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Cruising is one of the most romantic and glamorous ways to vacation. And people who cruise tend to be among the most gracious, charming and interesting people you’ll ever meet. 

But just like at land-based resorts, there are a handful of people on every cruise who don’t understand or just ignore the ship’s rules and traditions. In order to help educate them, I’ve put together a list of cruising etiquette “no no’s” that can be passed out to offenders. Feel free to add to the list.  

Don’t reserve pool chairs: A friend of mine recently sailed on the Norwegian Gem and was surprised to find empty chaise lounges by the pool reserved with towels and items as early as 7:30 a.m. – some by people who were going on a morning shore excursion and wanted to ensure an empty chaise lounge was available for them when they returned. This kind of selfish behavior puts pool-side chaise lounges at a premium when there would otherwise be plenty to go around. So if you’re not going to use the chaise lounge in the next 30 minutes, don’t put anything on it.

 Don’t take kids to the adults-only pools: While I love kids and took my first-born on a cruise when she was just six-months old, I know there are people who appreciate the occasional escape to an adults-only area where tranquility reigns supreme.  In response, a number of newer ships have introduced small pool areas just for adults where there are no pool games, loud music, etc. There’s usually plenty of room for kids in the other pools on the ship, so there’s no need for parents to bring them to the adults-only pool.

Respect the dress code:  While most evenings are casual on cruise ships, there are usually one or two nights per week where passengers dress up – black tie or suit for gents, and evening wear or cocktail dress for women. Almost everyone dresses up appropriately, but some people on the early seating get changed into casual clothes after dinner, and then rejoin the evening entertainment. As a result, people in tuxedos can sometimes find themselves sitting next to someone in jeans and a tee-shirt in the show lounge. So please try not to spoil the special atmosphere of a dress up evening for others.

Jog on the jogging track: A number of ships now have special tracks for joggers in addition to the traditional promenade deck for people who just want a leisurely stroll around the ship. It works really well because the walkers don’t get in the way of joggers, and there is no risk that someone might get knocked over. However, on our recent cruise, a number of joggers were using the promenade deck. What’s the use of having a dedicated track for joggers if they won’t use it?

Use café tables just for dining:  During our trans-Atlantic cruise, a handful of people used tables in the Lido Deck cafeteria for reading, painting, and card playing during meal times. This made it more challenging for people with loaded trays of food to find a place to sit and eat. Since there are lots of free tables in other areas of the ship, please leave the ones in the cafeteria free for the use of diners.

Don’t slam cabin doors: Cruise ships usually rig cabin doors so they slam shut when someone enters or leaves a cabin. However, nothing can jolt someone out of a sound sleep more easily than a cabin door that’s swung wide open and then left to slam shut – the sound reverberates along the entire corridor of cabins. So please be thoughtful of the people in the next cabin, and gently close your door when it’s very early in the morning or late at night. Ditto for calling to each other in the corridors during the wee hours.

While cruising has changed over the years, it is still one of the most gracious and glamorous way to travel in the world. And with a little consideration, effort and cooperation, it will continue to be so.