Boat-Themed Halloween Costumes We’re Dying to See
Halloween falls on a Saturday night this year, and around here, we’re taking that as a sign to go overboard.
At the end of October, we’re teaming up with @scareventures for a series of Fright Night Cruises leading up to Halloween—plus a special cruise on Halloween night itself. Naturally, we’ve got nautical Halloween costumes on the brain.
Funny, frightening, nostalgic, or completely unhinged, here are the boat-themed Halloween costumes we’re dying to see aboard this year.
Funny & Clever
Jack & Rose from Titanic
Rose gets the floating door. Jack spends the night looking increasingly frozen.
We’ll never let go of this costume idea.
Wilson from Cast Away
Grab a friend and go as Chuck Noland and Wilson. Or forget Chuck entirely and convince your funniest friend to spend the evening dressed as a volleyball.
Honestly, we might prefer the second option.
The SpongeBob Crew
SpongeBob. Patrick. Squidward. Sandy. Mr. Krabs. Plankton.
If you’re looking for a group Halloween costume, Bikini Bottom gives you plenty of options. The bigger the crew, the better.
Gilligan’s Island
Seven friends. One boat. One three-hour tour.
Raid a few thrift stores, brush up on the theme song, and you’ve got a throwback group costume that’s practically made for Halloween on a boat.
Jaws
You’ll need a shark, Chief Brody, and a few unsuspecting beachgoers.
Bonus points if the shark spends the entire evening sneaking up behind people in photos.
The Love Boat
Grab a captain, cruise director, bartender, and a group of glamorous ’70s passengers.
Flared pants and oversized sunglasses strongly encouraged.
Tom Ripley & Dickie Greenleaf from The Talented Mr. Ripley
Now for the deep cut.
Grab your best 1950s Italian Riviera attire, sunglasses, and an oar, and you’ve got Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf during that boat scene.
If people get it, they get it.
If they don’t, you’ve still got a great outfit and a very ominous oar.
Moana & Maui
A particularly good choice for the friend who already knows every word to “You’re Welcome.”
Add Hei Hei or Pua to turn this into a group costume—and you’re already on a boat, so half the set design is taken care of.
Scary Things from the Deep
Want to take the nautical theme in a darker direction? The ocean is full of Halloween inspiration.
Ghost Pirates
Tattered clothes, seaweed, barnacles, ghostly makeup, and perhaps a sword or two.
Think less “friendly neighborhood pirate” and more “this ship disappeared 200 years ago and somehow just pulled into Mission Bay.”
Zombie Sailors
The crew went out to sea.
The crew came back…different.
This is an easy group costume that can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Start with sailor outfits, add zombie makeup, and you’re ready to haunt the high seas.
Shipwreck Ghosts
Vintage clothing, wet-look makeup, tangled hair, and strategically placed seaweed can turn a group of friends into the unfortunate passengers of a long-lost shipwreck.
Creepy without requiring an elaborate costume.
Dark Mermaids & Sirens
Forget the sweet, sparkly mermaid.
We’re talking dramatic scales, dark makeup, tangled hair, shells, pearls, and the general impression that following you into the ocean would be a very bad idea.
Creatures from the Deep
Jellyfish. Anglerfish. Sharks. Giant squid. The Kraken. A completely made-up sea monster no one understands but everyone wants a picture with.
The weirder, the better.
Made This Costume 30 Minutes Ago
Didn’t plan ahead? We respect it.
Here are a few boat-themed costumes you can probably pull together before it’s time to leave:
Captain + Crew
Striped shirts. Captain’s hat. Done.
Shipwrecked Tourist
Hawaiian shirt, life jacket, floppy hat, too much sunscreen, and perhaps a broken pair of sunglasses.
Fisherman + Catch of the Day
An easy couples costume with plenty of opportunities to make it ridiculous.
Captain + Mermaid
Classic, recognizable, and easy to make as glamorous, funny, or spooky as you’d like.
Message in a Bottle
We’re not entirely sure how you’re going to execute this one. That’s precisely why we want to see it.
A Buoy
That’s it. You’re a buoy.
Please tag us.
The Completely Unofficial Cruise San Diego Costume Awards
If we were handing out awards for Halloween costumes aboard, these are the categories we’d want to judge:
Best Group Costume
The more committed your crew is, the better.
Scariest Thing from the Deep
Make us afraid to look over the side of the boat.
Best Couple Lost at Sea
Jack and Rose have an early lead, but we’re open to challengers.
Most Questionable Seaworthiness
For the costume that makes everyone ask, “But…how are you going to walk in that?”
Captain’s Choice
No rules. We just like it.
Now Wear It on an Actual Boat
You’ve got the costume.
Now you need somewhere to wear it.
At the end of October, Cruise San Diego is teaming up with @scareventures for a series of Fright Night Cruises on Mission Bay. We’ll be setting sail on select nights leading up to Halloween, giving you multiple chances to bring your best costume aboard.
And because Halloween itself falls on a Saturday this year, we’ll be celebrating on the water on Saturday, October 31, too.
Expect costumes, cocktails, music, and plenty of Halloween fun—with Mission Bay as the backdrop.
Come dressed to impress—or terrify.
EXPLORE OUR FRIGHT NIGHT CRUISES
Funny. Scary. Elaborate. Thrown together 20 minutes before you leave the house.
We don’t care.
Just please, someone come dressed as Wilson.
Or show up carrying an oar in a Dickie Greenleaf costume and see who gets nervous.
And if you take our advice and bring one of these costumes to life, be sure to tag @cruise_sd. We want to see what you’ve got.