What Should you wear on a P&O Cruise?

Cruise dress codes can be one of the things people worry about most before their first cruise. I remember wondering exactly the same thing before mine. What sort of dress would I need? What would everyone else be wearing? Would I look too dressed up, or not dressed up enough?

The good news is that the P&O Cruises dress code is much easier to navigate than it might initially seem.

P&O Cruises currently has two evening dress codes, Evening Casual and Black Tie. On most evenings the atmosphere is fairly relaxed, while Black Tie evenings give you the opportunity to dress up and make a little more of the occasion.

Having sailed with P&O Cruises many times over the years, I have always found that plenty of passengers embrace the opportunity to dress up. However, it is still possible to enjoy a P&O cruise if formal evenings really aren’t your thing.

So, what do you actually need to pack?

What are the P&O Cruises dress codes?

There are currently two main evening dress codes on P&O Cruises: Evening Casual and Black Tie.

Evening Casual is the more relaxed of the two and is what you’ll encounter on most evenings.

Black Tie is when things become a little more glamorous. You’ll see everything from cocktail dresses and smart trouser suits to ball gowns, dinner jackets and tuxedos.

P&O also has Celebration Nights, which follow the Black Tie dress code and are one of the occasions when many passengers really do get their glad rags on.

Personally, I love a formal evening. There is something lovely about walking around the ship and seeing everyone looking glamorous and enjoying the occasion.

What is Evening Casual on P&O Cruises?

Evening Casual doesn’t mean you need to dress formally.

Think of something you might wear when going out for a nice meal at home.

A dress, skirt, smart trousers or a nice top all work perfectly well. For men, a shirt or polo shirt with trousers is an easy option. P&O also currently allows smart dark denim on Evening Casual nights.

This is one of those occasions where I wouldn’t overthink it. You certainly don’t need a completely different glamorous outfit for every night of your cruise.

There are a few restrictions worth knowing about. P&O’s current guidance says that tracksuits, football shirts and trainers aren’t suitable for Evening Casual.

What happens on a P&O Black Tie night?

Black Tie evenings are the nights when P&O Cruises becomes noticeably more formal.

For women, this could mean a cocktail dress, evening dress, ball gown or smart trouser suit. You don’t have to wear a floor length evening gown unless you want to.

For men, a tuxedo or dinner jacket is an obvious choice, although a suit is also acceptable. If wearing a shirt and smart jacket, P&O asks that it is finished with a tie.

You’ll find some passengers go all out and others take a slightly more understated approach.

I’ve always enjoyed seeing everyone in their formalwear. It changes the atmosphere around the ship and makes the evening feel like an occasion.

And if you have a beautiful dress sitting in the wardrobe at home that you hardly ever have an excuse to wear, this is your opportunity!

What is a Celebration Night?

Celebration Nights are special evenings during your P&O cruise and use the Black Tie dress code.

P&O says every cruise includes at least one Celebration Night, with the number varying according to the ship and length of cruise.

You don’t need to guess when yours will be. Before travelling, you can log into My P&O Cruises and look through the itinerary to see the expected dress code for each evening. P&O does advise that this can change, with the final details confirmed on board.

That is well worth checking before you finish packing.

How many Black Tie nights are there on a P&O cruise?

This depends on both the ship and the length of your cruise.

P&O’s current guidance is:

These numbers are a guide and can vary, so check the information for your particular sailing before travelling.

What should women wear on a P&O formal night?

This is probably where people worry unnecessarily. You don’t need to go shopping for an enormous ball gown unless wearing one would make you happy.A cocktail dress is absolutely fine. So is a longer evening dress or a smart trouser suit.

Over the years I’ve seen a huge variety of outfits on formal evenings.

Some people absolutely love the opportunity to dress from head to toe in their finest clothes. Others choose something much simpler.

That’s part of the fun. There isn’t one uniform that every woman aboard has to wear.

What should men wear on a P&O formal night?

A dinner jacket or tuxedo is perhaps the traditional choice, although you don’t necessarily need to buy one specifically for your cruise. I have seen quite a few proud Scots men wear a Kilt on a formal night, so do bring it along if you have one!

P&O also accepts a suit, and its current Black Tie guidance includes a smart jacket and tie.

If you already own a smart suit, therefore, you may have everything you need.

One thing that has changed since I originally wrote this article is that P&O no longer offers formalwear hire on board, so don’t board expecting to hire something for the evening.

Do you have to dress up on a P&O cruise?

This is perhaps the most important question if the idea of Black Tie makes you want to book a completely different holiday.

There are venues on each P&O ship where you can remain more casual, although exactly which venues these are varies by ship.

For example, on Azura the more casual options currently include Verona and Venezia, The Glass House and The Beach House. Other ships have their own alternatives.

So you don’t have to spend your entire evening sitting in your cabin because you didn’t bring a tuxedo or cocktail dress!

However, if you want to use venues where the Black Tie dress code applies, you should dress accordingly. I think that’s an important distinction.

You don’t have to love formal nights, but the dress code is part of the experience in certain areas of the ship.

Can you wear jeans on P&O Cruises?

Yes, smart dark denim is currently acceptable on Evening Casual nights.

However, denim isn’t accepted in venues operating the Black Tie dress code on Black Tie and Celebration Nights. There are more casual venues where different rules apply, so check your information on board.

If you like travelling relatively lightly, a good pair of dark jeans can therefore be quite useful for your Evening Casual outfits.

Can you wear shorts in the evening?

This depends on the evening and where you want to go.

P&O currently allows tailored shorts in certain more casual venues on Evening Casual nights. On Black Tie evenings, shorts aren’t permitted in the Black Tie venues, with the buffet providing a casual alternative.

This is another reason to check the information for your particular ship rather than assuming the same rule applies everywhere.

What do you wear during the day?

Daytime aboard P&O is considerably easier.

Normal holiday clothes are absolutely fine. Think shorts, T shirts, sundresses and comfortable clothing appropriate for wherever in the world you’re cruising.

Around the pool, swimwear is obviously fine. Once you head inside, P&O asks passengers to cover up and wear shoes or sandals in lounges, indoor bars, restaurants and reception.

And don’t forget something warm.

Even on a cruise somewhere gloriously sunny, standing out on deck in the evening can be surprisingly chilly.

What should I pack for a P&O cruise?

For most cruises I wouldn’t build my entire suitcase around the evening dress code.

Pack the clothes you’d normally want for your days on board and ashore, then make sure you have enough Evening Casual options for your cruise and the appropriate number of Black Tie outfits.

And remember that you don’t necessarily need a completely different outfit for every evening.

A few separates can be mixed and matched, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing a favourite dress more than once.

If you’re flying to join your cruise, particularly when luggage allowance is limited, that becomes even more useful.

Is the P&O Cruises dress code really that formal?

P&O is certainly a cruise line where dressing up remains part of the experience.

However, I don’t think it should put you off booking a P&O cruise if you’re worried about formalwear.

Most evenings are Evening Casual rather than Black Tie. On formal evenings you have quite a broad choice of appropriate clothing, and there are more casual venues available if you really don’t want to participate.

If you do enjoy dressing up, though, embrace it.

I have always loved P&O formal evenings. There aren’t many occasions in everyday life when you get dressed up, head out for dinner, perhaps have your photograph taken and spend the evening surrounded by hundreds of other people who have made an effort too.

It’s one of those traditions that still makes cruising feel a little bit special.

And perhaps the most useful advice I can give is not to worry too much about what everyone else is wearing. If others are more interested in what you are wearing that enjoying their holiday, it says far more about them than it does about you!

Pack something that fits the dress code, makes you feel comfortable and that you’ll actually enjoy wearing.

Then go and enjoy your evening, whatever you are wearing.