I've spent over 100 days at sea. Please don't make these 6 etiquette mistakes on your next cruise.

After 25+ sailings, these are the worst things I see people commonly do on cruises, from using their hands at buffets to unfairly reserving seats.

Feb 6, 2025 - 22:13

I've spent over 100 days at sea. Please don't make these 6 etiquette mistakes on your next cruise.

Calypso Reef & Pool on Caribbean Princess at sunset — After a number of sailings, I've compiled a list of some of the worst things people commonly do on cruises.
Lauren Mack

As a frequent traveler, I've seen some bad etiquette on cruise ships.
One of the worst things I see many people do on cruises is use bare hands to get food at the buffet.
I also think it's rude to reserve deck chairs for hours and do private hygiene tasks in public.

I've been on over 25 cruises and have spent over 100 days at sea.

On just about every ship and sailing, I've witnessed some pretty unsanitary behaviors and etiquette crimes that no traveler should commit.

Here are six things I wish people would stop doing on cruises.

Using bare hands to grab food from the buffet

World Fresh Marketplace buffet area on Sky Princess — Serving utensils are there for a reason.
Lauren Mack

Most cruises have buffets, which can be a hot spot for onboard etiquette crimes.

First of all, you should not pick up food, like tortillas or rolls, from the buffet using your bare hands. Instead, use the provided serving utensils or ask the crew for assistance.

I've also seen people biting their nails or putting their fingers in their mouths before touching serving utensils, which isn't sanitary either.

Please wash your hands before hitting the buffet (and after, too).

Leaving children unsupervised

Parakeets Kid's Club on Margaritaville at Sea-Paradise — Many cruises have places where kids can hang out under staff supervision.
Lauren Mack

I've found it's not uncommon to see children running around unsupervised at all hours of the day and night while at sea, particularly on cruise lines that are popular with children.

This can be annoying to fellow cruisers and pretty dangerous. Plus, it can often be easily avoided — most cruise lines have supervised children's clubs and activities.

Handling private hygiene tasks in public

The Enclave-Lotus Spa pool area on Sky Princess — Some things don't need to be done in public.
Lauren Mack

On a recent cruise, I was surprised to witness a woman clipping her toenails next to the pool and a man shaving his beard in the spa waiting room.

It felt unsanitary, and it's also not very polite to leave an extra mess for the crew to clean up. If an activity involves leaving parts of your DNA on the floor, you probably shouldn't be doing it in a public space.

Reserving chairs

Pool Deck Chairs and Slides on Disney Fantasy — It's rude to reserve a bunch of seats and disappear for hours.
Lauren Mack

Your beach towel shouldn't be laid on the lounger hours before you show up to the pool.

In fact, most cruise lines have policies against reserving deck chairs and seats at popular performances. Don't be that person who doesn't adhere to the first-come, first-served process for claiming seats.

Tossing gym etiquette out the window

Fins Up! Fitness Center on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise — The cruise-ship fitness center is not your private gym.
Lauren Mack

Most cruise ships have a fitness center, and being at sea doesn't mean you should forget proper gym etiquette.

I've seen many bad behaviors in gyms at sea, including listening to music without headphones on.

One of the worst ones, though, is when people throw weights on the floor. It's loud, dangerous, and especially rude to anyone staying in a room below the gym.

(I don't recommend booking a cruise cabin below a fitness center for this very reason.)

Being rude to the crew