WHAT TO WEAR ON A CRUISE | *Real tips* for Day, Evening & Formal Nights 

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Love getting dressed up for dinner! It's a good way to use and show off all of those bridesmaid and other wedding clothes :P

Finally worked up enough nerve to go on my 1st cruise. I have been binge watching you all day. So helpful, thank you

Really enjoy your tips! Leaving on cruise #10 soon. I've gotten to where I wear a "signature color" ("Navy" blue, no less!) so I can mix and match clothes. Solid pants with a few patterned blouses for dinner. For a formal night cruise I bring one cocktail dress. I found that I never really dirty most clothes so wear shorts and pants multiple times. With each cruise I pack less! I am down to THREE pairs of shoes: tennis shoes, flip flops, and sandals for dinner (and light "aqua socks" for the beach).

Great video! Wish I was packing right now! Another tip is to bring thin water shoes or aqua socks. Beaches on excursions can be rocky or rough even in the Caribbean. I never forget them now.

Thank you for all your tips and tricks and valuable information on cruising! You are incredibly helpful! First time cruising and you've really provided very helpful information to help me plan! Much appreciated!

0:41 So grateful for your tips on what i need and what not to take. This is my first ever cruise. Im keeping a promise I made to a special brother who passed away. Im excited and plan on having a majorly awesome time. Great video, very helpful. Thank you. 🙏🛳🤗

Sounds like I'm going to need new clothes for our first cruise, time to start a gofundme 😂

I am so glad to see a video on what to wear . We go on our next cruise in February 2022 and need a refresher for sure . We go on a 7 day cruise so we look forward to dressing up for dinner . Thank you loved the video

I change 4 or 5 times a day depending on activities.😄Workout clothes AM, bathing suit w/ coverup for pool,capris and nice top for lunch on sea days,extra sun dress on port days packed into my backpack,a dress for dinner and then pjs for bed time .A lot of times I can re-wear something later if I only had it on for a couple of hours.At home I don't get the opportunity to dress up much, so I like to do so on my yearly cruise.Paying the extra for checked bags is worth it to me because I like to have lots of options.I choose 10 day cruises since it's my only vacation.Princess has laundry mats on most cabin floors.$3 to wash,$3 to dry.Charged to your Medallion or key card.Bring your own detergent and dryer sheets.Theirs is expensive.If I have 2 sea days at the end of my 10 day, I usually will do a load even though it's not necessary.

Going on my first cruise this February. Your info is very helpful. Thanks!

Love your practical advice - even though I have cruised many times - your info is helpful and interesting

Going on my first cruise next week and your videos have been so extremely helpful! I'm a bit less panicked about what I need or don't need to bring with me. Thank you so much!!!

I’m going on my very first cruise with royal Caribbean grandeur of the seas, so excited ! Leaving this Wednesday the 19th! Thankyou so much for all the info

Looking forward to going on my first cruise! Planning to dress up on dressing night!

Thank you for always speaking fairly fast, You get so much more territory covered than many other videos. About to take my first cruise after having 2 cancelled. crossing fingers this one comes off

Very helpful video! We will be going on our first cruise on the Carnival Celebration to the Caribbean in 6 days. So excited!

I loved your tips on what to pack for a cruise, I am planning an Alaskan cruise where things are a lot more casual but still wondering about evenings and of course taking the cooler temperature into consideration. I would welcome your tips for this situation. Thank you

We always bring our “uniforms” for the evening wear. Her little black dress, and my navy blazer with gray trousers. It’s works great on board and ashore for better restaurants.

Thank you! The question on what to wear had stumped me. I’m looking at cruising in 2023, on either virgin or celebrity. Both offer solo options.

Have missed very few years of cruising since i began in 1972. That was a time when formal meant FORMAL. Everyone had long gowns on and men were in Tux. I am glad now that the cruise lines are not that stringent. Formal night i wear cocktail dress or a nice midi dress and accessorize accessorize. Sun dresses and leggings for smart causal. I did a South American cruise in jan 2020 and i had all different color and design leggings for all my land excursions. Having 3 swimsuits if you can is a must…oh and i loved the idea on your other vlog about the magnetic hooks i have them to hang my swim wear on so i don’ t take up the bathroom hook with them as there will be 3 in our cabin😊 on the Sky Princess in December for 10 days. You were spot on for the clothing. Ps princess laundromat is the best..so i can have plenty of room for any formal attire as i can do a wash for my casual things.

Going on our 18th cruise in April. I really enjoy dressing up on the formal nights. We we're on a 14-day Hawaiin two years ago and we opted out for a couple of the formal nights. It was kind of a trip to walk down the hallway in shorts/jeans t-shirts & tennis/flip flops while every one else was dressed up. But it also felt good to just chill at the buffet. It wasn't as crowded. And my feet thanked me for the break from heels 😀

Really appreciate your videos. Excellent job.

My job as the Grumpy Guy!!! or “I'm the guy with bad attitude” I'm having a effing great time on this cruise and I mean that with all the facetiousness and insincerity I can muster on this trip. Mustering is a good term. Too bad the mustering is only done online with watching a few videos, and showing up on the designated deck just to have someone check off that I showed up on the designated deck. There was no practice putting on lifejackets, no practice getting on lifeboats. We only did one cruise several years ago, prior to this one and I felt safer on that one, because we were taught, with practice, how to put on the lifejackets. Let's look at the music and other sounds on this ship. They play pop music all day in the buffet, at annoyingly loud volumes. I spoke with the buffet manager about this on the second day and he reduced the volume some, but it is still bothersome. The live music and shows would be good or even acceptable but the volume is intolerable. I had to bail out of the first live show last night after about 15 minutes because of the volume. What makes this worse is the echo. All the music and the ship noises echo thoughout the ship. There only a couple of places I can find that are QUIET!! I've had a headache since I boarded this ship, but I don't want to stay in my room all the time for an 12 day cruise. If I had to do that, I'd rather fly to my destination, and spend all of my vacation there in my hotel, rather than suffer from the torment of the noise. I went to the Guest Relations desk to complain and to see if there was anything that could be done, and I was told that I should go back to my room for the duration, or wear earplugs. ARRGGGHHHHH! Did I mention I've been laughed at by the staff in Guest Relations twice now? Once when I first complained about the volume of the entertainment, and another time when I was trying to locate my wife for a medical appointment. Also, my wife was laughed at by a staff member as she was trying to dance the hula while the staff member was helping her with her plate to our table. My wife felt that this was an unfriendly laugh, and felt somewhat insulted. Hey, let's write about another fun experience I had today. We had purchased an excursion for today and nobody delivered the tickets to our room. I went down to Guest Relations to find out about the tickets. The first time, I was just told to go to the pier 15 min prior to the time for the excursion and the tour operator would have our names for his list, but no mention of how we were supposed to get to the pier, no mention of how soon we should board the tender, as I found out we were supposed to do. Remember, we had not received our tickets, so we had no instructions as to what to do. The next time I called the Guest Relations desk, I was told that I had to stand in the standby line to see about my tickets. Why should we be placed on standby when I had already paid for the excursion online weeks before the cruise? I was PO'ed and blew up at the staff member, then to everyone who witnessed the event, letting them know just how much of a “fun time” I was having on this cruise. Eventually, I found out when and where and what we we're supposed to do from another call to Guest Relations, but time was running short and we had to leave our cabin immediately in order to catch a tender and get to the pier on time for our excursion. It gets more fun. When we got to the pier, the staff member working on excursions, at first said that she had no record of us for the excursion, which I had expected to happen considering how everything had been going on this cruise. Eventually, the issue was resolved and I was offered a $20 refund for each ticket (3 of us). The $60 has been credited to my shipboard account. One amazing thing that happened when we returned from the excursion is this: The cruise director was on the same tender as we were when we returned from the excursion. I told her my whole sad story and she promised to speak to someone about it, but not to expect anything about the volume. I'm not, but at least she didn't laugh. If I can get an email address for her or anyone else on this ship or in upper management, they will be cc:'ed on this email as well as every RU-vid channel I've been following dealing with cruising. And a new complaint is being added to the list. We went to the main dining facility for dinner last night. Now, I've complained to every staff member I've spoken to on this ship about my experiences on this cruise, so much so that know us by name, especially about my ongoing never-ending headache. So, where did the maitre'd sit us, but right next to the noisiest place in the facility, the bus station where the waiters, and the assistant waiters, and the busboys are banging and clanging the dishes as they scrape the food particles from the dirty dishes. So noisy that I had to go back to our cabin and get my noise-cancelling headphones. I wore them throughout dinner, both in order to reduce the noise for me, and as a form of protest about our sitting arrangements. I'm starting the -3Db Revolution, so called as an attempt to get the volume in the entertainment system reduced by 3Db. If we don't complain, our problems won't be resolved! Again, I will be emailing everyone who might be in the least bit interested in reading about my experiences. I will provide the cruise line name and ship name upon personal request. You can do whatever you want with that information. Just call me, The Grumpy Guy Bob Thompson PS. the most fun I've had on this cruise is folding paper airplanes and tossing them across the elevator shaft. Also, writing this email has been somewhat satisfying, but it doesn't make up for being laughed at when I complained. BT

I love dressing up for dinner. It adds to the lure of the cruise.

Hi, i got the ultimate cruise planner, just love it! Planning our first cruise and I am beyond excited! Cruising with Majestic Princess this year. Absolutely loving your content. especially the Majestic Princess videos. Keep them coming and thank you!

You're so nice! I love these videos as I daydream about cruising again one day. Cool tips!!

This was a wonderful video, and so timely as we are all excited to return to cruising! Have to let you know, your hair and dress are so lovely.

Thanks for the info!! Hubby and I tend to dress nicer than necessary!! I actually have the shorter version of that dress that I bought for our SE Asia cruise in 2019! It’s such a fave!

Hello enjoyed your videos. Cruising on Celebrity next week. Very Excited!

Yes, very helpful info. What to wear has always been my top question.

Thank you for the vid. I love to cruise with Royal CCL on a 7 days cruise so there is 1 formal night + 1 semi formal nigh. I love to dress up like a star 💥💥 for these nights and be just fancy chic the rest of the week.

Thank you for mentioning the flat iron and curling iron.. Great Video!

Going on our first cruise in March. The Carnival Sunshine. Watching your videos and taking notes and making lists! I am a BIG planner. Husband is a larger man and it took 12yrs to get him to agree to cruise. The things he does for me. 🙂❤️

Really liked thed 47 page cruise planner! perfect for our next trips

Hi! New to this channel ! Will be going on the Oasis of the Seas in August. My daughter and I enjoy getting dolled up for formal nights (with a new dress) and have my husband coordinated with us in term of colors !

I loved your video!! Thank you for all the advices 😊😊🎉 I’m watching you from South America 😁

Love your videos. Just got off Sky Princess and loved seeing everyone all dolled up. 🎉

Great info, I will be on the Carnival Dream next May and while it's a ways off, I have been binging your vids for all the tips and info I can get for my first sailing. Thanks, your channel is great and won't feel as blind on embarkation day!

First cruise booked for Xmas I'm working my way through your video's

When we first started to cruise, we brought formal wear, but now we are more "chic" - ie I bring a little black dress and hubby brings nice slacks/dress shirt. A little easier to pack.

Going on our first cruise (Alaska) late this summer! Super excited, really enjoying your informative videos!!

Hubby dropped the suit for formal night many years ago. On casual nights he wears khakis with nice polos and on formal nights he wears dress pants, shirt, nice sweater with a tie. I’ve been wearing the same black dress for as long as I can remember. :). When we return home I send it to the dry cleaner then I pack it until our next cruise. It’s the only time I wear it. It’s a classic and never gets old. For casual nights I wear summer dresses and for port days I wear skorts.

I bring a small flat cotton crossbody bag that is just large enough for my tablet. Our cabin is often at the opposite end of the ship from the dining areas. If we find a pleasant spot after a meal, we often just sit and enjoy the view or read before we head back to our cabin. I add my lip gloss, cruise card and sunglasses and we are good for whatever we decide to do.

Thank you, I'm going on ncl joy in February 2022. I'm a first time cruiser and im excited. Hopefully I bring all the necessities

As an experienced cruiser I must say that I Absolutely Love the Formal Evenings where we get to dress up. We always dress up in our Tuxedos and lack shoe's. That in combination with the dining experience is for us The Pinacle of The Entire cruise. A little bit of Dynasty. Absolutely Love it. Greetings from Norway, Northern Europe 🇳🇴🇳🇴🇪🇺🇪🇺

I love to dress up for formal night!!!!! ❤

On Carnival it’s very casual even on formal night. Some people dress up but we just changed at night to long pants. Any shirt seemed ok all the time and they never cared about shoes. I wore crocs and sun dresses a lot.

Great vlog as always. We are cruising to Alaska on Grand Princess next September. Because the weather can be changeable at that time of year, we have to pack for cold and warm weather and I am definitely an over packer anyway! We always skip formal nights and eat in the buffet.. Comfort all the way!

I like the resort casual for daytime and the resort chic for nighttime. I'm excited to take my Celebrity cruise next month.

Very well done and such a pleasant voice and smile!

Princess Mediterranean Athens to Barcelona. June 2023 Enjoy the dressier dinners. I’m trying to pack in a carry on and tote! Have 2 change of planes and don’t want to worry about missing luggage. Planning ahead after listening to your very helpful videos. Thanks!

I look forward to formal night and dressing up. Also like dressing for dinner in dresses.

I usually do formal nights because when I'm with my daughter she enjoys it. Last cruise I ducked out to watch Mama Mia. My husband has ask me if on our cruise next year if we could skip it. He doesn't like dressing up and if it makes him happy, I'm all for not having to pack all the extras. It works for me!

Wow thank you really helpful am planning a cruise soon ❤

Oooo I love that blue outfit you have on in this video!! 😊😊

Just booked my first ever cruise and your videos are extremely helpful. 🙂

I have a mid calf length black skirt, black dressy slacks and black dressy capris and a variety of tops some sparkly, others just good fabrics.i bring a couple of hand knit shawls. I also get fabrics that are easy care and will lose wrinkles with a steam in the bathroom or just by hanging in the closet.

Yes, I like to dress up for formal night! I pass on the ball gown, but enjoy seethe few that still does 🛳🛳

I love formal nights like a prom and I love eating in the dining room, however hubby likes casual also, so we eat at Guys or buffet for 2 nights

I love to get dressed up that what vacations are to me!🍾💃🏽 NCL- EPIC in March 2022 can't wait.

Love getting all spiffed up. My husband also. We will be renewing our vows for our 10 anniversary. Can’t wait. Oct 2022 to Canada.

First time to your channel and I immediately subscribed. Appreciate your nformation.

I was amused from a fellow cruise passenger on debarkation day at the airport traveling to the same place as me in Wisconsin in February. She was wearing flip flops as she wasn't thinking ahead. When we arrived back to Wisconsin it was a few degrees below zero with about a foot of new snow ! Probably not fun digging out the car with your toes freezing. Always keep in mind your final destination when deciding what to wear 👍

My wife and I enjoy dressing up on formal night!

Just apt ntips n perfect timing...Rtnw I m packing for my cruise vacation....

we are doing an alaska cruise in september on NCL.cannot wait to hear about your alaska cruise in may

We are traveling Norwegian in Oct. We liked the idea of casual dining. Vacation should be comfortable!

I’m watching as I NEVER EVER WENT OUT ON A CRUISE IN MY LIFE, that’s why I am watching your video to really help me. The FIRST CRUIS I will be going on is The QUEEN CRUISE! 🤔😬😬😬😱😱😱🥺🥺🥺🚢

We learned on Princess that on the first and last evenings, men are allowed to wear shorts in the dining rooms, because people may not yet have their bags, or have already packed for disembarkation. Other nights, don't even THINK about wearing shorts. The Matre'd chased my husband all the way to our table one (casual) night when he was wearing a nice pair of golf shorts and a tropical shirt. Lesson learned ;)

Cunard Queen Mary 2 Round trip Transatlantic! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Formal dress, tux and all! Bring it on!

Enjoying your videos and channel! This is my first cruise, and I'm super excited! Thanks for the helpful tips. I do like to dress up, so it will be fun to have this opportunity. Thanks for the tips of bringing comfortable shoes and a sweater and shawl.

I take maxi dresses or nice casual dresses, pants with a top for dressy nights in the dining room. Shorts or capris with tops for everyday and two swimsuits with cover ups whether I wear them or not, plus closed toe shoes, sandals and dressing comfortable shoes for dress up night. I'm getting better with not overpacking. I make sure that I have enough underclothes and pajamas for the cruise too. I won't be doing laundry on a cruise. I travel a lot to resorts and on cruises so I have my vacation clothes that I feel comfortable taking and it works for me.

Great video as always Ilana! All your suggestions are right on! And as you become more of a seasoned cruiser, you do get better packing and remembering things. Now that the kids are gone, I actually have a room in my house pretty much designated for cruising. So most things stay in that room, which makes it helpful not forgetting to pack anything . Lol When I first started cruising, I did dress more formal. I brought a cocktail dress and my husband brought a tux or nice suit. And of course, you have to bring the right shoes, etc. But flying has changed since then, and with the tighter luggage restrictions (size wise) and weight … I am very happy the cruises have eased up on Formal night. For Chic nights, I now bring nice dress pants and glitzy or fancier tops … and that works just fine … and much lighter in the suitcases. And hubby never liked getting all that dressed up so he’s quite happy now wearing nice pants and a nice short or long sleeve shirt. You can still look well dressed but you don’t have to be formal. I have also noticed that on Caribbean cruises, the dress is a lot less dressy than on European cruises. So the itinerary does make a difference, as do the passengers. And I think Europeans also like to dress more formally, and it does look great … just not for us anymore. I am very much looking forward to getting back on board a cruise ship this February. Wishing everyone … HAPPY SAILING!

.. a couple of years ago, I wore some colorful crocks that coordinated with my tuxedo, tie, kerchief and my wife's ensemble (all without socks). It all matched and nobody said a word. :)

Hi thanks for this video as I have not cruised in a while. I am going on Oceania cruise in November in the Aegean sea area, starting in Turkey and ending in Barcelona. Here is a tip my daughter gave me....take photos of all your outfits you will be wearing including jewelry , scarfs on your phone makes remembering so much easier.

Your hair 😍😍😍😍😍😍 I paid more attention to that LOL. Looking lovely as always.

We're going to Alaska on Princess June 2022. Our first Alaska cruise. Have done Carribean cruises, looking forward to cruising again. Love your channel

Very helpful and realistic. Thanks

This is my first cruise, we are going on royal Caribbean but for 3 days :( ngl it’s kinda crazy I’m the daughter and I’m doing the research ❤

Leaving on the 21 of January on Regal Princess. Praying for negative Covid test on Thursday. Thanks for your knowledge of what to wear and bring. I stress myself out every time. Lol 😂

Returning to cruising after taking 10 years off. Can’t wait so excited leaving in 90 days. I am more of a casual dress person but if I have to include a formal gown, I will.

I am packing for eight days on Mardi Gras. It's been 500+ days since I cruised so I needed this refresher!

I always make a daily dress schedule for each day of the cruise and also a detailed packing list for a cruise. I only bring one 'extra' outfit in case. I only bring clothing that is wrinkle-free. And, I only bring 4 pairs of shoes: sparkle flat sandals, sparkle low wedge sandals, casual sandals, and sneakers. For formal nights, I wear the same black crepe pants and a black or hot pink one-shouldered top, a fancy headband, and statement costume jewelry. For swim suits, I bring tankinis: a hot pink bottom and top, a black bottom and top, and a navy/white top to wear with either bottom. If the same people were on multiple Caribbean cruises with me, they'd recognize eveything I'm wearing because I have dedicated cruisewear. When I'm not on a cruise, I store swimsuits, cover ups, sparkle shoes, waterproof phone bag, evening clutches, my cabin magnetic hook, travel PooPourri, my cabin door decorations, etc. in a large Rubbermaid container. Thanks for sharing some fabulous tips!

I am going on my first cruise to the Bahamas so this is helpful so I liked👍🏼

Hi Ilana , I am going to the Mediterranean in July for two weeks on the Enchanted Princess. You mentioned you had been to the Greek Isle and was wondering what was comfortable to wear ….. sun dresses, capris, shorts? One day we will be at a beach and a cover up is great advice Love all your suggestions! I will also remember to bring a shawl. I am really having second thoughts to decide on how much to bring…..yes there is a laundromat on board. Getting very excited…..it’s been over 30 years since my last cruise. You are rocking girl! Thanks again! Ellen Ahlberg in Colorado

Hi, I'm going on my first cruise to the Bahamas, and I enjoyed this video because I was worried about what to pack. I will be on the Carnival Sunshine Ship. My trip is in August 2022.

I found a great black column dress I take for the dining room. Adding in some different scarfs, fancy necklaces and lacey tops, this one dress works for most evenings.

I really really need this video .thanks

Loved your tips. Thank you

We are thinking of doing a cruise next year for our silver wedding anniversary abd my husbands retirement, my hubby does not like dressing up but I do . Not sure what to wear . The cruise is with the Tui travel agents. Loved watching you,you gave us good tips.

Boys! A nice little over the shoulder man bag is great for shore excursions and usually means you won't need a backpack. Great for the airport and travelling too.

I like dressing up for formal night and the pictures always turn out nice with the backdrops. It's only one night. No different than going out to nice restaurant at home.

Thank you it was so helpful❤

I'm sailing on NCL in 2 weeks. I have never been on a winter cruise. I am not sure how to pack. I so appreciate your videos!

Absolutely helpful.

I have that dress that you are wearing! I got it on Amazon, it is so flattering, i love it!

We enjoy formal night. We also like the Captains meet and greet. Glad you mentioned the camouflage clothing. We saw someone who got off with it on and the police escorted him back to the ship.

Carnival with my 8yo daughter. (Ive done 3 P&O cruises with girlgriends). We cant wait!

We love 'dressing to the nines' on formal nights. It's one of the things we look forward to, and why we plan cruise vacations. We're going on Celebrity in Sep0tember 2022. Thank you for the helpful tips.