6 Places You Can Wear A Bathrobe On A Cruise (And 4 You Can’t)

On cruise ships, robes are usually only provided for guests staying in suites. If it’s a cold weather cruise and I know I’ll want to use the outdoor hot tubs, I’ll usually bring my dressing gown from home and wear it on the way to and from the jacuzzi.

I’ll admit, wearing a bathrobe or dressing gown in public feels a little bit weird. If you’re not sure if it’s frowned upon to wear your robe to walk up the crystal staircase, I can see why.

Have you ever been to one of those spa days on land where everyone has lunch in their robes? That feels a bit weird to me too, if I’m honest!

There are some places where you definitely shouldn’t wear your robe, even if it is the posh cruise line branded one. So in this article, I’ll clear up any confusion, so you can avoid a fashion faux pas on your next cruise…

Places You CAN Wear A Bathrobe

1. Your Stateroom

You can obviously wear your bathrobe when you’re in the comfort of your own stateroom or cabin. That’s the entire purpose of having one, for most people – the fact that you can relax without having to rush to get dressed.

You might wear it once you’ve got out the shower, for those days when drying off with a towel feels like a little too much effort. Or you might just throw it on so you can enjoy your balcony first thing in the morning, before the sun has really got going and the air’s a little cooler.

Your bathrobe will also come in handy if anyone knocks on your cabin door while you’re not dressed. It’s not often that someone will come visiting you when you’re in your room, but if they do it’s a lot better to just throw on a robe instead of trying to scramble around pulling on an outfit, or worse, not bothering.

2. The Spa

Another common place to wear a bathrobe on a cruise ship is when you’re visiting the spa. If you’re going to use the thermal suites, or you have a massage booked, you’re going to need to be in your bathing suit, but you don’t necessarily want to sit around waiting in such a state of undress.

So it’s worth taking your bathrobe with you to the spa, and that way if you are waiting around after your treatment or you can’t get into the sauna immediately because it’s too busy, you have something comfortable you can relax in, and you don’t need to get changed.

You can also wear your bathrobe as you’re travelling to the spa, or heading back to your stateroom, as long as you’re pretty direct about it. Most people won’t, and will have an outfit with them, and there’s a chance you could get some funny looks.

If you prefer to travel between your room and the spa in a robe, consider a cruise ship which has spa elevators to take you directly to the spa area – typically from a spa room, like on many Carnival ships.

3. The Pool Deck

If you don’t want to carry around a full outfit, then you might want to take your bathrobe with you on your way to the pool deck. 

It’s a good option for covering up as you move around the deck until you’re ready for a dip, and then you can even sit in the bathrobe after a swim to help dry off a little – though, if you’re cruising somewhere like the Caribbean, the sunshine will typically do all that work for you in a few minutes.

Having a robe means you can walk around the pool deck a little more comfortably, especially if you’re not the most confident person.

You shouldn’t worry about that, though – nobody’s going to judge you for going up to the pool bar in your swimwear.

Suggested read: My Favourite Swimsuit Coverups For Cruises

4. The Pool Bar

Right by the pool is the pool bar and you’ll have no problem getting served there while wearing your robe.

On Celebrity Apex, the Magic Carpet is a floating platform that moves between the decks. When it was by the pool, I exited the jacuzzi and headed there in my robe for a cocktail. Nobody batted an eyelid.

5. The Sun Deck

The Sun Deck is the same as the pool deck, really. They might even be the same location, but many cruise ships will have separate, adults-only sun decks or a sun deck that’s exclusively for the use of suite guests.

Here, it’s absolutely fine to wear a robe, and you can wear one on your way to the sun deck if you prefer. A lot of people would rather that than you walking around the ship in your bathing suit, ready to sunbathe, so most people won’t care if you’re clearly heading off to sunbathe with your robe on.

Suggested read: Cruise Ship Etiquette – The Unwritten Rules You Need to Know

6. The Buffet…Maybe

Robes typically aren’t allowed in places where you’ll eat, but if you wore one to a buffet restaurant, you might get away with it.

Swimwear is typically not allowed, so covering up with a bathrobe might be seen as the preferable option, especially if you’re just nipping in there for a glass of water or a cake to take away.

To be honest though, you are likely to get some funny looks, and there is a chance the crew might ask you leave and come back with a proper outfit on.

If you really want to eat in your robe, you’d be better to head to the poolside snack bar for a burger and fries or a slice of pizza.

Still, if you’re determined to enjoy breakfast or lunch whilst being comfortable in your bathrobe, the buffet restaurant is the place to try your luck.

Places You Definitely Can’t Wear A Bathrobe

1. Restaurants

The restaurants on your cruise ship – including the main dining room and any other complimentary or speciality venues – will all have a dress code. For most of them it will be relatively relaxed, except on formal nights, but ‘relaxed’ does not extend to bathrobes.

You might like to eat breakfast at home while you’re still in your PJs and bathrobe, but that’s going to go down well when you’re on a cruise. Even first thing, you’re expected to be properly clothed when you turn up at any sit-down restaurant on the ship.

Now, you might not be refused by the crew. They may still serve you. But other guests on the ship are likely to glare, because it’s a restaurant. If you want to eat in a robe, order room service.

2. Guest Services

The Guest Services desk exists to solve any problems you might have on your cruise – just pop along and wait to speak to someone if you need to let them know something’s wrong, or in the rare situations where you need to make a complaint.

But please try and be dressed when you do – nobody wants to be queuing for the guest services team while someone’s in a bathrobe close by, especially since that could be all that they’re wearing – very uncomfortable.

3. Indoor Bars & Entertainment Venues

Don’t wander up to the bars to grab a drink while you’re in a bathrobe – you wouldn’t wear a robe to a nice bar back on land.

And the same if you’re going to the theatre, or a comedy show. Make sure you’re dressed, so that other guests feel comfortable.

The exceptions are if you’re going to a bar on the pool deck – then it’s perfectly fine to wrap a robe around you if you want – or if it’s a special themed party night for your PJs, though most themed parties on cruises tend to be clothed ones, perhaps with a colour or a fancy dress theme.

4. In Port

I feel like I don’t need to state the obvious here, right?

But just in case I do – no, you can’t go ashore wearing your bathrobe.

Some people can be guilty of acting like each port is an extension of their ‘cruise resort’, but ports are not private resorts (in most cases) and you should treat them as if you were visiting any other city on any other type of holiday.

Chances are, the crew will stop you if you try to leave the ship in just a bathrobe anyway.

And if it’s a cruise line’s private island, that still doesn’t make a difference – put some clothes on, please.

Final Word

Ever seen anyone wearing a bathrobe on a ship in a really unusual place? Were they trying to get on the Royal Caribbean surfing simulators maybe, or perhaps in line for the go karts on an NCL ship?

Wearing a robe in your room or anywhere where you would otherwise be in your swimwear is typically fine, but the rest of the ship should be somewhere that you stay dressed.

Related Posts:

• 15 Things You Can Steal From Cruise Ships (Without Getting in Trouble)
• The 8 Most Infuriating Cruise Habits (According to Fellow Passengers)
• The One Cruise Etiquette Tip EVERYONE Should Know!