Your cruise ship cabin is your "home away from home" during your vacation, but you can't treat it like your real home.
Cruise staterooms come with essential furniture, a private bathroom, and even a stateroom attendant who will tidy up the area daily.
Your stateroom is meant to be a comfortable, private place to rest and enjoy your cruise.
However, you can’t do just anything you want inside your cabin. There are certain rules you must follow during the length of your stay.
Royal Caribbean wants its guests to care for the room they have during their stay and respect the crew members onboard.
You should also use careful etiquette to be mindful of other guests around you.
This article will highlight the most important rules you cannot break, and one rule that is okay to bend. Here are 8 rules to always follow during your cruise.
1. No smoking
Smoking inside the cabin or even on the balcony is a fire hazard.
Royal Caribbean strictly bans guests from smoking or vaping anywhere that is not the designated smoking zone.
While it may seem like you can smoke on your balcony without much risk, ashes could be blown back on another deck of the ship and that poses a major fire hazard. Plus, ashes going in the ocean is littering.
Fire is actually the biggest danger to a cruise ship!
Anything with a flame could fall or cling to fabric and should be kept far away from your cruise ship's stateroom.
2. Don’t climb or play on the balcony
Every once in a while, you’ll see a news story about someone who has fallen overboard on a cruise ship.
But the truth is, most cruise ship railings are actually high enough that someone cannot merely slip and fall overboard.
If someone "falls" off, it's because they're doing something they're not supposed to or are in a place they are not supposed to, such as climbing or playing around on a high balcony.
To avoid tragedies like this, everyone is asked to stay off the railings and avoid climbing on any balconies.
If you don’t follow this rule, you could be kicked off the ship or even banned from the cruise line.
Remember that cameras are also on every balcony, so you will definitely get caught.
Take your safety and Royal Caribbean’s warnings seriously.
3. Communicate with your cabin attendant
On the first day of your cruise, you will meet your cabin’s stateroom attendant. If you're in a standard cabin, they will ask if you prefer having your room cleaned in the morning or at night. If you're in a suite, you'll have twice-a-day cleaning.
Read more: Why you should get your cruise cabin serviced in the evening instead of the morning
Throughout your cruise, they will be responsible for cleaning the stateroom and taking care of any requests you have.
Don’t be afraid to communicate to them anything you need!
Whether you want ice, need extra towels, want the beds separated, can’t find a hair dryer, or are wondering how any part of the room works, they are there to assist you with any requests.
While gratuities will be charged as part of your cruise fare, consider leaving them a nice tip if you appreciate their service or have special requests.
Read more: 30 Cruise cabin hacks that cruisers love
4. Don’t leave a mess
While your stateroom attendant is there to help, that doesn’t mean that they are your personal maid.
They have other staterooms to service and they deserve your respect.
Out of courtesy, make sure that you don’t leave a huge mess in the room.
Don’t move around furniture or leave out too much clutter.
Your stateroom attendant needs to be able to get into the room, after all.
Plus, leaving a mess can just stress you out more during a vacation when you’re trying to relax.
5. Use the Do Not Disturb sign for privacy
Royal Caribbean provides a cute do-not-disturb magnet for every stateroom that reads, “sleeping off the adventure.”
If you need privacy at any time, simply stick this outside your room and you will be left alone.
Various deliveries or questions could come to your door anytime, so this is a helpful hack to help you get that peace and quiet.
However, stateroom attendants are not permitted to enter the room while you have this up, so don’t forget to take it down when you leave!
Read more: 15 Things To Do As Soon as You Get to Your Cruise Cabin
6. Don’t throw anything overboard
Cruise ships are committed to protecting the environment and the marine wildlife around them.
Because of this, there are strict rules against throwing anything overboard and into the ocean.
While some people think that it’s okay to send food or trash flying overboard, think again.
Don’t throw anything off the balcony or into the ocean, and especially don’t feed the sea animals!
If you’ve ever heard the quote, “Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints,” this applies to a sea vacation as well.
Keep your arms, feet, and items inside the cruise ship.
Read more: I tried the best inside cruise ship cabin hacks to see how well they worked
7. Don’t flush things down the toilet
You should only be flushing toilet paper down the cruise ship toilets.
Cruise ship plumbing is very sensitive and can be easily clogged by tampons, wipes, double-ply toilet paper, or any other items.
Not only that but the plumbing is also connected between all the cabins. This means that if you back up your toilet, other passengers will also experience issues.
Be considerate, and put everything else in the trash can.
Read more: Where does the poop go on a cruise ship?
8. Be considerate of noise in the hallways
Not only should you be respectful inside your stateroom, but you should also be considerate when walking to and from your cabin.
Keep the noise down in the hallways, don’t leave a mess, and don’t run or jump around.
We’re all on vacation and understand that it can be fun and exciting. But you should still remember that there are others around, and they may be resting, sleeping, or just not wanting to hear your noise.
Keep it down in the hallways, and rejoice once you’re inside your stateroom with the door closed.
1. One rule you can break: You don’t have to stay in the room you booked
Did you know you don’t necessarily have to stay in the cabin you booked under your room? Whether you’re visiting friends, or splitting a room with a group, you can switch it up.
This is especially a helpful hack for families with kids who want a little more privacy.
Because only guests over 21 can book a room, you’ll want to book one room under each adult’s name.
But when you get on the cruise ship, you can divide the room up differently.
Maybe you’re traveling with teenagers, who are under 21 but would really like their own space.
Simply book that cabin under an adult’s name, and then let them have the room once onboard.
