Cruise Ship Etiquette (Yes, There Is Such A Thing)
Vacations are supposed to be a time of relaxing, letting your hair down (or keeping it in a damn ponytail 24/7) and generally doing what you want when you want. But. That doesn’t mean that you should be a menace to either other passengers or the staff that’s there to help you achieve vacation nirvana. I’m taking the time out of my busy schedule of eating sugar-free popsicles and thinking about showering to list a few important do’s and don’ts for cruise ships but really good ideas for life in general –cause that’s what I do!
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Don't wear a wife beater to dinner
Guys, it may seem like a reasonable idea to skip shaving, throw on an undershirt and call it an outfit but doing a Mickey Rourke impression at the Captains table is no one’s idea of proper etiquette. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie but a shirt would be nice.
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Tipping is caring
Most ships make tipping easy for you by listing out the proper tips for the right people so you can do it all at the end of your trip. But please don’t skip this even though it’s technically “optional.” Not crashing the ship into an iceberg is technically "optional" too but we’re all depending on the captain to do the right thing. Same for you.
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Keep an eye on the kiddos
Cruises have great clubs for the kids to go and do crafts, play games, and generally go crazy! So make use of them! But if you’re hanging with the kids by the pool or whatever, try to act like they’re at least with you. When your kids are tearing around kicking over pina coladas with wild abandon, you will not be making many new friends.
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Don't order three meals just because you can
Look, we all know it’s tough to make a decision on what to have for breakfast when sitting in crappy IHOP, so I’m sure it’s ten times harder when presented with a lot of delicious options but just choose one and eat it and you can have something else tomorrow. People who order three full breakfasts just because they can and then have four bites from each one should just know that’s it’s probably not appreciated. While we’re on the subject of meals…
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Don't vomit off the side
I get it, you’re seasick. But if you puke off the side of the ship it can and will very possibly land on someone’s head. That’s a real vacation changer for the pukee. Maybe in my next post I’ll talk about preventing sea sickness or helping with it but for now, stay in your cabin!
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These are great!! I hate the people who come to the nice dinner on a cruise in their swimsuit cover ups smelling like B.O. and chlorine. It’s not cool. THere’s a reason everyone else around you are wearing dresses/dress slacks and smell fresh and clean. And don’t even get me started on the parents who just let their children run around like madmen. Soooooo annoyingggggg (and I’m a mom myself, so I understand kids, but still). Ever heard of parental supervision?
Gwen I totally agree about the unsupervised kids thing. I DONT have kids and I’m sure I find the fact that they’re running around even MORE annoying than you do. Omgosh–please parents. please.
Stefanie, you’re hilarious! And here’s one to add: Don’t wear your swimsuit everywhere just because there’s a pool/hot tub on the premises. There’s always that one woman doing just this…sometimes without even a cover-up. DO NOT WANT.
Any vacation with other people, especially strangers, needs some etiquette! These are great tips, thanks Stefanie!!
I worked as a waitress for many years and just wanted to say I REALLY appreciate your tipping comment! If working on a cruise ship is anything like waiting tables (or really any service position) chances are, these people aren’t paid that well and rely on your tips to get by!
Totally LOL’ing at the first pic! I HATE THAT! Seriously, this is great advice though!
This should be mandatory for everyone going on a cruise. Maybe they can announce these suggestions at the practice muster!
The food one is totally a pet peeve of mine. No need to waste food just because you’re on vacation…
Haha! i’m happy to say i’ve never seen anyone vomit off the side of the boat, but i have definitely seen my fair share of inappropriately dressed diners @ dinner! hopefully some of them are reading this post too!
I was dying at the wife beater and throwing up over the side ones. And yes, making sure you control and keep an eye on your kids is important – so many times I’ve seen parents just tune out on vacation while their little ones do dangerous/annoying things.
These are all great! Family vacations are awesome, assuming everybody is (fairly) well behaved, even the adults.
Yes! I agree with all of these. And honestly, sometimes it’s the adults that aren’t the behaved ones. Like with wasting food, and inappropriate dress.
Oh, yes! These are so great to hear and hopefully those, who know who they are, take heart!! :)
Hee! My husband read these, we’re going on our first cruise in August and he said “But what if I order everything and eat everything? That’s okay, right?”
hahaha, this is ridiculous…because I am guilty of ordering three (…or more) meals in one sitting!!! Cruises are evil sometimes.
Hahahaha! All great reminders, especially for my kids eith eyeballs bigger than their stomachs! I agree, just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. There are rules and an appropriate way to conduct yourself. A cruise is a special vacation meant to be enjoyed, not abused.
LOL. These are great tips! I especially love the tip to have people watching out for their kids. It’s the worst to go somewhere and someone else’s child is bothering your child and their parent has no clue it is happening.
We have taken several cruises and always take our son. Cruising is a great way to relax and see the world. My son has recenty started in with the newest fade in our development (those awwwwwwful white wife beaters) I will make sure I burn every last one of them before our next cruise in April 2013. So as to not offend at the proper dinner table. :)
These made me laugh! I have kids and it drives me crazy when people don’t supervise their kids in public places. Parents need to pay more attention — same thing goes for on a cruise ship. And yes, the whole this isn’t the board walk put on some nice clothes is so true! Loved this!
Love these! Can you staple that to every single cruise ticket out there? That would be just lovely. Great list!