11 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise

It’s one thing to reserve a collection of deck chairs around the pool if you are away for a short period of time to grab some food or enjoy the pool or waterslides. However, saving empty loungers for extended periods of the day as a home base for other activities is greedy, especially on ships where they are relatively limited.

A cruise ship is a safe place to get a little tipsy and relax accordingly, but as anywhere in the world, it’s still a good idea to keep your wits about you enough to securely navigate the vessel and harmonize with others. Drunken debauchery can only lead to trouble, and no one wants trouble while on vacation. So, know your limits, and drink responsibly.

Cruises are remarkably inclusive affairs, but things are still priced outside the base fare on certain lines, like gratuities and shore excursions. It’s always wise to know what extras are ahead of time and budget accordingly so as not to be surprised once onboard. There’s nothing worse than receiving a lofty bill at the end of the cruise for unexpected expenses.

It’s a rare occurrence, but from time to time cruise ships must forego a scheduled port, often due to weather restrictions. This is for safety reasons, and there is nothing that the cruise line can do. Sometimes, the ship may offer some form of compensation, but it is not contractually required. In such cases, it’s best to take advantage of the additional time onboard to enjoy the ship’s activities.

The spread of germs on cruise ships can easily be prevented with the help of every individual passenger. All that is required is for guests to regularly wash their hands, particularly after using the restroom. Failure to do so is how coronavirus becomes more prevalent onboard. Truth is, such outbreaks are often not the fault of the cruise ship, but the passengers’.

Another biggie in the defense against onboard sickness should be an obvious thing not to do, but it still happens far too often: eating in the buffet line. Worse yet, sometimes guests serve food with their bare hands. Common sense should tell anyone to avoid both actions, but if not, let this be the warning.

Onboard, I often joke in the cadence of Dos Equis’ The Most Interesting Man in the World, “I don’t always have a family conference, but when I do, I make sure it’s at the foot of the passenger stairwells.” There’s nothing more annoying than fellow passengers blocking the flow of traffic through a thoroughfare — stairs, a passageway, elevator entrance, or otherwise — by simply stopping in the middle, without concern for others. Please do not be those people.

If you decide to do your own thing on shore when docked, and don’t make it back for the allotted departure time, the ship may just leave without you. As tempting as it may be to explore on your own, your best bet is to go on an excursion sponsored by the cruise ship, or to simply stay close to the ship so you can guarantee you will be back on board in time for departure. Trying to figure out how to get to the next port will not be an easy task, so you do not want to be abandoned.

Unless you have a cell phone plan that includes roaming data, forgetting to turn it off will leave you with a hefty bill when you come home. Most cruise ships have WiFi, so there is no need to keep your data turned on. If you want to have it for days you are on shore, check with your provider and purchase an international data plan, which is usually quite affordable and will be cheaper than raking up the extra charges.

If you’re worried about getting sea sick, book a room in the middle of the ship- that is where there is less movement when the water is choppy. A lower deck will also help with any rocking when the sea is choppy.

Surge protectors are not allowed on most cruises because of the potential fire hazard. If you are worried about having enough outlets to charge all of your devices, make sure you get a cruise approved power strip before you embark.