Cruise Fashion for Men

Advice From a Guy Who Has No Business giving Fashion Advice

Before we go any further, I feel obligated to disclose something important: I may be one of the least qualified people on the internet to give advice about men’s fashion.

My basic fashion philosophy has always been pretty simple. If the shirt is clean, fits reasonably well and doesn’t have a mysterious stain somewhere near the front, we’re already having a pretty good day. I struggle to understand the difference between “resort casual” and “elevated casual,” and until recently I assumed a capsule wardrobe was something astronauts wore.

Yet here I am, writing about cruise fashion for men.

Why? Because after a lot of cruises, I’ve realized most men approach packing very differently than our significant others do. Susan packs outfits. I pack clothes. There is a difference.

She somehow knows what she might wear to dinner on Tuesday after our shore excursion, which shoes go with it and what she’ll change into if we decide to see a show afterward. Meanwhile, I’m standing in front of my closet doing advanced cruise mathematics: four shirts multiplied by three pairs of shorts equals twelve possible combinations.

Boom. Twelve outfits.

Who says men don’t understand fashion?

The truth is, most guys really don’t need, or necessarily want, a complicated cruise wardrobe. Give us some shorts, T-shirts, swim trunks or two, a few collared shirts, something resembling decent pants for dinner and we’re pretty much ready to sail. But there is a difference between packing light and looking like you’ve been wearing the same In-N-Out T-shirt since embarkation.

So, from someone who admittedly has absolutely no business giving fashion advice, here’s what men really need to know about dressing for a cruise.

The Great Male Cruise Packing Philosophy: “I’ll Just Wear This Again”

I suspect many men approach packing with one fundamental belief: nobody will remember what I wore yesterday. And we’re probably right.

This is where men may actually have stumbled onto something useful. One of the smartest ways to pack for a cruise is to bring clothes that work together rather than completely separate outfits for every day. A couple pairs of neutral shorts can work with almost every shirt you bring, the same pair of nicer pants can make multiple dinner appearances, and polos or casual button-down shirts can work for dinner, drinks afterward and even certain shore excursions.

Apparently, this is called a capsule wardrobe. Suddenly, wearing the same pair of pants three times isn’t questionable hygiene; it’s a sophisticated minimalist travel strategy. Go me!

See? We weren’t lazy. We were fashion-forward and didn’t even know it.

What Should Men Wear During the Day on a Cruise?

Daytime cruise fashion for men is wonderfully uncomplicated, which is probably why we like it. On most warm-weather cruises, shorts and a T-shirt or polo will cover about 80 percent of your waking hours. Add comfortable shoes, trunks and sunglasses, and congratulations, you have successfully mastered resort wear.

The bigger consideration isn’t fashion as much as what you’re actually doing that day. Walking 15,000 steps through Rome requires very different clothing and footwear than sitting beside the pool or reading your Kindle in that go-to hidden spot you found on day one. Alaska obviously requires layers and weather protection, while a Caribbean cruise usually calls for lightweight, breathable clothing.

This is one place where I think men can learn something from women without admitting it publicly: pack for activities, not just days. Instead of thinking, “I need seven outfits for seven days,” think about what you’ll actually be doing: pool days, shore excursions, dinners, shows, workouts and maybe one or two nicer evenings.

Once you approach packing that way, you’ll probably realize you need far less than you thought.

Which means more room in the suitcase for your wife…she’ll need it.

Yes, You Should Probably Bring Two Swimsuits

I understand the male logic here. You only have one body, so why would you possibly need two swimsuits?

Because there are few sensations in life quite as unpleasant as putting on yesterday’s cold, still-damp swimsuit at 8:00 in the morning.

Bring two. While one dries, wear the other. This becomes especially useful on Caribbean cruises, sea-day-heavy itineraries or ships where you’re bouncing between pools, hot tubs and beaches throughout the week.

And while we’re discussing swimwear, we should probably clarify that your swimsuit is not necessarily a pair of shorts. Yes, technically it has two leg holes and covers roughly the same geographic territory, so only logical we’d refer to them as shorts. Unfortunately, that does not automatically mean it should accompany you to the main dining room for breakfast or lunch.

There are limits.

Cruise Dinner Attire: Where Things Suddenly Get Complicated

For most men, daytime cruise clothing is easy. Then the daily newsletter says “smart casual,” and suddenly we need a translator.

Cruise lines use terms like casual, smart casual, evening chic, elegant and formal, and every one of them seems specifically designed to make men wonder whether the shirt they’re currently wearing qualifies. I have had this conversation several times with Susan, and imagine the conversation in many marriages is similar and goes something like this:

Cruise Line: Tonight is Smart Casual.
Wife: So that means nice pants, collared shirt and those brown shoes.
Husband: So…my good T-shirt then?

Fortunately, cruise dining has become considerably more relaxed over the years. On many mainstream cruise lines, a polo or casual button-down shirt paired with khakis or nice pants will get you through most evenings perfectly well. Some cruise lines and restaurants also allow nice shorts on casual evenings, while others expect long pants in certain dining rooms or specialty restaurants.

Formal or elegant nights vary even more by cruise line, with everything from tuxedos and sport coats to simply dressing a little nicer than usual. The important thing is to check your specific cruise line before packing. You probably don’t need a tuxedo and may not even need a suit, but you should probably own at least one shirt with buttons.

Every Man Has “The Shirt”

If you’ve been married for a while, you probably know exactly which shirt I’m talking about. It’s The Shirt, your reliable collared shirt that has been to the Caribbean, Alaska and throughout Europe. It may also have attended three weddings, a graduation and maybe even a funeral.

Every time the words “smart casual” appear, The Shirt gets called back into active duty.

Your wife sees you pull it out of the closet and immediately says, “You’re not wearing THAT shirt again, are you?”

Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I? It still fits.

In fairness, this is actually where a little planning goes a long way. Bring two or three versatile polos or button-down shirts that work with the same one or two pairs of pants, and you can cover almost every dinner without packing a separate outfit for every evening.

You do not need seven different dinner outfits for a seven-night cruise. Unless, apparently, you are married to someone who plans to take pictures. Then all bets are off.

The Formal Night Question: Do Men Still Need a Suit?

One of the most common questions men ask before cruising is what they need to wear on formal night, and the increasingly frustrating answer is: it depends.

Traditional formal nights still exist on some cruise lines, but the overall cruise industry has become considerably more relaxed. Different lines use terms such as Evening Chic, Elegant Night, Dress Your Best or Formal Night, each with slightly different expectations. You’ll still see men wearing suits and occasionally tuxedos, particularly on more traditional or upscale cruise lines, but you’ll also see plenty of men wearing nice pants and a collared shirt.

My philosophy is pretty simple. If you enjoy dressing up, go for it. A cruise is one of the few vacations where you can still put on a suit, have a nice dinner, take some great pictures and pretend for a few hours that you’re far more sophisticated than you actually are.

If dressing up sounds more like punishment, choose a cruise line where the dress code better matches your style, or simply dress nicely enough that stays under the hostess’ radar.

Shoes: The Silent Suitcase Killer

Clothing usually isn’t what destroys your luggage strategy. It’s shoes.

Shoes take up an absurd amount of suitcase space, which is why most men approach cruise footwear with admirable simplicity: sneakers, flip-flops and something nice enough for dinner. Done.

Meanwhile, our wives apparently need footwear representing every known branch of the shoe family tree. There are sandals, walking shoes, dress shoes, pool sandals, casual sandals and those other sandals that apparently are completely different from the first sandals.

I don’t understand it.

But here’s the irritating part: she will look better than you every single night, so maybe she knows something.

For most men, three categories of footwear should handle almost everything: comfortable walking shoes or sneakers, sandals or flip-flops for the pool and beach, and one nicer pair of versatile shoes that works with your dinner clothes. If one pair can serve multiple purposes, even better. That’s valuable suitcase real estate.

The “My Wife Packed It” Phenomenon

At some point during a cruise, someone will compliment something I’m wearing.

“Nice shirt.” Thanks. Susan bought it.

“I like those shoes.” Susan.

“That jacket looks great.” Also Susan.

Eventually, you begin to realize that many married men don’t technically have a wardrobe. We have a wardrobe management department.

Somehow, our wives know what’s in our closet better than we do. They know which shirt matches which pants, which shoes we should wear and, most mysteriously, where everything actually is. I can stand in front of our closet for ten minutes looking for a shirt, while Susan can walk in and find it in six seconds. Apparently, it was hiding behind another shirt. Very clever.

The strange thing is that I can organize an entire cruise vacation, navigate airports, figure out transportation in a foreign country and find our cabin on a 150,000-ton ship. But apparently locating my blue polo requires professional assistance.

Packing for a 14-Day Cruise Does Not Require 14 Days of Clothes

This becomes especially important on longer cruises. If you’re taking a 14-day cruise, you do not necessarily need 14 completely different outfits and enough clothing to open a small department store.

Laundry exists. Some cruise ships have self-service laundry facilities, most offer laundry service, and longer cruises sometimes include laundry specials. More importantly, many clothes can be worn more than once.

Especially pants. Men instinctively understand this because pants operate under a completely different set of rules than shirts. A shirt has a relatively short operational lifespan. Pants, on the other hand, essentially reset overnight unless something has been spilled on them or there is visible evidence suggesting otherwise.

Men clearly have been preaching the multi-day pants wearing strategy long enough, that I now notice Levi’s includes a label on their jeans that there is no need to wash them after every wear, but can be worn several days before needing to be laundered.  Now that’s a great example of corporate America listening to the will of the people….well at least of the men.

Pack for the Person You Actually Are on Vacation

Men may pack lighter than women, but we’re not immune to the dreaded “just in case” item. There’s the extra dress shirt, the jacket we never wear, the second pair of dress pants and, of course, the optimistic pile of workout clothes.

“I’m definitely going to hit the gym every morning on this cruise.” Sure you are, buddy.  Now, I realize I’m a bit of an exception because I actually do go to the gym most mornings when we cruise. There’s something I really enjoy about working out while looking through giant windows at the ocean. But I’ve also seen plenty of very optimistic workout clothes return home in exactly the same condition they left: fresh, folded and full of unrealized potential.

The lesson is to pack for the person you actually are on vacation, not the person you imagine becoming once the ship leaves port. If you haven’t exercised since the Obama administration, your seven-night Caribbean cruise probably isn’t the beginning of your Olympic training program.

You can probably leave the third workout shirt at home.

The Secret to Looking Good on a Cruise Is Surprisingly Simple

Here’s where I’m going to attempt some actual fashion advice, which should concern everyone.

You don’t need expensive clothes to look good on a cruise. You don’t need designer resort wear, seven completely different dinner outfits or to look like the guy in the cruise brochure wearing white linen pants while staring thoughtfully across the Mediterranean.

Seriously. Who owns white linen pants?

The real secret is simply wearing clothes that fit reasonably well, are appropriate for what you’re doing and make you feel comfortable. A few versatile pieces can go a long way: nice shorts, several shirts that work interchangeably, one or two pairs of dinner pants, a couple of collared shirts and versatile shoes will cover most men on most cruises surprisingly well.

And if all else fails, stand next to your wife. She probably looks fantastic and will raise the average considerably.

Maybe Our Wives Have This Figured Out After All

I’ve spent most of this article poking fun at how differently men and women pack. We throw seven shirts into a suitcase and declare victory, while our wives appear to be preparing simultaneously for a fashion show, a hurricane, an unexpected invitation to Buckingham Palace and possibly the collapse of modern civilization.

And yet, something strange happens once we’re onboard.

Susan has the sunscreen I forgot. She has the stain remover when I inevitably drop something on my shirt. She packed the light jacket I insisted I wouldn’t need and brought the nicer shirt I suddenly realize I should probably wear tonight. She has medicine, Band-Aids, chargers, an umbrella and some mysterious item I didn’t even know existed until the exact moment we desperately needed it.

Somehow, she still looks great every night and managed to get everything into the suitcase under 50 pounds.

I’m beginning to think I’ve been poking fun at the wrong person.

Final Thoughts

So, what should men wear on a cruise? Probably less than you think.

Bring comfortable clothes for daytime, dress for the activities you actually plan to do, pack a couple of swimsuits, bring versatile dinner clothes and make sure you understand your cruise line’s dress code before leaving home. You don’t need to become a fashion expert, and apparently you can even write an entire article about cruise fashion without becoming one.

The goal isn’t to have a completely different outfit for every hour of your vacation. It’s to pack smart enough that you’re comfortable during the day, look reasonably presentable at dinner and never find yourself standing outside a specialty restaurant while your wife whispers, “I TOLD you to pack those pants.”

Because she did. She definitely did.

And while I hate to admit it…she was probably right.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cruise Fashion for Men

What should men wear on a cruise?

For most cruises, men should pack casual, comfortable clothing for daytime activities along with a few nicer options for dinner. Shorts, T-shirts, polos, swimwear and comfortable walking shoes work well during the day, while collared shirts and khakis or nice pants will cover most evening dining situations. Always consider the destination and check your specific cruise line’s dress code before packing.

What should men wear to dinner on a cruise?

Men’s cruise dinner attire varies by cruise line and restaurant, but a polo or casual button-down shirt paired with khakis or nice pants is appropriate for many evenings. Some cruise lines allow dress shorts in certain dining venues, while specialty restaurants and formal or elegant nights may have higher expectations.

Can men wear shorts to dinner on a cruise?

Many cruise lines allow men to wear nice shorts in casual dining venues and, in some cases, the main dining room on casual evenings. However, dress codes vary considerably by cruise line, and some restaurants require long pants. Check the current dress guidelines for your specific ship rather than assuming one rule applies everywhere.

Do men need a suit for formal night on a cruise?

A suit is no longer required on many mainstream cruise lines, even on their dressier evenings. While some men still enjoy wearing suits or tuxedos, others choose nice pants with a button-down or collared shirt. Traditional and luxury cruise lines may have more formal expectations, so check your cruise line’s specific dress code.

How many outfits should a man pack for a 7-day cruise?

Most men do not need seven completely separate daytime and evening outfits for a seven-day cruise. Packing interchangeable shirts, shorts and pants allows you to create multiple combinations from fewer pieces. A practical cruise wardrobe might include several casual shirts, a few pairs of shorts, two swimsuits, two or three collared shirts and one or two pairs of nicer pants, adjusted for your itinerary and planned activities.

What does smart casual mean for men on a cruise?

Smart casual generally means dressing a step above everyday shorts and T-shirts. For men, that typically means a polo, collared shirt or casual button-down paired with khakis or nice pants and appropriate shoes. Exact definitions vary by cruise line, so always check the dress guidelines for your sailing.