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Princess Dress Code Guide
What to wear on a Princess cruise in 2026, including formal night frequency, dress-up evening expectations, casual dining standards, and packing recommendations.
Quick answer
Yes, Princess has formal nights. 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.
Formal night policy
Formal/dress-up nights
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.
Casual evenings
Princess uses a smart-casual default for most evenings. Formal nights call for cocktail dresses, suits, or tuxedos in the main dining rooms. The Marketplace Buffet and casual venues remain dress-code-free on all evenings. Princess's dress standard sits between mainstream casual and luxury-line formality.
What to pack
For formal nights
- Cocktail dress or evening gown (women)
- Suit, blazer with dress pants, or tuxedo (men)
- Dress shoes
- One outfit per formal night designated
For casual evenings
- Sundresses, khakis, or nice jeans
- Collared shirts or blouses
- Casual shoes (closed-toe for some specialty restaurants)
- Resort-casual is the baseline
For daytime
- Swimwear for the pool deck
- Shorts, T-shirts, sandals
- Cover-ups for walking through interior spaces
- Comfortable shoes for port days
See our complete cruise packing list for a full checklist.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes. 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.
- Princess uses a smart-casual default for most evenings. Formal nights call for cocktail dresses, suits, or tuxedos in the main dining rooms. The Marketplace Buffet and casual venues remain dress-code-free on all evenings. Princess's dress standard sits between mainstream casual and luxury-line formality.
- Jeans are generally acceptable in casual dining venues and during the day on Princess ships. On formal or dress-up evenings, jeans are typically not permitted in the main dining room. Buffet and casual venues remain dress-code-free on all evenings.
- 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.
- See our [cruise packing list](/packing-list/type/cruise/) for a complete guide. For Princess, pack one dressy outfit per formal night plus resort-casual clothing for other evenings.
Does Princess have formal nights?
What should I wear on a Princess cruise?
Can I wear jeans on a Princess cruise?
How many formal nights does Princess have?
What should I pack for a Princess cruise?
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Travel research publisher and senior staff engineer
Caden Sorenson runs Vientapps, an independent travel research and tools site covering airline carry-on policies, packing lists, and head-to-head airline, cruise, and destination comparisons, with everything cited to primary sources. He's a senior staff engineer with 15+ years of experience building iOS apps, web platforms, and developer tools, and a Computer Science graduate from Utah State University. Based in Logan, Utah.
Verified 2026-04-18 against the official Princess Cruises dress code page. Cruise lines change dress code policies without notice. Confirm with the line before packing.