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If you are headed on a Disney Cruise anytime soon, chances are you will get to experience Pirate Night. This special themed night is a staple on most Disney Cruises. It includes pirate themed activities, Captain Hook and Smee, as well as our beloved characters dressed in their pirate attire, Pirate themed dinner, entertainment, and Disney Cruise Line’s crowned jewel, fireworks at sea.
If you want to check out what pirate night looks like on a cruise, you can check out our vlog. Even though we were on a Very Merrytime Cruise, it wasn’t any different than a normal Disney Cruise Pirate night.
As outfit planners for magical vacations, we often get asked about dressing up for pirate night. If it’s your first time cruising with Disney, you might wonder how dressed up people get for the occasion. Well, after cruising on the Dream and the Wish with my family, I can tell you that people very much commit to the theme.
And it’s not like a few people or even half, it’s almost everyone. I would even say that that if you don’t dress up, you are the one that stands out. If you’re looking for some quick outfits in a rush, we’ve put together some Pirate Looks over on our template shop! These looks are directly linked so you just download the template and start shopping!
But if you’re looking for more customized outfit ideas, we’ve got you covered. I’ll share we’ve worn on past Pirate Nights, outfit ideas that are subtle so you can rewear the pieces, Mickey inspired looks, and traditional pirate outfits.
What My Family Wore
I had no idea what to expect on our first Disney Cruise. So for our very first Pirate Night, I went with pieces that I could rewear. I incorporated some Mickey items since the color scheme went right in with the pirate colors. My original shirt was from the Lost Bros, but it’s no longer available. I’ve linked a similar option below!
For our second cruise, I wanted to play more into the traditional pirate theme. My goal is to somehow reuse this dress for an event in the future. I added the earrings and purse just for fun, but my ears are actually not pierced. The sparkle bandana I grabbed the day after Halloween at our local Spirit store. I would HIGHLY recommend checking there if you can make it work for your cruise. They had an entire pirate section and everything was 25%-50% off.
Even though I plan outfits for a living, my husband likes to do his own thing. He loves to play the game where he insists on planning his outfits then at the last second asks me for help. For this past cruise, he thrifted the button up and his pirate hat. Again, we were lucky enough to be cruising close enough to the holidays, so things like this were more available. I’ve linked similar items below!
My kids do like to be part of the process of outfit planning, and my youngest one requested to dress up at Uma, from Descendants, for Pirate Night. We were able to track down this dress on Facebook Marketplace and borrow some gloves. The only item I had to buy new were the blue clip on hair pieces. My other kiddo likes to keep is simple. Even though Disney provides you with adorable Mickey bandanas, we found them to bit a bit small to wear around our heads. I was able to snag his shirt on sale through Darling Dream Co. It’s no longer available, but I linked a similar option for you!
Subtle Outfits
If you’re not into going all out but still want to be on theme, these looks are for you. I love the idea of buying pieces that you can rewear into everyday life, or maybe you can even pull some of these from your closet.
The easiest way to get into a pirate theme is by wearing a ruffle blouse. Shades of red, black, or white will work beautifully. If you’re like me and bought into the ripped denim phase, break those babies out and wear them proudly as a pirate! I added some classic gold hoop earrings, a red scrunchie to represent a bandana, and a fanny pack that resembles a chic pirate. These items can easily become staples into your everyday wardrobe after your cruise!
If you have a partner that is having a hard time buying into dressing up, hopefully this outfit can be a good compromise. Stripes are very pirate friendly. In fact, I am convinced that Mr. Smee was just a hipster who got caught up in the wrong crowd. 😆 But a red or black stripe shirt is something that can be worn again after your vacation. I loved the cardigan too as I always find the ships run cold on the inside!
Mickey Inspired
Mickey Mouse might be the complete opposite of a pirate, but his colors class colors of red, black, and yellow just happen to match those classic pirate vibes. His costume on the ship was actually brown and navy which was so cute, but we love incorporating the main mouse into our Pirate Night looks. These next two outfits are for anyone who wants to dress on theme, but still keep a twirly girly aesthetic.
This look might be my favorite and possibly what I will wear if I get to go on another Disney Cruise. I am obsessed with this purse and was the inspiration for this outfit. The shirt is out of stock, so I’ve linked a similar option below.
Can you guess what classic Disney show inspired this next outfit? When I came across this dress, I immediately starting singing “Whose the leader of the club whose made for you and me?” but in a pirate voice 😆. You could even add a petticoat underneath to add to the classic silhouette.
Traditional Pirate
There are a lot of actual costumes available on Amazon. If you have the time, you might be able to skim through the choices and find the best options for you or your family. But we’ve put together a couple of options that will save you some time while keeping the pirate spirit alive.
This look is loosely inspired by our girl Redd- who actually makes an appearance during the deck party! While the boots are great for the costume, we also understand that they are not practical. So flats will also work if you’re worried about your luggage space! I did however pack my boots for the cruise but wore them to our Palo brunch!
While this look may not be entirely practical for rewear purposes, it sure is a flawless outfit for any pirate night. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with cruising and be able to rewear it on another pirate adventure!
Pirate Costumes for Kids
My kiddo has worn a costume the past two cruises. They are easy and I would recommend them especially for the younger ones because they make great dress up options for play at home. Our school also had a pirate themed day last year so it was great to have these on hand! Just make sure to leave all accessories that resemble a weapon at home.
If you are looking for even more ideas, you can check out our customized services. We’ve planned a few looks for clients specifically for Pirate Night.
No matter what you decided to wear, just know that Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise is so much fun. The memories you make will last a lifetime.
And remember, theme park (or cruise!) fashion doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to make you smile.
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