Carnival Dress Code: Cruise Casual and Cruise Elegant Nights Explained
Carnival is the most relaxed of the major lines about evening wear, and its two codes reflect that.
Cruise casual
Most nights. Casual trousers, jeans, capris, collared or nice T-shirts; no shorts, swimwear, tank tops or flip-flops in the main dining room at dinner.
Cruise elegant
One night on cruises up to 5 nights, two on 6-plus, typically sea days. Dress trousers and a collared shirt for men (a jacket is optional and increasingly rare), a dress or dressy separates for women. Suits and gowns appear but are the minority.
The buffet escape hatch
The Lido buffet and casual venues run every night with no code beyond basic decency — many guests treat elegant night as buffet night.
Packing
One step-up outfit each covers both elegant nights; the rest is genuinely casual. See Formal Nights on Cruises for the general packing formula.
Themed nights
Carnival often runs a themed deck party (a colour or era) — optional, fun, and the daily Fun Times lists it.
More Carnival policies
- Carnival price drop policy
- Carnival gratuities
- Carnival cancellation policy
- CPAP on Carnival
- Carnival smoking and vaping policy
- Carnival alcohol policy
- Carnival kids club ages
- Carnival wifi packages
- Carnival drink package price
- Is Carnival right for you?
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Ask a cruise expert →Planning dining around elegant nights
If you'd rather book a specialty restaurant on elegant night, or avoid one on a long port day, knowing your sailing's schedule at booking helps — a quick check for anyone booking Carnival regularly.
Want this priced up for your dates? Speak to a licensed cruise expert — same price as booking direct, plus perks like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities the websites don't show. No fee, no obligation, and you can book online if you'd rather.
Get a quote or book online →Frequently asked questions
What is Carnival's cruise elegant dress code?
Carnival's version of formal night: dress trousers and a collared shirt (jacket optional) for men, a dress or dressy separates for women — notably relaxed compared with traditional formal nights on other lines.
Are shorts allowed in Carnival's dining room?
Not at dinner in the main dining room, even on casual nights — shorts, swimwear, tank tops and flip-flops are the items the line specifically excludes, while the Lido buffet accepts them.
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