5 Fundamentals of Cruise Ship Etiquette (Yes, There is Such a Thing)
Vacations are supposed to be a time of relaxing, letting your hair down (or keeping it in a damn ponytail 24/7) and generally doing what you want when you want. But. That doesn't mean that you should be a menace to either other passengers or the staff that's there to help you achieve vacation nirvana. I'm taking the time out of my busy schedule of eating sugar-free popsicles and thinking about showering to list a few important do's and don'ts for cruise ships but really good ideas for life in general-cause that's what I do!
1. Don't wear a wife beater to dinner
Guys, it may seem like a reasonable idea to skip shaving, throw on an undershirt and call it an outfit, but doing a Mickey Rourke impression at the Captain's table is no one's idea of proper etiquette. You don't have to wear a suit and tie but a shirt would be nice.
Related: How to decide which cruise is right for your family
2. Tipping is caring
Most ships make tipping easy for you by listing out the proper tips for the right people so you can do it all at the end of your trip. But please don't skip this even though it's technically "optional." Not crashing the ship into an iceberg is technically "optional" too but we're all depending on the captain to do the right thing. Same for you.
3. Keep an eye on the kiddos
Cruises have great clubs for the kids to go and do crafts, play games, and generally go crazy! So make use of them! But if you're hanging with the kids by the pool or whatever, try to act like they're at least with you. When your kids are tearing around kicking over pina coladas with wild abandon, you will not be making many new friends.
4. Don't order three meals just because you can
Look, we all know it's tough to make a decision on what to have for breakfast when sitting in crappy IHOP, so I'm sure it's ten times harder when presented with a lot of delicious options but just choose one and eat it and you can have something else tomorrow. People who order three full breakfasts just because they can and then have four bites from each one should just know that's it's probably not appreciated. While we're on the subject of meals…
Related: 10 signs it's time for a girls' night out
5. Don't vomit off the side
I get it, you're seasick. But if you puke off the side of the ship it can and will very possibly land on someone's head. That's a real vacation changer for the pukee. Maybe in my next post I'll talk about preventing sea sickness or helping with it but for now, stay in your cabin!
- By Stefanie Wilder Taylor
For 6 ways to avoid gaining weight on your cruise, visit Babble!
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Baby on Bored is an impressively self-aware blog chronicling the everyday life of Stefanie Wilder Taylor. Alternately funny and serious, Wilder Taylor has legions of fans following her, offering praise on her good days and support on the not-so-good ones.
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