Marina_Cole
Moderator
The Cruise Peeve Hall of Fame: What Actually Drives Experienced Cruisers Crazy
After 40+ cruises, I've learned that the ocean is magical — but the people on it aren't always. Don't get me wrong: most cruisers are wonderful. But there's a specific breed of behavior that makes veteran sailors roll their eyes so hard they can see the back of their skulls.
I'm not talking about minor annoyances. I'm talking about the stuff that makes you seriously consider booking a private yacht next time.
Let me walk you through the behaviors that genuinely frustrate experienced cruisers — and I'll be honest about why they sting so much more than they should.
The Deck Chair Hostage Situation
This is the #1 complaint I hear from repeat cruisers, and honestly? It's infuriating.
You know the drill: someone claims a lounge chair at 7 a.m. with a towel, disappears for six hours, and returns at 1 p.m. expecting their prime real estate to still be waiting.
Here's the thing — cruise lines keep removing this courtesy. Royal Caribbean stopped allowing towel holds in 2024. Celebrity Cruises followed. But some lines still allow it, and it creates absolute chaos, especially on port days when half the ship is ashore and chairs sit empty.
The frustration? On a 7-day cruise with 5,000 people and maybe 800 deck chairs, every single empty seat feels like a personal betrayal. You're literally preventing someone else from enjoying the pool while you're getting a massage in the spa.
The insider move: Arrive early (like 6:45 a.m.) or use the hot tub instead. Less competition, same relaxation.
Connect with other cruisers about their worst ship experiences in our General Cruise Discussion forum.
The Elevator Plank Standers
You know who I mean. They board the elevator, stand directly in the center facing forward, and refuse to budge when eight more people try to squeeze in.
On a mega-ship like the Symphony of the Seas (where 6,500 passengers share 14 elevators), this is basically sabotage. The elevator is 8 feet by 8 feet. There's room for 15 people. But Mr. "I Need Personal Space" is creating a blockade.
Experienced cruisers develop an actual elevator strategy. We know which elevators go where, which ones are fastest at 6 p.m., and honestly? We sometimes take the stairs just to avoid these situations.
What really gets us: It's not about the space. It's about the obliviousness. Awareness that you're not alone on a ship would solve 90% of this.
The Dinner Reservation Ghosts
You book a specialty restaurant — maybe Wonderland on Norwegian, or Palo on Disney, or Trident Grill on Celebrity — and 20% of people no-show.
I've sat at an 8-top where three seats stayed empty. Three. While people on the waitlist didn't get in. While the kitchen prepped food that got thrown away.
Crew members told me they comp the no-shows and it costs the cruise line thousands daily. But more importantly? It's disrespectful to the staff. Your server is allocated based on reservations. Your chef preps for a specific cover count. When you ghost, you're literally making someone's job harder.
Fancy restaurants fill up six months in advance. When you don't show, you're stealing an experience from someone else.
Real talk: If plans change, notify the restaurant. Seriously. A five-minute call saves everyone headaches.
The Midnight Buffet Stampede
Listen, I get it. You paid for all-you-can-eat. But the way some people attack the buffet at midnight is genuinely frightening.
I've watched people fill six plates at once, stack desserts three inches high, and leave half of it uneaten. I've seen adults cut in line, pile food with serving spoons, and elbow other passengers.
The buffet isn't an endurance test. It's not your last meal. It's a midnight snack option that exists because you paid for unlimited food.
What frustrates experienced cruisers? The waste and entitlement combined. Staff is cleaning that up. Food costs money. And your aggressive behavior makes everyone else miserable.
Here's an insider truth: ship crew gets fed from the same kitchen, often with less quality and smaller portions. Watch them eat. See how they take reasonable amounts? Copy that.
The Drill Evacuation Drama
Mandatory muster drills take 20 minutes. Twenty. And somehow, people complain like they've been asked to donate a kidney.
I've heard passengers groan, sigh, ask crew members if they "really have to go," and even skip it entirely (which, by the way, is illegal under international maritime law).
Experienced cruisers know the drill is the difference between life and death if something actually goes wrong. We also know that crew members have to stand in their assembly stations whether you show up or not.
Your 20-minute inconvenience doesn't outweigh a crew member's entire shift of safety responsibilities.
The real frustration: People treat safety procedures like optional add-ons instead of the serious, literal life-or-death protocols they are.
The Towel Thief Epidemic
Cruise ships provide unlimited towels in your cabin and throughout the ship. Unlimited. You don't need to hoard them.
Yet some passengers treat towels like they're rationed. I've seen cabins with 20+ towels piled on the bed, all taken from the spa, the gym, and the pool deck.
Crew members restock these constantly, and stolen towels mean fewer clean ones available for everyone. Laundry staff works in 120-degree heat doing endless cycles. Your "souvenir" towel is creating extra labor.
Also? Cruise lines charge you if towel counts are severely low when you disembark. It's written in your cruise contract.
The Formal Night Mutineers
Some cruise lines have formal night dress codes. This isn't a suggestion. It's part of the experience you paid for.
I'm not talking about people in nice jeans. I'm talking about people in athletic wear, flip-flops, or literally pajamas walking into a dining room where everyone else is in cocktail attire.
Here's what experienced cruisers know: Dress codes exist to create an experience, not to judge you. But when you ignore them, you're essentially saying "my comfort matters more than the atmosphere everyone agreed to."
On elegant night, you get dressed up. It takes 10 minutes. It's fun. That's the whole point.
The frustration isn't about rules — it's about disrespect for the shared experience.
The "I Paid for This" Entitlement
Yes. You paid. Everyone paid. That's how commerce works.
But paying doesn't give you the right to be rude to crew, demand last-minute cabin changes because your view "isn't good enough," complain that the weather didn't cooperate, or treat dining reservations like suggestions.
Experienced cruisers understand something important: You're paying for access to a ship and its services, not the right to make everyone else miserable.
The crew didn't control the weather. The dining staff didn't make you no-show to your reservation. Your cabin location was disclosed when you booked.
I've watched seasoned cruisers treat crew members with genuine kindness, tip generously, and enjoy their trip without demanding perfection. Those people have infinitely better experiences because they're not stressed about fairness and rules.
What Actually Makes a Difference
After 40+ cruises, here's what I've learned: The best cruises aren't the ones with the fanciest ships or the exotic ports. They're the ones where passengers think beyond themselves.
Awareness changes everything:
- Be mindful in shared spaces (elevators, hallways, buffet lines)
- Honor your reservations or cancel early
- Respect crew members — they're working 12-hour shifts
- Understand that your small inconsiderate action affects dozens of people
- Take reasonable portions and don't waste food
- Follow safety procedures without complaint
- Dress appropriately for the experience you signed up for
None of this is hard. It's just presence of mind.
The Bottom Line
Cruising is amazing. But it works best when everyone remembers that 5,000+ people are sharing the same space. Your choices either add to or detract from everyone's experience.
Experienced cruisers notice. And we remember.
Have your own cruise pet peeves? Share them (and your solutions) with fellow cruisers in our General Cruise Discussion forum — and while you're planning your next cruise, our AI concierge can help you book everything from your cabin to your excursions, all through one simple conversation.