What I Wore on a 7 Day Caribbean Cruise Cruise Outfits with Photos & Links

Table Of Content

• What Women Should Pack for the Daytime on a Cruise:
• How do I choose the right bag to bring with me?
• Final Thoughts on What I Wore on a 7 Day Caribbean Cruise
• Caribbean Cruise Wear Essentials: Cruise Dresses and More!
• Other Caribbean Cruise Packing List Items
• Day Caribbean Round-trip New Orleans: Harvest Caye, Cozumel & Roatan

A flowy top or polo shirt, bright-colored capris or khaki shorts, comfortable shoes, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat will keep you cool during the day. When the sun goes down, dress it up with a button-down shirt, shawl or cardigan. As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to plan for 1 daytime outfit and one evening outfit per day. However, you can mix and match wardrobe pieces and rewear the same dress, shirt or pants later in the week. Looking at your cruise itinerary, potential excursions and activities will help you to plan your cruise wardrobe. I can never manage to cruise with fewer than four pairs of shoes.

What Women Should Pack for the Daytime on a Cruise:

If you are simply exploring port, a casual dress or shorts is a great outfit idea. Most Caribbean cruises are quite warm during the day and at night. However, if you’re traveling in the colder months of the year between December and March, it can become chilly at night. It’s a good idea to bring along a light jacket or sweater just in case you get cold. Other than that, expect temperatures in the high 70s (Fahrenheit) and sunny days all year round.

How do I choose the right bag to bring with me?

If you’re headed somewhere like Norway or Alaska where hiking is one of the most popular activities, it’s worth packing a good pair of walking boots. Even if you typically use your phone as a clock, bringing a watch on board will help you keep a more accurate eye on the time throughout the day. You’ll want to get to all of the ship’s daily activities on time, and a watch can be extra helpful during your port stops to make sure you get back to the ship on time before it departs.

Final Thoughts on What I Wore on a 7 Day Caribbean Cruise

Keep shorts, jeans and pants to a minimum and devote space to fresh shirts, tank tops, polos and what not. On nearly every mainstream cruise line, you can forgo a suit or tuxedo. If you'd like to spiff things up, consider a sport coat, but it's generally not required. After all, cruise rooms aren't exactly known for being spacious, dress codes can be confusing and luggage fees on airlines are steep. You'll also want to consider what you'll need aboard your cruise aside from clothing.

FAQ – Cruise Outfits and Packing Tips

You may be chilly getting dressed in summer clothes and from the airport,  but it’ll be worth it once you’re sipping Pina Coladas in the Caribbean sun. Ensure you include one or two layering pieces in your suitcase to keep you warm while strolling the deck in the evening or if you find the ship’s air conditioning a little too cold. If you were looking forward to wearing a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you can absolutely do that as well. There is no such thing as being overdressed on Evening Chic nights.

Carnival Cruise Line makes a controversial dress code decision - TheStreet

Carnival Cruise Line makes a controversial dress code decision.

Posted: Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Caribbean Cruise Wear Essentials: Cruise Dresses and More!

If you have a plan, packing will only take a short amount of time. And all that planning will seem worthwhile once the Caribbean Sea breeze is blowing through your hair and the tropical sun is caressing your skin. If you’re used to dressing up or prefer a golf shirt or polos, then substitute those for a few t-shirts. This list is of what to wear on a Caribbean cruise is geared for a weeklong cruise. This post is designed with a list of cruise wardrobe items for women, for men and for kids.

Others are a little less formal, and a maxi or a little black dress will do. Part of the fun of a cruise is the special onboard events for guests. All cruises that are seven nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. On all other nights of the cruise, guests are asked to wear smart casual attire.

Also, you’ll want to consider how long your cruise is to pack appropriately for your sailing’s dress codes. The number of sea days can impact what you plan to pack, as you’ll either be spending more time onboard the ship or exploring ports of call. For long cruises over 10 days in length, packing enough daytime Caribbean cruise outfits while working with limited cabin space is a delicate art. Maybe it’s a trip to the spa followed by a cocktail by the pool or shuffleboard on the sports deck followed by a night hiding out in the theater.

Formal Night / Dress Your Best

If you’re having trouble figuring out what to wear on a cruise, don’t worry, we’re here to help. Packing a suitcase for your upcoming vacation onboard shouldn’t be difficult—in fact, it’s all part of the fun. For the number of shoes, packing about three for a cruise would suffice. Make sure each shoe fits a number of activities, such as beach and pool time, eating delicious meals in the dining area, or sightseeing shoes.

The dinner dress code was strictly enforced, while the daytime dress code tended to be lenient. On my Caribbean cruise, casual clothing was allowed during the day and at the buffet restaurant for dinner. Activewear and swimwear were not allowed anywhere on the ship besides the pool deck or gym. Many ships have at least one restaurant where casual clothing is allowed at night if you’re not one for dressing up.

In here, you can keep your essentials like a change of clothes, a bathing suit and cover up, and medications and valuable. Since the Caribbean weather is quite warm most of the year, plan on light clothing during the day, like shorts and a t-shirts or tank top, or a light sundress. Winter months (January, February, March) tend to be a little bit cooler, so plan accordingly.

On a Caribbean cruise, you'll need at least some kind of waterproof sandals or flip-flops for beach days as well as nicer shoes for the evening. You might also want sneakers for active tours or for the onboard fitness center. Some kind of water shoe or sock for rocky-bottomed beaches will also be helpful. For Alaska cruises, women should plan to pack casual outfits that can be versatile for daytime outfits or evening attire.

If you’re bringing electronic items like phones, pads, speakers, go-pros and anything else, you’ll really want more plugs. Do you need cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more? Over the last year, I put together a 47 page cruise travel planner that has everything you need as you plan and get ready for your cruise. The key to packing for a Caribbean cruise is choosing pieces that can be worn between occasions. The below collages show how you can do this with some staple pieces.

In addition, this guide will break down what the dress code is for these different occasions and what not to wear. I love shopping for a Caribbean cruise because there’s something about flowy dresses, cute swimsuits, and resort wear that just makes me happy. On a cruise, you will wear up to three outfits per day from the port to the pool to dinner. Knowing what clothing to pack for a cruise can be especially challenging, and cruise line dress codes don't always match what passes as acceptable on board. The key to maximizing your wardrobe on the high seas is working with a few core pieces of clothing and mixing them up over the course of your itinerary. That's especially handy for evening wear, which tends to be bulkier and take up more luggage space.

This light sundress can equally be worn during sea days on a cruise, as well as in ports. It’s also a perfect wearable cover up for beach shore excursions. We cruised on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam and brought outfits for the day, as well as 5 casual and 2 dressy evenings. I’ll also share some photos of the clothing my husband wore on our cruise.