10 Things You Won’t Be Able to Do on Cruises Anymore

The cruise trade is consistently altering, particularly to adapt to buyer calls for and social improvement. From a sure perspective, that is additionally the great thing about cruise ships. I like that they’re all the time fashionable and up-to-date and that they carry new issues and improvements on board.

Nonetheless, these modifications additionally result in issues being eliminated and that you just received’t be capable of do on cruises anymore. Let’s see what they’re and why they have been eliminated!

1. Drink With a Plastic Straw

All cruise strains are doing quite a bit to scale back their environmental impression, and one factor that many have carried out is a complete ban on plastic straws.

Clearly, this variation is an element of a bigger initiative to chop down on single-use plastics, which additionally consists of eliminating plastic bottles and different disposable objects.

Cruise strains are actually providing totally different alternate options, resembling paper, sweet, silicone, or biodegradable straws, as an alternative of the non-recyclable ones that might hurt wildlife and ecosystems.

2. Topless Sunbathing

I don’t know in case you knew this, however till a couple of years in the past, it was regular to sunbathe topless on some cruise ships (particularly in Europe).

Undecided why many cruise strains have develop into so prudish, however it appears that evidently this apply is now banned on most ships.

So far as I do know, the one main cruise line that has a deck reserved for topless sunbathing is Virgin Voyages, which allowed it on deck 17 within the space referred to as “The Perch.”

As Carnival Cruise Line Model Ambassador John Heald mentioned, it’s positive in case you do it in your personal balcony whereas having fun with your morning espresso and your neighbors can’t see you. Nonetheless, keep in mind that the officers on the bridge can see all of it.

3. Limitless Lobster Tails

One of many notable modifications in cruise eating experiences is the restriction on limitless lobster tails.

Till a couple of years in the past, some cruise strains, together with Royal Caribbean and Superstar, allowed company to request further lobster tails when that dish was on the menu.

Sadly, some passengers took extreme benefit of that and ordered an exorbitant quantity of meals (usually even losing it).For that cause, cruise strains are actually rather more stringent, and so they cost further for extra lobster tails past the primary serving.

The objectives of this variation are two-fold: scale back meals waste and management prices. As all the time, as a result of conduct of some thoughtless people, all passengers find yourself struggling the results.

CRUISE PRO: Royal Caribbean began charging for further lobster tails in January 2023. You’re undoubtedly fortunate in case you went on a cruise earlier than that date!

4. Seek the advice of a Paper Every day Planner

One factor I actually didn’t like was the elimination of the paper each day planner. A number of years in the past, you’d discover it ready in your cabin every night time, itemizing all of the actions, excursions, and schedules for the subsequent day.

Now every thing has gone digital, and also you now not obtain paper copies. You may lookup the each day planner by way of the app or by way of a QR code that you’ll find within the cabin.

One factor I found not too long ago is which you can nonetheless request the arduous copy on some cruise strains.

I all the time ask for it as a result of I wish to have it with me and I like to focus on all of the actions I don’t need to miss.

That’s why a highlighter is all the time on my cruise necessities listing!

5. Smoke Wherever on Board

Prior to now, smoking was permitted in numerous areas on cruise ships, together with cabins, personal balconies, pool decks, and a few indoor public areas.

As rules tighten, smoking areas on cruise ships have been more and more decreased, and these days, you’ll be able to typically solely smoke within the on line casino and a few specifically marked outside areas.

There are two important causes for this variation:

First, to boost passenger security, because it was noticed that smoking on balconies poses a big fireplace threat resulting from the potential of improperly discarded cigarette butts.

Second to extend consciousness of the well being dangers related to secondhand smoke.

CRUISE PRO: At present, Costa Cruises is the one main cruise line that also permits smoking on personal balconies.

6. Use a Drone

Drones are pretty new digital units, and till a couple of years in the past, there have been no clear guidelines concerning them. Nonetheless, now virtually all cruise strains have banned their use except you could have particular permission.

This is because of a number of considerations which have emerged through the years. For instance, the potential for drones to crash into folks or ship buildings and privateness considerations as a result of they’re often geared up with cameras.

7. Purchase Single-use Plastic Bottles

Equally to plastic straws, cruise strains are additionally eliminating single-use plastic bottles.

These steps intention to handle the rising concern over plastic air pollution within the oceans, which poses a extreme menace to marine life and ecosystems.

Norwegian Cruise Line has eradicated them throughout the fleet, changing them with water bottles which are created from recyclable paper cartons with a sugarcane-based plastic cap.

2025 UPDATE: As you’ll be able to see from the picture beneath now, NCL has additionally began utilizing metallic bottles. I don’t know by what standards and on which ships, however it appears that evidently they’re testing totally different alternate options.

ALSO READ: Do Cruise Ships Dump Their Waste Into the Ocean?

8. In-Individual Emergency Drills

Cruise ship security protocols are consistently altering. They’re up to date and monitored to make sure the very best effectivity within the occasion of an emergency.

One of many largest modifications lately has been the shift from conventional in-person emergency drills to e-muster drills.

How do they work? E-muster drills permit passengers to finish many of the security briefing electronically, both via their smartphones or via stateroom TVs.

After finishing the video, you go to your muster station to familiarize your self with the situation and ensure your participation (they often scan your cruise card). It’s a a lot faster and extra handy course of in comparison with the old-school drills.

As well as, you’ll be able to examine the particular articles with the 7 Huge Modifications Coming to Carnival in 2025 and the 7 Huge Modifications Coming to Royal Caribbean in 2025.

9. Go to the Bridge

For security causes, the entry to the bridge is rather more restricted than it was.

After the investigation of the Costa Concordia catastrophe, it has come to mild that there have been folks on the bridge who weren’t speculated to be there.

Consequently, rules on this matter have been tightened, and it’s now very troublesome to enter with out a preventive allow.

Passengers can often solely enter via organized excursions, resembling Royal Caribbean’s “all-access” tour. I like to recommend it if you wish to perceive how the ship works from the within; it’s undoubtedly among the many extras which are well worth the cash.

10. Socialize Freely with Crew Members

Some time in the past, I used to be speaking to a seasoned cruise passenger who informed me that a few years in the past, there was rather more confidence and friendship between passengers and crew members.

This environment now not exists these days, and there’s all the time a form of wall between employees on cruise ships and passengers.

This isn’t resulting from modifications in the way in which folks socialize however to the precise guidelines imposed by cruise strains.

Within the contract of cruise ship employees, it’s expressly required that they keep an expert perspective always and that there isn’t a sentimental or overly pleasant strategy towards passengers.

BONUS POINT: The Midnight Buffet

What number of of you bear in mind the midnight buffet? It was a typical characteristic on many cruise ships only a few years in the past.

However recently, it appears to have quietly disappeared from most cruise strains. No official cause was ever given, however I’ve a fairly good guess—it probably comes right down to cost-cutting and lowering meals waste.

As we talked about within the article about issues it’s best to by no means do at a cruise buffet, many passengers used to fill their plates after which barely eat half of what they took.

As well as, it appears like many passengers now choose smaller, extra intimate eating experiences. We’ll most likely by no means see the midnight buffet once more, however have you ever checked the 7 Issues Cruise Strains Don’t Need You to Know?