On every cruise I’ve been on, the crew members have always been friendly and helpful. They are paid to do their job and so it has to be that way.
At the same time, passengers must also do their part.
It is important to show respect for those who are working and maintain proper behavior on the ship.
Sometimes passengers do things they shouldn’t do, and that crew members hate to see.
In this article, I have collected 10 behaviors that should definitely be avoided.
1. Entering the cabin when it is not yet ready
On days when there are many embarkations, cabin stewards have to clean a large amount of cabins.
Therefore, if you get on the ship early, your cabin may not be ready.
If there is still someone cleaning it, try not to get in their way.
Simply leave your backpacks and go for a walk to explore the ship.
When you come back you will have plenty of time to unpack and sort out all your things.
2. Flushing things down the toilet
The toilet on a cruise works completely differently than in our homes.
If you have been on a ship before, you may have noticed that the flush works by suction.
Therefore, you should not flush anything down the toilet except the toilet paper that is provided by the cruise line.
Don’t throw anything else, not even tissues. I assure you that a blocked drain on cruises is a big problem and requires several people to fix it.
3. Flirting with crew members
Cruise lines have very strict rules regarding romantic approaches on cruises.
Crew members cannot, under any circumstances, filter with passengers and cannot accept advances from them.
It is very easy to get fired for these things, so avoid putting workers at risk with these behaviors, even if you just do it as a joke.
4. Failure to comply with the emergency drill
Emergency drills are mandatory for all cruise ship passengers.
Therefore, when you board, you must complete the drill or you will receive a notice in your cabin.
To avoid staff coming after you, complete the drill as soon as possible so that you are free to enjoy your vacation.
5. Asking inappropriate things
Sometimes you may find yourself conversing with people who work on cruise ships.
Although many of them like to talk to guests, try to avoid asking them prying or overly personal questions.
For example, avoid asking them about their salary or their personal life.
You can talk about their experience aboard cruise ships and the things to see during the itinerary.
You will be surprised to hear that the best advice I got was from those who worked on the ships.
6. Leaving the cabin too messy
Cabin attendants are paid to tidy up and clean your cabin.
However, this does not mean that you have to leave your cabin very messy or dirty.
As you can see in the photo above, some people left quite a mess: clothes on the floor and items everywhere. It will be impossible for a cabin attendant to clean everything properly this way.
7. Asking to cheat with drink packages
The other rules that cruise lines are very strict about are those regarding beverage packages.
According to the terms and conditions, unlimited beverage packages are strictly personal and cannot be shared.
Therefore, do not ask a bartender to make you extra cocktails to share with someone else.
In doing so, you would also be putting the worker at risk, because they are required to monitor these behaviors. I’ve already explained this in the article where we talked about the only method to cheat Royal Caribbean drink packages.
8. Complaining about things out of their control
Unexpected events on a trip can always happen.
For example, during a cruise, a port of call can be canceled if the weather is bad and strong winds prevent the ship from docking.
In these cases, it is useless to blame the crew since these are things beyond their control. Instead, look for alternative activities to do. Just think that you can do over 50 different things on a cruise!
9. Addressing staff in a rude manner
Similarly, even if you have to make a complaint, remember to always make it politely.
You can go to the customer service desk and see what solutions they can offer you.
In case you are still unhappy with the treatment, at the end of the cruise, you can always send a formal complaint to the cruise line by email or written letter.
10. Failure to abide by the ship’s rules
Modern cruise ships carry thousands of people; it would be impossible not to have rules for proper harmony among everyone.
Before your departure, find out about your cruise line’s rules and stick to them.
In case you do not comply with them you may be reprimanded by a staff member. In this case, do not take it personally, it is just his or her job to supervise the welfare of all passengers.
