Cruise Attire, Cruise Dress Code

Cruise Attire

Here is a list (in alphabetical order) of the dress code types of many cruise lines, as well as the definitions that the cruise line provides for each type. The dress codes listed below are subject to change and should be verified with the cruise line by guests directly. Use these as general guidelines so that you know what type of attire is expected by each cruise line:

Select a cruise line to view information about their cruise attire:
♦ AmaWaterways ♦ Avalon Waterways ♦ Azamara Club Cruises ♦ Carnival Cruise Lines ♦ Celebrity Cruises ♦ Costa Cruises ♦ Crystal Cruises ♦ Cunard Line ♦ Disney Cruise Line ♦ Holland America Line ♦ Hurtigrtuen ♦ Lindblad Expeditions ♦ MSC Cruises ♦ Norwegian Cruise Line	♦ Oceania Cruises ♦ Paul Gauguin Cruises ♦ Princess Cruises ♦ Regent Seven Seas Cruises ♦ Royal Caribbean ♦ Seabourn Cruise Line ♦ SeaDream Yacht Club ♦ Silversea Cruises ♦ Star Clippers ♦ Uniworld River Cruises ♦ Viking River Cruises ♦ Voyages of Discovery ♦ Windstar Cruises

AmaWaterways Dress Code

On an AmaWaterways river cruise it is recommended to dress country club casual for dinner. There is one semi-formal evening during each AmaWaterways cruise. There is also a Captain's Farewell Dinner on the second to last night of each cruise, during which formal attire is not required.
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Avalon Waterways Dress Code

Dress aboard an Avalon Waterways cruise is casual. Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended for sightseeing. Examples of acceptable dinner attire are open-neck shirts, slacks, dresses. Coats and ties may be worn. The Captain's Welcome and Farewell Dinners are dressy, but not formal. The warm and humid climate of cruises on the Mekong leads to a recommendation against coats and ties.
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Azamara Club Cruises Dress Code

The dress code onboard all of Azamara's ships is resort casual, with no scheduled formal nights (although guests are welcome to dress formally if they desire to do so).
♦ Resort Casual: For women this is sportswear, casual dresses, skirts and pants. For men this is sportswear, golf shirts, pants and sport coats (if desired, but not required). Such clothes can be in light fabrics such as linen, cotton, silk and wool gabardine. Note: No bare feet, tank tops, ball caps, bathing suits, shorts, or jeans are allowed in the dining room or specialty restaurants. Additionally, due to the recommended cruise attire for Azamara, no tuxedo rentals will be available onboard.
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Carnival Cruise Lines Dress Code

The evening cruise attire for Carnival cruises depends on the length of the cruise. There are two types of evening Carnival dress codes: Cruise Casual and Cruise Elegant. The Carnival dress code for children is the same as the one for adults. The Lido restaurants are an option for those that don't want to dress up (available all nights except the final night of the cruise). However, even in the Lido restaurants shirts and footwear must be worn at all times.

♦ Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts; Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs). Note: The following are permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and baseball hats.

♦ Cruise Elegant Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. Carnival also suggests a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means Carnival invites you to do so. Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you‘d like to show off your evening gowns, that's great too! Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats.
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Celebrity Cruises Dress Code

Celebrity classifies their cruise attire into three main categories: Daywear, Port wear and Eveningwear.

Daywear: slacks or pants, blouses or shirts, knit tops or polo shirts. Bring a pair of sneakers or rubber-soled shoes for deck sports and a swimsuit cover-up for cool areas on the ship.

Port wear: for women includes a casual dress, skirt and blouse, or pants outfit; for men, casual pants or walking shorts, and polo-type shirts. Comfortable walking shoes are a must.

Eveningwear: classified as either smart casual and above or formal, depending on the night of the cruise. The cruise line will provide you with a daily itinerary, explaining which nights are smart casual and which nights are formal.
♦ Smart Casual and Above: Ladies: Skirt or pants (no holes, rips or tears) complemented by sweater or blouse. Gentlemen: Pants (no holes, rips or tears) with sports shirt or sweater. Shirts must have sleeves. Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip flops are not allowed in the evening hours. Additionally, guests are asked to follow the "Smart Casual and Above" dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances.
♦ Formal: Ladies: Cocktail dress, gown or dressy pantsuit. Gentlemen: Tuxedo, suit or dinner jacket with slacks.
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Costa Cruises Dress Code

During a Costa cruise, they say that you are free to dress as you wish. The atmosphere on board each Costa cruise ship is informal and casual. However, your cruise attire must be suited to the environment, season, destination or occasion. For example, men should wear a jacket during most dinners, while it's advisable for women to wear a shawl.
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Crystal Cruises Dress Code

Throughout the day, Crystal Cruises' guests wear a mix of active resort wear. Dining room attire is casual during the day; however, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups/robes and baseball hats are not appropriate. If you do not wish to change for a meal in the afternoon or evening, alfresco dining on deck is available. After 6 pm, casual daytime attire is not appropriate. Shorts and baseball caps are not permitted for men or women.

For days in port, be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes. Check with your travel agent for special items you might want to pack for your destination and the time of year you are traveling.

There are bathrobes, kimonos and slippers in each stateroom for your use during the cruise. Other amenities include a clothes brush, shoehorn, hair dryer, soap, Aveda shampoo and conditioner, body lotion, sewing kit and umbrella.

Evening Dress Code

Based on valuable feedback from their guests, Crystal Cruises has updated and simplified their preferred Evening Dress Codes to two types: Crystal Casual and Black Tie Optional, to be more in line with the continually evolving, more relaxed dress codes reflected throughout the world today. Please refer to the new and updated dress codes described in detail below.

After 6 pm, casual daytime attire is not appropriate. Shorts and baseball caps are not permitted for men or women. If you choose to change your attire following the evening dinner and other festivities, please maintain a minimum style of dress in keeping with the dress code described below in Crystal Casual.

→ Crystal Casual:
NEW! Crystal Casual dress code calls for a dressed up version of casual looks. For women, Crystal Casual attire includes a dress, or a blouse or sweater and skirt or dressy slacks. Men's Crystal Casual attire can include a sport coat, dress shirt, button-down shirt, open-collar or collared polo shirt and dress pants or European smart trousers (No tie required).

→ Black Tie Optional:
A Black-tie Optional evening offers Crystal Cruises' guests a celebratory opportunity to dress more formally on a special evening(s). For men, this includes a dark suit with tie or tuxedo; for women, this includes a formal cocktail dress, evening gown or dressy evening separates. On Black Tie Optional evenings, Crystal Cruises requests at least a jacket to be worn by men and dress, skirts or dressy slacks and blouse or sweater be worn by women. Jeans may not be worn in any dining venues or lounges, including the Casino on Black Tie Optional evenings.

With this new policy, guests can expect the following:

7- to 10-day cruises: Up to 1 Black Tie Optional evening (based on itinerary, see dress code for your specific cruise for details)
11- to 13-day cruises: 2 Black Tie Optional evenings World Cruises, Holiday voyages and Crossings may be scheduled differently.

For your convenience, the recommended dress code for each evening of your cruise is listed in the daily itinerary section of the Priority Check-in and Planning Center (PCPC) accessible at checkin.crystalcruises.com.

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Cunard Line

The beautiful ships of Cunard Line offer an elegant, but relaxed, on board experience. Shorts and swimsuits may not be worn in the ships main restaurants. However, casual attire (including shorts) is welcome during the day in select public spaces, such as the Kings Court on Queen Mary 2. Swimsuits, brief shorts and exercise clothing should be reserved for poolside lounging, deck activities and the spa.

On a Cunard cruise, the evening dress code for the ship’s main restaurants are effective from 6:00 pm, and will be specified in your ship’s Daily Programme. There are three main types of evening cruise attire on a Cunard cruise:
♦ Formal: Black tie or formal dark suit for gentlemen. Evening dress or other formal attire for ladies. (A range of gentleman’s formal wear is available to hire or purchase onboard ship).
♦ Semiformal: Jacket and tie for gentlemen. Cocktail dress or trouser suit for ladies. No jeans.
♦ Elegant Casual: Jacket, no tie required for gentlemen. Dress, skirt or trousers for ladies. No shorts or jeans.
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Disney Cruise Line Dress Code

On a Disney cruise, most of the meals are served in a cruise casual environment. This means that no shorts, swim wear or tank tops are allowed. Many of Disney's cruises have additional theme nights, where each theme has a different dress code. For instance, on a dress-up night men should wear a jacket, while women should wear a dress or pantsuit. Examples of theme nights on a Disney cruise are pirate night and tropical night.

If you decide to dine in Palo, Disney Cruise Line's adults-only specialty restaurant, men should wear a dress shirt or jacket (no shorts allowed), while women should wear a dress or pantsuit.

Disney's 7-night cruises typically have a semi-formal night and a formal night, during which the dress codes are as follows:
♦ Semi-Formal: for men it's a suit or jacket, while women should wear a dress or pantsuit.
♦ Formal: for men it's a tuxedo or suite, while women should wear a dress or pantsuit.
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Holland America Dress Code

On a Holland America cruise the onboard atmosphere during the day is casual and relaxed. Be sure to bring swimsuits If you'd like to use any of their swimming pools or whirlpools. Holland America asks that you wear shoes and a cover-up over a bathing suit when walking through the interior of the ship.

Holland America's evening dress code is grouped into two categories: Formal or Smart Casual.
♦ Smart Casual: Slacks and collared shirts for men and casual dresses, slacks and informal evening wear for women. T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas during the evening hours.
♦ Formal: Ladies usually wear a suit, cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen wear a jacket and tie, dark suit or tuxedo. There are approximately two formal nights per week.
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Hurtigruten Dress Code

The attire worn while on board a Hurtigruten cruise ship is informal. However, some passengers choose to change for dinner, as the evening dress code is “smart/casual” rather than formal. Hurtigruten recommends a layered dress approach that enables you to adapt to changes in temperature, wind and precipitation conditions easily. For voyages during the winter months, Hurtigruten recommends that guests bring breathable rain and windproof clothing. A warm hat, gloves, scarf and thermal clothing are good items to bring, as well as thermal underwear.

Sturdy shoes are highly recommended to be worn during shore excursions, and a walking stick/trekking pole may be useful. You should pack a pair of UV protective sunglasses, even during the winter as the reflections of snow and ice can be harmful to the unprotected eye. An additional list of recommended clothing and equipment is sent out on select departures. Many Hurtigruten cruise ships have a Jacuzzi on board, so take your swimsuit if you plan to enjoy it. Where necessary, shore excursions include use of appropriate clothing.
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Lindblad Expeditions Dress Code

There is not a strict dress code on any Lindblad Expeditions cruise. They have an informal on board atmosphere, so casual clothing is recommended.
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MSC Cruises Dress Code

Casual resort wear is what MSC Cruises considers appropriate for their guests to wear during the day. After 6:00 pm jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet are not permitted in the ships' public areas.

During formal evenings, a cocktail dress for women and a suit or coat and tie for men are appropriate. There is 1 formal evening on 4- to 6-night cruises, two on 7- to 11-night cruises, and four on cruises 15 nights or longer.
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Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL's Freestyle Cruising concept extends to every aspect of their cruises, including their dress codes. This is evident as they enjoy saying that there is no dress code on their cruises. However, please be aware that there is actually a resort casual dress code on their cruises.

♦ Resort casual: not too dressy, not too casual. By day, almost anything goes. Even if you've just been at the pool and don't feel like changing, that's fine. Swim wear with a cover-up is fine at both the buffet and outdoor restaurant. During the evening their casual cruise attire policy is still in effect. However, for dinner at their restaurants guys should wear collared shirts and pants or nice jeans. Slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops are perfect for women. Kids 12 and under are can wear nice shorts in the restaurants. If you want to dress up when you dine out, feel free to do so.
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Oceania Cruises Dress Code

On an Oceania cruise it is recommended to dress resort or country club casual. During the evenings on an Oceania cruise, elegant casual resort wear is suggested. We request that jeans, shorts, t-shirts or tennis shoes not be worn at dinner.
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Paul Gauguin Cruises Dress Code

Daytime dress code is casual. Evenings on board a Paul Gauguin cruise are elegant, yet not formal. "Country Club Casual," or resort wear, is appropriate for all evenings. Slacks and a button-down shirt are examples of proper attire for gentlemen. No ties are required at any time, although gentlemen may wish to bring one blazer to wear on the evening of the Captain’s Welcome Reception. Pantsuits or informal cocktail attire are recommended for ladies. Jeans, shorts and tee-shirts are not appropriate for evening wear on board.
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Princess Cruises Dress Code

There are two types of evening dress codes on Princess Cruises:
♦ Smart Casual: When the ship is in port, evening dress is smart casual, and passenger attire should be in keeping with what would be worn to a nice restaurant at home.
♦ Formal: Men wear tuxedos, dark suits or dinner jackets, and women wear evening gowns, cocktail dresses or elegant pant suits.
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Regent Seven Seas Dress Code

Attire on a Regent Seven Seas cruise ranges from Casual to Formal Optional. Casual wear is appropriate for daytime onboard or ashore, and consists of resort-style outfits. Casual wear, including shorts and jeans, is not appropriate after 6:00 pm, with the exception of the final evening of the cruise. On the night prior to disembarkation, guests may need to pack their luggage early due to morning flights the next day. With this in mind on the last night of every voyage we will relax the dress code for dinner to Casual.

The recommended onboard dress in the evenings is Elegant Casual. Dinner dress includes skirt, or slacks with blouse or sweater, pant suit or dress for ladies; slacks and collared shirt for gentlemen. Sport jackets are optional. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts or tennis shoes are not to be worn at dinner. Ties are not required. On sailings of 16-nights or more, Formal and Semi-Formal attire is optional on two evenings. On the two Formal Optional evenings, guests are welcome to dress as per the Elegant Casual dress code or opt for a more formal choice of clothing including gowns and cocktail dresses for ladies; tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with tie for gentlemen.
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Royal Caribbean Dress Code

There are three types of evening dress codes onboard Royal Caribbean's ships:
♦ Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sun dresses or pants for women
♦ Smart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women
♦ Formal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women

Note: Royal Caribbean ships that have ice skating requires that all skaters wear long pants and socks for their own comfort and safety. Capris and long shorts are permitted.
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Seabourn Cruise Line Dress Code

Attire During the Day on a Seabourn Cruise:
During the daytime, casual, resort-style attire, including shorts and jeans, is welcome in all lounges and dining venues. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for poolside, on deck or in the spa and fitness center.

In the evening (after 6pm) there are two different dress codes (depending on the night of the cruise):

Elegant Casual

Men: Slacks with a collared dress shirt or sweater; Jacket Optional. Ladies: Slacks / skirt, blouse, pant suit or dress. This is the dress standard for all dining venues
Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but not appropriate in any public venues after 6pm.

Formal

In the Restaurant, Men: Tuxedo, suit or slacks and jacket required. Ladies: evening gown or other formal apparel. Dress in other dining venues is Elegant Casual.
Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but not appropriate in any public venues after 6pm.

The itinerary in the preliminary document booklet will inform you of the number of Formal evenings to expect during your voyage. As a rule of thumb, Formal evenings are scheduled as follows:

Cruises up to 13 days: One Formal evening
Cruises of 14 to 20 days: Two Formal evenings
Cruises of 21 or more days: Three Formal evenings

(Note: Extended Explorations, Holiday voyages and crossings may be scheduled differently.)

Attire Ashore:
Packing clothing that can be layered is the best way to plan for cruising in virtually any climate. For tropical cruises, bring light, loose-fitting garments that can be paired with a lightweight jacket or sweater. For cooler climates, pack extra layers of warmer garments such as a light top coat and some sweaters. When dressing to go ashore, it is helpful to be aware of the customs of the countries you are visiting. In some ports men and women should not wear shorts. Many cultures prefer that women wear dresses or skirts when visiting shrines, churches, mosques and temples.

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SeaDream Yacht Club Dress Code

As they strive to provide a luxurious, yet casual, yachting experience, there is a resort casual dress code on all SeaDream cruises. Among examples of such cruise attire are comfortable footwear for shore-side visits and casually elegant resort wear for your evenings on board (such as open-collar shirts and slacks for men, and sun dresses for women).
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Silversea Cruises Dress Code

On a Silversea cruise, the cruise attire ranges from casual to formal.
♦ Casual resort wear is appropriate for daytime aboard ship or ashore, and consists of standard sports outfits as worn at resorts. Shoes should be flat or low-heeled for deck activities.

Evening attire falls into three categories: casual, informal and formal.
♦ Casual: open neck shirts, slacks and sports outfits are appropriate.
♦ Informal: ladies usually wear dresses or trouser suits; gentlemen wear jackets (tie optional).
♦ Formal: For ladies this is an evening gown or cocktail dress; gentlemen wear tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits. On formal nights, guests dining in La Terrazza may wear casually elegant attire (dresses or trouser suits for ladies; jacket, tie optional for gentlemen).

Sailings of eight days or less typically feature two formal nights, while longer voyages usually have three or four formal nights. Details will be provided in the Port and Shore Excursion booklet in your final cruise documents.
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Silversea Cruises Dress Code

Elegant casual is the type of cruise attire typically worn during dinner on a Star Clippers cruise. There is a no-tie dress code in the elegant dining rooms of the magnificent ships of Star Clippers. However, shorts and t-shirts are not permitted in the dining room during dinner.
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Uniworld River Cruises Dress Code

Smart casual clothing is the appropriate cruise attire during the day on a Uniworld river cruise. During the evening, at dinner, men may wear sport coats and women may wear cocktail dresses or a pantsuit.
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Viking River Cruises Dress Code

The daytime cruise attire worn aboard a Viking River cruise ship should be comfortable and casual. The dress code for dinner is evening casual, so you should bring open-neck shirts, slacks, dresses and sport outfits. Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Nights are dressy, but not formal.
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Voyages of Discovery Dress Code

There are three possible dress codes for the evenings of a Voyages of Discovery cruise. Details concerning the dress code for each night of your cruise will be provided in the daily program on board, but the possibilities are as follows:
♦ Formal: Some passengers may dress traditionally in black tie style and evening dress on formal nights, such as the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner. However, a dark suit or blazer and tie would be fine on such nights – the choice is yours!
♦ Semi-Formal
♦ Smart/Casual
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Windstar Cruises Dress Code

A major focus of a Windstar cruise is casual elegance, which is definitely reflected in the way that their guests dress. While on a Windstar cruise you should dress as you would at an upscale resort. For women's daytime wear, Windstar suggests walking shorts, skirts, sarongs, lightweight tops and cover-ups; for evening wear, sun dresses, pants, informal cocktail attire. For men's daytime wear Windstar suggests walking/Bermuda shorts, polo shirts, khaki pants; in the evening, lightweight trousers and short-sleeved dress/polo shirts. No suits or ties are needed; however, shorts, jeans, and t-shirts are not permitted in The Restaurant or Degrees during the evening. Country Club Casual cruise attire is acceptable in Le Merche and Candles.
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