Cruise vacations are a beautiful thing: there are lots of reasons to take cruise vacations, one of which is that there are so many different cruises to choose from. Be this as it may, it is always wise to exercise caution when going on a vacation, and cruise vacations are no exception. Below are some of the top tips for staying safe on your cruise.
Our first bit of advice is very general; in fact, it’s so general that it is basically a rule of life: be aware of your surroundings and stay alert. Many cruise vacations involve thousands of people, and there is no reason to assume that everyone is a paragon of virtue – this includes the crew too. So, exercise the same caution that you exercise when going about your daily life. It is wise not to walk around dark parts of the ship late at night, for example. This all seems quite obvious, but people tend to let down their guard on vacations to a degree that is often not wise. The warmth of the sun feels glorious as you sip your third delicious cocktail of the day and chat with your friends – all is well – but remember to keep an eye on your cell phone and iPod sitting nearby. That you feel full of good will does not mean that everyone else on the ship does.
These last couple of sentences hint at two more specific safety tips. First, keep your valuables in the ship’s safe, not the safe in your cabin. The cabin’s safe is fine for small amounts of cash and items like your watch (as long as it’s a cheap watch – no need to bring an expensive one anyway), but for really important documents, like your passport and tickets, as well as valuables, like jewelry, it is best to keep these in the ship’s safe. Second, take it easy on the booze, not only because it compromises your judgment, thereby making you susceptible to the types of mistakes cautioned against above, but also because cruise ships are moving vessels, going forward at 20 knots per hour (23 mph) and often moving back and forth when the sea is rough. Lots of drink on an unsteady surface could be a recipe for – how should we put it – discomfort.
Finally, be sure to report anything suspicious while you’re on your cruise. The best defense is a good offense, as the saying goes. Most cruises have an abundant staff, so there should be employees around to inform of any issues no matter your location on the ship, and in any event there is always an administrative office to report problems to.
Overall, ships are secure places, but you should always exercise due caution and common sense while taking a cruise vacation. What is true of life can hardly fail to be true of cruises.