To be fair, the answer to the question of what to wear on a cruise depends on the nature — and the length — of your itinerary. There is also the issue of whether you’re committed to traveling light or happy to schlep the luggage necessary to accommodate 20 pairs of shoes. But remove these variables and the one thing every cruiser has in common is that a typical day at sea has you constantly shifting between indoor and outdoor scenarios, each with its own dress code considerations. If you’re a guy, you have it easy — just make sure you have some collared shirts and some pant options that are dressier than jeans. It’s more complicated for women, which is why we created this handy shortlist of cruise wardrobe essentials. SandalsYou’ll live in your flip-flops, which are perfect for most daytime activities. A high-heeled sandal or jeweled flat will cover nicer dinners. Throw in a pair of sandals that can be dressed up or down (try a gold or silver leather style), plus something unsexy and rubber-soled for stormy days (when the decks get wet and slippery) and shore excursions that involve lots of walking. If you are planning on taking advantage of the gym on board, sneakers easily satisfy the “walking shoe” requirement. Cover-upsIf you’ve spent the morning in your bathing suit, there’s no need to change at lunchtime — just throw on a cover-up (a requirement, you’ll find, at all but poolside restaurants onboard).