What to Wear on a Cruise: How to Build Your Cruise Wardrobe, from Days Ashore to the Captain's Table
So many of my customers cruise regularly, some several times a year. Over time they've built up a Katya Wildman cruise wardrobe: favourite dresses that go on rotation onto every ship, and that they genuinely look forward to unpacking. Here's how to build yours, from sunny days ashore to the Captain's Table.
Your cruise wardrobe
What should I pack for a cruise?
Most cruises have three kinds of dressing, and a good cruise wardrobe covers all of them:
- Days ashore and sea days: cool, comfortable dresses you can walk in, ideally with a sleeve for visiting churches and cathedrals.
- Smart casual evenings: most nights on board. A beautiful shirt dress, a print or a smart jumpsuit.
- Formal, gala and Captain's Table nights: usually one or two a week. This is where sequins, brocade and full-length gowns come out.
The secret is choosing dresses that travel well, don't crease and make you feel wonderful, so you can mix and match them across the whole trip, and on every cruise after that.
Days ashore
What should I wear on a cruise during the day?
My Ashore dress was designed for exactly this. It's a real sundress: sleeveless, cool and easy, with deep pockets and a zip front you can adjust in the heat. It's also a brilliant dress to travel in, from the airport to the ship.
For high summer, cotton is your best friend. My Always dress in bright blue has slightly looser, more blousy sleeves, so it stays cool but still covers your shoulders. It's smart enough for going ashore and visiting churches, where shoulders often need to be covered.
★★★★★
“The dress is on a cruise at the moment and even in temperatures of 28°C I coped. The sleeve length worked well. The fabric is a lovely weight. Brilliant dress and I enjoyed wearing it very much.”
Winter sun
Which dresses are best for a warm-weather cruise?
My Winter Sun collection brings together the dresses I'd pack for the Caribbean, the Canaries or the Mediterranean: breathable cottons, floaty summer crepes and joyful prints that look beautiful against a blue sea.
The Stevie in summer crepe is light and floaty for warm evenings on deck, and the Confident cap sleeve dress is one of my most-loved cruise dresses. Prints like Aqua Rose Reverie and Charlotte's Roses work day or night.
★★★★★
“This is my 7th purchase of one of your beautiful dresses. I will be wearing it on my 70th birthday when I am on my Mediterranean cruise.”
Susan P.
Confident in Red Tahitian Rose
Smart casual evenings
What should I wear for dinner on a cruise?
Most evenings call for smart casual, and this is where a beautifully cut shirt dress shines. Any of my smart shirt dresses, like the Suzannah, or my more formal silk and satin dresses, like the Grace in silk dupion or Grace in plum satin, take you from pre-dinner drinks to the show.
The Captain's Table
What should I wear on a cruise formal night?
Formal night and the Captain's Table are your moment. My Signature Gold Brocade maxi dress has become a real cruise favourite: full length, glamorous and so comfortable, with pockets and a waist-defining sash. Or go all out with sequins: my Ruby Red Sequin Swing and Soft Silver Sequin Gown were made for a grand entrance.
★★★★★
“I can honestly say that this is the loveliest dress that I have ever owned! It makes me feel so special. I wore it for a formal night on a cruise and just floated along all evening. I had so many lovely comments that I felt a million dollars.”
Judy G.
Signature in Gold Brocade
A little sparkle
Can I wear sequins on a cruise?
Absolutely, and I'd encourage it. Cruise formal nights are made for sequins. Choose full length, like my Soft Silver Sequin Gown or Ruby Red Sequin Swing, or a midi like Coco in Gold or Coco in Jade. My sequins are soft and stretchy, so you can sit comfortably through a long dinner, and they have a sleeve for when the air conditioning is on.
★★★★★
“I absolutely love this dress. I felt a million dollars wearing it! It really swishes as I walk along. I had lots of compliments when wearing it on our recent cruise.”
Judy G.
Ruby Red Sequin Swing Dress
Cooler cruises
What should I wear on a Norwegian fjords cruise?
Norwegian fjords, Iceland and Baltic cruises are hugely popular, and the evenings can be cool. This is where velvet comes into its own. A velvet robe gown, like my Velvet Wrap Robe Gown, is warm, glamorous and wonderful for formal night, and the Stevie in Wine Velvet is perfect for dinner. Add my Cliveden swing coat for chilly evenings on deck.
Sea days
What should I wear for lounging on a cruise?
Sea days are for relaxing, and you still want to feel put together. My Hampstead velvet jumpsuit is so comfortable for lounging around the ship, reading, watching a show or a cosy evening on a cooler cruise, and it dresses up beautifully with heels and earrings.
Made for you
Can I have a cruise dress made to order?
Yes. Some of my customers have dresses made to order for a special cruise, a big birthday or a milestone anniversary at sea. My Signature dress in silk dupion comes in over a hundred colours, so you can have something completely unique for the Captain's Table.
Packing made easy
How many outfits do I need for a 7-night cruise?
- Two formal outfits, such as one sequin dress and one brocade or velvet gown.
- Four or five smart casual dresses for evenings.
- Three or four day dresses for ashore and sea days.
- A jumpsuit for lounging that can also be dressed up.
- A light coat or wrap, comfortable sandals and one pair of dressy shoes.
Stretch cotton, Ponte Roma jersey, summer crepe and soft stretch sequins all travel beautifully. Roll rather than fold, and hang everything up as soon as you board.
Plan your cruise wardrobe with me
Come and try on dresses in my London showroom. Tell me where you're sailing and I'll help you put together a cruise wardrobe you'll love for years.
Book a visitShop Winter SunBon voyage!
Love, Katya x
Katya Wildman is a London fashion designer and former costume designer and stylist for television and the red carpet. For more than 20 years she has designed flattering occasion dresses for real women, made in London, and she welcomes customers to her showroom in Tottenham Hale to try on dresses in person.
