Cruise Outfits: Day Dresses and Formal Night Looks

Most cruises need three kinds of outfit: casual dresses and a cover-up for days at sea and in port, resort-casual dresses for dinner, and one or two cocktail dresses for the dressier nights. Pack fabrics that come out of a suitcase looking fine, like jersey and other knits, and a wrap for windy decks and cold dining rooms.

Plan your cruise outfits around those three modes and you'll pack less and wear everything. The rest of this guide covers what each one looks like, plus a night-by-night plan for a 7-night sailing.

How cruise dress codes work

What to wear on a cruise depends on the time of day more than anything. Days are casual everywhere on board: swimwear at the pool (with a cover-up when you walk through indoor areas), shorts and sundresses elsewhere. Evenings in the main dining room usually ask for something a step up, often called resort casual or smart casual.

Longer sailings add one or more dressier nights. Each cruise line names them differently (formal night, elegant night, a "dress your best" evening) and sets its own count, and the details change from time to time. Check your line's website before you pack, then the daily planner on board, which lists the evening's suggested attire.

Most lines keep a buffet or casual venue open on dressy nights, so dressing up is a choice rather than a requirement on many ships. If you love dressing up, pack for it. If you don't, you won't be stuck.

Cruise dresses for days at sea and in port

Cruise dresses for the daytime should be easy to pull on over a swimsuit, cool in the sun and fine after a day folded in a beach bag. Cotton, jersey and rayon-blend sundresses all work. Linen looks great but creases fast, so pack it only if you don't mind the crumpled look.

Pool and deck

At the pool you need a cover-up you can throw on to walk to lunch, plus flat sandals with some grip for wet decks. A loose kaftan, a shirt dress or a knit cover-up that reaches mid-thigh or longer is enough. Bring a hat and a light layer; open decks get windy once the ship is moving.

Port days

In port you might walk a town, ride a bus to a beach or visit a church. A maxi sundress or a jersey midi covers all of that, and pairs with sneakers or walking sandals. For more warm-weather combinations, our vacation dresses guide sorts sundresses by trip.

Some excursions visit religious sites where covered shoulders and knees are commonly expected. A dress with sleeves, or a scarf in your bag, covers you without a change of outfit.

Carry a crossbody bag with a zip rather than a tote for port days. You'll want your hands free for railings, tender boats and market stalls, and you'll need your cruise card and ID every time you get back on board.

Resort wear for dinner

Resort wear for women at dinner means a dress or outfit one step dressier than daytime: a midi in a soft print or a solid, a jumpsuit, or a maxi with sandals or low heels. If you know the dressy casual dress code from weddings, it's a close match.

Jersey wrap dresses, smocked midis and satin-look skirts with a fitted top all pack well. Bring one or two pairs of shoes for evenings (a flat sandal and a low heel cover most nights) and a light layer, because dining rooms are often air-conditioned.

A small color plan helps here. Pick two or three colors that go together (navy, white and coral, say, or black, cream and green) and pack dinner pieces only in those. Every top then works with every skirt, and one pair of sandals and one clutch go with all of it.

Shorts, swimwear and gym clothes are usually off-limits in the main dining room at dinner, even on casual nights. The buffet is more relaxed.

Formal night (or elegant night) outfits

Cruise formal night outfits range from a cocktail dress to a full-length gown, depending on the line and how much you want to dress up. A knee-length or midi cocktail dress in satin, crepe or a dressy knit fits most dressy nights. A long gown suits luxury lines and anyone who enjoys it, and for black tie wording on a sailing, see what black tie attire usually means.

Choose heels you can walk on a moving ship: block heels or a low strappy sandal beat stilettos. For a winter sailing to cold ports, cocktail dresses with sleeves keep you warm on the walk to the dining room.

Packing tip: a dress in jersey or crepe comes out of the suitcase ready to wear. Satin and chiffon wrinkle, so unpack them first and hang them in the cabin wardrobe as soon as you board to let the creases drop. Your line's packing rules say whether you can bring a travel steamer or iron, so read them before relying on one.

Wind, air conditioning and wardrobe malfunctions

Ships combine sea breeze outside with strong air conditioning inside, so a layer earns its suitcase space. A packable wrap or pashmina works over a sundress on deck and over a cocktail dress at dinner; see these shawls and wraps for dresses for fabrics and sizes. A thin cardigan does the same job for daytime.

Wind also catches skirts and necklines. A few strips of fashion tape keep a wrap dress closed and a strap in place, and slip shorts under a flowy skirt stop deck gusts from turning into a moment. A clip or tie for your hair helps too.

A 7-night cruise packing plan

A typical 7-night sailing has a mix of sea days and port days, with one or two dressy nights. This plan assumes two dressy nights; shorten it for a 3- or 4-night trip.

• Day 1, embarkation: daytime, a sundress or jeans and a tee for boarding. Dinner, a casual midi (luggage often arrives late).
• Day 2, sea day: daytime, swimsuit and cover-up. Dinner, your first dressy-night outfit, since many lines hold one early.
• Day 3, port day: daytime, a jersey or maxi sundress with walking sandals. Dinner, a resort-casual midi.
• Day 4, port day: daytime, a second sundress with a scarf for covered shoulders. Dinner, a jumpsuit or skirt and top.
• Day 5, sea day: daytime, swimsuit, cover-up, hat. Dinner, a resort-casual dress.
• Day 6, port day: daytime, shorts or a casual dress for an active excursion. Dinner, your second dressy outfit.
• Day 7, sea day: daytime, the easiest dress you packed. Dinner, a casual favorite you can pack straight after, since many lines collect checked suitcases on the last night.

Pack your first night's dinner outfit and a swimsuit in your carry-on. Checked bags can take hours to reach the cabin on embarkation day, and with the carry-on sorted you can start the cruise at the pool and still dress for dinner on time.