Do you need an evening gown for a cruise?

Most cruise lines have relaxed their policies enough so that most travelers will be able to attend a formal night with the clothes they keep in their closet at home—even if it's a simple request for a collared shirt and a prohibition on jeans at dinner.



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Dinner or “smart casual” attire If you're having dinner in the main restaurant or any meal at one of the specialty restaurants, you'll follow a “smart casual” dress code on most nights. This means long pants, jeans, a dress or skirt, a stylish top, or a button-down.

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For evenings, the recommended onboard dress is elegant casual for most ship venues. Suggested attire for men includes trousers and collared shirts (ties and jackets are optional but not required). For women, dresses, or skirts or slacks with sweaters or blouses are recommended.

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What to Pack for a Mediterranean Cruise
  • Casual clothes. During a Mediterranean cruise, you'll be doing a lot of walking. ...
  • Swimsuits. What to pack for a Mediterranean cruise will always include swimwear. ...
  • Swim cover-ups. ...
  • Sun hat. ...
  • Sunglasses. ...
  • Comfortable walking shoes. ...
  • Sweater or light jacket. ...
  • Scarf or pashmina.


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I usually dress for dinner, but they don't have to be completely different outfits for each evening. Usually a long skirt and a pair of dress pants, and 2 or 3 dressy tops (which are incredibly small when rolled) will do me for a week or 10-day cruise. For your 4-nighter, 1 or 2 evening outfits will be fine.

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7-8 Daytime Outfits On your 7 day cruise, you'll need a casual daytime outfit for each day, plus at least one backup outfit in case you get wet.

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Longer cruises have optional formal or semiformal nights. On these evenings, passengers can either wear elegant casual attire or opt for a more formal look, such as gowns, cocktail dresses, dark suits or tuxedos.

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If you're comfortable wearing jeans, not to worry as many cruise lines permit wearing jeans in the dining room and restaurants most nights of the cruise. Make sure that your jeans are without holes, even if it's the style. As a rule of thumb, stick with dark jeans for a more elegant look.

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Here are some of the major things you don't need to pack for a cruise.
  1. Soap and Other Toiletries. Most ships are equipped with soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower caps. ...
  2. Hair Dryer. Ships all come equipped with hair dryers. ...
  3. Clothesline. ...
  4. Beach Towels. ...
  5. Dirty Laundry Bag. ...
  6. Books. ...
  7. Snacks. ...
  8. Booze.


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Luggage screening is a thorough process that involves scanning all checked bags using X-ray machines and metal detectors. During the screening, cruise line staff looks for any prohibited items, such as weapons, drugs, and alcohol, that exceed the permissible limit.

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Dress Code and Attire: Elegant Night on Carnival Cruise Line follows a suggested dress code that encourages guests to embrace a more formal style of dressing. While formal attire is not mandatory, most guests choose to wear cocktail dresses, dress shirts with ties, suits, or even tuxedos.

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Dressy shoes It's a good idea to bring just one pair of dress shoes that can go with your outfits for formal nights. I like to bring a pair of gold strappy dress shoes, as they look fabulous with every color of dress (black, white, navy ect).

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There are some clothing items to avoid if you plan to eat in the dining room on formal night. This includes shorts, tank-tops, t-shirts, and swimsuits, as well as flip-flops. If you'd wear it to the pool or the beach, you don't want to wear it to formal night.

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You'd want to look your best for your first cruise night. Men can suit up in that tuxedo, and ladies can glam up wearing evening gowns or pantsuits. Luggage is the first thing vacationers should consider when going onboard a cruise.

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The first day of a cruise is pretty casual, so dress comfortably. T-shirts and shorts are fine, as are light sundresses or rompers. If you're going on a Caribbean cruise you may want to wear a bathing suit under your clothes or pack a change of clothes in your cruise carry on bag.

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So how much money do you need? The answer to this question varies a lot by person, their travel habits, spending preferences, length of the cruise and destination. Many people suggest $100 per day, and this has generally worked well for me in my cruising experiences, but there are a lot of variables to consider.

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