Royal Caribbean has dress codes on its cruise ships, but it's not as rigid or stately as it sounds.
Dress codes have existed for decades on cruises, but today it applies primarily to restaurants on the ship. They are very relaxed compared to luxury lines.
New cruisers are usually worried about what to wear, what not to wear, and what they need to pack to ensure they don't miss out or are ostracized for not having the right attire.
The truth is it's not about having fancy clothes, rather, it’s about being prepared.
- Types of Dress Codes on Royal Caribbean
- What to Wear by Location
- What to Expect on Formal Night
- Theme Nights and Special Events
- Packing Tips for Dress Codes
- Cruise Dress Code FAQs
- Real Advice from Frequent Cruisers
Three dress codes on Royal Caribbean
In practice, most dress codes are suggestions than firm requirements. Here's what to expect.
Casual
This is the most common dress code you will find on your cruise and it's the easiest to pack for.
Casual dress code is the most basic requirement meant to go beyond what you might wear to the pool deck. The casual dress code means it should be nicer than that, such as sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women.
In my experience, men wear long pants with polo shirts with khakis or "nice jeans" (no holes) and a collared shirt.
For women, that can be sundresses or just a nice blouse. The best way I can describe it is what you would probably wear to visit your grandmother on a holiday.
Smart Casual
One step up from casual is smart casual, and it's usually the dress code for specialty restaurants.
I think of this suggestion as being relative to casual. Take what you'd wear on casual and up it one notch on the fancy scale.
In my experience, both casual and smart casual still emphasize the "casual" aspect.
Royal Caribbean defines it as, "Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women."
"Jackets, sports coats, and blazers are snazzy and welcome."
I rarely see men wearing jackets or sports coats for this theme, but you certainly wouldn't be out of place for being overdressed.
Formal Night ("Dress Your Best")
Royal Caribbean uses the terms formal night and Dress Your Best interchangeably, but it's effectively the same idea.
Don't let the names fool you, formal night isn't that formal on Royal Caribbean ships.
Royal Caribbean's guidelines say, "suits and ties, tuxedos, cocktail dresses or evening gowns are all acceptable".
Formal night clothing is what you would probably wear to a traditional wedding and should be a step up from any other night's clothing.
Women could wear evening gowns, cocktail dresses, and lots of accessories.
What I mostly see cruisers wearing are cocktail dresses, slacks and button-downs, and perhaps a few tuxedos occasionally.
Dress codes aren't really enforced
Real talk: You'll see dress codes listed, mentioned, and talked about, but the truth is they are rarely ever enforced.
I cruise every month, and I've seen all manner of clothing worn to the Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants. It's been my experience someone would have to brazenly dress casually to be denied entry.
No where in the dress codes does it say shorts are suggested attire, but plenty of people will wear shorts to the restaurants. Hats, jeans with holes in them, flip flops, coverups and more are fairly common to be seen.
I think the cruise line isn't interested in enforcing these policies because it's lose-lose from a guest experience. No one wants to be told they're underdressed, and the crew don't want to become the fashion police.
Say what you will about what should be enforced or not, but it's the reality of cruising today and a reflection of mainstream views about how dressed up most people want to be on vacation.
Dress code by location
The dress codes don't apply ship wide. Rather, there's a requirement for certain venues at certain times of the day.
Main Dining Room
Dress codes vary each night for dinner, but it's always casual for breakfast or lunch.
You can find the dress code for the Main Dining Room listed in the Royal Caribbean app or Cruise Compass.
In the app, scroll down to the “Daily Planner” section to preview the hourly details and event descriptions. Navigate to the dinner time slot, and look for the “Tonight’s Attire” event.
Enforcement of dress codes is pretty lax, and you should think of the dress codes as suggestions.
Specialty Restaurants
Every specialty restaurant has its own dress code that supersedes the published dress code for the Main Dining Room. That means if it's formal night, you don't have to get dressed up to eat at Playmakers.
For most specialty restaurants, smart casual is the expectation. It's certainly more upscale dress expectations than the MDR or buffet.
Restaurants such as Chops Grille, Giovanni's, or 150 Central Park all feel like you ought to be dressed up to dine there.
I would not recommend wearing shorts, tank tops, or pool deck wear to any specialty restaurant, other than Pier 7, Playmakers, or Sabor.
Supper Club
Available only on the Icon Class ships, the Empire Supper Club and Lincoln Park Supper Club require a formal dress code and this one is actually enforced.
For men, it's required to wear a suit jacket. If you do not have one, Royal Caribbean will lend you one.
You should expect to dress up for eating here, and it's easily the fanciest Royal Caribbean restaurant.
Windjammer and other buffets
There's no real dress code for the ship's buffets other than you must wear shoes and not be dressed in just a bathing suit.
Shoes, shirt, and a cover up if you're wearing a bathing suit are the basic requirements.
Around the ship
Whether you're walking around the pool deck, down a hallway, or through the Royal Promenade, there isn't a dress code.
It's a good idea to always wear shoes and a cover up if you're in a bathing suit.
What you need to know about formal night
Your takeaway from formal night is it's a fun excuse to get dressed up, especially to take family photos together.
How many formal nights there are on your cruise depends on the length of your sailing. Generally, it follows this pattern:
- 3/4/5 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2
- 6 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 5
- 7 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 6
- 8 - 10 Night Cruises - 2 formal nights, Days vary by ship and sailing
- 11 - 14 Night Cruises - 3 formal nights, Days vary by ship and sailing
- 15+ Night Cruises - 3 or 4 formal nights, Days and number vary by ship and sailing
Formal night is no longer a black tie affair onboard, but I think a lot of cruisers enjoy the idea of matching family members and generally looking nice.
If you don't want to participate in formal night, don't sweat it. You could always go to a specialty restaurant or buffet for dinner, where they have their own dress codes.
Or you could dress nicely without going to the lengths of getting fancy in your attire.
I think the best thing about formal night is to take photos with friends and family.
There will be photographers around the ship every evening, but this is especially popular on formal night. If you're on a ship with Central Park, I'd recommend getting photos taken there for the beautiful backdrop and lighting that comes with it.
Theme nights & special events
In addition to the dress codes, there may be themes to the evening.
These themes are purely suggestions, and you do not need to participate in them at all. Theme nights are an excuse to get dressed up and join in the fun.
Examples of theme nights include:
- Dress To Impress
- White Night
- 80s Night
- Caribbean Night
- 70s Night
- Latin Party
You'll find what’s planned in the Cruise Compass or App.
Packing tips based on dress codes
- Casual: Jeans, polo shirts, golf or Bermuda shorts, t-shirts, blouses
- Dress To Impress/Dress Your Best/Formal: Suits, sports coats, cocktail dresses, gowns
- Caribbean/Tropical: Tropical prints, pastel colors, linen shirts, Bermuda shorts, sundresses
- White Night: Casual attire, but white!
- 70s/80s Night: Bell-bottom jeans, polyester suits, wide lapel shirts, maxi dresses, mini skirts, knee-high boots, platform shoes
Common questions
Can I wear jeans to dinner?
Yes, jeans are commonly worn to dinner for all dress codes.
Are flip-flops allowed in restaurants?
While you won't see them listed as a suggested attire by the cruise line, I've seen plenty of cruisers wear flip-flops.
What do kids need to wear?
Children are expected to follow the evening's dress code just as closely as adults. There may be a little more leeway in terms of the degree of formality for children's clothing, especially young children.
For boys, polo shirts and nice pants will suffice for most evenings and girls can wear dresses, skirts, and sweaters.
Can I skip formal night entirely?
You could dine at a different venue on formal night. Remember, formal night only applies to the Main Dining Room for dinner.
The only restaurant that actually enforces and requires formal wear is Empire Supper Club/Lincoln Park Supper Club.
Are there any dress code rules for excursions?
Sometimes there can be required attire, such as long pants, socks, or even covered shoulders.
Check the excursion description for specifics on it, but yes, there can be a dress code for safety reasons or to satisfy cultural norms.
What people actually wear: Real-world advice
If there's one takeaway from this article, let it be not to worry too much about dress codes on Royal Caribbean ships.
Yes, dress codes exist, but they're more suggestions than hard and fast rules.
"I don't dress up for formal night, but it's the one night I throw on a pair of dark jeans and my one button down or polo shirt I brought along and I think that's more than enough," wrote ScottD on the Royal Caribbean message boards.
WAYNO added, "The formal dining experience is going away. The Main Dining Room is becoming a casual restaurant."
Twangster added some perspective, "People on vacation may desire to take a break from dressing up for work every day of their life. Some people don’t want to bring formal wear or don’t have room for it when paying for luggage on a flight to a cruise."
My advice for anyone packing for their Royal Caribbean cruise is to not overpack out of concern you need to have prom-level clothing ready. Most people are more relaxed than you think.
There’s no need to stress about dress codes. Look at them as ideas for what to wear, especially on theme nights. Perhaps this is your family's excuse to get matching outfits or simply take nice photos together.
