What better way to channel the vibe of your cruise honeymoon than getting a set of nails that’s a nod to your upcoming adventure? To help you, we have rounded up the 45 best cruise nail designs for inspiration. Don’t forget to check out my Pinterest board “Cruise Nail Ideas” for more ideas. These are just the top 45 I sorted for the blog.
1. Colorful & Unique
Nothing sets the visuals for the cruise nail designs right than a photograph of them at the sea. This stunner of a manicure is theme-specific and modern, and yet looks chic for the newly-wed. I love how it can still be relevant for your everyday manicure even after the trip ends.
2. Floral-Inspired Cruise Nails
Hopping on the cruise in the invigorating summer season? These floral-inspired cruise nails do justice to both the weather and your choice of vacation. With artistic strokes, this will need a professional to recreate for you!
3. Partial French
If you are in the mood for something artistic and unique for your cruise nails 2025, then your next manicure can be your pick from this list. With playful French art, a peppy mix of colors, and a floral touch in the middle, this beautiful nail design is truly a work of art.
4. Bright Swirls
Vibrant shades in a swirl pattern are perfect for anyone who wants a burst of colors in their cruise nail designs! If you have a steady hand with the brush and all these colors at home, you can easily DIY this manicure idea. They would look good on any shape or length of the nail.
5. Simple Disney-Inspired Cruise Nails
If you are a fan of neutral manicure and don’t want your cruise nails to be anything different than your usual style, add a Mickey-Mouse motif to stay on the theme of your Disney cruise without going overboard. The element can also be an anchor, a cruise motif, or even crashing waves in the design to keep it cruise-inspired.
6. Oval Cruise Nail Design with Minimal 3D Art
The next manicure is an ideal pick for anyone wanting a simple cruise nail designs for their vacation. It starts with a translucent and then goes on to create 3-D floral and French art on different fingers for a striking and minimalist manicure idea.
7. Oceanic Waves
Water marbling is the perfect technique to achieve ocean-like waves on your nails. Instead of dipping the full nails into the mix, only dip the first half to achieve a gorgeous French abstract design, as seen here.
8. Reminiscent of Ocean Bed
These cruise nail designs remind you of the beautiful clear skies and the mysterious ocean bed in one. Two things that would be in abundance on your cruise. If visual art on each nail is not your style, then let these motifs shine in an alternate design on your manicure.
9. Anchor Cruise Nail Design
Anchor cruise nails are perfect for cruise-themed aesthetics. This is done in a combination of white, red, and blue, but you can really redesign this manicure with any of your favorite colors.
10. Perfect Shimmer
The anchor motif is symbolic of the ship’s presence, while the horizontal pattern is just what a cruise pool towel will have as its classic design; glitter as French tips on an otherwise white base makes this cruise nail idea a subtly glamorous design to sport on your honeymoon!
11. Hand-Painted Octopus Nails
Don’t let your creativity stop at land level. This nail artist drew the sea elements along with the sea anchor for an eye-catching manicure. Octopus isn’t a common motif for cruise or even beach nails, giving an impressive twist to this nail design.
12. On A Subtle Theme
If you like your manicure subtle and unfussy, then these mismatched nails with shades of blue are a good choice. With a neat square shape, these nails look elegant and winsome. But if you want to recreate them with some other nail shape, then that would be equally as good and charming.
13. Ombre, But Make It Cruise-Inspired
If the fun cruise vacation is getting you in the mood for something playful but not over-the-top, then an ombre nail design in gorgeous blue ocean colors is as soothing as seeing the waves passing by as the cruise nails.
14. Crystal Cruise Nail Idea!
This crystal cruise nail idea doesn’t just give you inspiration, but also demonstrates how you can achieve this beautiful effect at home with your kit. These will also look good on your natural nails if extensions aren’t available when you’re DIY-ing them at home.
16. Can’t Go Wrong With Moonlight
Moonlight nails are glamorous and timeless. They have been around for years, and their gorgeous allure, combined with a shiny finish, is befitting for everyday wear or a special occasion – like hopping on a cruise with your other half!
17. Sail Away!
This cruise nail design in classic American flag colors combines them creatively for a staggering appeal, with an anchor on the middle nail for a nod to the cruise. Recreate with any other colors of your choice!
18. Matching the Azure Colors of the Ocean
Arguably, one of the best parts about cruising is seeing the pristine blue water of the ocean everywhere around you and seeing it in waves as the ship sails. Capturing the essence of the gorgeous blue of the ocean are these nails that use its color to beautify your hands!
19. A Floral French Tip!
French nails offer a fresh and clean vibe. Give them a cruise-inspired floral twist with this gorgeous manicure set that’s as chic as it’s beautiful. This is also an easy DIY at home. You need to be careful with strategically placing the dots to keep coherency throughout the manicure!
20. Shades of Blue
Consider making your nails ombre horizontally instead of vertically, and paint the nails from lighter shades of blue to darker shades to create a gorgeous manicure design. You can easily do them at home if you have all the colors available. Coat generously so the polish stays put for the entire trip.
21. French with a Twist
This unexpected French manicure plays with the basic art and includes some sections on the base of the cuticle and makes others diagonal to give it a cool yet chic look. Strategically creating sections is important to make it look neat and visually appealing.
22. Floral Finesse
Going big on nails is a trend that’s not going anywhere! Decorating them with stunning designs will enhance their beauty and for the cruise nail designs, go for a mix of blue and white with florals to create a vacation-inspired manicure!
23. 3-D Seashell Art!
Did this mani just wash ashore? If you’re looking for a life-like seashell manicure idea, this design meets all the requirements – a 3-D texture inspired by shell ridges, pearls, and a neutral palette.
25. Seagreen with a Hint of Pink
This cruise ship nails idea starts with a blue nail polish similar to the color of the sea and goes on to add some personalised elements like a glitter coat, pink foil print, and white outlines to push the cruise vibes even further.
26. Simple Cruise Nail Idea
A cruise nail design doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be basic and still capture the vibrant vacation vibe with the smart use of colors. The next manicure uses matte shades in pink, orange, and white for a modern and chic option.
27. Disney Cruise Nails
A dreamy nail design with pastel pinks, pearly white Mickey Mouse silhouettes, and celestial accents in silver glitter. The soft, wavy lines evoke ocean waves, making it perfect for a Disney cruise adventure. The almond shape adds elegance, while the shimmer gives a whimsical, fairytale-like touch for an enchanting vacation experience.
28. Disney-Inspired Cruise Nail Design
This playful nail design is perfect for Disney cruise lovers, featuring Minnie Mouse bows, polka dots, and a nautical color palette of red, white, and blue. The hand-painted details add charm, while the short, rounded shape keeps it practical for a vacation. Ideal for those embracing the magic of Disney at sea!
29. 3-D Layers
This nail design features a soft gradient of white, nude, and pink, perfectly capturing the serene hues of a beach sunset. The short square nails are simple yet elegant, making them an excellent choice for a relaxed cruise vibe. The subtle ombré effect enhances a chic, effortless vacation look.
30. Motifs on a base of White
This Disney cruise nails idea showcases the perfect elements on each nail on a base of matte white. The square shape is the best cut for this design that features lots of negative spaces, but a round shape can work too!
31. French tips with Motifs
These colored French tip nails use navy blue to paint the bed and red with a hint of white and golden glitter for the tips. The Disney motif on each nail adds to the playfulness, but you can completely skip it or use any other element of your choice to showcase your personality.
32. Simple Cruise Nail Idea!
A simple cruise nail idea with an accent nail with gold lines and an anchor element is perfect for a last-minute quick DIY before you head off! You can recreate with any other nude nail polish shade of your choice.
33. A Playful Appeal
An anchor element is the best way to add some nautical flair to your manicure! But they don’t have to be boring; we’re talking about playing with colors, glitters, and other marine-themed embellishments to embody the spirit of the ocean – like the cruise nail idea demonstrated below.
34. Cruise Nails For Toes
If you’re looking for cruise nail designs for toes, then this anchor nail on the big toe with the rest painted in dark blue is a good option. Go for any other shade of blue or pink or any of your favorite colors to recreate this design.
35. Chic & Minimal
Clean lines to create a floral effect on an otherwise nude base is the perfect cruise nail idea for minimalist lovers. With a steady hand, you can DIY this look at home. This would also look gorgeous on a light beige base if you want to switch things up a bit.
36. Unique One!
The lighthouse and boat elements remind you of your time on the cruise and the beautiful pitstops you will make on your way. To DIY, search nautical nail stickers to get this design, but to get the same element, you might have to get the help of a professional nail artist!
37. Midnight Blue with a Side of Glitter
Beach-inspired manis don’t always have to be bright and pastel, they can be dark and mystical as well. Capturing this essence is the next cruise nail design on the list, with a dazzling midnight blue color and an accent nail featuring gold glitter in abundance.
38. A Stunning Cruise Nail Design
If you want your nail design to completely give away your next adventure, then opt for these stunning cruise ship nails. With cruise time motifs, tickets, coconut, and a ship motif, this manicure set is playful and impressive to sport!
39. Brighten Up
Diagonal manicures are really easy to execute. All you need are two or three colors of your choice and some glitter or pearls for embellishments. Start by designating a space for each color and painting the block. You can put a tape on the rest of the areas to prevent them from getting spoilt. If you’re a beginner, then sticking to two colors is better than three!
40. Let The 3-D Rule!
The 3-D seashell nails are a work of art! They also come widely as press-on stickers, but if you want to recreate them, then sticking to an expert nail curator is a must. When it comes to 3-D, it’s also best to go through reviews and portfolio before booking your appointment at a nail studio, because not all nail salons can achieve them.
41. Oh-So Feminine
Take the cruise vibes up a notch by blending sea-inspired elements with floral motifs and a soothing light blue shade. Opting for a soft color makes this a perfect set for a cruise holiday!
42. Waves & Pearls
This cruise nail design features waves on the cuticle and an iridescent haze on the top. With romantic pearl details, this wave-inspired set serves major Little Mermaid vibes.
43. French-Tip Cruise Nail Design
This isn’t your average take on the salon classic. These French tips featuring waves fade down the cuticle for a beautiful ombre effect. With its ingenuity and creative appeal, it’s the work of a professional, and we would definitely leave it to a trained manicurist to recreate them for you!
44. Simple Yet Aesthetic
If you’re a fan of all things basic and minimalist, then this manicure radiates your style. With a simple sky blue shade on a nail length that’s functional, they are sophisticated and chic. And you can sport any lighter shade of blue you have to exude this vibe!
45. Nails on Margarita!
We love how the next cruise nail design steers away from the typical blue and uses yellow to set the tone for the holiday and yet captures the vibrant aura of a cruise holiday! A picture like this showcasing your nail design is a must for the social media – and for the memories.
