Some cruise lines have recently updated their rules, and wearing the wrong thing could get you turned away from a restaurant or even cause a problem in certain ports. Cruise dress codes are more relaxed than ever, but that doesn’t mean anything goes.
In fact, several cruise lines have updated their dress code rules and general etiquette so guests know what to expect and how to plan. Here are the mistakes I see cruisers make most often, plus a bonus tip at the end.
Know the Rules Before You Pack
1. Assuming the Dress Codes Are the Same as Last Year
This is the first mistake a lot of people make, especially experienced cruisers. They assume the dress codes are the same as they were last year, or even five years ago.
Dress codes have become more relaxed, but that’s only part of the story. Some cruise lines are also slowly changing what formal night was, with different wording, different definitions and different guidelines.
Carnival is a good example. Their website still lists an elegant night, but it now says “sharp and chic” in brackets, and they suggest thinking about what you’d wear to a nice restaurant or as a wedding guest.
Carnival also has the White-Hot Party. It made a bit of news last summer when guests on some shorter sailings reported they no longer had an elegant night and had the White-Hot Party instead.
My suggestion is to pack a white outfit for your cruise. Many cruise lines have one night with a white theme, even if they don’t announce it in advance.
Our guide to what not to wear on a cruise in 2026 covers the latest changes.
2. Confusing Formal Night With Mandatory Black Tie
Formal night doesn’t mean you have to wear black tie. Here’s how some of the most popular cruise lines describe their evening dress codes.
Carnival calls it elegant night, or sharp and chic. They say dress jeans, slacks, dresses, pantsuits and resort wear are all fine, and of course some people do dress up and look fantastic.
Celebrity calls it evening chic, which can include designer jeans, slacks, cocktail dresses, elegant tops and blazers. In our experience, Celebrity guests do dress up a little bit, and our guide to what to wear on a Celebrity cruise has more detail.
Royal Caribbean says dress your best, and traditional formal clothing is encouraged. When you’re actually onboard there’s a real variety, with some people in jeans, some in slacks and others in a suit, and you can see more in our Royal Caribbean outfit guide.
Norwegian is casual in most venues and has no formal night. Casual attire is fine, but it should still be resort style, especially in the specialty restaurants, and our Norwegian dress code guide explains how Freestyle works.
On MSC you can generally wear what you like. There is a pretty nice gala night, though, and guests are encouraged to dress up a little.
Virgin Voyages has no traditional dress code. The only thing to plan is something red for Scarlet Night.
Oceania has no formal night, but the evening atmosphere is polished and upscale. According to their website, you shouldn’t wear athletic shoes after 6:00 p.m.
For more ideas, see what to wear on a cruise formal night.
3. Ignoring the Rules for Casual and Smart Casual
You would think that since dress codes have relaxed, anything goes. It doesn’t, and some cruise lines now spell out what you can’t wear in casual and smart casual settings.
Several cruise lines don’t allow shorts in the main dining room and restaurants in the evening. Check your own cruise line, but one I know is still strict about this is Celebrity.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean are much more relaxed. I’d watch out on Princess and Holland America.
MSC points out that tank tops and flip-flops aren’t permitted in the main dining room, and baseball caps are frowned upon. You might be surprised to hear that t-shirts are sometimes not permitted either, and you’ll see it on a little sign in front of some restaurants, even on casual lines like Norwegian.
I always suggest, especially for men, packing one collared shirt. A polo, a button-up or even a Hawaiian shirt will do, and a linen shirt is perfect.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. You’ll just be glad to have it if a restaurant has a rule against t-shirts.
Curious whether jeans are allowed? Here’s our answer on wearing jeans on a cruise.
What Not to Wear at Dinner and Around the Ship
4. Wearing Swimwear to Restaurants
You would think this goes without saying. Maître d’s on several cruise ships have told us they actually have to turn people away for it.
The rule isn’t overly strict. You can be in swimwear around the pool and at the burger and pizza grills.
You can also be in swimwear at the buffet, as long as you wear a cover-up. Every cruise line says you can’t be barefoot, so sandals or flip-flops are needed.
As soon as you go to a sit-down restaurant, even a casual one, you need to be wearing actual clothes. This applies in particular in the evening, in the dining rooms and restaurants.
Even Virgin Voyages, which says it has thrown dress codes overboard, asks you to wear more than a bathing suit in the restaurants. If you need cover-up ideas, take a look at these swimsuit cover ups for a cruise.
5. Skipping the Cover-Up Inside the Ship
There’s no hard and fast rule for swimwear, and things can look different depending on your ship and where you’re sailing. In Europe, for example, you’ll probably see more men in Speedos, so don’t be offended because it’s just the fashion.
Likewise, on a cruise line with more younger guests, you’ll see more women in thong bathing suits. That’s just the way it is.
When it comes to covering up, both women and men need to cover up when they go inside the ship, even to the buffet. For men that simply means putting on a shirt, because bare-chested isn’t allowed.
Women should have a cover-up too. A couple of cruise lines point out that very see-through or mesh cover-ups won’t be allowed in the sit-down restaurants.
As a general rule of etiquette, be careful about wearing a wet bathing suit under your clothes when you go inside somewhere. I’d especially avoid it in the dining room.
6. Forgetting That Specialty Restaurants Have Dress Codes Too
A lot of people get tripped up by not realizing the same dress codes that apply in the main dining rooms apply in the specialty restaurants. Even casual lines like Disney, which allows nice shorts in the dining rooms, ask men to wear pants in their adult specialty restaurants.
If you’re joining a chef’s table or another special dining experience, those are typically a bit more dressed up as well. Men don’t necessarily need a suit and women don’t need a cocktail dress, but you’ll want to dress a bit nicer for those evenings.
Our specialty dining tips have more on what to expect.
7. Wearing a Bathrobe Around the Ship
Now for a controversial one. Don’t wear bathrobes around the cruise ship, and several cruise lines have this rule right on their website.
Oceania, for example, specifically says bathrobes are for staterooms only. This isn’t only a premium cruise line thing, though, because it happens everywhere.
I once saw a man in a cruise ship buffet in his bathrobe and slippers, and he was taking food from the buffet. He got quite a few looks, but he was in the buffet and no crew member said anything.
I’m curious what you think. Should the crew have asked him to go and put some clothes on?
Let me know in the comments.
8. Wearing Pajamas to the Buffet or Restaurants
Speaking of sleepwear, avoid pajamas at the buffet and especially in the sit-down restaurants. The sit-down restaurants will likely say something even at breakfast.
If it looks like loungewear that could pass for regular clothes, nobody will probably make a fuss, especially at breakfast. At the very least, you’ll get looks from some of the other guests.
9. Wearing Offensive Graphic T-Shirts
Graphic t-shirts are absolutely fine in general. The problem is shirts with offensive language, slurs or anything that could be seen as offensive or confrontational to another group of people onboard.
They’re frowned upon, and most cruise lines have a rule that lets them ask you to remove them. You’re on vacation and so is everyone else, so I’d steer clear.
Ports, Shoes and Practical Packing
10. Ignoring Local Customs and Laws in Port
Many people are surprised by this one. When you travel abroad, the way people are allowed to dress and the local customs and etiquette can be very different from home, and we need to be respectful of that.
In religious buildings you may need to cover your shoulders or even your knees. If you know you’re heading somewhere like that, bring a shawl or wear longer skirts or pants.
Camouflage is also a law in certain countries. In the Caribbean, Jamaica and Barbados are two examples where only people in the military are allowed to wear it.
If you walk off the ship in camouflage shorts, a camouflage t-shirt or even carrying a camouflage water bottle, you can be sent back to the ship. In a worst-case scenario you could be fined, and apparently in some countries even arrested.
Who wants to take that chance? Our list of things not to wear in cruise ports has more on local customs.
11. Wearing (or Packing) the Wrong Shoes
I’m not talking about the no sneakers after 6:00 p.m. rule I mentioned earlier. That’s something you’ll find on some luxury cruise lines, which have a bit of etiquette across the whole ship after the dinner hour.
I’m talking about being smart for your own sake, because this happened to me. If you’re wearing new shoes, break them in before you cruise or wear them in small spurts.
Don’t be like me and wear a new pair of sandals on embarkation day, when it seemed like I had to walk 10,000 steps before my luggage arrived so I could change my shoes. I had blisters all week, so trust me on this one.
Don’t forget to pack the right pairs, either. You’ll want pool shoes for around the pool, but Crocs and those plasticky, rubbery flip-flops are frowned upon in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, and you might not be able to enter.
Even if you want to wear a sandal, choose something a little nicer. Here’s a quick checklist of what to bring:
- Closed-toe shoes, if you plan on any activities or sports where sneakers are required
- Good, comfortable walking shoes for the ship and for port, because you don’t want to walk around a cruise port in heels
Cruise lines do require guests to wear shoes, even flip-flops, when going into the buffet or any public area. Our guide to what shoes to bring on a cruise breaks it down for day, evening and shore excursions.
12. Wearing a Flowy Dress on the Pool Deck
You can absolutely wear flowy dresses, but I’m talking about the pool deck in particular. This has happened to me before, and my entire dress, the whole bottom of it, flew up.
Ladies, even if it’s an evening deck party, try to wear a straighter dress that isn’t going to fly all the way up. Otherwise, wear a pair of bicycle shorts underneath.
13. Bonus: Packing an Outfit You Haven’t Tried On
Don’t pack any cruise outfit without trying it on at home first. Leave yourself a little leeway, because anything very tight can feel different by the end of the cruise.
I’ve heard from people who sent their clothes to the laundry and somehow they came back shrunk. You get the idea.
If you do bring tighter clothing, wear it at the beginning of the cruise and save your looser clothing for the end. For more packing help, see our cruise packing tips.
Final Thoughts
Do you have any dress code questions, or have you made any cruise fashion mistakes? Please let me know in the comments.
If you want to see how many of these you’ve already dodged, our list of dress code mistakes you’ll regret making on a cruise is a good next read.