In general, cruising is a laid-back atmosphere. Everyone is there to have a good time, enjoy the sunshine, and relax away from it all.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t step on any toes. In fact, cruising puts you in some unique situations that are different from anywhere else you might experience. After all, where else do you take 4,000 strangers and put them all together in one space for an entire week? In that case, there’s bound to be some different interactions people don’t normally encounter and moments where you might commit faux pas without realizing.
The good news? With a little common sense and awareness of what’s considered rude, you don’t have to worry about accidentally committing any of these faux pas, whether it’s your first cruise or your fiftieth.
Stiffing the Staff on Gratuities
If there’s one thing you don’t do on a cruise, it’s elect to stiff the crew. It’s well-known that the crew works extremely hard and for relatively little pay compared to what many people would consider.
Their wages are supplemented by gratuities (also known as service charges on some lines) paid by passengers. These charges are either prepaid or applied to your account once on the ship.
The charges take care of tipping across the ship, so once onboard you don’t have to dish out bucks to anyone who helps you (the only exceptions are extra services like at the bar or the spa). Still, if you want, you are allowed to remove the gratuity charges with a visit to Guest Services.
Some people do this with the intention of hand-paying people like the waitstaff and room steward. Others simply do it because they don’t like the amounts charged or disagree that cruise lines charge the fee.
What you shouldn’t do is not tip altogether. The gratuities you pay are a part of the compensation for the staff on the ship — including people that you don’t even see that work behind the scenes.
Being Loud in the Hallways (Day or Night)
It’s a cruise, so you’re expected to let loose a little. Have that drink, cut it up with your friends, enjoy yourself. But you also need to be aware of others around you. And there are a lot of others.
On the pool deck? Sure, have a good (and loud) time. When you’re walking down the hallways, however, be a bit quieter. Given the number of people on the ship, there’s always going to be some people trying to relax in the quiet of their room whether you’re walking by at midnight or noon.
While the walls of your cruise cabin are fairly soundproof, the doors seem to let sounds through easily. Anyone being loud in the halls can be clearly heard and if you’re trying to sleep or just have a quiet moment, then the noise can feel quite rude.
Taking the Elevator One Floor
On a modern cruise ship there can be upwards of 20 decks. So yes, you will spend a lot of time taking the elevator.
But there is one time when taking that elevator is considered a major faux pas.
Given the number of decks, elevators can get busy. At peak times they can be completely full and the wait to catch one can take a long time.
That’s why it’s considered rude to call an elevator and only take it for a single deck. Elevator banks are always located next to stairwells and honestly, it’s much faster to just take the stairs. In addition, that’s one less stop for everyone else as well.
If you have a legit reason why you can’t take a single flight of stairs, then by all means, use the elevator. But if you’re able-bodied, take the stairs.
Impeding Others Trying to Get Around the Ship
Another faux pas that’s often committed on a cruise is not anything people do maliciously, but there are just some people that aren’t very aware of their surroundings it seems.
With thousands of people on the ship, it’s going to get busy. Even if it’s not shoulder-to-shoulder, if you’re headed anywhere onboard, it’s doubtful you’ll be alone when in a public space. That’s why you want to be aware of others — especially when walking down busy hallways.
For instance, if you want to stop with your family and figure out where you’re headed to next (a common occurrence on a cruise with so much going on), don’t just stop in the middle of a hallway to discuss as others have to go around.
If you’re taking a leisurely stroll on the top deck, don’t do it two or three people wide in the middle of the jogging track in the morning.
It’s important to have some general awareness of the other people on the ship.
Grabbing Buffet Food With Your Hands
There are faux pas when it comes to health on a cruise. Having so many people all sharing a ship means that you should be on your best behavior when it comes to covering coughs and washing hands.
But one thing we’ve personally seen (and been horrified by!) is something that you’d hopefully never do… touch public food with your bare hands.
This comes into play in the buffet. If a dish is already plated, then it’s perfectly fine to grab the plate and take it. But if it’s not, then there will be tongs there for you to serve yourself. Grabbing and touching food directly? No way.
Foul Language Around the Ship
The final faux pas on our list is something we’ve noticed creep in over the years and on a cruise, it can be a big deal.
Frankly, the language we all (ourselves included) are comfortable using in public seems to have gone downhill. Whether at a store or a restaurant or any other public space, you can often hear things said that you might not ever hear 10-20 years ago.
On a cruise, it can be an issue given how you’re in close proximity to other passengers. As adults, it may be no big deal. You should know, however, that there are almost always kids within earshot on many cruises. So unless you’re saying it quietly enough that nobody else can hear, some things are better left unsaid.
