Carnival Cruising Etiquette 101

So I was sitting here reading some posts on cruise critic, and something dawned on me. We have alot of very experienced cruisers and some not so much. I got to thinking about all the things on all my cruises that have annoyed me about fellow cruisers and all the things I have learned to make sure I do. I had to wonder is it all just due to extremely poor manners or just inexperience others are not doing these things? I would like to think that most people are considerate and maybe just “don’t realize” what impact they have on others. Keeping in mind we are talking about a lot of people in a pretty confined space for days on end, I thought I would give my 2 cents worth to any newbie’s out there, or just plain oblivious people, about those things you need to think about when cruising on a Carnival vacation. Please join in!!

 

Don’t let you room door slam – this literally sends shockwaves through the walls of the room next to you and I can’t count how many times my head has bounced off the wall while watching TV from this – and it is VERY loud

 

Your voice carries! Please don’t stand in the hallway having extended conversations or walk down the hall yelling at the person 10 feet in front of you.

 

Please don’t carry on/off the ship more luggage than you can handle! I have been tripped at least 3 times because the 100 lb. lady in front of me dropped her 200 lb. suit case because she couldn’t manage it. And Ihave seen at least 10 times as many suit cases dropped over on someone else! If you can’t handle it, let theporters do it for you it's free! But always tip the help lol!

 

Please don’t cut in line! Everyone else has waited their turn to get to whatever it is, so should you! This is especially true for the buffet where you just got to get one more serving of that awesome whatever you had. Now I will be glad to step aside and let you grab that silverware/bowl/plate you forgot or even that pat of butter, but me and the 50 other people behind me have waited our turn at that food, and so should you – even if it is just one serving of just that one thing!

 

Don’t reuse a dirty plate, glass, etc. This REALLY is important. I don’t feel like spending my vacation in the 3x2 bathroom because you decided to put the glass you drank out of back under the dispenser and get some more lemonade. Always grab a clean vessel for any food. This applies to those of us, like me, who like to bring their own Tervis, or other such glass. Always use a clean glass they provide and fill it, then fill yours!

 

PLEASE use the hand sanitizer before you start eating! Same thing as above! Unless you JUST washed your hands and didn’t touch anything, I really don’t want your germs on my hands too!

 

PLEASE, please, please mind your children. This is coming from someone that has cruised with kids before and now does not. I know you are on vacation, and so are they – but so are the other 2000 people onboard with you! We should not have to deal with your kids because you are not. I don’t want to stop at every single floor in the elevator, when the one I step into mysteriously has all the buttons lit up. I don’t want to eat out of that tray of food they just picked up something out of with their bare fingers and threw it back in! I don’t want to be plowed down in the hallway as they run wild.

 

Don’t leave your garbage/dirt dishes/etc. all over. Come on people! There are proper places everywhere on the ship you can hand these items off at. It is gross to get in an elevator and see your ½ eaten slice of pizza or knock over that glass of whatever you didn’t finish.

 

Do remember to thank those that serve you, and praise the people taking care of you! They work sohard and they are not on vacation! A little respect and thoughtfulness goes a long way.

 

Do ask others for information. Watch for those Gold/Platinum(Silver)/Diamond (White) cards hanging around people’s necks. Almost all of us will be glad to talk cruising with you and give you the “inside” scoop on our best secrets. We love to share our insight and love of cruising with you!

 

If it is your first time on the ship, or cruising in general, grab a little fold out map right at the customer care desk… this will help you when you get lost lol! Also watch for ship diagrams right by the elevators.

 

Always read your Carnival fun times delivered to your room each night, this is where you can get a bunch of great info on things you might otherwise miss. This is usually the last thing I do at night before we settle in to go to sleep. There is also a “tear off” tab on one outside edge of the page that lists all the great highlights of activities for the day, this is perfect to slide into your pocket and carry around with you so you can make sure to be a part of all the great stuff that interests you.

 

Oh and finally - Don't try to smoke where you shouldn't. I have been woke up by a officer in uniform knocking at my door inquiring if we were smoking on our balcony because someone in our area was! I know it sucks that it is limited where you can smoke, but don't make others suffer for your attempts at "bending the rules." This goes for vaping too... you can only vape where you can smoke on board - not where ever it suits you.

 

This is my master list… anyone else with words of wisdom please join in!

Edited September 13, 2017 by wemjam

my biggest pet peeve is something i see at home everywhere and that is:

Step to the side, let the other people get off the elevator first then get on the elevator. it makes getting on/off the elevator quicker for everyone

Be considerate of the room stewards- even if you can get to your cabin before they announce that they are ready for you, please DON'T! Unless you're a VIP or have FTTF, just wait a bit so they can make sure your cabin is in perfect condition before you tiptoe down that hallway!

 

(BTW a lot of ships now have instituted a process of not providing your Sail & Sign cards at check-in... you'll get them ONLY when your room is ready... as soon as you board if you're VIP or FTTF, or as soon as they make the announcement for the rest of us. They will put the cards in the mail slot outside your room).

Be considerate of the room stewards- even if you can get to your cabin before they announce that they are ready for you, please DON'T! Unless you're a VIP or have FTTF, just wait a bit so they can make sure your cabin is in perfect condition before you tiptoe down that hallway!

 

 

 

(BTW a lot of ships now have instituted a process of not providing your Sail & Sign cards at check-in... you'll get them ONLY when your room is ready... as soon as you board if you're VIP or FTTF, or as soon as they make the announcement for the rest of us. They will put the cards in the mail slot outside your room).

 

 

 

How do they manage charging for drinks if you don't have a Sail and sign card?

 

 

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Sorry mom

How do they manage charging for drinks if you don't have a Sail and sign card?

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Boarding Pass.

Don’t reuse a dirty plate, glass, etc. This REALLY is important. I don’t feel like spending my vacation in the 3x2 bathroom because you decided to put the glass you drank out of back under the dispenser and get some more lemonade. Always grab a clean vessel for any food. This applies to those of us, like me, who like to bring their own Tervis, or other such glass. Always use a clean glass they provide and fill it, then fill yours!

 

 

 

On my most recent cruise, I saw a man filling up a plastic water bottle (not a refillable type but the clear plastic disposable kind) right at the water dispenser on Lido. He had the opening of the bottle (where his or his family's mouth had already drank from) pushed up touching right against where the water comes out. It made me sick when I saw that.

 

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I'll second the slamming doors. Please just don't do it.

 

I'll add:

 

Please don't leave trays full of plates and half eaten food in the hallways. Not only is it unpleasant to see and smell, it makes it difficult to walk down the hall and it makes it especially hard for drunk people to walk down the hall. It's really not fun to be woken up in the middle of the night to the sounds of breaking dishes, bodies hitting the wall on the way down to the floor, and then laughing or crying.

 

Please don't bring your diaper clad baby or toddler into a pool, hot tub, or splash area unless it is a dedicated diaper area. The rule is in place to prevent the spread of illnesses. Similarly, if you are an adult, please don't wear an adult diaper/liner in the pools or hot tub, and if you are drink and need to pee, get out and use a bathroom. Don't pee in the pool/hot tub.

Sorry...but I will never use hand sanitizer.

 

And a 100 pound lady carrying 200 pounds of luggage? Prone to exaggeration are we?

Elevator etiquette is often ignored. Please, allow the passengers of the elevator car exit before you attempt to go in. :)

I'll second the slamming doors. Please just don't do it.

 

I'll add:

 

Please don't leave trays full of plates and half eaten food in the hallways. Not only is it unpleasant to see and smell, it makes it difficult to walk down the hall and it makes it especially hard for drunk people to walk down the hall. It's really not fun to be woken up in the middle of the night to the sounds of breaking dishes, bodies hitting the wall on the way down to the floor, and then laughing or crying.

 

Please don't bring your diaper clad baby or toddler into a pool, hot tub, or splash area unless it is a dedicated diaper area. The rule is in place to prevent the spread of illnesses. Similarly, if you are an adult, please don't wear an adult diaper/liner in the pools or hot tub, and if you are drink and need to pee, get out and use a bathroom. Don't pee in the pool/hot tub.

Carnival policy is that you DO leave your empty tray/dishes outside your room. They have people assigned to patrol the hallways for dishes/trays....

 

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Shower daily

Carnival policy is that you DO leave your empty tray/dishes outside your room. They have people assigned to patrol the hallways for dishes/trays....

There was recently a thread about this. What the thread made very clear is that Carnival isn't consistent with regard to what they say nor with regard to what they expect passengers to do. Since many people are told by Carnival ship's crew to leave their empty tray/dishes outside your stateroom, not doing so surely doesn't belong on an Etiquette 101 list, but by the same token people should not feel compelled to put their empty tray/dishes in the hallway if they personally would prefer to leave their empty tray/dishes inside their stateroom for their own reasons.

just due to extremely poor manners

 

I honestly believe that many people are not raised with manners (see it everywhere not just cruise ships) any longer and ultimately those people are now raising a generation of kids that do not have manners or a general respect for those around them either.

When you have kids running through hallways, playing on elevators (a big reason to take the stairs) and leaving food EVERYWHERE around the ship (stairways seem to be the big area to leave dishes for kids) and running their little mouths in a very disrespectful way is all the proof you need. I have heard some of these parents comment that they are on vacation and they love cruising because they basically dont see their kids for a week (let them roam/run free), like the ship is a giant babysitter cuz they cannot go far. What they forget is that everyone else is on vacation too and their kids are annoying and disrespectful to everyone (but my guess would be that the parents probably are as well).

Please don't leave trays full of plates and half eaten food in the hallways.

 

Trays from room service SHOULD be left in the hallway near your cabin door as requested by Carnival, they can pick they up much easier than trying to gather leftovers/dirty dishes from inside the cabins. The cabin stewards will not usually pick your dishes up or used glasses with liquid still in them from your cabin. People get very upset when they have had items in their cabins disposed of and they were not done, were saving it or just did not want it touched. The dirty dishes will not usually be picked up from inside the cabin, they will sit there in most cases. This has been a request of CCL for some time.

 

Please, allow the passengers of the elevator car exit before you attempt to go in.

 

This AND does anyone walk on the right side of a walkway anymore? You know, like driving a car people should walk down the right side of a walk/hall way as to not bump into or run over people walking in the oposite direction. Amazing that people are so lacking in basic manners and common sense in these things.

 

I'll second the slamming doors. Please just don't do it.

 

Sigh...once again people not being considerate in their everday life and very self absorbed in not thinking about others in a very contained area like a ship. Seriously??? People NEED to be told these things???

 

Sorry...but I will never use hand sanitizer.

 

Great, way to think about others with your germs and sickness all over the buffet area, the door handles and anythings else you touch. I know you are not in the bathroom washing your hands 24/7 to fight against the possibility of spreading something, it is not possible to actually be washing your hands that much while on the ship. I am sure you will tell us all about sanitizer not being useful and blah, blah, blah and how you rebel against it is at least an attempt to reduce things being spread. You cannot count on people to wash their hands continually or at all in the bathroom.

 

Please don't bring your diaper clad baby or toddler into a pool, hot tub, or splash area

 

Yeah, this one....again just rude and not thinking of others which seems to be a running theme in this thread...common sense people....

Wemjam,

 

Do not take the Elation out of Jacksonville.

 

We were onboard last month on the second half of a back to back with another ship.

We found the check-in process very stressful and and the buffet down right mayhem.

 

On disembarkation we were told, actually warned, not to try to disembark until your number is called. We were told our number would be called between 10 and 10:30.

We had a late breakfast in the MDR and proceeded to the theatre as instructed. The theatre was practically empty. They were around disembarkation number 8, we were 14. A staff member instructed us to disembark. I told him we were told to wait for our number. He informed us that we were probably the only ones who heeded the warning and the ship was just about done with disembarkation. We then proceeded to disembark and breezed through the process.

 

My thoughts were that there can't be that many people who didn't go to kindergarten and learn how to stand in line and follow instructions.

Edited September 13, 2017 by asylum575
spelling

I'll second the slamming doors. Please just don't do it.

 

I'll add:

 

Please don't leave trays full of plates and half eaten food in the hallways. Not only is it unpleasant to see and smell, it makes it difficult to walk down the hall and it makes it especially hard for drunk people to walk down the hall. It's really not fun to be woken up in the middle of the night to the sounds of breaking dishes, bodies hitting the wall on the way down to the floor, and then laughing or crying.

 

Please don't bring your diaper clad baby or toddler into a pool, hot tub, or splash area unless it is a dedicated diaper area. The rule is in place to prevent the spread of illnesses. Similarly, if you are an adult, please don't wear an adult diaper/liner in the pools or hot tub, and if you are drink and need to pee, get out and use a bathroom. Don't pee in the pool/hot tub.

 

Regarding the dirty dishes outside your door, that is where they want you to put them so that is why people put them there!

For what it's worth.....

 

Don't stop in the middle of the walkways to look at the funtimes or map or to have a conversation. Stop at the side.

 

Dry off before sitting to have your lunch in Lido dining area.

 

And my favorite... SHUT UP AND LISTEN when attending muster drill. If there was an emergency, you are going to put me in harms way, because you could not keep quiet for 15 minutes, and you don't know what to do!

Please follow directions. If you have (for example) tender ticket #27, wait for your number, there will still be plenty of fun to be had.

 

Please observe the smoking areas. I like that they have really upgraded the outdoor smoking areas on a lot of the ships for you. Please use them, DH needs the company.

 

If you are waiting for an elevator and there is someone there before you, let them go first, especially if they are mobility impaired. I know that scooters and wheelchairs as a pain for those who can do the walking, but it does take them a little extra time to get maneuvered in front of whatever elevate opens up. Please give them a little space and save your toes.

 

Please don't come to a dead stop in the middle of a walkway. Not only is this rude, it can be dangerous if there is a scooter behind you. They do not have brakes and must coast to a stop.

 

Please don't cut in lines. Anywhere. Anytime. Lines are a pain, but meet the people around you.

Sorry...but I will never use hand sanitizer.

 

And a 100 pound lady carrying 200 pounds of luggage? Prone to exaggeration are we?

 

I bet the bag was only 150 pounds. But this does happen. I saw once an elderly gentleman with his wife, and two big bags which would be at least 50 pounds each, or if he wasn't flying, much more, and he was asking for someone to help carry his bags off. He was "upset" that there were no porters until off the ship. He replied, that he did not want to leave his bags in the hallway, so he wanted help now. Too bad.

Shower daily

 

Like. This could apply to some of the crew members too.

Wemjam,

 

Do not take the Elation out of Jacksonville.

 

We were onboard last month on the second half of a back to back with another ship.

We found the check-in process very stressful and and the buffet down right mayhem.

 

On disembarkation we were told, actually warned, not to try to disembark until your number is called. We were told our number would be called between 10 and 10:30.

We had a late breakfast in the MDR and proceeded to the theatre as instructed. The theatre was practically empty. They were around disembarkation number 8, we were 14. A staff member instructed us to disembark. I told him we were told to wait for our number. He informed us that we were probably the only ones who heeded the warning and the ship was just about done with disembarkation. We then proceeded to disembark and breezed through the process.

 

My thoughts were that there can't be that many people who didn't go to kindergarten and learn how to stand in line and follow instructions.

 

Our disembarkation was delayed because so many people rushed down to the lobby to get off the ship.

If you want a lounger on the lido deck, walk around and look for one. Don't come out at 6-7 am and put your belongings on one and then disappear and not come back until later or not at all. If you need loungers together, most people will move over a few so you can lounge together.

Excellent points. This applies to all cruise lines and is sound advice.

++++ to the "do not reserve chairs" rule. If you are going to be gone more than 10-15 minutes please move your stuff so someone else can use the spot. If everyone would do this there would probably be another empty spot when you return anyway. I realize that this will never happen, but maybe someone will get the message. By the way, we give up our spot if we are going to be away for a while. It is common courtesy to other people. Sometimes we find an even better place to hang out as a result.

my biggest pet peeve is something i see at home everywhere and that is:

Step to the side, let the other people get off the elevator first then get on the elevator. it makes getting on/off the elevator quicker for everyone

 

Elevator etiquette, slamming doors and misbehaving kids.

my biggest pet peeve is something i see at home everywhere and that is:

Step to the side, let the other people get off the elevator first then get on the elevator. it makes getting on/off the elevator quicker for everyone

 

 

YES! This has to be my # 1 pet peeve. #2 of course goes to the chair hogs!