Carnival Theme Nights and Parties: What to Wear on Every Ship

Theme parties are the reason half the people on your ship packed a neon wig. If you’ve ever walked into the atrium on night three and found 2,000 people dressed head to toe in white, you probably realized that wasn’t some random coincidence. Theme parties are a big part of Carnival Cruise Line’s entertainment lineup, and knowing what parties are going to be held on your cruise will help you pack the perfect outfit and accessories so you fit right in!

Carnival keeps the lineup pretty consistent across the fleet, so once you know the core parties you can pack for almost any sailing. Sometimes things shift by ship, by itinerary length and by whatever the cruise director feels like doing that week, so while things are pretty consistent, there may be an occasional change. Below you’ll find every Carnival theme party, tips on what to wear to each one, and a list of ships and their parties.

Free cheat sheet: theme nights on every ship

Every Carnival ship and its parties on one image. Save it to your phone or share it with your cruise crew.

View and save the image

The Core Carnival Theme Nights

These are the Carnival parties you’ll find on nearly every ship in the fleet. If you only pack for these, you’re covered on most sailings.

80s Rock-N-Glow

This is the big one, and it’s on every single ship. Rock-N-Glow is a deck party built around 80s music and anything that lights up in the dark. Expect glow sticks, a packed dance floor and a lot of people who know every word to songs they swear they don’t like. On a couple of ships (Panorama and Paradise) it’s reportedly a 90s Rock-N-Glow instead, so check the FUN TIMES before you commit to the leg warmers.

Dress the partEvery ship

What to wear

Bright neon anything. Neon tank tops, windbreakers, tutus, leg warmers, acid wash denim and side ponytails all fit, and a vintage concert tee or a full 80s workout look with a sweatband works great if you want to go all in.

Accessories

Glow necklaces, glow bracelets, LED glasses, light up shoelaces, neon wig, fingerless gloves, scrunchies.

Scott’s tip

Grab a multipack of glow sticks from the dollar store before you sail. They weigh nothing, and you’ll be the most popular person in your section.

Find it on: All 29 ships

White Hot Night

White Hot Night (you’ll also see it called the White Hot Party or simply White Night) is exactly what it sounds like. Everyone wears white, the deck turns into a dance party, and somebody inevitably spills a glass of red wine on themselves before the music starts. It’s on every ship, though some ships may skip it on shorter sailings, so check the notes in the ship table.

Dress the partEvery ship

What to wear

This is an easy one – all white, head to toe. Linen pants, a white sundress, a white button down, white shorts or a white jumpsuit all work. If you don’t own anything white, a plain white tee and white shorts from Target will do the job.

Accessories

Silver or gold jewelry, white sneakers or sandals, white fedora or sun hat, white frame sunglasses, a little sparkle.

Scott’s tip

Pack a stain remover pen. You’ll thank me later.

Find it on: All 29 ships

Silent Party

The Silent Party hands everyone a pair of wireless headphones with three channels, each playing a different DJ’s set, and the headphones light up in the color of the channel you’re on. I always find these parties odd, but to each is own.  From the outside it looks like a room full of people dancing to nothing. Some ships only run it on longer sailings, so it may not show up on your 4-day.

Dress the partEvery ship

What to wear

There’s no official theme, so wear whatever you’re comfortable being stared at in. Ladies, skip the 9-inch heels and stick with shoes you can actually dance in.

Accessories

Comfortable dance shoes, colored LED bracelet, hand sanitizer to clean those headphones before putting them on your head.  Yes, I’m a bit of a germaphobe.

Scott’s tip

Look for people with matching headphone colors so at least your dancing will be in step with someone.

Find it on: All 29 ships

Motown Night

Motown Night is a classic hits party built around the Detroit sound of the 60s. It’s a slightly older crowd than Rock-N-Glow, the dancing is a lot better, and there’s usually a conga line at some point for some unexplained reason.

Dress the partNearly every ship

What to wear

60s style. A sequined or sparkly dress, a sharp suit or a dress shirt with a skinny tie all fit the theme. Matching outfits for a couple or a group are a big win here.

Accessories

Pearls, big hoop earrings, bouffant wig, white gloves, fedora, pocket square.

Scott’s tip

Wear shoes you can do the Twist in.

Find it on: 27 of 29 ships (all but Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter)

Sail Away Party / Deck Party / Mega Deck Party

It may be called different things on different ships, but it’s still the Sail Away Party and it kicks off embarkation day with music on the Lido deck while the ship pulls away from the pier. It’s the first chance to shake off the check-in line, and watch those who are three away from hitting the max number of drinks in the drink package make fools out of themselves.

Dress the partEmbarkation day

What to wear

Whatever you boarded in is fine, your luggage probably didn’t even make it to your room yet to change, so wing it.

Accessories

Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, keycard lanyard, group cruise shirts.

Scott’s tip

If you want to have a separate sail away outfit, keep it in your carry on.

Sail Away Party on: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Dream, Carnival Elation, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Glory, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Magic, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Pride, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Valor, Carnival Vista.

Deck Party / Mega Deck Party on: Carnival Adventure, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Encounter, Carnival Jubilee, Mardi Gras

Italian Night and Festa Italiana

Carnival Firenze, Carnival Venezia and Carnival Luminosa are the line’s “Fun Italian Style” ships and, surprise, the have an Italian Night. Venezia’s version is called Festa Italiana. It fits right in on the two former Costa ships, which still carry a lot of Italian design on board.

Dress the partItalian style ships

What to wear

Red, white and green, or a classic Italian look. A striped boat neck top, linen pants, a flowy dress or a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up all work.

Accessories

Straw boater hat, red neckerchief, oversized sunglasses, lemon print scarf.

Scott’s tip

Have a shot or two of Limoncello to get into the spirit of the evening.

Find it on: Carnival Firenze, Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia

Other Carnival Parties You Might Run Into

Some ships add a few extra parties, usually on longer sailings or specific itineraries. These come and go, so treat them as a nice surprise if they show up rather than something to plan your packing around.

Quick Packing Tips for Carnival Theme Nights

You don’t need a separate suitcase for costumes, but a little planning makes a big difference. Glow sticks, LED accessories and a stain remover pen take up almost no room. One white outfit, one neon or 80s outfit and one 60s look will cover the three biggest Carnival theme parties on most ships. And if you forget everything, the gift shops on board usually stock some glow gear and white tees, just at prices that’ll make you wish you’d stopped at the dollar store.

Want to know more about the ships themselves? The Carnival Cruise Line Fleet Guide covers every ship in the fleet, and my Carnival ship rankings will help you figure out which one fits you best.

Carnival Theme Parties by Ship

Here’s every ship and the theme nights you can expect on board, plus extra parties and cruise length notes where cruisers have reported them. Ships are listed alphabetically.

Carnival Theme Party FAQs