Most cruisers are great people, but there are some things that cruise passengers will do, that might just drive you crazy! From the obvious “chair hogs” to much less spoken about issues, this video is full of the cruisers you probably want to avoid.
In this video I share the annoying things cruise travelers sometimes do. This can happen on any cruise line, from Carnival cruises to Celebrity Cruises! Whether you’re a first time cruiser or an experienced cruiser, these are some passenger behavior mistakes to avoid.
From bad cruise ship etiquette to rude things seen by other cruises, this cruise video is full of good fun – with some truth 😉
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ABOUT ME
Hi! I’m Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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50 Comments
Yes, people being late annoys me. I was raised to always be a few minutes early. If the bus is supposed to leave at a certain time, you should be in the bus and seated by that time, not walking to the bus.
People who bring/allow kids too young to not need diapers into the pool or, worse, hot tub! People who bring kids to adult only areas.
My pet peeve… Passengers who load up plate/plates of food at the buffet and then leave mostly full plates on table for cruise staff to clean up.
Happy Canada Day, Ilana. Enjoy with your family a fun time! 😘 from 🇨🇦
My husband and I have cruised a ton over the years. We are both smokers. We have gone OUT OF OUR WAY to follow every rule and be courteous to our fellow passengers. If only we received the same treatment from others.
All of these things are just life lived in public. If you truly want something private then hire a private yacht or stay home. Life shared with the public is generally awful we all know it and we all hate it but there isn’t really anything we can do about it. People are awful that’s not individuals but groups of people.
yes! the elevator thing is a huge annoyance
yes line cutting is extremely rude
we were on the Breeze back in April and there were older kids running around harassing people and security did nothing about it.
On the Horizon, we were in the dining room and another guest was seated. Our waitor went to their table to greet them when the guest (man) picked up the bread basket tossed it to the end of the table and DEMANDED a specific type and warm, a specific # and a specific # of dishes of butter. He wanted new water because there was to much ice in it and the list went on. I felt horrible for our waitor! I apologized for his behavior and loud enough for the gueat to hear. People can be such jerks!
Rudeness to staff and the handicapped are the things that make me so very angry when I cruise.
No disrespect to you as a really great content creator – My pet peeve is the amateur videographer. I find it very disruptive when someone around me feels the need to video and narrate every aspect of their vacation. I was on one cruise where the person in front of me in the theater was actually attempting to live stream the stage show.
Happy Canada Day, Ilana!
I’m American (Colorado, I’ll double back on this), and I think that people generally have inflated ideas of what is “their space.”
I’m extrapolating from driving, this week, and my current working supposition is that humans see any space ahead of them as theirs. And it carries over to sound.
As I mentioned, I’m in Colorado, and that cannabis scent is almost everywhere. Maybe strong, maybe like a strong cologne. Well, I’ll be honest, someone’s Axe body spray. So many strains are promoted for their strong scent, and it’s a race to be the most noticeable.
I am going on my first cruse in 22 days. Finding your channel has been a Godsend! I purchased you ultimate cruse planner and I would highly recommend it. With that and your videos, I feel so organized and ready for our cruse! Thank you Ilana for all you do. Getting ready has been fun!!
Very good video, thanks. Yah, unsupervised kids are the worst, esp at hot tubs. On our last cruise a family had two interior rooms across from our balc cabin. Adults in one and three young girls in the other. Well, it didnt work out well. The kids were running in the halls, screaming, being kids I supppose. But the parents did nothing. My wife spoke with the dad and appeared to take care of the situation, no issues the next night. Well after that, it was chaos and anarchy. My wife would stick her head out our door and politely ask the kids to be quiet, etc. That had marginal effect. Anyway, parents need to supv their kids 24 hours a day. We raised 6 kids, it can be done. Be considerate and responsible, ma and dad. thank you,
I can understand & can appreciate all of these things that drive cruisers crazy. The one that right away would affect me is the smoking. I’m allergic to the smoke & would therefore have to not go on any cruise that allowed smoking in the casinos. I know some cruise lines are converting certain ships to smoke-free casinos, which I guess could work, but if ventilation hasn’t been overhauled, I’m not sure how the experience would go. Also; I’d have to avoid any areas on any ship that has to pass through smoking. I think going with Disney is my best bet for now… outdoor smoking; only in designated areas on the ship. First time cruiser; so definitely doing research. Any & all advice & recommendations would be appreciated ❤
Happy Canada Day! These are all bad behaviors! Just exercising common sense courtesy like your grandmother said would eliminate all these problems.
This was a great list. Things that bother me are the smoking on balconies, or having to walk through a smoke-filled casino just to get from A to B. Also people who are on an amazing cruise vacation and still find something they want to be rude about.
Our last cruise people were sitting in the stairwells and impeding traffic and not moving. Not just kids but the adults too. I also noted that people stop in the middle of a walkway making people almost run into them or walk around them.
I been watching your channel for 2 months now this my cruise with my son in August 22nd birthday we will be going to jamica the day shift leave is day of his birthday learn a lot from you can't wait until August
Being handicapped, I move pretty slowly. I try to stay out of the way, but I like to go places too. The elevator is a big problem if you have a walker or wheelchair. A little courtesy goes a long way. Sadly, we didn't plan to be handicapped and hopefully others don't have to experience it.
There is nothing, I mean NOTHING more annoying than unsupervised children running wild all over the ship, molesting everybody everywhere! It must be a rule obliging parents to discipline their youngs, so they don't ruin other people's vacations.
As more states legalize controlled substances, more people are going to think they can take it anywhere. I'm shocked that part of the information at the dispensaries is that no they actually can't.
Yup to all. I hate when people order two or three entrees and only take a taste or two from each. You pretty much nailed it. 😎
The thing that bugs me the most is people having conversations using the speaker on their cell phone or worse doing FaceTime calls without finding a private area away from others. It’s beyond inconsiderate.
Excellent!
I can agree with almost all of those things, and I don't have anything new to add. A number of them, I personally have not encountered, but would be very pissed if I had to deal with them.
Everybody hates a chair hog, except, of course, for the hogs themselves, and even they probably hate the other hogs. Unfortunately this has been happening since long before ships were used as a vacation device. I'll bet the Titanic even had its chair hogs.
By far the worst, for me, and I have to deal with this on every cruise, are the late runners for the last tender back to the ship. At many port calls I wish there was more time so, to make the best of it, I will usually plan to be back for the last tender. But, if they say the last tender is at 4:00 PM, for example, I will be there, without fail, by 3:55 PM. Then I will, inevitability, get the 'privilege' of having to sit on a hot, stuffy, uncomfortable, cramped little boat, along with all the other poor souls who are trying to follow the rules, for five, ten, twenty, or more minutes, while we all wait for self centered, self entitled, assholes (Yeah, I said it.) who, at length, come waltzing up, acting for all the world, as if they have done absolutely nothing wrong. I've tried coming back a half hour early to avoid this, but then I feel like I have cheated myself out of port time.
I wish the cruise lines would just sail that last tender at the time it is scheduled and leave the late runners behind. Word would get around and it would stop happening, or at least it would cut way down.
I've also thought about saying the hell with it and just becoming one of the late runners myself, but it's just not in me to treat other people like that.
I really wish that they'd make casinos non-smoking. It really is nice to go to a casino in Ontario and not have to put up with the smell of cigarettes. And I have nothing against people that smoke weed. But it's crazy to bring some onboard a cruise ship, because in almost all cases, it's illegal to take cannabis across a border.
The elevator thing always drives me nuts. Personally, I'll take the stairs, but my dad has back issues and uses a cane, so he's better off taking the elevator, and it can be hard to get on one, especially during a busy time.
My hope is that new ships (and hopefully renovated ones) start using the tech where you select a floor before you get in an elevator and it directs you to a specific car. That won't stop people from trying to squeeze in, but would minimize the "which door to stand in front of" game, and make it easier for people to get in/out.
Places where I think it's ok for kids to run around unsupervised on a cruise ship:
Places where I DON'T think it's ok for kids to run around unsupervised on a cruise ship:
– everywhere else
Teenagers… I'm good with my kids doing stuff on their own, because I feel like I can trust them to not be idiots on a ship. Your mileage may vary with your own teens though.
Rude to the crew… agreed. The people working on a cruise ship are probably some of the hardest workers you'll encounter, and I always try to treat them with respect, because they've more than earned it.
I agree with all of it.
One of the worst things I've ever seen and heard is this: Cruise passengers get off the ship and said rude comments about a location/locals at a foreign port. I have heard this done right in front of the local people at the port. I'm so embarrassed for them and angry at the passengers. Many of the locals who are permitted near the ship can speak English. Be thoughtful, polite, appreciative.
i hate the smoke smell in the casino. im not a gambler but just walking by or thru is so gross. i cant wait to get away from there. 🤮 I dont know how this can still be allowed
about 20 vof us waiting for skagway train. crew set up a line even though the could see those waiting 20 minutes or more. then we there early ended up end of line. people truly angry. no bueno.
My favorite is people talking about politics, or telling you all of their health problems. I didn't come on vacation to hear that.
Smoking in the casino is terrible we quit going in them. Also unruly kids. love your videos
My top cruise pet peeves would probably be the following: arriving late and disrupting others to something like the theatre, improper elevator etiquette, being loud and noisy late at night (particularly before an early port day the next day), impatient people in line at the buffet, and grandiosity or bragging as Illana mentioned. I haven’t come across anyone being rude to crew members but I bet I’d dislike that as well.
What drives me most crazy is talking so loud in the hallways late at night and early morning. 🥴
Phew. I was worried that my fondling and squishing the bread rolls to find the softest would be among them. Don’t worry, I put the others back.
Complainers: we just got off the Mardi Gras and I heard more negativity and complaining than I ever did on a cruise. Caveat, I have no idea what their complaints were and they could be legitimate. We hadn’t been on the ship for two hours and one woman let everyone around her know that she was never taking another cruise.
Kids: splashing in pools, jumping in the water near guests, running through the serenity deck, just hanging out on the steps, taking joy rides in the elevators, vulgarity and overall rudeness. It’s never ALL the kids, but it’s enough that if it goes unchecked it is very off putting.
People who leave their exterior balcony lights on all night long. So you're trying to watch a beautiful moon lite night, and it's spoiled by a bright exterior light from the balcony next door ….grrr!
My Hoveround goes anywhere!
Especially over the feet of people in the way.
But put the icing on the cake with "I'm so sorry. I had assumed that you would have understood that you need to make way for a person in a scooter.
Bless your little heart."
Mine is people not having "situational awareness" and being oblivious to their own rudeness /poor behaviour. For example, in March I was on the Zaandam, it was a seaday, and it was lunch time on the Lido deck. So you know how crowded it can be and how finding seating can be challenging. I got sit down with my meal and I look over at this 6 top table and there were 3 people, not eating, but instead playing some kind of board game right there in the lido deck. During the lunch hour rush, while people are actively looking for seating to eat their meals. I'm sorry but that's just rude. ESPECIALLY when there are MANY other places on the ship where they could have played their game. ,AT THAT TIME, in the Lido buffet area, was NOT the place to be.
Sorry, I hate children as much as entitlement people on a cruise.
Totally agree with #1. We spent time getting to know our crew. They were hardworking and so kind. Treat them with respect! They are going above and beyond to make this a great experience.
Lol you’re complaining about folks complaining lol. Lol most of this list is folks acting out in other words things you can’t do anything about .. you can only control yourself 😂 lol
I have been known to dress down people who are rude to the staff as in "Bless your heart, honey, they are doing their best to make you happy. And we would all appreciate it if you would be a little less rude".
i get up at the crack of dawn of seas days—- go to breakfast and get my chairs. however if i get up and go to the pool or the slides or even to grab a burger that is still my chair ! Don't touch my stuff. if you want a chair? get up early
and PS we all smelt weed on royal and celebrity . so really stop just saying carnival
what kid NEVER pushed elevator buttons but the one thing that does bother me mostly is the ENTITLES COMPLAINERS ! ! ! ! DONT SAIL THEN
Out of control screaming kids are #1 for me. Whining non smokers are second. There are very few places left on a cruse ship for smokers, and most of those places have little protection from the hot sun or worse rain. If you don't like the smell of smoke in the casino, you have the rest of the darn ship!
Omg. Most frustrating problems on a cruise!!!!