For many cruisers, cruise ship formal nights are the elegant highlight of their voyage. And yet, one of the most frequent questions we receive revolves around what to wear on a cruise formal night. You may be wondering what to expect from a cruise ship’s formal night, are they mandatory, and how many formal nights are there?
In general, formal night on a cruise ship require tuxedos or suits and ties for men and evening gowns or cocktail dresses for women. Don’t worry if formal night isn’t your style, it is usually optional and most cruise ships have alternative dining options.
In this post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about formal nights on a cruise, how they work, and what you will need to wear. Each cruise line is different, so I will help break down the dress code of the major cruise lines.
Table of Contents
What is a Formal Night on a Cruise Ship?
Formal nights are precisely what the name suggests: they are special evenings during the cruise where passengers dress up in formal attire. On formal nights, passengers dawn fresh-pressed dress shirts, glittering gowns, stunning jewelry, and polished shoes.
The main dining room will often serve lobster, duck a l’orange, prime rib, and other delicacies worth dressing up for to commemorate the special evenings.
Formal night might also be referred to as Captain’s Night, which will often have photo opportunities with the captain as well as a speech.
Formal nights are unique to the cruise industry, which may be a change for traditional resort vacationers. The tradition is reminiscent of the golden age of transatlantic cruises when guests were required to dress formally during the evening.
Can you Skip Formal Night?
You can absolutely skip formal nights. If you’re tired after a long day of cruising or you’re just not feeling in the mood to dress up, there are always alternatives for passengers, and you won’t be alone.
While the formal night is a fun night of elegant dining, photographs with the captain, and a change of pace from the rest of the cruise, you won’t be alone if you decide to skip the occasion. Rather than dine in the main dining room, you can always eat in the buffet or on your balcony via room service.
Many cruise lines don’t extend the formal dress code to their specialty dining restaurants. If you prefer to be served and want to dress comfortably, consider making a reservation. Keep in mind that many of the specialty restaurants will cost extra.
Tip: If you skip formal dining, you may be able to find lobster and prime rib served in the buffet.
Formal Night Photographs
Cruise ship formal nights are an excellent time to get professional photos taken – when else will you look this good!
Whether you are cruising to celebrate a special occasion or cruising as a family, you won’t find a better time to get your photo taken. The ship’s photographers will set up in public areas, with assorted backdrops or selected backgrounds. Scenes might include an image of the ship, black velvet, or a tropical beach.
While you will have to pay to bring the photographs home with you, there is no charge to get your pictures taken. If you would like to try each scene or see which photographer captures you best, try them all! The final photos cost less than a professional photographer in most cities would charge, and it’s a lot of fun to be in the spotlight, if only for a moment.
Tip: Photo sessions usually have lineups on formal nights. You can generally get in quick about an hour before the first dinner service when the photographer sets up.
How Many Formal Nights are on a Cruise?
Depending on the length of your cruise, there may be one or more formal nights. Each cruise line will have different guidelines on when formal nights will occur, but they will never be held on the first or last night of a cruise due to luggage handling concerns.
Most cruise lines will have one formal night on sailings of less than six days and two formal nights on cruises of 7 days and more. Keep in mind that this is a general approximation. You should check your cruise itinerary before sailing to see how many formal nights your cruise will have.
What is Considered Formal Wear?
Now that you know what to expect, we need to talk about what to wear on a formal cruise formal night. The formal dress code is slightly different for each cruise line. Some cruise lines are more relaxed than others, while some do not have formal nights at all. We’ve broken down the formal night requirements of the major cruise lines below.
Carnival Cruise Line
Dress Code on Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Cruises’ evening dress code is typically “cruise casual.” Carnival will hold Cruise Elegant evenings with special dress requirements on one or two nights of the voyage. Cruise elegant for men means dress shirt, dress pants, and the optional sport jacket, suit and tie, or tuxedo. Cocktail dresses, elegant skirts, pantsuits, and blouses are acceptable for women, and evening gowns are an option.
Number of Formal Nights on a Carnival Cruise:
- 1 Day cruise: none
- 2 Day to 5-day cruise: one Cruise Elegant evening
- 6 Day or longer cruise: two Cruise Elegant evenings
- Melbourne Cup cruise: one Cruise Elegant evening
Celebrity Cruises
Dress Code on Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Cruises’ evening dress code is typically “smart casual,” meaning sport shirts and slacks or jeans for men and skirts, pants or jeans, and a casual top for women.
On “Evening Chic” nights, the suggested attire is formalwear. Men should wear pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt and the optional sport coat or blazer. Suggestions for women include a skirt, pants, cocktail dress, or designer jeans with an elegant top.
Number of Evening Chic Nights on a Celebrity Cruise:
- Cruise length up to 6 days: one Evening Chic night
- Cruise length of 7 or more days: two Evening Chic nights
Costa Cruises
Dress Code on Costa Cruises: Most nights aboard Costa Cruises ships are casual and allow “resort appropriate wear.”
On formal nights Costa Cruises dress code allows for a dark suit or tuxedo for men; evening gown or cocktail dress for women
Number of Formal Nights on a Costa Cruise:
- Most 3- and 4-night cruises have one formal night
- Most 7-night cruises have 2 formal nights
- Most 10-night cruises have 3 formal nights
Crystal Cruises
Dress Code on Crystal Cruises: Crystal Cruises allows casual attire on its oceangoing cruise ships during the day. After 6:00 pm, on every night, casual clothing, including robes, baseball hats, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, and denim shorts, are not appropriate. Crystal Casual attire applies on most evenings, including a collard or button-down shirt paired with dress pants for men, and skirts, blouses, sweaters, and dresses for women. Jeans are also acceptable attire only on these nights.
A Black Tie Optional Evening allows passengers to dress more formally on special evenings. This includes a dark suit and tie or tuxedo for men and a formal cocktail dress or an evening gown for women. It’s requested that men wear a jacket on Black Tie evenings.
Number of Black Tie Optional evenings on a Crystal Cruise:
- 7-days cruises (or less): Crystal Casual only, no Black Tie Optional evenings
- 8– to 10–day cruises: Up to one Black Tie Optional evening
- 11– to 13–day cruises: Two Black Tie Optional evenings
- World Cruises, Holiday voyages, and Crossings may be scheduled differently
Cunard Line
Dress Code on Cunard Line: Most nights aboard a Cunard cruise ship request “smart attire.” The dress code goes into effect from 6:00 pm onwards. On these nights, acceptable smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, a skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress.
Gala Evenings aboard Cunard Line cruises are highly anticipated and often themed. When sailing with Cunard, you will find themes such as Roaring 20s, Red and Gold, Black and White, and Masquerade Ball. During Gala Evenings, guests are asked to observe a black-tie dress code. The requested attire is dinner jackets, tuxedos, formal dark suits for men, and cocktail or evening dresses for women.
Number of Gala Evenings on a Cunard Line Cruise:
- Rule of thumb: One Gala Evening for every three days of sailing
Disney Cruise Line
Dress Code on Disney Cruise Line: Most onboard restaurants are “cruise casual,” so casual cruise attire, such as shorts and T-shirts, is allowed, except for swimwear and tank tops. Most cruises have special theme nights that provide opportunities to dress up for a one-of-a-kind family photo.
On some nights aboard a Disney cruise, the ship will hold a special themed night, including a pirate theme, dress-up night, or semi-formal night. During dress-up night, the cruise line recommends dress pants with a jacket or a suit for men and dress or pantsuit for women during dress-up night.
Number of Formal Nights on a Disney Cruise:
- 3-night cruises:
- One cruise casual night
- One pirate night themed deck party
- One optional “dress-up night”
- 4-night cruises:
- The first night is cruise casual
- One pirate night themed deck party
- One optional dress-up night
- The final night is cruise casual
- 7-night cruises:
- The first night is cruise casual
- One pirate night or another themed deck party
- 3 additional cruise casual nights—no swimwear or tank tops
- One formal and one semi-formal night
Holland America Line
Dress Code on Holland America Line: Most nights aboard a Holland America cruise are “resort casual.” Guests visiting their fine dining restaurants must follow resort casual attire, including a collared shirt and pants for men (jacket and tie preferred) and dresses, shirts, or pants for women. Jeans are allowed on resort casual nights as long as they are not distressed but prohibited on Gala Night.
Gala Night is a time for passengers to dress up and experience fine dining aboard a Holland America cruise. The formal Gala attire includes dress pants with a jacket or a suit for men and a dress or pantsuit for women
Number of Gala Nights on a Holland America Cruise:
- 7-day cruises or less: 1 Gala Night
- 8 to 13-day cruises: 2 Gala Nights
- 14 to 20-day cruises: 3 Gala Nights
MSC Cruises
Dress Code on MSC Cruises: In general, casual wear is appropriate aboard an MSC Cruise, except for the formal “Gala evening,” which requires a suit or jacket and tie for men, and cocktail dresses for women. The public areas of the ship don’t permit shorts, t-shirts, and swimwear after 6:00 pm. Jeans are acceptable as long as they are not torn, ripped, or otherwise distressed.
Number of Gala Evenings on an MSC Cruise:
- 4 to 6-night cruises: 1 Gala Evening
- 7 to 9-night cruises: 2 Gala Evenings
- 10 to 14-night cruises: 3 Gala Evenings
- 15+ night cruises: 4 Gala Evenings
Norwegian Cruise Line
Dress Code on Norwegian Cruise Line: “Cruise casual” is acceptable most of the time aboard a Norwegian cruise. Cruise casual includes jeans, khakis, shorts, and casual shirts for men and summer and regular or capri pants, casual dresses, skirts, jeans, shorts, and tops for women. For dinner in one of the onboard upscale restaurants or the main dining room, collared shirts and pants or “nice” jeans for men, and pants or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops are standard for women.
Norwegian Cruise Line does not allow passengers to wear tank tops for men, baseball caps, flip-flops, or visors in the main dining room or specialty restaurants.
Number of Formal Nights on a Norwegian Cruise:
Norwegian Cruise Line does not have an official “formal night;” however, “Norwegian’s Night Out” is the cruise line’s optional version of a ship-wide event. There is no dress code associated with “Norwegians Night Out.”
Princess Cruises
Dress Code on a Princess Cruise: Evening attire aboard Princess Cruises is typically “smart casual” which includes dresses, skirts, or trousers with a t-shirt or blouse for ladies, trousers and shirt, or polo shirt for gentlemen. Similar to many cruise lines on this list, swimwear and shorts are not allowed in the restaurant.
Formal nights on Princess cruises request an evening gown, cocktail dress or pantsuits for ladies, suit, combination, or dinner jackets for gentlemen.
Number of Formal Nights on a Princess Cruise:
- 5 to 6-night cruises: 1 formal evening
- 7 to 13-night cruises: 2 formal evening
- 14 to 20-night cruises: 3 formal evening
- 21 to 28-night cruises: 4 formal evening
- 29-night or more cruises: Minimum of 5 formal evening
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Dress Code on a Regent Seven Seas Cruise: Daytime attire aboard a Regent Seven Seas Cruise is typically casual and consists of resort-style clothing. After 6:00 pm, the dress code is almost always “elegant casual,” except for the final evening of each cruise, which allows passengers to dress in casual attire. Elegant casual requests passengers to wear slacks and collared shirts, blouses, sweaters, pantsuits, skirts, or dresses.
After 6:00 pm, t-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes, and shorts are not permitted in public areas of the ship, except for the pool.
Longer cruises have optional formal or semi-formal nights where passengers can wear elegant attire or a more formal look (dark suits, tuxedos, gowns, or cocktail dresses.)
Number of Formal Nights on a Regent Seven Seas Cruise:
- 16 or more nights: 2 or more formal nights
- Cruises less than 16 days are always “elegant casual”
Royal Caribbean International
Dress Code on Royal Caribbean: Most nights aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise are smart-casual, including collared shirts and slacks for men (jackets, blazers, and sports coats are recommended but optional) and skirts, dresses, and blouses or pantsuits for women.
On formal nights, formal attire includes suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses and evening gowns for women.
There are no tank tops, caps, or bathing suits permitted in the main dining room or specialty restaurants, and footwear is always required.
Number of Formal Nights on a Royal Caribbean Cruise:
- 3-5 night cruises: 1 formal night
- 6+ night cruises: 2 formal nights
Seabourn Cruise Line
Dress Code on a Seabourn Cruise: The daytime dress code for Seabourn is typically casual attire, and shorts and jeans are acceptable – even in the ship’s restaurants. However, passengers should not wear swimsuits, cover-ups, and gym wear outside the spa, fitness center, and outer decks.
Evenings are typically “elegant casual,” and recommended attire includes slacks with collared dress shirts or sweaters for men, but jackets are optional. Women should choose dresses, pantsuits or skirts or slacks with nice tops.
On formal nights, men are asked to wear a suit, tuxedo, or slacks with a jacket, while women are requested to wear a cocktail dress, evening gown, or pantsuit.
Number of Formal Nights on a Seabourn Cruise:
- Cruises up to 13 nights: 1 formal night
- Cruises of 14 to 20 nights: 2 formal nights
- Cruises of 21 nights or more: 3 formal nights
Windstar Cruises
Dress Code on a Windstar Cruises: Windstar suggests “casual elegant” attire for dinners and evenings aboard their cruise ships. Slacks and collared shirts for men and slacks, sundresses, and informal cocktail dresses for women are acceptable attire. At no time are flip-flops, shorts, jeans, hats, or T-shirts prohibited throughout the ship during the evening.
Unlike the vast majority of cruise lines, there are no formal nights on a Windstar Cruise.
Number of Formal Nights on a Windstar Cruises:
- There are no formal nights on a Windstar Cruise
Viking Ocean Cruises
Dress Code on a Viking Ocean Cruise: Viking’s daytime dress code is casual and comfortable. The daytime attire includes shorts and jeans, while shorts, swimsuits, cover-ups, and exercise attire should be limited to the poolside, the fitness center, and the sports deck.
For evenings, the recommended onboard attire is “elegant casual.” Suggested clothing for men includes trousers and collared shirts (ties and jackets are optional but not required). For women, acceptable attire includes dresses or a skirt or slacks with a blouses or sweater.
Number of Formal Nights on a Viking Ocean Cruise:
- There are no formal nights on a Viking Ocean Cruise
FAQs
What do you wear on formal night on a cruise? ›
On formal nights, proper attire includes tuxedos, suits or slacks (jackets required) for men and evening gowns, cocktail dresses or dressy pantsuits for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but they're not appropriate in any public venues for dinner or cocktail hour.
What is smart casual dress code on a cruise ship? ›Smart casual: Jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants.
What do you wear on a cruise white night? ›Bianco's only requirement is that you dress in all-white-everything, so rock up in your nicest white garments and dress to impress on this night to remember. Don't stress too much if you forget anything for this event, as P&O offer accessories for most themed events on board.
Do you dress up for dinner on a cruise? ›If you want to attend a “cruise elegant” evening, bring a fancier, more formal outfit. Men can wear suits or dress slacks with a sport coat and dress shirt. For women, cocktail dresses, pantsuits or elegant skirts and blouses are appropriate. Some guests like to go all out with a tuxedo or ball gown.
Can you wear jeans in the main dining room on Royal Caribbean? ›Royal Caribbean's dress code rules
The dress code rules for Royal Caribbean provide dress suggestions for the three types of dress codes onboard: casual, smart casual and formal. Casual: You're on vacation – relax! Jeans, polos, sundresses and blouses are all the right amount of laid back.
There isn't a specific day time dress code onboard Royal Caribbean cruises. Cruisers are able to wear whatever they feel comfortable in. Shorts, jeans, and casual tops are all acceptable.
How strict is formal night on Royal Caribbean? ›How Strict Is Formal Night On Royal Caribbean? It's pretty relaxed, although Royal Caribbean embrace formal night it is optional. You can 't wear shorts in dining rooms, however people tend to dress how they are comfortable. With the majority choosing to observe formal night in some form.
What do you wear to dinner on a cruise ship? ›For women, this means skirts, pants, or jeans with a casual top. For men, they are required to wear pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt. Shorts and flip-flops are not permitted in the evenings. On Evening Chic nights, the dress code is dressier than smart casual but less so than a traditional formal night.
Can you wear jeans on a cruise ship? ›Most cruise lines permit wearing clean, nice jeans in the main dining room and specialty restaurant on “casual” and “smart casual” evenings. On cruise lines where there is a formal night, jeans are not permitted in the main dining room.
How do you know when formal night is on a cruise? ›- 3/4/5 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2.
- 6 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 5.
- 7 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 6.
- 8 - 10 Night Cruises - 2 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.
- 11 - 14 Night Cruises - 3 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.
What nights are elegant nights on Carnival cruise? ›
The first Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise; the second Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day prior to the end of the cruise, schedules permitting.
Do I have to dress up on a cruise? ›You don't have to dress up at all!
That's right, if you want to wear shorts and tanktops all day, every day of your cruise there is no reason you cannot. Royal Caribbean has a few dress codes that are only for dining in select restaurants. Otherwise, you can wear whatever suits you all the time.
And while you might be cruising the Caribbean or some other tropical locale, ship decks can get pretty cold at night when the sun goes down and the wind picks up, so it may be smart to bring a shawl or light jacket.
What should you not buy on a cruise? ›- Art. ...
- Toiletries. ...
- 'Special' spa treatments. ...
- 'Medi' spa treatments. ...
- Any treatments in spas known for the hard sell. ...
- Manicure and pedicures. ...
- Precious gems. ...
- Souvenirs from the port terminal.
What Is Smart Casual Attire? Smart casual attire is a dress code that combines well-fitting, polished business wear with elements of casual attire—think blouses, polo shirts, button-downs, chinos, dress pants, dark-wash jeans, and polished, practical footwear.
Can I bring a 12 pack of soda on Royal Caribbean? ›Beverages. Royal Caribbean also allows a limited amount of non-alcoholic beverages with them on embarkation day. Specifically, you can bring up to 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage (soda, bottled water, etc).
Can you wear flip-flops to dinner on Royal Caribbean? ›If the idea of formal night really bothers you, the good news is you absolutely do not have to get dressed up on your Royal Caribbean cruise. The formal night dress code is only for the main dining room and specialty restaurants, so anywhere else on the ship is fair game for shorts, flip flops and tank tops.
Is bottled water free on Royal Caribbean? ›For non-alcoholic beverages, the Refreshment Package is offered on a per guest, per day basis, and includes coffee, tea, sparkling or still bottled water, fresh-squeezed juices, non-alcoholic cocktails, fountain soda and a complimentary Coca-Cola® souvenir cup.
Do you have to wear a suit on formal night on Royal Caribbean? ›Men do not have to wear a suit on formal night on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Suits and ties or tuxedos for men are suggested attire for formal night, however, they are far from required.
What is the temperature on a cruise ship? ›Ambient temperature on the vessels ranges between 18 – 20°C (64 – 68°F) in public areas, while cabin temperatures may be adjusted according to your preference.
Do you need a jacket on a Caribbean cruise? ›
Sweater. Once the sun goes down, the temperature can get a little chilly while on a cruise ship. Avoid getting a case of the shivers and bring along a lightweight jacket or sweater to keep you warm on those cooler nights.
Can I bring full size shampoo on a cruise? ›Yes you can bring full sized toiletries on a cruise such as shampoo and conditioner. Cruise lines don't have limits on the sizes of liquid/gel toiletries like the airlines do for carry on. Keep in mind though that if you are flying to board your cruise ship, you will have to follow the stricter airline rules.
Is there a formal night on a 4 day Royal Caribbean cruise? ›There are anywhere from 1-4 formal nights during a Royal Caribbean cruise, and the exact number depends on the length of your itinerary. 3-5 night cruises: one formal night, usually on day 2. 6-10 night cruises: two formal nights. 11-14 night cruises: three formal nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.
Does Royal Caribbean charge for room service? ›Room service is available any time of the day or night - simply order from the room service menu located in your stateroom/suite (service charge of $7.95* applies). An 18% gratuity is additional and will automatically be added to your check.
Can you wear jeans in dining room on Carnival cruise? ›Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats.
What is cocktail attire dress code? ›Cocktail attire is a balance between formal and casual and elegant and comfortable. To an event with this dress code, such as a wedding, men typically wear a suit and tie while women wear a cocktail dress. “Cocktail attire is meant to bridge the gap between day and night,” explains bridal consultant LauraLee Baird.
What is evening Chic attire? ›WHAT IS “EVENING CHIC?” Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal Nights. For women, it is a cocktail dress; or, a skirt, pants, or designer jeans with an elegant top. For men, it is pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, or button-down shirt or sweater.
Can you wear flip-flops to dinner on a cruise? ›Gentlemen: elegant dress pants, shirts, sports jackets as well as suits, ties and tuxedos. Ladies: cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts, blouses and evening gowns. Please no shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, bathing clothes, jeans, cut-off jeans, sportswear and baseball caps.
What can you not wear on a Caribbean cruise? ›10 THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR ON A CRUISE *dress codes, rules ...
Do you need to bring beach towels on a cruise? ›The bottom line. You don't need to pack any towels to take on your cruise ship as bath, pool and beach towels are all available. However, towel clips are a good idea to stop your towels from blowing away in the wind and also to make it easy to recognise your sun lounger.
Do you have to wear a suit on formal night on Royal Caribbean? ›
Men do not have to wear a suit on formal night on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Suits and ties or tuxedos for men are suggested attire for formal night, however, they are far from required.
Do you have to attend formal night on a cruise? ›Formal nights on a cruise are not mandatory and it is almost always possible to skip formal night if you don't want to attend. Skipping formal night may mean dining in a different restaurant, the buffet, or having room service delivered.
How do you know when formal night is on a cruise? ›- 3/4/5 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2.
- 6 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 5.
- 7 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 6.
- 8 - 10 Night Cruises - 2 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.
- 11 - 14 Night Cruises - 3 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.
The first Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise; the second Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day prior to the end of the cruise, schedules permitting. Was this answer helpful?