11 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 linesCarnival
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.
Celebrity
Premium
Celebrity Cruises designates Evening Chic nights by sailing length: shorter cruises have one Evening Chic night and longer voyages have two. Exact nights are announced in the daily program delivered to your stateroom.
Cunard
Luxury
Cunard designates Gala Evenings by sailing length: voyages of 3 nights or more include at least one Gala Evening, which carries an elevated (black-tie-optional) dress code and is entirely optional. Gala Evenings follow themed formats including Black and White, Red and Gold, Roaring 20s, and Masquerade Ball. Exact dates are published in advance in the My Cunard calendar.
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.
Holland America
Premium
Holland America designates Dressy Nights, the name that replaced Gala Nights, by voyage length: under 4 days none; 4-6 days one; 7-13 days two; 14-20 days three; 21-28 days four, continuing to scale on longer voyages. Most other evenings are Smart Casual. The line uses the term 'Dressy' rather than 'Formal' and states black tie or tuxedos have never been required. Dressy Nights are never scheduled on embarkation day or the final night, and ship staff may adjust their placement.
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.
Princess
Premium
Princess brands its formal evenings 'Dress to Impress'. Shorter cruises typically include one formal night, while longer voyages include two or more. Exact nights are published in the Princess Patter daily program.
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
3 linesNorwegian
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.
Viking
Premium
Daytime dress is casual, including shorts, slacks or jeans and comfortable walking shoes. In the evening, 'elegant casual' applies: for women a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for men trousers and a collared shirt, with a jacket and tie optional. Jeans are not permitted at dinner, though the World Cafe buffet stays casual after 6:00 PM.
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.