10 cruise lines
Cruise Line Dress Codes
Which cruise lines have formal nights, how often they happen, and what to pack. Every major line's dress code policy, verified against official sources.
Cruise lines with formal nights
8 lines-
Carnival
Mainstream
Carnival Cruise Elegant evenings: one Cruise Elegant night on cruises of 5 days or shorter; two Cruise Elegant nights on cruises of 6 days or longer.
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Celebrity
Premium
Celebrity Cruises designates Evening Chic nights by sailing length: 4-6 night cruises include one Evening Chic night; 7-9 night cruises include two; 10-13 night cruises include three; 14+ night cruises include four or more. Exact count is at the captain's discretion.
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Cunard
Luxury
Cunard designates Gala Evenings by sailing length: voyages of 3 nights or more include at least one Gala Evening; 7-night sailings typically include one; 14-night sailings include two or three. Gala Evenings follow themed formats including Black and White, Red and Gold, Masquerade, and Roaring 20s. Exact dates are published in the My Cunard calendar before sailing.
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Disney
Premium
On longer Disney Cruise Line sailings, guests have one formal night and one semi-formal night. Shorter sailings feature an optional 'dress-up night' instead. All sailings include Pirate Night (or another themed deck party) where pirate attire is encouraged and a complimentary bandana is provided in each stateroom.
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Holland America
Premium
Holland America designates Gala Nights by sailing length: 7-night cruises include one Gala Night; cruises of 8-13 nights include two; cruises of 14-20 nights include three. Most other evenings are Smart Casual. The Lido Market buffet remains dress-code-free on all evenings including Gala Nights.
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MSC
Mainstream
MSC Cruises designates Gala Nights by sailing length: 3-5 night cruises include one Gala Night; 6-8 night cruises include two; 9-14 night cruises include three; 15+ night cruises include four. Exact schedule is published in the daily program onboard.
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Princess
Premium
Princess Cruises designates formal nights by sailing length: cruises of 6 nights or fewer have zero formal nights; 7-night cruises include one formal night; 10-13 night cruises include two; 14-night cruises include three; cruises of 15 nights or longer may include four or more. Exact count is published in the Princess Patter daily program.
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Royal Caribbean
Mainstream
Royal Caribbean 'Dress Your Best' nights by sailing length: 5-night cruises include one Dress Your Best night; 6-10 night cruises include two; 11-14 night cruises include three; 15+ night cruises include three to four. Exact count is at the ship's discretion and can vary by itinerary.
Cruise lines with no formal nights
2 lines-
Norwegian
Mainstream
Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising is entirely resort-casual by default. Most restaurants accept jeans, shorts, and casual wear during all meals. Specialty restaurants may have their own dress suggestions but enforcement varies by venue and ship. There is no designated formal, semi-formal, or elegant evening.
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Virgin
Adults-Only
Virgin Voyages has no enforced dress code anywhere on the ship. All 20+ restaurants are included in the fare and none require formal attire. The only guideline is that swimwear should not be worn in restaurants and footwear should be worn indoors. Scarlet Night is the signature themed evening on each voyage where guests are encouraged to wear red.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean have designated formal or dress-up evenings. Norwegian, Virgin do not require formal attire.
- During the day, casual resort wear is fine on all cruise lines. In the evenings, most lines expect smart casual at minimum. Lines with formal nights ask for suits, cocktail dresses, or dressy separates on designated evenings.
- Yes. On formal nights you can eat at the buffet or order room service instead of the main dining room. No cruise line forces you to dress up.