Anytime I'm in my cruise ship cabin, I try to avoid doing certain things that would be a nuisance to others.
I don't tip toe around my room by any means, but I want to be a good neighbor. I try to act like I'd hope others around me would act, because noise from other cabins is a common problem you might encounter.
Basically, I never want to be the person that irritates someone else. Everyone makes noise occasionally, but I would never want to do anything that reaches the point of causing issues to others.
After taking over 100 cruises, I've learned there's a definite way to do things that everyone should follow.
For the benefit of others who are trying a cruise, here are the seven things I avoid doing in my cabin on any cruise.
I only flush toilet paper, and nothing else
A rule I heard early on about what should be flushed down the toilet on cruises is, "anything that came out of you and toilet paper".
It's incredibly easy to accidently clog the toilets by flushing anything else down them, and that's a problem for you and everyone else in your hallway.
Cruise ship bathrooms share toilet flush lines, similar to a sewer system. The problem is if one gets backed up, it cascades down the line.
This is why you absolutely cannot flush food, diapers, "flushable" wipes, or anything else down them. It might work at home, but not on a cruise ship.
My guess is clogged up toilets are one of the most common technical problems on a ship because there's a lot of rookie mistakes made. So consider this your warning.
When I open my cabin door, I try not to let it slam shut
I can't say it always works, but I really try to not let the cabin door slam when I open it.
Cruise ship cabin doors are made of metal, and they are rather heavy. They're designed to gracefully shut on their own, but any kind of wind can really slam them quickly.
When a balcony door or window is left open, it creates a wind tunnel effect. And that sucks the door closed very quickly.
I've found on older ships, the doors slam quicker and it's loud enough to easily wake someone up that is sleeping next door.
I never yell from my balcony to someone else
It's an honest mistake to spot someone you know below your balcony or nearby and yell to them to get their attention, but it's so annoying to others.
Your voice carries far more than you'd imagine from a balcony. In fact, you'd be surprised how easily a regular volume conversation can be heard from one balcony to another, or even inside the rooms.
Plus, that person you're trying to get their attention? There's a lot of competing noise and it's unlikely they'll hear you.
Instead, text or call them. Or go find them elsewhere. Skip yelling like Stanley from "A Streetcar Named Desire" to them.
Balconies aren't libraries, but be considerate about noise
Besides not yelling, I try to keep the noise down on a balcony.
I take umbrage with the idea there should be no noise on a balcony, but there's a line between quiet and a party.
Certainly, I would never play a music over a Bluetooth speaker on my balcony. And while I have no problem having a conversation out there, it shouldn't be a party scene.
The issue is how easily others around you can hear anything going on in your balcony in theirs. You both paid a lot of money to enjoy it, so just be respectful.
I try to keep my room tidy so it's not a mess for the cabin attendant
Every Royal Caribbean cabin gets daily cleaning from a stateroom attendant, but they aren't your maids.
Not only is it easier on me from an organizational perspective to keep my room organized, but I want the room stewards to be able to vacuum, wash, and replenish the cabin without navigating a mess of my stuff.
I hope no one thinks I'm a clean freak and my room is pristine. I leave jackets on chairs, and my vanity tends to look like a library of every publication Royal Caribbean has printed for my sailing.
But I strive to pick things up off the floor, throw trash away, and otherwise keep the floors clear.
I'm never loud in the hallway
Just like the balcony, noise in the halls around cabins easily travels.
There's nothing wrong with talking in the hallway as I'm walking, but having conversations, games with my kids, or phone calls in the hall is a faux pas.
Even at a normal conversation volume level, all of it can be heard from those in neighboring rooms.
People in rooms around you could be sleeping, resting, or just don't want to hear your conversation. So it's why you'll want to keep the talking or family time inside your cabin.
You should never vape or smoke in your cabin
I don't smoke at all, but I feel obliged to say no one should ever smoke in their rooms or balcony.
With the advent of vaping, some people seem to think the rules are different for smoking vs vaping. However, Royal Caribbean's rules are clear on the matter, because it's not allowed anywhere in any cabin.
