Some cruise etiquette slip-ups are obvious, like chair hogging. Others are much more subtle, and plenty of cruisers have no idea they’re doing something that drives crew and fellow passengers a little crazy.
I’ve been guilty of one of these myself, unintentionally, and I’ll admit it further down.
If you want more etiquette tips like this one, my post on 13 things cruise passengers do that drive people crazy is a great companion read. Here are nine things crew members notice every single time.
In Your Cabin and the Theater
A couple of these mistakes happen behind closed doors or in the dark, which is exactly why so many cruisers don’t realize they’re doing them.
1. Bringing Your Own Toilet Paper
Cruise ship toilet paper isn’t the softest in the world, but there’s a real reason for that. Regular toilet paper from home, and especially wipes, can clog the cruise ship’s plumbing system and cause backups into cabins and hallways.
That’s a mess nobody wants, least of all the crew who have to deal with the cleanup. If you’re curious about other cabin habits to avoid, my post on things to never do in your cruise cabin covers more of these unspoken rules.
2. Using Flash Photography During Shows
Most cruise theaters allow photos but ask that you turn off your flash. I’ll admit I did this by accident during a show, sitting in the second or third row no less, and the flash went off before I even realized it happened.
It was embarrassing, and it’s definitely not something you want to do to the cast or the other guests around you. Double check that your flash is off before you sit down for any performance.
At Guest Services and the Pool
These next two mistakes tend to happen in the more public, high traffic parts of the ship.
3. Complaining About Weather, Rough Seas, or a Missed Port
It’s completely fair to raise a genuine problem with Guest Services, and that’s exactly what they’re there for. What frustrates the crew is when passengers line up to complain about something entirely out of their control, like the captain skipping a port due to rough seas.
When a port gets missed, the crew has to scramble to plan new activities for an unplanned sea day. The cruise line also loses revenue from refunding shore excursions, so yelling at Guest Services about it doesn’t help anyone.
4. Chair Hogging
Reserving a pool deck chair with a towel or flip-flops and then disappearing for hours is the number one cruise pet peeve, and crew members have to deal with the fallout just as much as other passengers. There’s some leeway, usually 30 to 40 minutes, before crew start attaching notes to unattended chairs or removing items altogether.
If you know you won’t need a chair until after lunch, it’s best not to reserve it at all. For a few clever ways to still land a great spot by the pool, check out my post on outsmarting chair hogs on a cruise ship.
In the Dining Room and at the Bar
Dining and drinking come with their own set of unspoken rules, and a couple of them surprised me the first time I learned about them.
5. Stacking Your Dishes
It might feel like you’re helping the wait staff by stacking your plates once you’re finished eating, but crew members have shared that this actually doesn’t help at all. Most of us just aren’t very good stackers, and it can also make servers look like they’re not doing their job when a supervisor is watching.
Instead, the polite way to signal you’re finished is to place your fork and knife together and gently push your plate away. My post on cruise dining etiquette rules has more tips like this one for the main dining room and specialty restaurants.
6. Over Drinking
Crew members have a responsibility to stop serving guests who have clearly had too much, even if those guests paid for a drink package and want to get their money’s worth. It’s frustrating for the crew, and it’s just as unpleasant for other passengers nearby.
On a recent cruise, a passenger sat down next to my husband and me, already a bit over served and upset with someone else. When the bartender brought her another drink, she took the garnish and dropped it straight into my husband’s glass, so we made a quick and quiet exit from that table.
Around the Ship
These last few mistakes come up in everyday interactions with crew members all over the ship.
7. Skipping Hand Washing and Sanitizer Stations
Crew members have to remind passengers constantly to wash their hands or use sanitizer before entering the buffet, and it’s a job nobody enjoys. Illnesses like norovirus spread easily in close quarters, so this small habit matters for everyone onboard.
My post on tips to avoid getting sick on a cruise has more ways to stay healthy for your entire sailing.
8. Asking Crew Members About Their Salary
It’s become surprisingly common for passengers to ask crew members how much they earn, even though most of us would never ask a stranger the same question on land. It simply isn’t polite, no matter how curious you are about life working on a cruise ship.
9. Not Being on Time
Showing up late for a shore excursion affects everyone else in your group and the tour guide waiting on you. Many specialty restaurants now cancel reservations, and some even charge a fee, if you arrive more than 15 minutes late.
Cruise ships and their partners run on tight schedules, so being on time isn’t just polite, it keeps everyone else’s day on track too. If timing on port days worries you, my post on reasons cruise passengers get left behind in port is worth a read before you disembark.
Final Thoughts
Most of these mistakes come from not knowing the unwritten rules rather than any bad intentions. A little awareness goes a long way toward making the cruise better for the crew and for everyone sailing around you.
Have you noticed any of these on your own cruises, or caught yourself doing one unintentionally? I’d love to hear about it, happy cruising!