10 Things People Do On Cruises That Crew & Attendants Can't Stand

Cruises are one of the most popular trip that people can take, and there are those who are regular cruisers, choosing different cruise lines and destinations to visit each time. The great thing about cruises is that you get to visit a variety of different places, dine on delicious gourmet food, and have all the comforts of an all-inclusive resort on the ship.

Cruises can be great for anyone - families, seniors, singles, couples, you name it. While cruises can attract a wide variety of people, there are sometimes those who take advantage of the luxurious vacation, and figure it gives them the right to be rude or inconsiderate of others. Here are 10 things people do on cruises that crew and attendants can't stand.

10 Ordering more food than they can eat

There is an overwhelming abundance of food available on cruise ships, from all-you-can-eat buffets to late-night ice cream bars. Whatever your heart desires is usually available on the ship, and if it's not, often the crew will go out of their way to get it for you. The trouble is, sometimes people get too greedy.

Read any review of cruises or report from attendants who have worked on cruise lines, and you'll see a common theme - people being greedy and taking more food than they can possibly eat, just because they can. This creates a ton of food waste, which everyone hates to see, especially the staff and attendants.

9 Being rude to the attendants

There is never a need to be rude to anyone, but unfortunately, not everyone believes this to be true. On cruises, you see quite often people being incredibly rude and condescending to the staff and crew on board. This is completely unacceptable, and it puts the staff in a very difficult position.

You hear countless tales of people who have traveled on cruises about that "one person" who they saw repeatedly being rude to staff and crew. The crew are not able to say much or do much about this, instead having to put up with the rude behavior, paste a smile on their face, and try to make the irate customer happy. There's no need to be rude to these people, who are often working long, tiring days, and often very far from their own home and family. Try showing a little courtesy and kindness, it goes a long way!

8 Complaining about the food and sending it back, just because they can

This is another type of person that you see on cruise ships - the one who likes to complain even more than usual, just because they can. They've purchased an expensive cruise vacation, so they feel that every single little thing has to be perfect, and if it's not, they're in their right to send it back and ask for a new one.

You see this all the time in the dining rooms on cruise ships. Customers will sample a dish, decide they don't like it or don't want it, and send it back asking for something else. Not only is this a terrible waste of food, but it's also inconsiderate of the server's time and energy, as they race around tending to multiple tables at a time. It's one thing to send a dish back that you genuinely didn't like, but doing so on a regular basis just because you can, is inconsiderate and rude.

7 Being unnecessarily messy

In one report, an attendant who worked on a cruise line witnessed first-hand a woman throwing her ice cream on the floor of the cruise ship. She had decided that she was full, and instead of disposing of her leftover food in a proper garbage can, she decided to just drop it on the floor. When her friends questioned what she was doing, her response was that the workers were there to pick up after her.

Really?! Being unnecessarily messy, and making extra work for those who are already working incredibly hard, is just irresponsible and thoughtless. If you wouldn't treat your own home that way, then you shouldn't do it anywhere else. Dispose of trash properly and pick up after yourself, whether you're on a cruise ship or not.

6 Hogging chairs on the pool deck

This is one of the biggest pet peeves of both staff and cruisers on a ship - those that decide to go and 'claim' pool deck chairs for the day. They pop out to the pool deck first thing in the morning and claim their countless chairs by laying towels or belongings on them. The problem is, half the time they don't even show up until well into the afternoon, making these seats unavailable for most of the day.

This not only angers the crew, but it bothers the other cruisers as well. Pool chairs are a hot commodity on cruise ships, and there aren't very many to go around. Unless you're planning on lying on your pool chair, don't monopolize it and prevent anyone else from using it.

5 Smoking where they're not allowed to

Smokers and non-smokers don't tend to get along, mainly because they both do things that annoy one another. Smokers seem to think that the smoking rules don't apply to them, choosing to be sneaky and smoke in undesignated places, which angers both the crew and the non-smoking cruisers.

Non-smoking cruisers annoy smokers because they will choose to sit in a smoking area and then complain about the smoke smell. Smokers need to stick to their designated areas on cruise ships, and non-smokers need to stay away from those areas. Then, everyone will get along just fine!

4 Being overly loud on their balcony

While it's nice to have a balcony on your cruise, and of course you're going to be out there and enjoying yourself, don't plan a late-night party out there, making tons of noise and chaos. The balconies are close together on cruise ships, and although you have your nice little balcony to yourself, be considerate of others who are also trying to enjoy their balcony.

Cruisers sometimes think that they're the only ones on the ship and don't tend to have a lot of consideration for others. It's fine to go out and enjoy yourself, but keep the volume at a respectable rate, and once the sun goes down, keep in mind that there may be little ones who are trying to sleep. If you want to party, go visit one of the late-night bars and whoop it up there instead.

3 Letting their kids run wild

Some families are of the mentality that since they're on a cruise ship, their kids are free to run wild, and a crew member will keep an eye on them. This is not the case; if you want your children to be cared for by some of the crew members, then you need to drop them off at the designated children's club.

If your kids are in the swimming area or in the restaurants, it's your responsibility to watch them and make sure they're not only safe but not disturbing other cruisers. Keep in mind, you're not the only one who has spent good money on a cruise holiday, let the other guests enjoy their time too.

2 Butting in front of others at the elevator

Elevators are lifelines on cruise ships, as everyone needs to use an elevator to get between floors on the massive ships. This can cause a bit of a line up at the elevator, especially at busy times such as meal times or when it's time to disembark at a new destination.

One thing that drives staff and other cruisers crazy is people who feel that they shouldn't have to wait in line for an elevator, instead standing right in front of the elevator doors to try to ensure that they're the first ones on the ship. This makes it hard for those already on the elevator trying to get off, and it's incredibly rude for those who are waiting in line properly. Be considerate of others and just wait your turn.

1 Refusing to attend the muster drill

The muster drill is something that is not only important on a cruise ship, it's mandatory. Every passenger has to attend the muster drill at the beginning of the cruise, in order to practice emergency evacuation procedures, should an emergency situation ever arise while on board.

Unfortunately, there are those who settle in at the bar or the pool and decide that they don't need to attend the muster drill. Attendants and crew on cruise ships can't stand these passengers, because it makes their job that much harder, having to hunt down the passengers and cajole them into attending the muster drill. It just makes for an awkward situation for everyone, not to mention holding everyone up who has attended the drill. Remember, choosing to not attend the muster drill can also get you booted off the ship completely, which would really put a damper on your vacation!

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