8 Unwritten Cruise Ship Rules You Must NEVER break! 

That’s always been the unwritten rule for every elevator I’ve ever used. You always have assholes that think they are more important than the rest of everyone around them but they are the delusional small percentage of people (unfortunately it is a stat that has been climbing over the years).

Pandemic made people forget how to use an elevator, seriously

100% agree. The amount of people who jump in front of myself and my wife in town. She needs a wheelchair/mobility scooter when out and about

YES!

Yes! So many people don't get this...

Thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking 🤔.

Everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten

Lol

Well it is a conversation starter. It will work well if you have ascertained they have a similar view😊, otherwise not so much.

That's when you smile sweetly, and pretend you didn't hear them/know their language. My relatives bait me like that. I refuse the Bair. I'd never be rude to a stranger, but those topics never go well. Lol

AMEN. #9 Don,t chat politics

😂

Our cabin is always kept really tidy too and we'd often just say not to worry about the turn down service to save the attendants some time

Your parents raised you right and glad to see teens being respectful

I'd be so embarrassed to have my cabin dirty. Also so glad to hear of you teens being respectful. Unfortunately I have seen on a few cruises where teens have been a bit obnoxious so it's awesome that you guys know how to act better than even some adults do.

I’m concerned about the wheelchair/scooter and elevator issue. My dad is unable to walk more than a few steps and has issues with being passive if people were to cut in front. Any suggestions how to handle this?

Gotta keep those small places tidy! I have developed a heart condition and I’m not to get my heart rate up if at all avoidable. (Can’t wait to get it fixed!) Under normal circumstances we use the stairs. The elevators are just too hard! I hated having to use them on our last cruise.

"I'm allowed to lose 10% of you" , That's FANTASTIC!! LOL!

Furtively looking at the rest of the group while doing quick calculations to figure out how many people equals 10%...

LOL!

As an Australian, I wouldn’t have gotten off the bus. You know how laid back we are. And talkative. I’d see the bus drive off before I even got 5m from it. 🤣

@@marissabishop1833 head count!

I have a question, if you have a moment. Regarding cash tips, is it common to leave them? Is it viewed as strange to do so when they are also included in the fare? (Especially for someone like a cabin steward or waitstaff that personally helps you and you'd like to thank them. )

Same

@@Shayna11NM Not strange IMHO. We always thank our stewards with an envelope (extra tip) along with a genuine "Thank You"! While the crew may think of the included tips as part of their budget, anything added is a bonus. We've also "gifted" any other crew member that made our vacation better. :-)

@@Shayna11NM I cruise in Holland America. Even when tips are included many people still give cash to those who they interacted with. I give $2 anytime I get room service. I also tip the bar tenders and waiters and I especially tip my cabin stewards. They all work so hard and are trying to make better lives for their families!

@@LRP2023 Same here only cruise line I have been with is Thompson now renamed TUI and change the name of the cruise arm to Marella (not been on them since 2013 due to home caring for my inlaws till they passed away the last yr) BUT even before they went AL across the fleet tips were included in the price of your cruise BUT we ALLWAYS gave a cash tip to our cabin steward/stewardess, bar staff in the usual place we went to be it a lounge or bar overlooking the pool area, AND (depending on the dining situation we always sat at the same table so had same staff) we tipped our wine waiter and serving staff on the last night of the cruise .... They don't expect it from everyone as I said tips are included with Marella in the price you pay BUT we ALLWAYS used to give that extra tip in cash at the end of the cruise as an extra cause they normally do look after you so well ..VERY rarely we ain't left the staff that looks after us an extra tip! they all work so hard with very little time off so even though so-called tips are included in the price of your cruise ( just how much each crew member gets I don't have the foggiest) so that little personal extra tip does mean a great deal to them! I know a lot of cruise lines charge you so much per day gratuities on top of your cruise ....MY late departed father-in-law actually led a revolt on the QE 2 and refused to pay it ..saying he wanted to tip the staff that had given good service ect and not pay the daily charge they put on per person, etc he complained and about 50 other passengers followed his lead NOT a good day for Cunard 🤣 MInd you i wouldn't have argued with him being a career army retired Major!

Best service we had was on marella cruises. I use a portable scooter to get around and every night it was whisked away when I transfered to my seat. Nothing was too much trouble. One day one of the waiters charged off on my scooter to get our starters, he called it 'meals on wheels' a lovely young man who looked like deli Ali, the footballer, the rest of our table staff were equally helpful. Recommend Marella for the service and personality. Was open dining but the maitre d always tried to get us on the same table and never had to wait longer than 10 minutes. I thought the dining experience was better on marella than on p & o Britannia the year after it came into service

Your bartender is someone that can give you a lot of information that isn't normally known...

Do all of the crew members get a bonus if you name them in a survey?

@@hollyb7981 I do think Gary did mention something in that regard. Also, the crew does mention it towards the end of the cruise, so, logically they are rewarded for that.

I always find it incredible how they remember passengers names/stories etc.. I struggle at times to remember people's names when I've just met them. I guess it becomes a practiced skill, and is in their best interest. I have found (and I've no means been on too many cruises), that most of the staff that go the extra mile, remember names etc... Are genuinely kind and caring people who enjoy their job, and they deserve the tips they earn.

I had an experience like that with a bar waiter. When I boarded a cruise a year after the first one, he spotted me first night out, came over, addressed me by name, and he remembered my favourite drink order! This was in 2015, long before there were any apps that would help crew with such things.

And- in my experience- they are SO NICE! Fun to talk to and good listeners. I don’t know if it’s just good customer service and their job, but I really like them.

We went on an MSC cruise in South Africa and the pool towels were a different colour than the bathroom ones (orange instead of white), if you took it to the pool you had to return it to the cabin to avoid being charged for a missing towel. If you didn't take the one from your room but instead took one from the kiosk by the pool they booked it to your room so you would get charged for it if it wasn't returned. Its a simple idea but really encourages people to not leave them all over the loungers for fear of being charged for it.

german tourists securing new Lebensraum XD

I brought my own pool towel from home. I never used the ones from the cabin.

You must have been on it for the first or second cruise down in the Carribean/Bahamas area. I was on it for its last New England cruise 10/29-11/5, assuming it would take about a week to reposition from NYC down that way.

That goes with the most important unwritten rule have fun and don’t be an asshole.

Good for you. This is a complaint that I keep to myself. As many questionnaires I have filled out. Not one has ever got back to me and commented on my survey. Not talking about cruise, just in general.

...I would be a tad worried about the amount of different spices that could be used ... a pinch of Chile powder is one thing a Tablespoon of Chile powder ... is quite another thing altogether ...

@@willgaukler8979 We had already established our spiciness preference, which is closer to traditional Indian food than North American Indian food.

Sit down and allow your partner to get a plate then serve yourself

As a Solo cruiser on the RARE occasion I use a ship’s buffet, I sit my day bag on an empty chair with a note on the table that I am getting food and will be right back. Yes, I carry a laminated page with that note. Sad, but necessary. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I come back and find my things thrown on the floor and somebody sitting in the chair. One major reason I nearly always eat at the MDR or a venue where I am given a particular chair by staff to occupy.

@@atomicrancher3745 stand over the people who moved your bags and enjoy your food

Manners are never wasted.

I get that can be a tough time for some, but you are starting vacation! Start with your Vacation attitude and keep it going. I figure things many not go as planned, but I am not in my house in Ohio in Feb. May be they need to start serving fun drinks in the embarkation areas!

@@elizabethdazell4426 Couldn't t agree more, booked cruise Nov 2023, I'm so determined to enjoy it even if I hate it.

​@@elizabethdazell4426 Could you tell us which cruise you're taking in February? Because I sure don't want to be on there with your Vacation attitude of "Me First, Screw the World." And your idea of fun drinks during embarkation renders the muster exercise useless. Even though it's YOUR vacation, you should know what to do in case of an emergency. Believe it or not, this isn't an amusement park ride. You are out in real seas with real potential danger. I don't know how much you've been around the ocean but it's no joke when things go wrong. I hope you have fun but I really hope you learn how to be a good human.

@@alaskachick7315 Genuinely interested, from what part of her comment did you get that Elizabeth was being selfish? Cuz I do believe she was referring to other guests, not staff. Her definition of vacation attitude apparently being that you should be nice and cheery even if can all get a little stressful at times and things can go wrong. Sounds like proper human skills to me.🤷

Let the ship leave his late ass one time, he’ll move differently I bet

Probly bioks excursions with the line only so he won't be left​@JacquelynLevy

I think that's fine!

No, it makes you sensible. That's what my partner and I do, especially if the buffet area is busy.

We did something similar because we were traveling with kids. One parent and grandparents go with the older kids to help them get their food and somethings for the baby while the other parent stays at the table with the baby. Then grandparents can eat and supervise kids while parents get their food. A bit of a hassle, but better than giving the kids free reign of the buffet!

Also makes more sense, nothing is more annoying than people roaming around with plates and glasses in their hands, and there's always a chance they drop it. However as a German cruising with the German lines, buffet is the focus anyway and rules are slightly different

Agree with you wholeheartedly. That's what we do.

I dont like people touching my clothes but as a result I made sure to always be at the laundry room of the dorm like 10 minutes or so before my loads finished so I was there before it was finished so people knew I wasnt going to be gone for a while or were left waiting on my machines. If someone doesnt want their stuff touched they ought to ensure they are around before it finishes as somebody else may be waiting in line. I also checked the status of all the dryers before starting my wash load to ensure that I would always be guaranteed a free dryer to not have to worry about people who just left their laundry in teh machines for hours which I did see happen since I didnt want to touch somebody else's clothes either personally and then be confronted about it.

I really don’t care if people touch my laundry as a general rule. What bothers me, when someone folds my clothes wrong. I don’t have much space where I live and I need to fold my laundry so it fits where I store it. I have been very I’ll lately and my sister was kind enough to do my laundry. The problem was the majority had to be folded a second time. My towels have to be folded the same way you find towels folded in a hotel for example. I have a towel self much the same as ones you find in a hotel. My way allows me to store 3 towels wide per shelf, my sister’s way only two per shelf and the second one hangs off halfway. I am always a stickler to make shirts are right side out when being folded for storage, because being disabled, I don’t have any extra energy while getting dress to turn clothes right side out. I pass out if I expend myself. So I dislike looking at every item before putting away. I hate asking my sister to change her habits as she does this as a Good Samaritan and she is a busy person all the time, going out of her way to help others.

Seems like you were in a pretty nice house then. In all student houses I lived in, the rule generally was to wait 5 more minutes after a machine is done and then the clothes just get dumped on one of the tables in the room in whatever state they come out of the dryer or washing machine. That really did wonders to ensure people will be back when their machine is finished and would not just leave their stuff in there all day.

You are too nice. You should have thrown laundry on the floor.

I asked a flight attendant for something and started with excuse me...I also used please and thank you. She thanked me afterwards for approaching her and being so polite. It's sad that basic manners are something that a service person is thankful to hear, they should be standard.

Interesting. I never say "please", but I do ask politely and I always say "Thank you". "Please" just sounds unnecessarily extra to me.

@@ttdur8102 It never hurts and it takes no time. I always say it when in a foreign country before I ask for anything … because please (and thank you) are usually the only words I know in their language!

@@johnsrabe It definitely never hurts and takes no time. I just prefer not to and am still able to ask for things respectfully and sweetly. Being in a different country is a lot different as I'm restricted since I'm not fluent in their language. I've been in Korea for about 2 years and always say "please" and "thank you" as it's the only way i know how to express gratitude in their language. It's not the same when I'm interacting with people who speak my language.

I’m Canadian. I always say please and thank you automatically. I also apologize way too much. I’m sorry.

It is something a friend of mine in hospitality once told me!

@@tipsfortravellersI worked in hospitality for decades and this is an offensive take. If your friend did this, they are a terrible human being and it reflects poorly on you to call them friend.

Having children run around can be dangerous also.!, Such as on my last cruise in the end of 2018, I saw 10 year olds roughly, run around the corner and one ran into an elderly lady she fell and they didn’t even stop to see if she was OK. The parents were nowhere in sight.

This happened on the queen Mary two

My niece is 4 and knows how to behave, my parents, took me, my sister and brother in law and my niece (their grandchild) out for a meal a couple of weeks okay we went early around 6.30pm okay we were the only ones eating in the local restaurant but she sat still, praise the server for the food, and was allowed into the kitchen to thank the chefs , I don't remember me and my sister ran around the hotels during the evenings when we were children.

I saw adults doing exactly the same thing. 😱😱😱

@@AM-dr9qd Adults probably did this hotel we stayed in, the whole block we stayed in were awoken by a couple having an argument which lasted all night, think security were called as we could have screaming and cries of pains

Your Dad was a smart man!

That last sentence was funny as hell!

You’re the only other person I’ve come across that uses that saying! My gran used to use it.

I’ve been on a lot of cruises/tours and there is ALWAYS at least one couple that is dawdling and late. Very frustrating to the tour guide wherever you go.

We had somebody like that on a nile cruise, he was always bartering with the stall holders at the sites visited. Mind you he was great fun so you couldnt really take offence

And let the people who stood back to let people in enter the elevator.

I remember being in a hotel with my parents, some kids thought it was okay to put their hands in the ice cream bowl , I much prefer the staff to serve us if we want ice-cream, I been on cruises where the staff have done this.

There was a restaurant chain in Australia called Sizzlers (no longer in operation). It was buffet style and at the dessert bar they had a soft serve ice cream dispenser that you could fill an ice cream cone or add some to your dessert.I remember once they had to close it for the rest of that meal service as one child decided to open his mouth under the dispenser and pull the the lever. Children should always be supervised at a buffet.

I saw a guy testing the freshness of multiple slices of bread on a cruise buffet. I told him to take one or move along. He told me he wasn't hungry, but just curious as to the softness of the bread!!! I told a staff member what happened and they removed the whole tray of bread and dumped it (I saw them bin it). They said that they were so tired of people doing things like that as it was such a waste of food.

So true! On our last cruise in October (Enchanted Princess New England cruise) I learned a few Serbian words to greet for our Platinum/Elite Lounge host and she was bowled over that I learned these few words just for her that afternoon. Same with our Ukrainian junior waiter - I greeted him with a hearty “Yak Spravy!” (How are you?). And his smile was the biggest I’ve seen in ages! At the end of the meal, at dessert, he didn’t have to ask, I chirped “kava, bud’ laska!” (Coffee please) and he was just so pleased with the attention.

Of course, if you do that when there are any Social Justice Warriors in the vicinity, they will dress you down for "cultural appropriation." 🤣🤣🤣 Of course, that's one of the great thing about cruises is that very few Woke Morons go on them, and Trumptards are more interested in enjoying their vacations than preaching the Gospel of MAGA....and even the members of the wokest group of all, college students, pretty much just want to hang out together and drink. It makes for a very enjoyable vacation. Especially, the lack of Snowflakes.

Stunned by the narrowness of @@russs7574 . Honestly, I shouldn’t be, as he sounds like the typical white make ‘Murican. The rest of the world “loves” you, Russ. 🙄

... I have asked then taken a cell picture to include their name tag for the correct spelling ... later you can mention them by name on after cruise reviews ... can be very helpful for that crew member ...

I speak Spanish I always say Bonjour to them

Maybe some kind of reader on the chair that you scan with your room card. It would be an easier way of monitoring how long the chair has "invisible" or "thought" guest. 😁

Love this!!

Nice suggestion 👍

Nah. After 20 minutes, just throw whatever's on the chair overboard.

​@@rocketraccoon1976 hi

My husband is disabled and I get silverware and drinks and hold the table so he’s not wandering/stumbling/dropping food while looking for a table.

Oh, I hate thoseselfish and rude aholes...hope the Marie Antoinette got banned. What a twat.

Longshot: I would love some tea … and T.

That’s often true, since especially the Buffet area it’s very hard to find a table in certain times.

I don't think Gary is usually doing the buffet.

We have found this a problem sometimes, not enough 4 tables, sometimes, as there are three in our party, we tend to take it in turns to grab a bit of food before the rest of us up to grab some food for the buffet.

I agree

I agree, I just came back from a cruise with a party of 5, we used a general area as a meetings space around meals, everyone didn’t want the same food but we always wanted to sit together. Usually one person found a table and someone else from the group would grab their food or wait until others came back to go get their own. I think it worked well to establish this on day 1. Even if we went off to do other things we always knew where we could find everyone come meal time.

i could see this being an issue due to so many cruisers being elderly and having issues with their hearing. My father turns the TV up to unbearable levels just to hear normal dialogue. This is why I bought headphones for him to listen to the tv. But when traveling, a lot of people would have a problem. In other words, they may not be doing it on purpose.

@@catherinesanchez1185 I’m sure they weren’t doing it on purpose to annoy us. I did mention it to them and they made an effort to keep it lower.

​@@catherinesanchez1185 Oooo...what kind of headphones can you bring to listen to the wall-mounted TV?

How a person treats service staff anywhere says a LOT about their character.

The same goes for people who drag around the chairs on their balconies. I found that noise just about intolerable after 15 days on Norwegian transatlantic.

However, just a side note. On my recent transatlantic, my balcony door wouldn't stay where I put it. I always close it when I step outside, to help with the a/c. Every time the ship hit a wave, the door would slide open by itself, and then slam shut a moment later. Never had that experience before, and there were a few loud bangs before I figured out how to wedge the door shut with the balcony table, and then wedge the table in place with the chair i was sitting in. That finally solved the problem.

I hope you have a wonderful time! That will be really exciting🎉

... relax and just remember ship's time ... your on holiday time now ...

It is shocking that someone would even have to suggest that treating someone with respect is a good thing to do. You should treat everyone with respect until they give you a reason not to.

yeah if you don't get too drunk to start procrastinating isn't😂

They need to have a bar area next to the laundry room and the washer or dyer sends you a text message letting you know it is almost done. The bar is only open when the laundry room is open.

In Cleveland, Ohio back in the 70's I used a laundromat that had a connecting door to the tavern next door! What fun!

This is an awesome idea. Makes so much sense. It's sad that the responses you have received assume that anyone in a bar is automatically drunk thereby making your idea a bad one. Getting blasted is the problem, not this great idea.

Of course, it also assumes that everyone is interested in spending time in a bar.

worst case, pretend somebody else moved their junk 😜

oh god this one. People who lick their fingers are the grossest

Or dropping the utensils on the floor and not telling the staff so this can be replace.

OMG!

don't pull your chair up to the buffet and start digging in. sure it's convenient but it interferes with the other guests

It depends if you like being on a ship surrounded by thousands of strangers, sometimes very boisterous and loud strangers, and you can't get away from them. I like watching these videos, but they reaffirm I'm not going to go on a "typical" cruise, especially the very large ocean-going cruise ships. I'll stick to much more independent travel or a long stay at guest ranch where I can ride a horse every day out in the open country side.

I agree especially since I'm single

I didn’t know that rule about the desert take away, next time I do a dessert take away I’m going to have it with a hot tea back of my room and a good e-book possibly.

Agree :-)

I went on an 11-day Carnival cruise in 2019. I saw no uncivilized passengers. Everyone I met was mannerly and polyie

@@jacquelyns9709 That story is pretty difficult to believe, Jacquelyn . . . just saying.

@@miata1492 This was one of Carnival's Journeys cruises. It went from Galveston to do a Partial Transit of the Panama Canal. We had 5 sea Days on our way to the Panama Canal. We stopped in Costa Rica and Cozumel on the way back to Galveston. We had at least 2 more sea days out of the 11-day cruise. My sister and I didn't go to the casino and didn't hang out in the bars. I didn't see or hear any rowdy behavior. There were very few kids on board. This wasn't a low cost cruise. Lectures were well attended.

It is a definite competitive and brings out the worst in some!!!!

I think that sounds more like design mistake by cruise company. It really should be in area not next to cabins, but next to storage or supplies on all sides.

And as a solo traveler, I really appreciate sharing tables being available!

They aren’t for everyone. You either love them or you don’t. 13 cruises for me. They’re my favorite vacation.

Ditto, I ordered 3 lobster tails as well when I went on my cruise last month. If I cruise again I'll probably order a 4th to go lol.

@@bencalebrod I'm my experience, royal caribbean will say yes to anything you ask. It's great.

I ordered extra and then ashamedly had to admit I was full. I won't waste food next time!

I love the Water Babies character reference there but it's true

Not exactly unwritten, someone wrote it down in the Bible 😉 Matthew 7:12

I agree. My family will be taking our first family cruise, 2 adults and 7 children. We pretty much have to find a table, or a few near each other, before we get food or we'd end up split up.

There just aren’t enough table in the buffet. I don’t want to have my plates in my hands and no where to sit. I don’t agree with this rule. You can put your drink down go get one or two items, eat that and then go back for main course. Standing holding your plates with no where to sit for me is especially hard. I have severe pain in my feet and toes from severe arthritis. If you just look at me you wouldn’t know that.

I sit down and order my drink, then go up and get my food.

I travel with my sister a lot and the times where we could not get a table before we went to the buffet, we ended up wandering around not just looking for a table - but looking for each other. Sometimes we would even end up with two tables which is worse than grabbing one table before you go to the buffet!