Post By : 2024-06-20T04:22"

CRUISE WEAR FOR MEN: PROPER STYLE ON THE HIGH SEAS"

WHAT DO GUYS WEAR ON A CRUISE SHIP?

               Cruise Attire Men’s:

Linen shirt
Classic fit shorts
Full suit (even on a casual cruise)
Swimsuit
Short-sleeve collared shirt
Classic fit khakis or chinos
Casual and formal footwear
Hat

And, of course, the basics will differ for us compared to the ladies in our lives. That being the case, we’re only covering what to wear on a cruise men edition.

           WHAT TO WEAR ON A CRUISE MEN

When it comes to amounts, this should be enough for a seven-day cruise. Of course, if you’re going on a two-week cruise, you can double my recommendations.

                  LINEN SHIRT

Linen is a summer staple. There’s a lot of overlap between summer staples and cruise ship staples.
It’s kind of a cheat code when it comes to looking good in the summer. Imagine a regular t-shirt, shorts, and jeans combination.

Now replace the tee with a blue linen shirt. Now, you look like an off-duty gentleman.

Additionally, they’re light, moisture-wicking, and pretty resistant to stains. As such, you really only need one or two when you pack. And you can wear it with anything, so it’s versatile when it comes to different personal styles.

               CLASSIC SHORTS

Shorts are equally as ubiquitous to men’s cruise wear. Go for a classic fit, nothing too short and tight, and nothing too long and baggy. A hem sitting on top of your knee is flattering on all body types.

Beige or tan shorts are the most adaptable. Even if you’re a dark color man, they’ll still look great with a dark navy shirt. Otherwise, go for light gray, navy, or olive. 

Jersey or linen shorts can be worn with a dress shirt or by the pool — not necessarily in the pool, though.

They’re light and comfortable in warm weather. You can even wear them off the ship if your cruise has port stops.

Having a classic above-the-knee short is especially important if you don’t plan on getting in any bodies of water. For you feet-dippers and sunbathers, these shorts can take you from pool to cocktail party to dinner.

                     A FULL SUIT

Some cruises have formal nights, with programming and dinner. Others don’t. Even if you’re going on a cruise with mostly casual evenings, you still need to bring a suit. Part of this is as a contingency plan because, well, you never know. Another reason is that suit separates can be worn casually anyway.

Suit pants with a linen shirt or linen shorts with a suit jacket are acceptable men’s cruise outfits. Plus, if you’re on a boat, your room will never be that far away. Better to overdress initially then make slight costume changes if you feel it’s necessary.

And here’s a trick. If you didn’t bring a dress shirt, a short-sleeve button up or linen shirt can be used to fake it under your suit jacket.

Summer suits are a great way to do that. Go for fun, warm-weather colors like powder blue or even mint. 

                 A SWIMSUIT

It's always best to bring two quick-drying swimsuits for cruises. 

Plus, what if there’s a beach stop, and you get sand all over one swimsuit? You’ll be glad to have that extra pair of swimming shorts for the ship’s indoor pool. I don’t think fellow passengers, or the ship’s crew, would appreciate you bringing outside sand into their clean pools.

Ships are good places for experimenting with suit colors. If you don’t have that in you, at least try it with your swim shorts! They’re not as big of an investment. And if it’s a tropical cruise, you can try out some bright patterns and lively colors.

   SHORT-SLEEVE COLLARED SHIRTS

In more relaxed dress codes, well-fitted t-shirts will also suffice. Shirts with collars on them are way more versatile. Think knit polos, pique polos, short-sleeve button-ups or button-downs, and even camp collar shirts.

This is because you can find collared shirts that are just as comfortable as any t-shirt. However, the added structure allows you to wear them with both shorts and trousers, and with or without a blazer or suit jacket.

Again, you can fake a dress shirt with a collared button-up. You can’t do that with a t-shirt. Unless you want to wear a different shirt every day.

          KHAKIS OR CHINOS

Do you see a trend here? Basically, anything that can be worn casually as well as dressed up are good garments to go for.

You can wear chinos at restaurants on and off the boat. You can wear them at the main dining room. Perhaps while you’re taking a stroll. Really, anything that isn’t black-tie.

       FORMAL AND CASUAL  FOOTWEAR

You have to have at least one casual shoe and one formal shoe. 

For the former, preferably boat shoes or low-profile, white minimalist sneakers. If you go for sneakers, you’ll also need a pair of flip-flops or sandals. Perhaps a nice classic pair made from leather.

Boat shoes can be worn by the pool, on the beach, and with casual outfits. In fact, on a boat, you can even take them into the smart casual and cocktail realm.

For your dress shoes,  A nice leather loafer. They can be worn with or without socks, as well as formally or casually.

                   A HAT

This is for practical purposes. You can go for a casual baseball cap if you want, but a nice straw hat can travel through more dress codes.

If you’ve never found a reason to buy a classy boater’s hat, what better time than for a cruise? It can be worn with a t-shirt and shorts, as well as with a full linen suit.

Other straw hat styles to consider include a fedora, a trilby, or a Panama.

Now let’s go into more nuanced needs for guys, starting with cruise formal wear —  men’s edition.

      CRUISE FORMAL WEAR MEN

Some cruises have very specific programming. And sometimes that programming involves a banquet or a gala or something that requires real formalwear.

Fortunately, you’ve already packed a suit.

But, if the invitation requires a full black-tie or white-tie garb, then you’ll follow suit (pun intended).

In this case, there’s no difference between dress clothes and rules for wearing a tuxedo. It’s exactly as you’d find it on dry land.

In many cases, you could wear a black business suit to a black-tie event. Just make sure you consult the invitation and cruise info (or make any calls you need to). There are no substitutes for white-tie, which is the most formal dress code.

             MEN’S CRUISE OUTFITS

MAKE IT YOUR OWN WITH ACCESSORIES

Fashion, from a cruise clothes men’s perspective, is quite straightforward. If you approach the above based on practicality and dress code, you’ll look great most of the time.

Then, you can add personal touches.

Here are some accessories you can use to experiment with colors and textures to really bring out your personality:

Ties (bring at least two)
Sunglasses (have fun with colorful frames if you like)
Extra hats
Belts (nautical woven belts, traditional leather belts, woven belts)
Watches
Breton stripes
Lapel pins and corsages
Pocket squares

        SPECIFIC GEAR

This is less about fashion and more about practicality, but hey, they overlap.

Some cruises feature activity programming, like golf, diving, or watersports.

In these scenarios, don’t forget your golf clothes, cleats, sports gear, wetsuits, and so on. If your stops revolve around hiking, of course, you’ll need hiking boots and sweat-wicking hiking clothes.

And don’t forget to ensure all of your activity-related footwear is broken in. Otherwise, you’ll be in a lot of pain.

              CONCLUSION
        MENS CRUISE FASHION

Again, cruise wear for men is pretty straightforward.

Another rule of thumb for a seven-day cruise is make sure you have enough pieces for four semi-formal or cocktail evenings. On top of that, make sure you have casual outfits for every single day.

From there, you can mix and match!

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