There is a reason Claudio Lugli shirts turn heads on the water. A cruise is one long invitation to dress well - relaxed by day, sharp by night, and every dinner a chance to make an entrance. Our shirts have quietly become a favourite aboard ship, passed along by word of mouth from one well-dressed passenger to the next. This is the complete guide to dressing for a cruise, from the sail-away deck to the formal gala - and exactly what to pack.
Know your ship: the cruise dress-code decoder
Cruise dress codes have relaxed, but the evening still has tiers. Read your ship's daily programme and dress to the night. Here is the map.
A collared printed shirt with chinos and loafers. This is where a statement Claudio Lugli print does all the work.
A dinner jacket or blazer over a dress or statement shirt. Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Celebrity land here - sharp, but not black tie.
A dark suit or tuxedo. Cunard remains the gold standard - a gala night is your moment to go full black tie.
Act I - Sail-away and deck days
Days at sea are all yours. This is prime territory for the bold, breezy prints Claudio Lugli is known for - worn open over a tee by the pool, or buttoned for a long lunch on deck.
Act II - Sunset dinners and the promenade
As the light drops, dial it up a notch. A richer print buttoned and tucked into tailored trousers, a loafer, sleeves clean - smart enough for the dining room, relaxed enough for the deck bar afterwards.
Act III - The gala night
The main event. When the ship calls a formal or elegant evening, this is the night to make an entrance. A printed tuxedo shirt and a statement dinner jacket is the Claudio Lugli way to do black tie - unmistakably you, unmistakably sharp.
Explore the full range of tuxedo shirts, dinner jackets and occasionwear for the formal nights.
On a cruise, everyone dresses up. The trick is being the one they remember - so push the boat out.
The cruise packing list
Seven nights, one carry-on of shirts, every occasion covered:
What to wear on a cruise: FAQs
What do men wear on a cruise?
By day, relaxed printed shirts with chinos or shorts. In the evening it steps up by tier: a collared printed shirt on casual nights, a blazer or dinner jacket over a statement shirt on elegant nights, and a dark suit or tuxedo on formal gala nights.
Do you need a tuxedo for a cruise formal night?
Not always. Most mainstream lines now call formal nights Elegant or Dress Your Best, where a dinner jacket over a smart shirt is plenty. Traditional lines like Cunard still expect black tie on gala evenings, where a tuxedo shirt and dinner jacket are ideal.
What is the best shirt to wear on a cruise?
A bold, well-made printed shirt in a breathable fabric - nautical, tropical or a statement print - worn relaxed by day and dressed up for dinner. It is exactly the versatility Claudio Lugli is built for.
Shop cruise-ready shirts, dinner jackets and tuxedo shirts, sizes S to 6XL.
Shop the Cruise EditSailing somewhere tropical? Pair this with our Hawaiian shirt guide and the short-sleeve summer edit.
