What to Wear on a Charleston Dinner Cruise: Dress Code & Packing

Neither the Blues & BBQ cruise nor the Luxury Three-Course cruise enforces a strict dress code, and both boats read as smart casual once you're aboard. The difference between them is a matter of degree rather than a hard rule.

The smart-casual baseline

Think of what you'd wear to a casual dinner out in Charleston: nothing formal required, nothing beach-casual either. A sundress, a collared shirt, or a nice top with slacks all fit comfortably on either boat, and jeans are fine as long as they're not the focus of your outfit.

What women wear

Sundresses, breathable jumpsuits and skirts are common on the Luxury cruise, while the BBQ cruise sees more casual sundresses, shorts and simple tops. A light cardigan or wrap covers both the air-conditioned dining room on the Luxury boat and the open deck breeze on either cruise once the sun is down.

What men wear

A collared shirt with slacks or nice shorts reads right for the Luxury cruise, while the BBQ cruise is comfortable in a casual button-down or t-shirt with shorts or jeans. Neither boat expects a jacket or tie.

Footwear on deck

Footwear is the one place where the wrong choice actually causes a problem, not just a fashion miss. The gangway onto both boats can be a steep, moving ramp depending on the tide, and the open decks use metal gratings that heels sink straight into. Flat, secure shoes, boat shoes, sneakers, or flat sandals with a back strap, are the right call on either cruise.

Heels and unsecured flip-flops are the two things we'd steer anyone away from before boarding.

We watch a handful of guests every season learn this one the hard way at the Seabreeze Marina gangway, wobbling on a heel while trying to keep a plate balanced and a purse over one shoulder. It only takes one uneven step for a night out to start on the wrong foot, literally, and the fix costs nothing: pack the flat pair and save the heels for dinner on land. Flat shoes also make the three-deck layout of the BBQ boat easier to navigate, since guests move between decks for the buffet line, the band and the rail views throughout the sailing.

The list is short because both boats handle the meal, the music and the harbor tour. Here's what's actually worth packing.

• Cash or a card, the BBQ cruise runs a cash bar, so bring a way to pay for drinks
• A light layer or wrap, the water runs cooler after sunset than the streets downtown
• Flat, secure shoes, for the gangway and the deck gratings underfoot
• A phone in a secure pocket, decks are open-air and the harbor can get breezy
• Sunglasses, the early part of a summer sailing still has direct sun on deck
• A light rain jacket in summer, short afternoon thunderstorms are common June through September
• Cash for tips, for the crew and, on the BBQ cruise, the bar
• A hair tie or clip, the open deck breeze picks up once the boat is moving
• A camera or phone with a case, the Ravenel Bridge and Fort Sumter views are the photo highlights of the sailing

Last verified: August 2026. Here's how the two boats compare when it comes to what to actually put on before you board.

A short list of what to leave in the hotel room or the car.

• Heels or platform shoes, the gangway and deck gratings are not built for them
• Unsecured flip-flops, they slip on a wet or angled deck and are easy to lose over the rail
• Anything you'd hate to get a food or drink spill on, since both boats serve dinner while the boat is moving
• A full suit or formal gown, neither boat's dress code calls for it, and it reads out of place on an open deck
• Beachwear like swimsuits or flip-flop sandals meant for the sand, not a dinner setting

It runs cooler on the water than downtown once the sun sets, even in the warmer months, because of the steady breeze crossing the open decks. Last verified: August 2026, using NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals for Charleston.

For the exact sunset time and how it lines up with the 7:00 pm departure in any given month, see our best time for a Charleston sunset dinner cruise guide.

Rain gear deserves its own mention in the warmer months. Charleston's hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, peaking in late August and September, and even outside a named storm, June through September brings short afternoon thunderstorms that can roll through right around a 7:00 pm departure. A packable rain jacket weighs nothing in a bag and covers the walk from parking to the dock as easily as a passing shower on deck, since both boats sail through light rain rather than cancel for it.

One Charleston habit worth copying: locals dress for the second half of the cruise, not the first. Boarding in July can feel close to 90°F (32°C) on the dock at Seabreeze Marina, but by the time the boat turns near Fort Sumter the breeze has been working on you for an hour and bare shoulders start looking for cover. We fold a light cotton layer into a tote in summer and swap it for a proper jacket from November through February, when the sun is already down before departure and the ride home runs distinctly cold on the upper deck.

The best photo window on either cruise comes early, while there's still light over the Ravenel Bridge, and again near the Fort Sumter sail-past if the sunset lines up with the middle of the sailing. Solid colors photograph better against the water than busy patterns, and a light layer you can add or remove keeps you comfortable through both the golden-hour shots on deck and the later, cooler hour after dark. If you're marking a birthday or anniversary aboard, our special occasions on a Charleston dinner cruise guide covers what's worth planning ahead for the photos and the moment itself.

If you're still deciding which sailing to book, both Charleston sunset dinner cruises are compared side by side on our homepage, dress code differences included.

A few practical camera notes for the harbor light itself: the low sun tends to sit behind the boat on the outbound leg past the Ravenel Bridge, so faces can end up in silhouette unless you angle slightly toward the rail rather than straight into the light. On the return leg, with the sun lower still and the historic steeples along the Battery catching the last color in the sky, that angle reverses. Neither boat restricts phone or camera use on deck, and both the climate-controlled dining room on the Luxury cruise and the open decks on the BBQ cruise offer a steady platform for a shot once the boat settles into its cruising speed.