I’m getting excited because my family has two cruise vacations booked this summer! We love going on cruise vacations together, and these trips will be our third and fourth cruises as a family of four. I’m already planning my outfits, so I thought it would be fun to share a post all about what to wear on a Caribbean cruise!
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We usually plan our cruise vacations for the summertime. That’s when the kids are out of school and Kevin can take his vacation time from work. It gives us plenty of time and flexibility to make our way down to Florida near the cruise port.
One thing to know about cruising in the Caribbean during the summer: it’s hot. It’s not too bad when you’re out on the water, but you definitely don’t need to worry much about bringing layers. I usually pack one light layer for the airplane or for being indoors with air conditioning, but beyond that, it’s all about lightweight clothes that are easy to wear and don’t require a lot of effort to put together.
On my last cruise, I wore a lot of easy, throw-on-and-go pieces like dresses and rompers—and I’m planning to do the same this year. Today, I’m breaking down all the different occasions on our Caribbean cruises that I’ll need outfits for. This includes everything from sightseeing and beach days to what I like to wear for breakfast in the morning. Let’s take a look at some of my outfit ideas of what to wear on a Caribbean cruise!
See what I wore last year on my trips: What I Wore: Bahamas Cruise Vacation Outfits and What I Wore: Royal Caribbean Bahamas Cruise
What to Wear for a Caribbean Cruise
Fun Day at Sea
Our first cruise this summer is to the Western Caribbean, and we’ll be starting the trip with a couple of fun days at sea. These are the days we spend entirely on the ship, and they’re some of our favorites! In the mornings, we usually hang out at the water slides and pool with the kids. In the afternoons, we often drop the kids off at Camp Ocean—the onboard childcare area—while Kevin and I head to the casino or check out some of the adult activities. We also make time to enjoy the family-friendly events and entertainment happening around the ship together.
For sea days, I like to keep my outfits simple and casual. When we’re at the pool, a cute swim cover-up is a must. For other onboard activities, I usually reach for a comfy dress or romper—something that’s easy to throw on and still feels put together. Below are a few outfit examples I’d wear on a sea day.
Outfit ideas linked HERE!
Breakfast
We always eat breakfast in the dining room—I honestly feel like you’re missing out if you don’t do a sit-down breakfast! I never have much time to get ready before we head down, so my go-to breakfast outfits are usually comfy lounge sets, athletic dresses, skorts with an athletic top, or casual dresses and rompers that I can just throw on and go. You definitely don’t need to be fully ready for the day when you show up to breakfast in the dining room, but wearing a cute, easy outfit helps you feel more put together without much effort.
Port Day Sightseeing
Our family doesn’t do a lot of sightseeing at the ports in the Caribbean right now because the kids are still pretty young. But back in the day, when it was just Kevin and me, we loved exploring the towns at each cruise stop. Sightseeing outfits really depend on your plans for the day. I like to wear comfortable walking shoes—usually sneakers or flat sandals that I know I can walk in for hours. Athletic dresses and skorts are perfect for casual exploring. If we’re planning something more active, like biking or a tour that involves more than just walking, I’ll go with a top and a pair of comfortable shorts.
Outfit ideas linked HERE!
Beach Day
I love beach days! They are always my favorite days on a cruise! They’re so easy to dress for, which makes them even better. I always recommend packing a good variety of swimsuits and plenty of cover-ups for a Caribbean cruise. Hats and sunglasses are also a must—and it’s a good idea to bring a backup pair of sunglasses just in case! I’ll be linking some of my favorite swimsuit cover-ups below too!
Outfit ideas linked HERE!
Casual/Resortwear Dining
I’m cruising with Carnival this summer, but I will say that, for the most part, dining attire is similar across all the cruise lines. You can dress up every night if you want to, or keep it more casual—it’s really up to you. For casual dinner looks, I like to wear a comfortable dress, either mid-length or short. I also love wearing rompers to dinner, or a nice pair of shorts with a cute top.
Outfit details linked HERE!
Formal Dining Night
Most cruise lines have at least one formal dining night. Some families really go all out—I’ve seen people in full ball gowns and tuxedos! But I’ve also seen others show up in shorts and flip flops, so don’t feel pressured to go all out if that’s not your style. I usually opt for one of my dressier dresses for formal night—something a little longer—and I’ll typically wear heels too. I think it’s fun to get dressed up, but I also keep things practical since I’m usually juggling dinner with my kids.
Outfit details linked HERE!
I’ll be sharing all my cruise outfits when I get back from my trips, so be sure to check back in! And don’t forget to follow me on the LTK app to stay up to date with all my latest outfit ideas!
[…] my style. A couple of months ago, I shared some of the outfits I planned to wear (read the post: Cruise Wardrobe: What to Wear for a Caribbean Cruise). Here’s what I actually ended up […]