Formal night has been a big topic of conversation among cruisers lately. For decades, dressing up for an elegant evening was considered part of the traditional cruise experience. However, over the years, cruise lines have loosened their dress code guidelines, changed what they call formal night, and in some cases moved away from formal nights altogether.
Not surprisingly, cruisers have strong opinions about it.
When we recently asked the Life Well Cruised community whether cruise ship formal nights are becoming a thing of the past, we received more than 5,000 comments. There were passionate arguments on both sides. Some cruisers love getting dressed up and feel that formal night is an important cruise tradition, while others would be perfectly happy to leave the suits, ties and fancy dresses at home.
In this article, I’m going to look at what cruise lines are actually saying about formal nights and dress codes, what real cruisers think about the changes, and finally, share my own thoughts on where cruise ship formal nights may be headed.
Here’s What Cruise Lines Are Saying About Formal Night
Cruise lines have taken very different approaches to formal night. While some still hold onto the tradition, others have made dressing up completely optional or done away with formal nights altogether.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line has long taken a more relaxed approach to traditional cruise formal nights. In keeping with its Freestyle Cruising concept, NCL does not have official mandatory formal nights.
Instead, Norwegian offers Norwegian’s Night Out, which gives passengers the opportunity to dress up if they want to, but there’s no pressure to do so.
Norwegian puts it pretty simply: guests can dress in their finest attire, “or not. The choice is yours.”
For cruisers who enjoy getting dressed up, there are still opportunities to take photos and make an evening feel special. However, those who prefer a more casual vacation don’t need to pack formalwear.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises still embraces the tradition of formal night, and many passengers take the opportunity to dress up.
On formal evenings, it’s common to see men wearing suits and women wearing nice dresses or other elegant outfits. Many Princess cruisers genuinely enjoy the tradition, and the first formal night of the cruise especially tends to feel like a bigger event.
There are also several photo stations set up around the ship, giving passengers a chance to take professional photos while they’re dressed up. On many Princess ships, formal night is also tied in with the popular Champagne Waterfall, which adds to the celebratory atmosphere.
That said, cruisers who don’t want to dress up still have options. Passengers can skip formal night and enjoy dinner at the buffet or another casual dining venue instead.
So while Princess continues to hold onto a more traditional formal night experience, cruisers can ultimately decide how much they want to participate.
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages has gone in a completely different direction. The adults-only cruise line does not have formal nights or a traditional dress code. Virgin’s philosophy is essentially to wear whatever makes you comfortable.
In fact, the cruise line says the obligation to wear cocktail dresses, suits and ties belongs at weddings and formal galas rather than on vacation.
That doesn’t mean Virgin cruisers don’t dress up. Passengers often put together elaborate outfits for the cruise line’s signature Scarlet Night, and guests may choose to dress up for dinner or a night out. The big difference is that none of it is required.
As Virgin Voyages puts it: “Dress up. Dress down. Just dress.”
What Real Cruisers Are Saying
When we asked the Life Well Cruised community about formal nights, the response was huge. More than 5,000 cruisers left comments, and over 11,000 people interacted with the discussion. What stood out most was that cruisers had strong opinions, but many weren’t necessarily calling for formal night to disappear. Instead, a lot of people seemed to want more flexibility.
One cruiser suggested a simple compromise: “Just make it optional… have one dining room for formal and one for casual… easy enough huh?? That way everyone is happy.”
Another longtime cruiser shared how their feelings about formal night have changed over the years: “When we first started cruising 30+ cruises ago, we loved getting fancy. Now, we’re much more laid back. If we want to participate, we will, if we don’t want to, we won’t. No need to take it away from those who love it.”
For others, formal night is still one of the things that makes a cruise feel special. One Life Well Cruised community member explained: “I love formal nights. We wear scrubs 10 hours a day 5 days a week. So we are packing suits and fancy bling when we go on vacation!”
These comments really highlight the divide. Some cruisers may not want to dress up anymore, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want formal night eliminated. For many passengers, having the choice to participate seems to be the most important thing.
What We Think About Formal Night
I think formal night is one of the really fun traditions of cruising, and I’d be a little sad to see it disappear completely. Some of my earliest cruise memories involve dressing up for formal night. I still remember being about six years old and having my parents put me in a little tuxedo for the evening.
That said, times have changed. People tend to dress more casually these days, both at home and on vacation, and I don’t think cruisers should feel uncomfortable or overly restricted by a dress code.
For me, something like a “Dress Your Best” night feels like a good balance. Cruisers who love getting dressed up can still wear a suit, cocktail dress or even a tuxedo and gown, while others can choose an outfit that feels special without being overly formal.
Ultimately, I think the tradition is worth keeping, but perhaps in a more modern way. Giving people the choice to dress in a way that feels comfortable while encouraging everyone to look a little extra nice for one evening seems like the best of both worlds.
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Final Thoughts
Formal night has been part of cruising for generations, and for many passengers, it’s still one of the things that makes a cruise vacation feel special. At the same time, cruising has changed, and today’s passengers generally expect more flexibility when it comes to how they dress.
Personally, I’d like to see formal night stick around, but in a way that gives cruisers more choice. Those who love getting dressed up should absolutely be able to enjoy the tradition, while those who prefer a more relaxed evening shouldn’t feel out of place.
Based on the thousands of comments we received from the Life Well Cruised community, one thing is clear: cruisers have very strong feelings about this topic.
Should cruise lines get rid of formal night altogether, or is this one cruise tradition worth keeping? Please let me know in the comments below.