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Cruise Etiquette - Major Faux Pas???

Izzblizz

By Izzblizz,
in First Time Cruisers

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Izzblizz

Izzblizz

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As a first time cruiser, are there any major etiquette breaches that one could unintentially commit? (other than the obvious like being outride rude/obnoxious etc.)

 

Was there ever anything you saw a "cruise newbie" do that was a major faux pas?

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Leesie6351

Leesie6351

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As a first time cruiser, are there any major etiquette breaches that one could unintentially commit? (other than the obvious like being outride rude/obnoxious etc.)

 

Was there ever anything you saw a "cruise newbie" do that was a major faux pas?

 

on our antartica cruise, the newbies (although same rudeness was also shown by multi-cruisers) tended to hog tables in the buffet area so they could spend hours sitting and watching the beautiful scenery; don't hog lounges by the pool by leaving a towel or personal item on it and then disappearing for hours; don't save seats in the theatre for shows; don't sit at a table for 8 or 10 and never say a word to your tablemates.

 

LOL-- just follow normal courtesies and you'll be fine. Have a wonderful trip.;)

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johneeo

johneeo

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As a first time cruiser, are there any major etiquette breaches that one could unintentially commit? (other than the obvious like being outride rude/obnoxious etc.)

 

Was there ever anything you saw a "cruise newbie" do that was a major faux pas?

 

For dinner, be on time.

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Izzblizz

Izzblizz

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All seems pretty common sense. Except for the boat/ship thingy. But I will try not to use "boat". :) (people make fun of my northern accent when I say "boat" anyway, so better to say ship).

 

Sometimes people develop a culture and you might not know all the "unspoken rules" until you breach one. So just checking for common things newbies might do.

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CruiseVacationQueen

CruiseVacationQueen

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As a first time cruiser, are there any major etiquette breaches that one could unintentially commit? (other than the obvious like being outride rude/obnoxious etc.)

 

Was there ever anything you saw a "cruise newbie" do that was a major faux pas?

 

Just the fact that you are asking this question tells me that you are a courteous person. I can't think of any rule of etiquette that applies only to cruise ships, just use your every-day manners and you will be just fine! :) But I can think of a great tip: ignore the other passengers who may not be as courteous as you... and have a great cruise! Wish I could be there to see all your "oohs and ahhs" as you explore the ship! I love cruising with newbies... then again, I just love cruising!!! Happy sailing!

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Izzblizz

Izzblizz

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When you go to muster/ship drill, DON'T put on your life vest until told to do so, and DO NOT under any circumstances blow the whistle:eek:

 

Jan

 

errr ... what whistle? Do we get whistles with our life jackets?

 

(or do I have to wait until muster to find this out?)

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Izzblizz

Izzblizz

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Oh! always wait for the elevator to empty...stand to the side, before trying to enter. I don't think that the majority of people that do this are rude, just excited to get to the next "thing". But please allow those to get out. Thanks, Jan

 

Oh! I HATE when people do that at any type of tourist attraction, building, etc. It is like I know you are in a hurry, but actually, you could get on FASTER if you move aside, instead of creating mayhem. Doesn't even make sense!

 

Oh and people hiking uphill have the right of way (ok, that is totally off topic, but reminds me of the same thing, lol).

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Aquahound

Aquahound

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Oh! always wait for the elevator to empty...stand to the side, before trying to enter. I don't think that the majority of people that do this are rude, just excited to get to the next "thing". But please allow those to get out. Thanks, Jan

 

This is something that seems to occur on every single cruise. I don't know what it is about people who can't figure this one out. It's not just a courtesy thing, but a matter of simple physics.

 

When you go to muster/ship drill, DON'T put on your life vest until told to do so, and DO NOT under any circumstances blow the whistle:eek:

 

What cruise lines still require life jackets? :confused:

 

Some cruisers get upset, to different degrees, when you call the ship a boat. They will tell you a boat goes on a ship.

 

Well, they shouldn't. By definition, all ships are boats. Just all boats are not ships. ;)

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travelgrl1278

travelgrl1278

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Remember that your first meal on board is not your last! There is no need to push, shove, fill 6 plates for one person...they have more food on board and aren't going to run out...

 

On our first cruise we headed to the Windjammer (Royal Caribbean) for lunch and literally got pushed by this lady behind us at the salad bar, I'm not blowing this story out of proportion...my friend almost fell this lady shoved into her so hard (we weren't holding up the line or anything, there were just 3000 people trying to eat). When I turned around to ask why she felt the need to shove into us (which caused us to bump into the people in front of us), this one person somehow had 6 PLATES full of food and acted like she had never eaten before. I tried to give her the benefit of doubt that she maybe had kids/elderly that she was also getting food for, until she sat down at a table right near us and proceeded to eat the entire 6 plates herself. She was extremely rude to the staff, it was horrible. I heard her say to a staff member, "I hope you do a better job the rest of the week then you all did in here today, the lines were horrible and the staff was useless"...that was the final straw for me, I'm not a person to keep my mouth shut, so I turned around and asked her if she planned on acting like a spoiled child the entire trip, because if so she may want to look into not being around people...she got up in a huff and stormed off. The staff memeber grinned. I saw her a couple of other times that trip and she seemed to still be acting like the spoiled child...but at least I felt better that I said something when she was being rude to the people who work so hard! I should mention this woman wasn't a child by any stretch...she was easily 50+ years old...who acts like that!

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griffy116

griffy116

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You are always going to see a chair hog, or a rude person in the WJ. I think it's just inevitable that you get a percentage of these on any cruise ship or at any resort. We still laugh about the first time my SIL agreed to go on a cruise. He was in the Navy for many years and had spent much of his time at sea on a ship. Everytime we tried to get him to go, he would say, "been there, done that." He wouldn't believe that it would be different, in spite of the photos and things we tried to tell him. Prior to our cruise, we overheard him telling my Dad, very quietly, to eat everything he could on the first few days. He said that toward the end of the trip, there would be terrible and food that didn't go together because they would be running out of the "good stuff." He's quite slim, works out religiously, but can hold TONS of food. Our first trip to the WJ, he inhaled everything in site. He must have eaten 6 plates of food. At dinner the first night, he ordered 3 entrees. He kept encouraging my Dad to order more. My daughter was appalled and kept trying to tell him that the "good stuff" would still be available at the end of the cruise. In spite of going to the gym and running every day, he gained 4 lbs during the cruise and never admitted that he was wrong. He loves to cruise but still has a hard time admitting he loves it. We had some major problems with our next scheduled cruise, got together to discuss the possibility of cancelling and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "I still want to go on the cruise. I'm not cancelling. I'm going" He still eats like it was his last meal but he's toned it down significantly and at least he's a "polite" cruiser and doesn't elbow people out of his way. We know he's bragged about it to co-workers because he's asked me several times for the name and number of our TA because co-workers are thinking about a cruise vacation.

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kitty9

kitty9

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Do not show up for dinner more than 5 minutes late. I've been on cruises where tablemates were more than 30 minutes late and it was not good.

 

If you're going to an alternate restaurant or dining in your cabin one evening, let your tablemates know so they don't wait too long for you to show up.

 

When walking down those narrow hallways, and you come upon others walking towards you, always go single file and not take up the whole space.

 

Use manners in the buffet. Everyone will always get enough to eat, so pushing and shoving to get that hard roll is not nice. Also, you can go back to the buffet as many times as you want, so you really don't need to pile food on your dish as tall as the Empire State Building.

 

If you have kids, do not allow them to run around and twirl on the dance floor at night when the adults are trying to dance. I've seen more than one couple fall due to these kids on dance floors.

 

Even if the meal is really great, do not lick your plate after the meal. Yes, I've had tablemates that have done this. So weird.

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Izzblizz

Izzblizz

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Even if the meal is really great, do not lick your plate after the meal. Yes, I've had tablemates that have done this. So weird.

 

Hahahaha! Now, I have heard the *expression*, so good I licked my plate clean, but have never seen anyone literally DO it!!! Too funny!

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kathywin53

kathywin53

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Just an observation.

If there is a big group of people waiting for the elevators, late comers should let those who have been standing around on first and wait for the next elevator. So many people just rush up and dart into the elevator without any wait time.

It is also OK for big groups to split up into different lifts and meet at assigned areas rather than packing an elevator.

I my opinion limited mobility gets priority. I often take the stairs and DH with hip issues takes the elevator. I get one more dessert that way too:D

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Marie51

Marie51

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Umm ... All of them?

 

SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) requires them.

 

Charlie

 

On my recent cruise we were not required to bring life jackets to the drill. Another thing that bothers me is when people put their room service trays in the hall. The halls are narrow and the trays could be a safety hazard as people could trip on them. Also it is just plain unsightly to look at left over food on the floor.

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AZNative2000

AZNative2000

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Another thing that bothers me is when people put their room service trays in the hall. The halls are narrow and the trays could be a safety hazard as people could trip on them. Also it is just plain unsightly to look at left over food on the floor.

 

This is so true! It also makes it very difficult to maneuver a wheelchair in the hallway. When you are done with your tray, just call room service to pick it up.:)

 

Again, another difference between cruising and being in a hotel.

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