Plus Size Cruise Wear: 20 Cruise Outfits Plus Size Women Will Love!
Need some ideas for plus size cruise wear? We’ve put together 20 cruise outfits plus size ladies will love to wear! When it comes to cruise clothes plus size women need options so we’ve created 20 outfits that mix and match and allow you to pack light, feel comfortable and look great.
When it comes to cruise dresses plus size ladies have lots of great options for maxi dresses and sundresses for around the ship, out on excursions or for dining on casual nights. We’ve also included lots of beautiful plus size formal cruise dresses that look great on curvy bodies.
Our packing list covers all the cruise attire plus size women will need for a week long Caribbean, Bahamas or other warm weather cruise. You can print out packing list PDF to help you organize your packing too. With our guide on what to wear on a cruise plus size women will have no problem getting cruise ready!
Contents
Plus Size Cruise Wear Ideas
Cruise Dresses Plus Size
For a seven day cruise, bring along two sundresses and two maxi dresses. In the graphics below we’ve only included one of each kind in each outfit but you can mix & match the dresses and accessories if you stick to a color scheme for your cruise capsule wardrobe.
Tops
Cold shoulder t-shirt (Up to 4XL and several colors)
(If you don’t like t-shirts then these cold shoulder tops are great too!)
Pants, shorts & skirts:
Plus Size Formal Cruise Dresses
There are lots of options for plus size formal cruise dresses for curvy women! Pick two that you like to wear on formal night and use the same accessories for both dresses to minimize packing bulky items like heels. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to dress up for formal night on many cruise lines these days. You might be comfortable enough dressing up a maxi dress with wedge sandals and jewelry. Totally up to you ladies!
Plus Size Swimsuits & Coverups
It’s worth bringing at least two swim suits and cover ups on a week long Caribbean cruise. There’s nothing worse than having to put on a soggy swimsuit! You can also use the print kimono above as a cover up or wear shorts over your swim suit bottoms when getting on and off the ship.
Accessories:
Pick colors that match all your outfits when choosing your accessories. A lightweight scarf is perfect for cruising. It keeps the sun off your shoulders and can cover up the tops of your arms if you feel self conscious in sleeveless vests or dresses. Likewise a pashmina is great for covering your arms in the evening.
Shoes:
We like these Croc sandals instead of flip flops. They are more supportive and comfortable. They’re great for the beach or pool and very lightweight and packable. Lightweight sneakers like these Sketchers Go Walk shoes are perfect for travel as they’re lightweight and packable. They’re great at the airport and port before your cruise and on excursions. If you don’t plan on getting really dressed up on formal night, you can leave out the heels and just wear wedge sandals and a maxi dress.
Nude heels (available in wide fit)
If black heels don’t go with your formal night outfits, choose nude and switch to a gold purse.
20 Cruise Outfits Plus Size Ladies Will Love!
Striped T-Shirt
With two striped t-shirts, a pair of shorts and a skirt in co-ordinating colors you can create four easy plus size cruise outfits. These four outfits are ideal for embarkation day, sea days and excursions.
- Striped t-shirts with shorts and sneakers are ideal for embarkation day or excursions and tours where you’ve got a lot of walking to do
- Striped t-shirts with a midi length skirt and flip flops for relaxed sea days or excursions
Cotton Sundress
With two sundresses in your suitcase you can create four outfits. Just pick two dresses with colors that co-ordinate nicely with all your accessories. The lightweight scarf is ideal for shore excursions when you want to keep the sun off your shoulders. Kimonos are a wonderful way to dress up and outfit and we love that it covers the tops of our arms.
- Casual day wear with sun hat, lightweight scarf and flip flops
- Casual dining in the evening with kimono, wedges and necklace
Packing Tip:
Use anti-chafing balm like this on your legs to prevent your thighs rubbing together and chafing when wearing dresses in hot weather.
Maxi Dress
Maxi dresses are ideal ladies plus size cruise wear. Pack two and you can create these four outfits that are good for day or evening.
- Casual but stylish day wear with sandals and a sunhat around the ship
- Casual but classy evening wear with wedge sandals and a pashmina for dining on non-formal nights
Palazzo pants
Give these Palazzo pants a go! They are lightweight and comfortable. Great for cruising!
- Wear during the day with white tee, sun hat and flip flops for excursions or around the ship
- Wear in the evening on non-formal nights with a nice top, necklace and wedge sandals
Linen shorts
Linen shorts are great for cruising in hot weather. Linen is lightweight and breathable. If you’re not comfortable in knee length shorts like these then you could opt for a capri length pant instead for the same outfits.
- Wear them around the ship during the day or on excursions with a vest top, lightweight scarf and sandals
- Use them over your swimsuit on beach or sailing excursions and throw a kimono over top for more coverage

White Jeans or Linen Pants
Linen pants are lovely lightweight cruising attire. They look smart but are cool and comfortable. If you don’t like the look of linen pants then you could opt for a stretchy white jean or capri pant. Chiffon tunics like this are fantastic for travel as they take up minimal space and don’t crease.
- Casual day wear with a vest top or striped t-shirt and sandals
- Evening casual with a chiffon tunic top (you’ll need a camisole underneath this one as it’s sheer)
Cocktail Dresses
Pack two cocktail dresses for a week-long cruise. Use the same accessories with both dresses to avoid overpacking. See our section above for different options on plus size cruise formal wear. There are lots of different styles of dresses available for plus sized ladies that are great for cruise formal nights!
- This striped dress looks amazing on fuller figures and hugs all the right curves. Check out the pictures other women have added in the reviews here.
- This blue dress is very elegant yet affordable and easy to wear.
Remember if you don’t want to get really dressed up on formal night you don’t have to! You can get away with a maxi dress and wedges with some jewelry and hair and make up done. Or if you prefer not to dress up at all, go to the buffet for dinner instead. It’s your choice!
Plus Size Cruise Packing List
With a cruise capsule wardrobe like this you can mix and match your clothes to create many more outfits. Sticking to a color scheme helps make your outfits combine in multiple different ways.
You can download our printable plus size cruise packing list here.
Also check out our post on cruise essentials to bring along here! It includes all the little extras that are great to pack when cruising!
Our cruise toiletries packing list will help you organize your toiletry bag and work out what toiletries to pack for a cruise.
30 8.7K