I worked cruises for years — here are 6 things I’d never do on ships

Travel

By Tracy Swartz

Knot on her watch!

Tammy Barr, who says she worked on cruises for three years, reveals in a new Insider essay the six things she’d never do on board.

Barr’s nauti list includes shelling out for dining upgrades or a drink package; touching certain surfaces with bare hands; wearing a room key as a necklace; using improper maritime grammar; and risking not returning to the ship on time.

She doesn’t mean to be a keel-joy, but she stern-ly advises against “supplementary” dinner items.

“I know $12 may not seem like much for a steak or lobster tail at dinner, but the cost of the cruise is supposed to include your food,” Barr penned for Insider. “So, even though I enjoy lobster, I stick with the items without the upcharges.”

Data from late 2023 found that a five-night cruise in the Caribbean cost around $736 per person — a colossal 43% hike compared to the same time in 2019, as demand for cruise vacations spiked following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barr keeps costs in mind while counseling against unlimited drink packages, especially for passengers who plan to leave ship bars to go ashore for the day.

And third, Barr suggests touching common surfaces such as elevator buttons with knuckles or elbows.

“This strategy has worked for me, as I have never contracted norovirus, even when it was running rampant on a ship I was on,” Barr shared. “It’s quite contagious and can linger on your fingertips even after using hand sanitizer. I’d definitely rather be safe than sorry.”

13 outbreaks of norovirus — an easily spread stomach bug — were reported on cruises in 2023, the most since 2012, when there were 16 confirmed outbreaks.

The first norovirus cruise outbreak of 2024 was logged in January, on a Celebrity Cruises ship.

Also to stay safe, Barr recommends not wearing your room key around your neck, as it looks “pretentious” and “like an invitation to be robbed.”

Speaking of con-sea-ted, Barr is particular about how she identifies ships.

“Ships have proper names, and so do not require a definite article. For example, ‘Tomorrow I am embarking on Discovery Princess,’ or ‘I enjoyed scenic cruising on MS Westerdam,’” she imparts to the Insider audience.

And finally, make sure to make it back to the ship on time, so you don’t wreck your vacation.

Just last month, Norwegian Cruise Line left eight passengers stranded on a tiny island in Africa after their private tour ran late.