Packing for a Caribbean cruise is a funny little puzzle. You need beach clothes, walking clothes, pool clothes AND dinner clothes, and all of it has to survive serious heat, humidity and a ship that blasts the AC 😅
I’ve spent months living in hot, sticky places (we spend A LOT of time in Mexico), so I’ve learned the hard way which fabrics keep you cool and which ones make you want to change three times a day.
So I put together 42 Caribbean cruise outfits for every moment of the trip, from boarding day to the last dressy dinner. Every outfit has its own formula with links, so you can copy the whole look or just steal the pieces you love.
Here’s what you’ll learn today:
✅ The fabrics, shoes and swimsuits that actually work in Caribbean heat (and the ones to leave at home)
✅ 42 outfit formulas organized by moment: embarkation day, port days, shore excursions, dinners, sea days and the pool deck
✅ How to handle the cruise dress code, from resort casual nights to the dressier ones, without packing heels
42 Caribbean Cruise Outfits for Port Days, the Pool Deck and Every Dinner Onboard!
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Estimated reading time: 30 minutes
The best Caribbean cruise outfits are made of breathable fabrics like linen and cotton gauze, built around a one piece swimsuit you can wear as a top, and finished with comfy flat sandals or sneakers. Plan 6 outfits for each part of the trip (boarding day, port days, excursions, dinners, sea days and the pool deck) and always bring a light layer for the ship’s AC.
Clothes for Caribbean Cruise Days: What Actually Works in the Heat
Before we get into the outfits, let’s talk fabrics, because this is where most vacation outfits go wrong in the tropics.
Heat plus humidity is a very different thing from dry heat. Polyester, thick denim and tight synthetics trap sweat, and you’ll feel it about five minutes after you step off the ship 🥵
Linen, cotton gauze and light knits are your best friends. They let air move, they dry fast, and cotton gauze is crinkly on purpose, so nobody can tell it’s been rolled up in a suitcase.
A one piece swimsuit is the most useful thing you’ll pack. You can wear it as a bodysuit under shorts or a skirt, which means you’re beach ready the second you find a good spot (more on this in the port days section).
Always bring a layer. I run cold, and cruise ships keep the AC on full blast in the dining rooms and theaters.
A cotton cardigan that layers over everything or a linen pashmina fixes it without adding bulk.
🚢 Some cruise lines are way more relaxed about dress codes than others. We sail with Virgin Voyages, and if you’d rather skip the gown and the heels completely, see all their Caribbean cruises here.
And honestly? Caribbean cruise clothes should feel like vacation. Bright colors, fun prints, a straw hat… this is the trip to wear them 🌺
These are the clothes to wear on a Caribbean cruise that I’d recommend to a friend, and they’re the same Caribbean cruise outfits for ladies who want to look put together without melting.
Jump to the part of the trip you’re planning 👇🏼
🛳️ Embarkation day: Cotton gauze pants | Denim jacket | Raffia crossbody
🏝️ Port days: One piece swimsuits | Linen button down | REEF Water Vista
🤿 Shore excursions: Swim skort | Rash guards | Water shoes
🍽️ Dinners onboard: Linen jumpsuit | Silk midi dress | Platform sandals
🌊 Sea days: Jersey dress | Linen jumpsuit | Arch support slides
☀️ Pool deck: Cover ups | Birkenstock Arizona EVA | Mesh beach bag
🚢 Haven’t booked yet? Here are all of Virgin Voyages’ Caribbean cruises (it’s the cruise line we sail with). The outfits below work for any ship.
🛳️ Embarkation Day Caribbean Cruise Outfits
Boarding day is a travel day first and a cruise day second, so the best outfit for cruise boarding day is the one you’d happily wear on a plane. You might be coming from an airport or a hotel, then waiting in a terminal line, and your cabin usually isn’t ready until the afternoon.
So you want an outfit that’s comfy for hours of sitting and standing, cool enough for the port, and cute enough for the sail away photos 📸
My biggest tip for this day: use a backpack as your personal item. Pack a swimsuit and a change of clothes in it, and that same backpack becomes your day bag for every port after.
What I wear and why
Clothes
- Cotton gauze pants. The comfiest travel day pants for heat. They’re airy, pull on, and the crinkle hides any wrinkles from the flight.
- Athleta Brooklyn pants. If you prefer something sportier, these are lightweight and look polished with a simple tank. More Athleta travel pants here if you want other colors and fits.
- Spanx pull on pants. A dressier option that still feels like loungewear on a long day.
- Stretch jersey side tie midi dress or the Flowknit fit and flare dress. Soft knits that don’t wrinkle and are easy to sit in for hours.
- Crepe slip skirt. Light, flowy and pretty with a fitted tank on top.
- My light blue maxi dress. Throw a denim jacket over it and you’re done.
- My light blue tank and merino tanks. Fitted tanks balance out flowy bottoms, and merino handles sweat without getting smelly.
- Merino T-shirts. A white merino tee goes with every bottom on this list.
Layers
- My denim jacket. Light enough for the heat outside, warm enough for the AC inside, and it makes every outfit look a little more finished.
- Cropped cotton cardigan (I love the pale pink, the green and the camel). All cotton cardigans if you want more colors. Planes, terminals and the ship are all freezing, so one layer is a must.
Shoes
- My leather slides. Easy to slip off at security and comfy for the terminal line. They come in brown, black and white, and here are all Quince sandals if you want more styles.
- My flat leather sandals. A cuter sandal that still handles a lot of standing.
- Veja Campo sneakers. If you’d rather be in sneakers all day, these go with pants, skirts and dresses.
Bags and accessories
- A backpack for your personal item. I always travel with one (mine is sold out, but I’ve linked similar options). Pack your swimsuit, sunscreen and a change of clothes inside.
- My leather crossbody. It’s small enough to fit inside the backpack, so you can grab it for the first dinner.
- My raffia crossbody. Light, holds the essentials and says vacation the second you put it on.
- A packable straw hat plus a hat clip. The clip attaches the hat to your backpack, so you’re not holding it (or crushing it) all day.
💡 Skip the jumpsuit on boarding day. As much as I love a jumpsuit, public restrooms on a long travel day are already an adventure on their own 😅 Save it for sea days and dinners.
💡 Wear the outfit you want in your sail away photos. Most people head straight to the top deck when the ship leaves port, so boarding day is the one outfit that ends up in all the pictures.
6 Embarkation Day Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Cream cotton gauze pants + light blue tank + pale pink cropped cardigan + brown leather slides + raffia crossbody
2️⃣ Red cotton gauze pants + white merino tee + denim jacket + flat leather sandals + raffia crossbody
3️⃣ Sage Athleta Brooklyn pants + black merino tank + denim jacket + Veja sneakers + raffia crossbody
4️⃣ Slate blue side tie midi dress + camel cardigan + leather slides + raffia crossbody
5️⃣ Navy crepe slip skirt + light blue tank + green cardigan + flat leather sandals + raffia crossbody
6️⃣ Light blue maxi dress + denim jacket + flat leather sandals + straw hat + raffia crossbody
🏝️ Port Day Caribbean Cruise Outfits
Port days are the hottest days of the trip. You’re walking around town, maybe hopping in a taxi to a beach club, and you have no idea if you’ll end up swimming or shopping 🌴
These island vacation outfits work because they’re built in layers that handle both. Swimsuit underneath, cool clothes on top, and shoes you can actually walk in.
What I wear and why
Clothes
- One piece swimsuits. I wear mine as a bodysuit under shorts or a skirt, so if we find a great beach, I’m in the water in two minutes. I love the fun prints from Everything But Water, Lands’ End (great coverage) and Albion.
- My linen button down shirt. It’s a cover up, sun protection and a top all in one. Wear it open over your swimsuit or tie it at the waist.
- Linen shorts or a Boden linen midi skirt. Both look great with a swimsuit underneath, and the skirt feels a little dressier for lunch in town.
- My tapered linen pants or cotton gauze pants. For when you want your legs covered from the sun (or for churches and historic sites).
- My sporty LBD (Power Up dress). On top of being super comfy, it has a built in bra and shorts. It’s technically a skort dress, so you can climb in and out of taxis and boats without thinking about it.
- Linen swing dress or the Tencel fit and flare dress. Throw on and go dresses that don’t cling when it’s humid.
Shoes
- Veja Campo sneakers. Clean white sneakers that look good with dresses, so you’re not stuck in athletic shoes all day.
- On Cloud 6 sneakers. I have these, and they’re the extra cushioning you want for long walking days on cobblestones and hot pavement.
- OluKai Pehuea Li. The heel folds down, so they work as a sneaker or a slip on. Great if you’ll be hopping in and out of the sand.
- My leather slides. For easy port days where you’re mostly strolling and eating.
- My REEF Water Vista sandals. The strap goes around the heel, so they stay on in the water, on wet rocks and on boat decks. They run true to size and they’re super comfortable.
Sun and beach
- A rash guard or a Lands’ End long sleeve UPF cover up. Caribbean sun is no joke, and these protect your shoulders and back way better than sunscreen alone.
- A sarong. It’s a skirt, a towel, a scarf and a picnic blanket. Takes up almost no space.
- A straw hat with a hat clip so it rides on your bag when you’re not wearing it.
- A foldable mesh beach bag. Sand falls right through, and it folds flat in your suitcase.
- A linen pashmina. Covers your shoulders in the sun, then keeps you warm in the AC when you get back onboard.
💡 Test your swimsuit with one question: would I wear this as a body suit? If the answer is yes, it can be the top for at least two port day outfits.
Need help finding one that flatters you? Here’s my guide on how to choose a swimsuit for your body type.
💡 Most beach clubs have showers. Rinse off, put your shorts or skirt back on over your swimsuit, and walk back to town looking like you never went in the water 😉
💡 Skip the umbrella. Caribbean showers usually pass quickly, and you’ll be dry in minutes in that heat.
🎯 Also read: More ways to turn a one piece swimsuit into a full outfit
6 Port Day Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Black Power Up dress + On Cloud 6 sneakers + raffia crossbody + straw hat
2️⃣ Linen swing dress + white linen shirt (worn open) + Veja sneakers + raffia crossbody + straw hat
3️⃣ Cream cotton gauze pants + coral and gold tile one piece + sand linen shirt + brown leather slides + raffia crossbody + straw hat
4️⃣ Pink linen shorts + hibiscus print one piece + white wrap rash guard + REEF sandals + mesh beach bag + straw hat
5️⃣ Brown Boden linen skirt + white merino tee + linen pashmina + REEF sandals + raffia crossbody + straw hat
6️⃣ Navy cotton gauze pants + green one piece + leather slides + raffia crossbody + straw hat
🤿 Shore Excursions: What to Wear for Snorkeling, Hikes and Catamaran Days
Excursion days are different from port days because the activity decides the outfit. A catamaran, a rainforest hike and a zip line all need different shoes and different coverage.
This is where the right gear matters more than the cute factor (but you can absolutely have both 💁🏻♀️).
What I wear and why
Clothes
- Lands’ End quick dry swim skort. Swim bottoms that look like a skort, so you can snorkel, climb back on the boat and walk to lunch in the same thing.
- A one piece swimsuit. Stays put when you jump off a boat, which you can’t always say about a bikini.
- A rash guard. When you’re snorkeling, your back faces the sun the whole time. A UPF rash guard means you don’t spend the rest of the cruise sunburned.
- A sarong. Ties into a skirt for the ride back and doubles as a towel.
- Cotton gauze pants. Light coverage for zip lines and rainforest tours, where bugs and harnesses come into play.
- Merino tees and merino tanks. They wick sweat on hikes and don’t smell after a long, hot day.
- Tencel fit and flare dress. For walking town tours where you want to look nice but stay cool.
Shoes
- Water shoes. A must for rocky beaches and boat ladders. If you’d rather have something you can also walk in, my REEF Water Vista sandals work too.
- OluKai Pehuea Li. For excursions that mix sand, water and a little walking.
- On Cloud 6 sneakers. For hikes and anything with uneven trails.
- Veja sneakers or leather slides. For town tours and easy days.
Gear
- A dry bag. Your phone, cards and cabin key stay dry on catamarans and kayak tours. This one matters more than any outfit.
- Mineral sunscreen. Many Caribbean snorkel spots ask for mineral sunscreen, and this tinted one doesn’t leave you looking like a ghost.
- A straw hat. Shade for your face on boats and hikes.
- A backpack. Holds your water, sunscreen and a change of clothes for longer tours.
💡 Read the excursion description before you get dressed. Tour companies usually say if you’ll get wet, how much walking there is, and if closed toe shoes are required.
It’s the easiest way to avoid showing up to a zip line in sandals.
💡 Wear your swimsuit under your clothes. A lot of excursions don’t have a changing room, and the boat bathroom is not where you want to wrestle into a wet swimsuit 🙃
Shop the Shore Excursion Essentials 👇🏼
- Lands’ End swim skorts
- One piece swimsuits
- Rash guards
- Sarongs
- Cotton gauze pants
- Merino tees
- Tencel fit and flare dress
- Water shoes
- OluKai Pehuea Li
- Dry bag
- Mineral sunscreen
- Straw hats
- REEF Water Vista sandals
- On Cloud 6 sneakers
- Veja Campo sneakers
- Leather slides
- Merino tanks
- Backpacks
6 Shore Excursion Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Snorkeling: swim skort + one piece swimsuit + rash guard + water shoes + dry bag + straw hat
2️⃣ Catamaran: linen shorts + printed one piece + white linen shirt + sarong + black leather slides + raffia crossbody + straw hat
3️⃣ Hike: skort + merino tee + On Cloud 6 sneakers + backpack + straw hat
4️⃣ Zip line: royal blue cotton gauze pants + white merino tee + Veja sneakers + raffia crossbody + straw hat
5️⃣ Rainforest and waterfalls: coral cotton gauze pants + Lands’ End floral one piece + merino tank + water shoes + dry bag + straw hat
6️⃣ Town tour: Tencel fit and flare dress + linen pashmina + OluKai Pehuea Li + raffia crossbody + straw hat
🧳 Want Your Caribbean Cruise Packing List Done for You?
Picking outfits is fun until you’re staring at a pile of clothes the night before, wondering if it’ll all fit in your suitcase 😩
Answer 2 quick questions and I’ll send a customized packing list for your trip straight to your inbox, so your Caribbean cruise outfits are planned before you even start packing. (pick summer for your season)
Answer them here ⬇️
🍽️ Caribbean Cruise Dinner Outfits: Resort Casual to Dressy Nights
A lot of outfits for cruises get planned around formal night, but here’s how the Caribbean cruise dress code usually works. Most nights are resort casual, which basically means what you’d wear to a nice beach restaurant.
Most big cruise lines also have one or two dressier nights on a 7 night trip. Think cocktail dress, silk, or a nice jumpsuit (no ball gowns required).
Always check your cruise line’s Caribbean cruise attire page, since every line calls these nights something different.
So I split the dinner looks into 6 resort casual outfits and 6 dressier ones.
What I wear and why
Resort casual
- My tapered linen pants. They look polished with a shirt tied at the waist and they’re so much cooler than jeans.
- Cotton gauze smocked maxi skirt with a fitted V neck cami. A full maxi skirt needs a fitted top, otherwise it’s a lot of volume on top of volume.
- Crepe slip skirt with a linen top that breathes in the heat. Easy, pretty and nothing to iron.
- My linen jumpsuit (I have the green one). One piece, a crossbody and some jewelry and you’re dressed for dinner.
- Linen tank mini dress. Fun for warmer nights, and you can wear it with sneakers for a casual dinner.
- My black eyelet dress. Breezy and pretty, and black eyelet looks a little dressier than white.
Dressier nights
- Washable silk midi dress. Packs small, dresses up instantly and doesn’t need dry cleaning. If you prefer thin straps, there’s also the strappy silk midi dress.
- My floral printed linen dress. It’s my going out dress, and the print hides wrinkles.
- Silk palazzo pants with a silk halter top. A matching set reads very dressy but feels like pajamas 🤭
- Boden Bardot dress or the Boden Nell kimono jersey dress. Bold prints that look amazing with a tan. More Boden dresses in fun prints if you want more options.
- Stretch jersey side tie midi dress. The Kalamata Olive color looks so pretty with gold jewelry and a tan.
Layers, shoes and accessories
- A featherweight cashmere silk pashmina. Dining rooms on ships are cold, and a pashmina looks so much nicer than a cardigan over a dressy outfit. I have the beige one, but it comes in lots of colors.
- My leather slides and Veja sneakers for resort casual nights.
- My platform sandals, VIVAIA flats, Boden sandals or flat leather sandals for dressy nights. You get height without heels on stairs and a moving ship.
- My raffia crossbody for casual nights and my leather crossbody for dressier ones (it comes in lots of colors).
- Gold jewelry that dresses up a linen outfit, gold hoops, my pearl earrings and a pearl pendant necklace.
💡 Plan one outfit per dressy night first, then fill in the casual nights. The dressy pieces are the ones you can’t swap, while casual pieces mix and match all week.
💡 Leave the heels at home. Ships have a lot of stairs, the decks can be wet, and the floor moves a little on windy nights.
Dressy flats and platform sandals look just as good.
6 Resort Casual Dinner Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Tapered linen pants + navy linen shirt (tied at the waist) + Veja sneakers + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
2️⃣ Red smocked maxi skirt + ivory cami + white leather slides + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
3️⃣ Blush slip skirt + white linen top + platform sandals + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
4️⃣ Olive linen jumpsuit + pashmina + brown leather slides + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
5️⃣ Linen tank mini dress + pashmina + Veja sneakers + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
6️⃣ Black eyelet dress + pashmina + black leather slides + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry
6 Dressy Dinner Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Red Hibiscus silk midi dress + pink pashmina + leather crossbody + gold hoops + flat leather sandals
2️⃣ Floral linen dress + navy pashmina + raffia crossbody + pearl earrings + flat leather sandals
3️⃣ Navy silk palazzo pants + champagne silk halter top + leather crossbody + pearl pendant + platform sandals
4️⃣ Boden Bardot dress + beige pashmina + raffia crossbody + gold hoops + Boden sandals
5️⃣ Boden Nell kimono dress + light blue pashmina + raffia crossbody + gold jewelry + platform sandals
6️⃣ Kalamata Olive side tie midi dress + ivory pashmina + leather crossbody + pearl earrings + VIVAIA flats
🌊 Sea Day Caribbean Cruise Outfits
Sea days are the slow days. Long breakfasts, a book by the pool, maybe the spa or a trivia game, and a lot of walking between the AC inside and the sun outside ☀️
You want outfits that go from a lounge chair to lunch without changing, and pieces that are comfy for a lot of sitting.
What I wear and why
Clothes
- Boden scoop neck jersey dress. Soft, stretchy and fine after hours on a lounge chair.
- Boden Laura linen jumpsuit. Finally, jumpsuit day 🙌🏼 More Boden jumpsuits in fun colors if this one isn’t your style.
- Linen shorts with a cotton gauze shirt and a double scoop neck tank. The shirt works open, tied or buttoned, so it’s three looks in one.
- Linen shirt dress. Looks put together for lunch in the dining room, and it’s cool enough for the deck.
- Gingham linen shorts with a navy cotton gauze shirt. A little preppy and really cute on a ship.
- Tencel fit and flare dress in black. Easy to wear from breakfast to the afternoon.
Layers, shoes and bags
- Cropped cotton cardigan or a camel cardigan. For the theater, the library and every other freezing room onboard.
- VIVAIA Arch Pro slides. Arch support for all the walking around the ship, and they slip on and off at the pool.
- Veja sneakers, leather slides or OluKai Pehuea Li for everything else.
- My leather crossbody. It comes in burgundy, stone, dark taupe and cognac, so you can match it to your outfit.
💡 Pick knits and jersey for sea days. You’ll be sitting a lot, and linen wrinkles the second you sit down.
Save the linen for port days when you’re on your feet.
💡 Sea days are re-wear days. Nobody’s taking photos of you at the trivia game, so this is when you repeat the bottoms from earlier in the week with a different top.
6 Sea Day Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Boden scoop neck jersey dress + pink cropped cardigan + VIVAIA Arch Pro slides + burgundy leather crossbody
2️⃣ Navy Boden Laura linen jumpsuit + brown leather slides + raffia crossbody + straw hat
3️⃣ White linen shorts + coral cotton gauze shirt + white tank + Veja sneakers + stone leather crossbody
4️⃣ Linen shirt dress + VIVAIA slides + dark taupe leather crossbody + straw hat
5️⃣ Gingham linen shorts + navy cotton gauze shirt (tied) + white leather slides + raffia crossbody
6️⃣ Black Tencel fit and flare dress + camel cardigan + OluKai Pehuea Li + cognac leather crossbody
☀️ Pool Deck Caribbean Cruise Outfits
The pool deck is cruise beachwear territory, but with a twist. You’ll be walking to the buffet, the bar and the ice cream machine, so you need a cover up you can actually walk around in 🍦
These are my favorite tropical vacation outfits because they’re mostly swimsuit (and that’s the point), plus a few easy outfits for Caribbean heat you can wear inside.
What I wear and why
Clothes
- One piece swimsuits in fun prints. Polka dots, florals and bright solids from Everything But Water, Lands’ End and Albion.
- Cover ups that work as dresses or the Lands’ End UPF cover up. Something you’d happily wear into the buffet.
- My linen button down. Open over your swimsuit, or tied at the waist with shorts.
- Linen shorts or tapered linen pants. Pull them on over a swimsuit when you head inside.
- A sarong and a white tank. The easiest swimsuit cover up there is.
- Cotton gauze tiered maxi dress. Light, pretty and big enough to slip over a wet swimsuit.
Shoes and bags
- Birkenstock Arizona EVA sandals. Waterproof, they come in fun colors and they’re grippy on wet decks. I have these, and they usually run big, so read the size reviews.
- REEF Water Vista sandals. For when you’ll go from the pool to the deck to lunch.
- A mesh beach bag. Holds your towel, sunscreen and book, and water drips right through.
- A leather crossbody for when you walk inside for lunch and only need your cabin card and lipstick.
💡 Leave leather shoes in the cabin on pool days. Pool water and wet decks ruin leather fast, so waterproof sandals are the ones to wear up there.
💡 Pack a cover up you’d wear to lunch. Most ships ask you to cover up in the indoor restaurants, so a cute one saves you a trip back to the cabin.
6 Pool Deck Outfit Formulas
1️⃣ Flax linen shorts + navy polka dot one piece + light blue linen shirt + ivory Birkenstock EVA + mesh beach bag + straw hat
2️⃣ Navy tapered linen pants + pink and red floral one piece + pink linen shirt (tied) + peach Birkenstock EVA + dusty pink leather crossbody
3️⃣ White crochet cover up + black Lands’ End one piece + black Birkenstock EVA + black leather crossbody + straw hat
4️⃣ Sarong + turquoise one piece + white tank + sage Birkenstock EVA + stone leather crossbody
5️⃣ Coral Blush tiered maxi dress + Albion coral leaf one piece + REEF sandals + raffia crossbody + straw hat
6️⃣ Lands’ End cover up + lavender floral one piece + lavender Birkenstock EVA + mesh beach bag
Quick Recap: 10 Pieces That Make the Most Caribbean Cruise Outfits
- One piece swimsuits. Your top for port days, excursions and the pool.
- Linen button down shirt. Cover up, sun protection and dinner top.
- Cotton gauze pants. Cool, packable and wrinkles don’t show.
- Tapered linen pants. Port days by day, resort casual by night.
- Power Up dress. Built in bra and shorts for active port days.
- Washable silk midi dress. Your dressy night, sorted.
- Featherweight pashmina. Fixes every freezing dining room.
- Leather slides. Goes from the terminal to dinner.
- REEF Water Vista sandals. Water, rocks, boats and town in one pair.
- Raffia crossbody. Works with almost every outfit in this post.
And there you have it. 42 Caribbean cruise outfits that keep you cool from boarding day to the last dinner.
If you only remember one thing, make it this: breathable fabrics, a swimsuit you’d wear as a top, and one layer for the AC. Everything else is just picking the colors you love.
Use these Caribbean cruise outfit ideas as a starting point and swap in what you already own. And if you’re pinning cruise outfit inspo for women or vacation outfits Caribbean style for your next trip, save this one so you have all 42 formulas in one place 😉
Thanks for reading!
XO,
Aimara
PS: Still not sure what to pack for your cruise? Answer 2 quick questions here and I’ll send you a customized packing list for your trip.
🚢 PPS: If you’re still deciding where to sail, check out Virgin Voyages’ Caribbean cruises here (that’s who we sail with!). Then come back and plan your outfits with this list 🙌🏼
About the author:
Hi, I’m Aimara! I’ve been traveling full time since 2021, living out of a single carry-on, and a lot of that time has been spent in hot, humid places in the Caribbean!
Through Ways of Style, I share packing lists, outfit ideas and the fabrics that actually work in the heat, so you can pack lighter, feel good in your clothes and enjoy your trip.
I truly hope these tips help you start the packing process from a much calmer place 🙏🏼
MORE TRAVEL PACKING ARTICLES 👇🏼
- What to pack for a beach vacation (my tested list)
- My Mexico packing list: 9 days, 15 outfits, 1 carry-on
- A stylish 4 day Florida packing list for warm weekends
- The wrinkle free travel clothes that survive any suitcase
- What to pack for a Christmas market river cruise
Caribbean Cruise Outfits FAQ
What should I wear on a Caribbean cruise?
Pack breathable fabrics like linen and cotton gauze, a few one piece swimsuits you can wear as tops, flat sandals or sneakers, and one light layer for the AC. For a 7 night trip, think in moments: a comfy boarding day outfit, swimsuit based looks for port days and the pool, active gear for excursions, and a mix of resort casual and dressy outfits for dinner.
What is the dress code on a Caribbean cruise?
Most nights follow a resort casual Caribbean cruise dress code: linen pants, sundresses, skirts and nice tops. Many big cruise lines also have one or two dressier nights per week where a silk dress, a nice jumpsuit or a matching set fits right in. Swimsuits are usually fine by the pool, but most ships ask you to wear a cover up in the indoor restaurants, so check your cruise line’s rules before you pack.
What to wear on a Caribbean cruise in January?
January is one of the most popular months to sail, with warm, sunny days in most of the Caribbean, so pack the same summer pieces you’d wear any time of year. Evenings and windy days on deck can feel cooler, so add a light cardigan, a denim jacket or a pashmina. If your cruise leaves from a cold city, wear your warmest layer on the travel day and keep it in your backpack once you’re onboard.
How many outfits do I need for a 7 day Caribbean cruise?
Plan one daytime outfit and one dinner outfit per day, but you don’t need 14 completely different looks. Linen shorts, gauze pants and a linen shirt can be re-worn with different swimsuits and tops, so 4 to 5 bottoms, 5 to 6 tops or swimsuits and 2 dressy outfits cover most weeks.
Are dresses for Caribbean vacation days practical on a cruise?
Yes, as long as you pick the right ones. Linen, cotton gauze and soft jersey dresses are cool and quick to throw on, and a dress with built in shorts (like a skort dress) works for taxis, boats and windy decks. Save long flowy maxis for dinners, since they can get caught on boat ladders and stairs.
What shoes should I pack for a Caribbean cruise?
Three or four pairs covers everything: a comfy sneaker for walking ports and hikes, water friendly sandals for beaches and excursions, slides for the ship, and dressy flat or platform sandals for dinner. Skip heels, since ships have a lot of stairs and the decks can be wet.
What should I wear to dinner on a cruise if I don’t want to dress up?
Resort casual outfits for Caribbean nights are perfectly fine in the main dining room: tapered linen pants with a nice top, a maxi skirt with a fitted cami, or a linen jumpsuit. Add jewelry and a crossbody and you’ll look dressed without wearing anything formal. If you want to skip the dressy nights completely, most ships have a buffet or casual restaurant where any outfit works.
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