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Is there a dress code on board?

Dressing up at night is one of the many highlights of a P&O Cruises holiday. We have two main evening dress codes for guests aged 18 years and over from 18:00: Evening Casual and Black Tie for Celebration Nights. We have a few policies in place to ensure guest's time on-board feels special. Here’s a useful guide to what to expect on-board in terms of dress codes.

 

  • Dress codes are in place in most areas around the ship after 18:00, but not all of them. You might find Does the dress code apply to all areas of the ship? helpful.
  • In addition to Evening Casual and Black Tie for Celebration Nights, we also have official P&O Cruises theme nights (get ready for 70s disco, 80s pop, colourful tropical or splendid black and white nights), and seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas.
  • For children aged 17 years and under, the dress code in the evening is Evening Casual, regardless of the adult dress code (but they are welcome to dress to impress too!). We do ask for no denim on Black Tie nights please.
  • To help guests with packing, My P&O Cruises will let them know how many nights of each dress code they can expect during their holiday. If in doubt, please visit www.pocruises.com/what-to-wear

 

For a list of what the dress code will be on a specific cruise number, you may also find the following question helpful: What will the dress code be whilst I am on board?  To see in which areas of the ship the dress code applies, please see Does the dress code apply to all areas of the ship?

Daywear

The dress code during the day is just your typical holiday wardrobe. Think t-shirts, shorts and sundresses (unless you’re heading to the Baltic in winter!). Away from the pool, we ask for shoes to be worn and no pool wear in the ship’s lounges, inside bars, restaurants or reception. It may be chilly on deck and breezy in the evening (even in the tropics), so be sure to pack light layers. We’d also recommend flat shoes for strolling the decks.

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Evening Casual

After a busy day of exploring (or lazing by the pool), there’s plenty to look forward to on board. For Evening Casual nights, dress as you would for dinner in a nice restaurant; smart dark denim or trousers and a nice top, open-neck shirts, skirts and dresses (but no tracksuits, football shirts, shorts or trainers please). For Caribbean holidays, tailored shorts may be worn in the buffet areas, open deck bars, The Glass House and The Beach House – whether you choose to pair them with your loudest Hawaiian shirt is up to you! 

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Black Tie for Celebration Nights 

Our Celebration Nights offer a chance to get dressed to the nines in glamorous evening wear. Don your favourite cocktail dress, tuxedo, ball gown or dinner jacket, or alternatively a dark business suit and tie. You may also wear formal national dress or military uniform. Please note, jackets for men are required for formal nights on board. 

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How many Black Tie nights will there be? 

Restrictions

  • Dress codes are in place in most areas around the ship after 18:00, but not all of them. You might find Does the dress code apply to all areas of the ship? helpful.
  • It's permissible to wear army/camouflage clothing during the daytime, however please refer to the dress codes above for evenings on-board. It should also be noted that some countries may have rules against this sort of attire, such as Barbados where it's illegal due to this matching the uniforms worn by security services (this is appliciable in Barbados, St Kitts, Dominica and Grenada but not Curacao or St Maarten).
  • National and Religious dress, including headdress', are allowed on-board. Depending on the amount of the face covered by the headdress, guests may be asked to unveil for a security photo at check in and passing through security check points ashore and on board during the cruise. Some items of national dress such as ceremonial blades or swords are not permitted and guests should check our list of prohibited items via What am I not allowed to take on board?
  • We celebrate freedom of expression, but will not allow any clothing that features inappropriate or offensive language. Novelty clothing with printed images or slogans will not be allowed on board. We also reserve the right to deny embarkation to guests who are inappropriately dressed. Please note, this policy does not apply to children aged 17 or under.
  • Modesty in clothing is to be respected in this region, so make sure you pack plenty of light and loose clothing that covers the tops of your arms and legs. We advise ladies to avoid wearing any shorts or tight-fitting clothes and to take a head covering ashore. For further information, please visit the government Foreign travel advice website for advice regarding dress-codes.
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