What to Wear on a Cruise: Stylish and Comfortable Cruise Outfits for Adults

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If you have read some of my other blog posts you might know my family loves to cruise.  If you haven’t read any of my other posts, then let me tell you my family loves to cruise!  We have cruised a number of times with the whole family as well as with just the adults.  One of the reasons that our cruises are so successful is that we do a lot of planning and research ahead of time.

Making sure you pack what you need before your cruise can truly make or break your cruise.  It can also prevent having to make expensive purchases on board or at ports.

Swimwear

If you enjoy the relaxation element of cruises then this should be at the top of your packing list- as it is for mine.  I probably spend most of my time on a cruise in some form of swimwear.  The number that you pack will be dependent on the number of days your cruise is but you will definitely want a few in your bag for sure.

Now this is pretty style dependent but if you stop at Coco-Cay you may want more of a UV top then a cute bathing suit.  The sun down there is so much more intense than just your local beach at home.  It does not seem to fail for me, no matter how much sunscreen I apply I am always burnt when we go to Coco-Cay.

Sometimes I bring a UV shirt to throw over by bathing suit for the afternoons because it can get so hot and it helps protect the skin a bit.  This is a great one to try https://amzn.to/48a46iJ

Making sure that you have a couple cute bathing suit coverups or wraps is good for walking around the ship.  Though they are not mandatory is is more comfortable.  Having a coverup is essential if you are wanting to go into Windjammer, you cannot just wear swimwear in the restaurant.

Dinner wear

If you enjoy getting all dressed up then dinner time on a cruise will be right up your alley.  I have seen people go all out for these evenings at dinner.  If you have zero interest in taking time to get dressed up that is fine too.  I have seen plenty of people dressed                                         really casually at dinner.

We have sailed on 3,4 and 7 night sailings.  One thing you can be sure of is that there will be a ‘fancy night’ on each sailing.  For our family we do like to take part in this evening by bringing outfit to get dressed up in.  The kids love this and we usually get a nice family photo as well.

One of the great features of cruises is there is always photographers around dinner time.  Photos on the stairs in the Royal Promenade or under the stars in Central Park- they do cost extra to get a copy but they are always beautiful photos.

Other themed nights you can expect are a white night and Caribbean night.  In our experience the most participated night is the fancy night but you can decide how many to take part in.  We usually ensure we have 3 or 4 casual outfits for dinner that are comfortable.  Simple shorts and golf shirts for men, and casual dresses and sun dresses for women.

Daytime Outfits

What to wear during the day will depend entirely on what you are planning to do on your cruise.  For us there are many days that we spend only in swimwear because we are lounging by the pool.  But if you are planning on doing excursions then you need to be prepared for any weather that you might encounter and be comfortable for walking for the day.

Shorts and t-shirts are a must with comfortable walking shoes.  Making sure that you have pockets to carry your wallet and cash.  Any of the islands in the south can get pretty hot so taking a hat and sunglasses will be important to make the day more enjoyable.

Packing some lounge clothes for the evenings or afternoons is a good idea.  We like to lay on the pool deck at night and it can get a little chilly so it does not hurt to have something comfy and cozy to enjoy the stars at night.  These are perfect for pool deck nights https://amzn.to/46vqmCn

Final Thoughts

It is important not to overpack because the staterooms are not very big.  Keep in mind that you may spend most of your time in swimwear so be prepared for that.  If you pack a little bit of each of these types of clothes you should be ready to enjoy your vacation.  For more travel ideas be sure to check out Blog – Together We Can Travel.