Key Aspects:
- Princess Cruises will begin requiring crew members to cover all visible tattoos while on duty.
- The new policy, which starts September 10, 2025, replaces earlier rules that allowed tattoos on arms and legs as long as they were not offensive.
- The cruise line says the policy brings it more in line with Carnival Corporation’s standards.
When Princess Cruises’ ships set sail this fall, a familiar sight will be disappearing: Visible tattoos will no longer be allowed for crew members.
The cruise line made the announcement in a memo stating that, beginning September 10, 2025, all visible tattoos must be hidden while staff are on duty.
Princess Cruises explained the change is part of its broader effort to align its brand standards and maintain a consistent onboard vibe.
“Effective September 10, all visible tattoos must be covered while on duty,” the memo reads. “This includes sleeve tattoos, which may now be covered using neutral or skin-tone sleeve covers.”
The company also said the change is meant to support a “respectful and inclusive environment for our diverse guest demographic” and maintain a “clean, cohesive look across the fleet.”
While tattoos are common among crew members across the cruise industry, their visibility has often been subject to evolving standards.
With this dress code update, which extends to about 30,000 crew members across Princess Cruises’ 17-ship fleet, supervisors and managers will be responsible for monitoring compliance.
However, the cruise line did not specify what disciplinary measures would be implemented for violations.
“We know this may be a difficult adjustment for some,” Princess Cruises said, referring crew members to Human Resources with any questions or concerns.
A Stricter Stance on Princess
The new dress code update marks a significant shift from Princess Cruises’ earlier tattoo policy, which was far less restrictive.
Although the cruise line has always banned face and neck tattoos, it did allow visible tattoos as long as they did not include profanity, nudity, inflammatory political or cultural references, or offensive imagery.
In fact, the company described tattoos as “reasonable self-expression,” which appears to no longer be appropriate for its team.
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Earlier guidelines also allowed tattoos to be covered by makeup or small bandages – as long as the cover up did not exceed 5 centimeters – although large bandages or wraps were considered inconsistent with uniform standards and not allowed.
Princess Cruises says the change is also part of aligning its standards more closely with Carnival Corporation, which has been its parent company for more than 20 years (since 2003).
Just last November, Carnival Cruise Line, also owned by Carnival Corporation, reaffirmed its crew members could have tattoos visible onboard.
Besides the no-tattoo rule, Princess Cruises does not allow crew members to wear facial piercings while on duty and must restrict jewelry to small, simple pieces that do not distract from the uniform.
The official crew dress code focuses mainly on maintaining a polished image with clean and pressed company-issued uniforms worn with visible name tags.
Companies like cruise lines are allowed to set appearance standards, as long as they don’t discriminate and that the tattoos are do not have religious or cultural significance.
Princess Cruises’ Shoreside Head of Entertainment will be responsible for case-by-case reviews of any crew member tattoos considered religious or culturally significant.
