouses, and knit tops.

Carnival Cruise Line

Policy: Carnival has 1 formal night on 2-5 day cruises, and 2 formal nights on voyages 6+ days.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, jeans, dress shorts, and button-downs. Formal: sport coats, dress pants and shirts, suit and tie, or tuxedos.

Women: Casual: casual dresses, pants, skirts, dress shorts, and jeans with blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, dress pants with blouses, or pantsuits.

Celebrity Cruises

Policy: Cruises 6 nights or shorter have one formal night, and 7+ night voyages have two formal nights.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, jeans, and button-downs, and sleeved sports shirts. Formal: Pants, designer jeans, dress shirts, button-downs, sport coats, and blazers.

Women: Casual: casual dresses, pants, skirts, and casual tops. Formal: cocktail dresses or shirts, dress pants, designer jeans, and elegant tops.

Costa Cruises

Policy: Costa has 2 formal and 4 casual nights for 7-day voyages.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, jeans, sport coats, and button-downs. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, and dark suits with ties.

Women: Casual: casual dresses, pants, or skirts with blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, or dress pants with blouses.

Crystal Cruises

Policy: 7-day voyages or less have no formal nights. 8-10 day cruises may have one formal night, and 11+ day cruises have two or more formal evenings.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, dress shirts, and collared shirts (button-downs, polos, etc). Formal: tuxedos, or dark suits with or without a tie.

Women: Casual: dresses, skirts, dress pants, sweaters, and blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening gowns, or dress pants with blouses.

Cunard Line

Policy: Cunard has 2-3 formal nights per week. On world cruises, there will be up to 3 formal nights per week, as well as themed balls throughout the voyage.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, and button-downs, with jackets required, ties optional. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties. (Rentals are available)

Women: Casual: cocktail dresses, dress skirts, or pants with blouses. Formal: cocktail dresses, evening gowns, or pantsuits.

Disney Cruise Line

Policy: On 3 and 4-night cruises, Disney has 1 optional semiformal night. 7-night cruises have 1 formal and 1 semiformal night. The rest of the nights are casual, including the themed “pirate night.”

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, jeans, and button-downs. Semiformal: jackets required, ties optional. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or suits with ties.

Women: Casual: casual dresses, jeans, pants, skirts, and casual tops. Semiformal: cocktail dresses, dress skirts, or pants with blouses. Formal: cocktail dresses, evening gowns, or pantsuits.

Holland America Line

Policy: Holland America has 2 formal and 4 casual nights on a 7-day cruise.

Men: Casual: pants, dressy jeans, collared shirts, and button-downs. Formal: dinner jackets, collared shirts, slacks, tuxedos, or dark suits with or without ties.

Women: Casual: casual dresses, pants, dressy jeans, skirts, and casual tops or blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, skirts, slacks, and dressy blouses.

MSC Cruises

Policy: MSC has 2 formal and 4 to 8 casual nights on 7 to 11-day cruises.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, and button-downs. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties.

Women: Casual: casual dresses and skirts, khakis, dress pants, and casual tops or blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, or dress pants with blouses.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Policy: Norwegian is casual. It has no formal nights, and jeans are allowed.

Men: Pants, khakis, jeans, shorts, sportswear, and casual shirts.

Women: Casual dresses, skirts, capri pants, shorts, jeans, and casual tops.

Oceania Cruises

Policy: Oceania is casual. It has no formal nights, but jeans, shorts and t-shirts are not allowed at dinner.

Men: Pants, khakis, sportswear, and button-downs.

Women: Casual dresses, skirts, and pants with blouses.

Princess Cruises

Policy: Princess has 2 formal and 5 casual nights on a 7-day cruise.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, and button-downs. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties.

Women: Casual: dresses, pants, skirts, and sweaters or blouses. Formal: evening gowns or cocktail dresses.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Policy: Regent Seven Seas is casual and does not schedule formal nights on cruises under 7 days. Cruises 16 nights or more have 2 optional formal nights.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, collared shirts, and button-downs. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties. (Rentals are available.)

Women: Casual: casual dresses, pants, sweaters, skirts, and blouses. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, and pantsuits.

Royal Caribbean

Policy: Royal Caribbean has 2 formal, 1 “smart” casual and 4 casual nights on a 7-night cruise.

Men: Casual: pants, khakis, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and button-downs. Smart casual: jackets, collared shirts, blazers, and sport coats. Formal: tuxedos and dark suits with ties.

Women: Casual: sundresses, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and blouses. Smart casual: dresses, skirts with blouses, and pantsuits. Formal: cocktail dresses and evening gowns.

Seabourn

Policy: Seabourn has 1 optional formal night for cruises up to 13 days, 2 optional formal nights for cruises 14 to 20 days, and 3 optional formal nights for cruises 21 or more days. The rest of the nights are elegant casual.

Men: Elegant Casual: pants and sweaters or shirts, jackets optional. Jeans are not considered appropriate attire at dinner, but during the day they’re fine. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties.

Women: Elegant Casual: dresses, skirts or pants with sweaters or blouses, and pantsuits. Jeans are not considered appropriate attire at dinner, but during the day they’re fine. Formal: cocktail or evening dresses, or dress pants with blouses.

Silversea

Policy: Silversea has 1 formal, 3 informal and 3 casual nights on a 7-day cruise.

Men: Casual: open-neck shirts, pants, or sports outfits. Informal: pants, khakis, and button-downs, with jackets required, ties optional. Formal: dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits with ties.

Women: Casual: pants, blouses, skirts, and casual dresses. Informal: dresses or pantsuits. Formal: evening gown or cocktail dress.

Windstar

Policy: Windstar is casual. It has no formal nights.

Men: Pants, khakis, sportswear, polo shirts, and button-downs. No jeans at dinnertime.

Women: Casual dresses or informal cocktail dresses, skirts or pants with blouses.

Updated on April 3, 2017.