AVOID BEING THAT PERSON
We consider ourselves lucky enough to have cruised on some of the most beautiful Luxury Cruise Ships and visited many stunning locations around the world. Quite simply we both love cruising – it is great for most of the time, that goes for guests too, but there are those who just have the knack of getting under the skin of other passengers. The following may help you avoid falling into this group of unpopular guests.
Smoking
Almost guaranteed to make you unpopular is smoking on your cruise. Why smokers think that it is acceptable to pollute the air we breathe is still beyond me. For some reason they don’t realise the displeasure it causes others, or maybe they just don’t care. Many cruise lines now restrict where you can smoke and many have banned smoking in suites, restaurants and most public areas. Some even provide “smoking rooms” or restricted areas on the ship where you can smoke. A few cruise lines still allow smoking on balconies or verandahs which needs to change.
We recently experienced a suite adjacent to a chain smoker who seemed to spend every minute of the day on the balcony puffing away. This has to be your worst nightmare as you cannot use your balcony without having to participate in passive smoking. The balcony then becomes an expensive facility that you can’t use.
TIP – Regent Seven Seas Cruises has a strict No Smoking Policy for most areas of their ships. You cannot smoke on balconies or in suites but can smoke in designated areas only.
Poor Hygiene
Cruise lines go to enormous lengths to ensure that ships are safe and hygienic and that all food preparation is done under rigorous hygiene controls. It is satisfying to know this. They also encourage guests to play their their part by washing hands often and using hand sanitisers which are located throughout most ships and always at the entrance to the restaurants. It is staggering just how many people refuse to use these and just breeze into a restaurant or buffet ignoring the cruise lines best efforts to maintain hygiene standards.
Some cruise lines have a member of staff at the entrance to help and encourage their use. You would also think that most people after using the toilet facilities on a cruise ship would wash their hands afterwards. Not so. An incredible number of folks seem to think they are immune from spreading infections and other nasties. You will be very unpopular if you blatantly ignore these simple hygiene items.
Coughs and Colds
Getting a cough of cold on a cruise is not much fun and the crew are always there to help. Most people understand that good hygiene is important when you are feeling poorly. Keeping the bugs to yourself on a cruise ship is well appreciated but visiting a buffet and coughing or sneezing all over the food is a surefire way of irritating guests. If you find people giving you a wide berth, maybe they are trying to tell you something!
Bagging the Sun-beds
One nationality used to have the reputation of reserving all the sun-beds around the pool. It has changed and all nationalities are now guilty of this annoying practice. Sure, it is fine to reserve a sun-bed if you are popping off to get a coffee or drink and return a few minutes later. But if you go to your Trivia session, take in lunch and return hours later – well that is just plain selfish. Don’t be surprised to find your belongings gone and deposited in the lost property box and everyone thinking what a prat you are!.
Disrespecting the Crew
The crew do a great job on cruise ships and it is sometimes difficult for them being away from their loved ones for long periods. After all, we guests can be an awkward bunch. They appear as if from nowhere on every cruise, those who just feel it is clever to pick holes in everything and bark at the crew as if they are idiots. A great way to become unpopular with not only other guests and also the crew. Give them a break.
Pushing In
Nobody likes a queue jumper. And this is much more relevant on a cruise ship which is like a small community only at sea, so you shouldn’t behave in ways that you wouldn’t do at home. It is true that some queues on the bigger ships are long when leaving the ship in port and rejoining the ship but there is no way round it, so be patient and wait in line like everyone else. Nobody likes a Queue Jumper.
Mobile/Cell phones
If you do have to use your mobile/cell phone on board, do it away from other guests as the last thing anyone wants to hear about is your latest grocery order or how great you are with your mobile. Most of us have mobile phone these days so we are not impressed just because yours works at sea – they all do. Remember there are other people trying to have conversations too, and it is discourteous to be shouting into your phone for everyone to hear. A sure fire way to become unpopular.
Not supervising your children
Some cruises are made for families, and if you take a family cruise in the school holidays you can’t really complain about the typical behaviour of children. But if you let your children run riot and “hunt in packs” around the ship, then expect a backlash from other guests. One of my pet hates is children playing in the elevators just going up and down as if they have never seen one before. If you want to be judged on your poor parenting skills this won’t help.
Being drunk
It seems that some people just can’t hold their drink and when on a cruise ship it seems to bring our the worst in them. I am all for having fun, but if you’re loud and obnoxious, you will get dirty looks from other passengers and you know they are thinking what a fool you are. Quite rightly so.
It goes without saying, the more of these things you do, the more unpopular you will be……
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