“White Night” parties on cruise ships seem to be getting more and more popular, I’ve been to lots.
In this article, we find out which cruise lines hold “White Night” parties, discuss what to wear if you do decide to go – and whether you actually need to wear white at all.
Which Cruise Lines Regularly Hold “White Night” Parties
- Azamara – Hold a white night event on the pool deck with dinner and entertainment, weather permitting of course!
- Norwegian Cruise Line – Hold “White Hot Parties.” These are often held by the pool, or in the ship’s nightclub. On some ships, the White Hot Party is called the “Glow Party.” People tend to still dress in white though.
- Royal Caribbean – Hold a whole range of themed parties – Common themes offered may include Black and White Night, 50’s/60’s/70’s/80’s, Country Western, Masquerade Ball, and Toga Parties.
- MSC – Regularly hold White Night parties – and other themed parties such as 70s nights and Carnival parties.
- P&O – Call their White Night evening “Bianco.” It is usually a dance party held on the top deck. They also hold a similar “White Out Event” for children
- Princess Cruises – Sometimes hold a “White and Gold” themed night.
- Cunard – Hold Black and White, Red and Gold, Masquerade or Roaring 20s themed nights.
- Carnival – “White Hot Night” parties are held, which they describe as “an amazing night of dancing, giveaways, fun and more!”
- Costa Cruises – White Night parties, or “La Notte Bianca” don’t get going until well after 11 pm and carry on late into the night!
When I cruised on Costa Smeralda I discovered that many of the Italians onboard ate late, and then partied late into the night! It was quite a culture shock! Find out all about that cruise here:
Do You Have To Take Part In Cruise Ship White Nights?
No, you don’t have to take part in any White Night Parties if you don’t want to.
It is your holiday, don’t participate in anything you don’t want to. (Apart from the Safety/Muster Drill of course!)
Choice is one of the great things about cruising. If you don’t want to dress up on formal night, eat in the buffet. If you don’t want to join in with deck parties, find some other entertainment onboard that will suit you better. There is so much variety!
I normally just pack a white dress, then I can wear it if I find my cruise has a White Party – but I can wear it on any other night too.
What Should I Wear For a White Night Party?
Don’t feel you need to be dressed head to toe in white, wear as little or as much white as you feel comfortable with.
I usually wear a white dress, men often wear a white shirt and chinos – no need to go out and buy white trousers, unless you are going to get plenty of wear out of them at other times. It seems like rather a waste of money to buy things just to wear once.
No one is going to be judging your outfit!
This is the Dress I always pack for White Night:
GRACE KARIN Women’s Sleeveless V-Neck A-line Dress
This one is from the brand Amazon, and I love it because:
– It has two layers so it isn’t see-through.
– It’s very comfy and perfect for ‘white night’ which most cruise lines have!
Azamara seems to be the Cruiseline who takes “White Night” most seriously.
They offer smaller ship cruising with most of their ships holding around only 700 passengers.
Weather permitting, they serve a meal under the stars, accompanied by entertainment.
Unfortunately, the only time I have cruised with Azamara, the weather wasn’t good enough to eat al fresco, so I don’t feel like we got the full Azamara White Night experience.
I would love to Cruise with Azamara again though.
Join Azamara officers and crew for our signature dinner and entertainment event hosted al fresco on the pool deck (weather permitting). With an array of delicious food and engaging entertainment, your White Night experience will almost certainly be one of the most memorable times from your voyage. And don’t forget to bring something white to wear for the evening.
Azamara Cruises
Find out all about my cruise on Azamara in the video below:
Real-Life Examples of What People Wear On White Night
I asked in my Facebook Group if people would be kind enough to post some pictures of their White Night outfits. I was amazed at the response I got!
Join our friendly cruise Facebook Group. The members are a lovely, friendly, helpful bunch! We have a zero-tolerance policy, so if anyone is rude or unpleasant, we just throw them out!
Thank you so much to everyone who posted, and helped with this article by allowing me to use their photos!
As you can see, there is a lovely range of clothes worn, from formal to more casual.
Before You Go
Have you ever seen pictures of me on cruises and wondered where I get my dresses from? Read the article and I will tell you:
Cruise Dress Examples – (Everything I Wear Onboard: Emma Cruises)
Compare the dress codes of one of the most formal cruise lines – Cunard – with one of the most relaxed -MSC – in the article below:
MSC vs Cunard – How do They Compare? (Dress Codes, Ships and Entertainment)
Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide
Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.
This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.