20 Shameless Things Guests Do at All-Inclusive Cruises That Staff Never Forget

You would think a vacation where the food, drinks, and entertainment are already paid for would bring out everyone’s best side. Crew members say it doesn’t always work that way. The stories they trade between shifts are far more specific than “someone was rude.”

Some of these habits are petty. A few are gross, and one or two could actually put people at risk. Stick around for the last entry, because it’s the one crew say follows a guest long after the ship docks.

#20 – Guests dropping towels on pool chairs at sunrise then vanishing for hours

It’s sunrise on a sea day, and the pool deck already looks packed. Look closer. Towels, sunhats, and tote bags sit on dozens of loungers, and not one person is lying on them.

The owners are at breakfast, back in the cabin, or still asleep. Meanwhile, other guests circle the deck with drinks in hand, hunting for a single free chair.

Deck crew learn to read these setups at a glance. Daily programs often spell out the rules on holding seats, and staff are the ones who end up moving belongings when a row sits empty for an hour or more. Crew accounts describe whole rows held before excursions and reclaimed in the afternoon. The person who comes back to a relocated towel is rarely thrilled, and the attendant who moved it takes the glare.

#19 – Loading multiple plates at the buffet and leaving most untouched

The lobster is out, the prime rib is carved, and a few guests grab three plates at once. They take a bite or two, then push the rest aside as if the food were a prop.

Buffet staff clear those leftovers fast to keep lines moving. They see it at lunch, and they see it again at dinner when the popular dishes appear. The all-inclusive setup encourages seconds, but some plates were never going to be finished.

Former workers also describe guests carrying used plates straight back to serving areas instead of stacking them somewhere sensible. That adds cleaning steps and makes everyone nervous about hygiene. Fresh trays of the best items also run down faster for the diners who arrive later, who then wonder where the good stuff went.

#18 – Ignoring basic manners when speaking to servers and bartenders

Ask any bartender how a shift is going, and they’ll tell you about the guests who never say “please.” Instead of a request, they get a snapped finger, a raised voice, or an empty glass pushed across the bar.

Crew members work long days, so the contrast with a polite table hits instantly. A simple “thank you” can brighten an hour. Being treated like part of the furniture can sour it just as quickly.

Workers say this tends to get worse in bigger groups and after a few drinks. It shows up in dining rooms and at pool bars alike. Staff still deliver the smile the job requires, but they remember who made it hard. Meanwhile, the guest who barked the order has usually forgotten the exchange within minutes.

#17 – Leaving cabins in complete disarray with clothes and trash everywhere

Open the door on some cabins and it looks like a suitcase exploded. Clothes cover the bed, wet towels sit on the floor, and empty bottles and plates hide under the furniture.

Housekeeping teams handle dozens of rooms, so every extra minute of sorting pushes the rest of the day back. Some guests leave the Do Not Disturb sign up all day, which means the room gets skipped until evening and the backlog grows.

Former stewards describe food remnants mixed in with personal belongings in ways that make sanitizing slower and more unpleasant. For some guests, an all-inclusive trip seems to turn the cabin into a hotel room with an invisible maid. Crew don’t forget the rooms that took the most effort, and they can often name the cabin number years later.

At a Glance

• Do Not Disturb sign up all day: the room gets skipped until evening
• Wet towels on the floor: extra laundry and extra steps
• Bottles and plates under furniture: slower, less pleasant cleanup
• Food mixed with belongings: sanitizing takes longer

#16 – Drinking to excess and creating disturbances in public areas

With an unlimited drink package, some passengers drink far more than they would ever pay for at home. By evening, hallways and lounges can fill with loud arguments, unsteady walking, and spilled cocktails.

Bar staff keep mental tabs on the faces that keep coming back to the counter. When behavior starts to affect nearby guests or safety, crew have to step in.

Accounts mention guests who needed help getting back to their cabins and others who delayed or disrupted shows. Workers say it gets worse on longer itineraries, when fatigue and a week of free refills pile up. Staff handle it discreetly and keep smiling, but they do remember who they’d rather not see in line on the next sailing.

#15 – Touching buffet items directly with hands instead of using tongs

The tongs are right there, and so are the signs. Still, some guests reach straight into the tray for a roll, a strawberry, or a pastry, then drop it on their plate with bare fingers.

Buffet attendants see it most during the breakfast and lunch rush, when lines are long and patience is short. They watch the same people do it repeatedly, then quietly swap out the trays that were handled.

It’s a small act with a big ripple. Everyone behind that guest is picking from the same display, and health protocols exist to prevent exactly this kind of contact. The result is extra work for staff, wasted food, and a lingering worry about what the person ahead of you touched before you took your turn.

#14 – Threatening poor reviews to obtain complimentary upgrades or meals

It starts calmly at check-in or after a minor hiccup. A guest mentions that they write reviews, and that a suite upgrade or a free bottle might make their feedback glow.

Guest relations staff recognize the tactic immediately. The tone is polite, but the intent is clear, and managers step in to de-escalate while other arrivals wait in line.

What frustrates crew most is how it sidesteps the normal route. A problem raised on board gives staff a chance to fix it on the spot. A negative review posted after the cruise gives them nothing to act on. Workers remember the specific requests that came attached to a review threat, and the guests who made them.

#13 – Flirting aggressively or making inappropriate comments toward crew

Not every compliment is harmless. Some guests push past friendly chat with persistent attention, uncomfortable closeness, or personal questions that crew never invited.

Male and female crew members both report these encounters, especially on bar and entertainment shifts. Most cruise lines have rules about how crew and guests interact, but that doesn’t stop some passengers from testing the line.

The hard part is that staff can’t simply walk away or snap back. They’re working, and the customer is paying. So they learn to deflect with a smile, change the subject, or find a reason to be needed at the other end of the bar. Worker accounts describe these moments as awkward and draining, and they stick in memory for good reason.

#12 – Returning late from ports and delaying departure

The announcement was clear: be back by the all-aboard time. Yet every ship seems to have a few guests who stroll up to the gangway late, shopping bags in hand and a story ready.

When passengers cut it close, officers and port staff watch the clock. Departure schedules ripple through the whole itinerary, and tender operations can get complicated when guests are still trickling back.

Crew say the same names turn up on late lists, and the tension on deck is real. Hundreds of people who followed the rules are left waiting while officers wonder whether to hold the ship or leave without someone. Former officers describe a clear sense of relief when the last passenger finally walks on board, and that’s a feeling they don’t forget.

Quick Compare

• Back early: a relaxed gangway, no announcements, and a smooth departure
• Cutting it close: officers watching the clock and crew scanning the pier
• Back late: a ship full of waiting passengers and a stressed bridge team

#11 – Hogging dining tables long after finishing meals

The plates are empty, the coffee is long cold, and the group is still settled in. Meanwhile, a line of hungry guests wanders the dining room hoping to spot an open table.

Servers have to do the delicate thing: ask politely for turnover without seeming to rush anyone. On a full ship at peak mealtimes, that’s an awkward job.

Crew notice when the same parties camp at prime window spots for extended periods. It cuts available seating for later guests and adds pressure on the servers trying to keep everything moving. The cause is usually harmless, a relaxed vacation mindset that lets time slip away. But from the staff side, a table that never clears is a problem that grows by the minute.

#10 – Bringing children into adults-only areas despite posted rules

Some ships set aside quiet zones and late-night venues just for adults. They’re meant to be a break from kid chaos, and plenty of couples book a cruise partly for that peace.

Then a family wanders in, sometimes right past the sign. Staff have to explain the rule, and that can turn into a family argument fast.

Crew remember the repeat requests to relocate, especially when the same group returns the next day. It’s an awkward moment for everyone nearby, including adults who just wanted a quiet drink. Enforcement also pulls staff away from their other duties. Workers say the issue pops up more often on family-heavy sailings, where the line between family fun and adult space blurs fast.

#9 – Leaving used dishes and glasses in hallways or on deck

It begins as a convenient late-night snack. A guest carries a plate or a glass back to the cabin, finishes it, and sets it outside the door or on a deck railing.

By morning, housekeeping and deck staff are collecting the evidence. Glasses sit stacked in odd corners, and a trail of crumbs or spills means extra sweeping on top of an already long shift.

Crew say it shows up most after late-night room service or long pool days. The all-inclusive convenience seems to turn off the instinct to return things where they belong. Anyone who has stepped on a sticky patch outside a cabin knows the result, and the staff are the ones who cleaned it up every morning.

#8 – Demanding special treatment or free items without prior booking

“All-inclusive” can sound like “everything included,” and some guests treat it that way at embarkation. They arrive expecting upgrades, free spa credits, or perks that were never part of their fare.

Front desk and guest services staff hear these requests daily. When the answer is no, a few guests escalate to managers in the middle of a crowded lobby while the line behind them grows longer.

Staff remember the surprise on their faces when standard policy applies. The conversation often means explaining, again and again, what the fare actually covers. It’s rarely a fun exchange for anyone, and it tends to happen right when embarkation lines are longest and crew are already stretched thin.

Worth Knowing

• Your fare’s included-items list is the real rulebook, so read it before you board
• Upgrades and spa credits are usually separate purchases unless your booking says otherwise
• A calm, private question at guest services gets better results than a lobby debate
• Embarkation day is the busiest time at the desk, so save non-urgent requests for later

#7 – Taking photos or videos of crew without asking

A camera lifts at the dinner table, and the waiter is suddenly in the frame. Or a guest films a bartender mid-pour for a social media clip nobody agreed to.

Crew members aren’t performing. They’re working, often without a break, and an unexpected lens can make them feel on display in the middle of a routine task.

Worker accounts describe the discomfort of noticing a phone pointed their way during a shift. It tends to happen most around entertainment and dining areas, where phones are already out. A quick “Do you mind?” would fix it, but some guests skip that step. Staff have to keep smiling and stay aware of another thing on a long list of things to manage.

#6 – Wasting large amounts of food by over-serving and discarding

It isn’t only the buffet. In the restaurants, some guests order several entrees at once, take a bite of each, and send the rest back.

Servers clear plates of food that could have fed someone else. The free-flowing nature of the cruise seems to tempt a few travelers into seeing how far they can push it.

Kitchen and dining staff see the returned items pile up, and workers on longer voyages describe the pattern repeating night after night. Food costs are part of what goes into fares, so waste isn’t truly free. Crew try to cut waste where they can, but they rarely say anything directly to guests. They just watch it go in the bin and remember who ordered it.

#5 – Blocking walkways or elevators by standing in groups

A big family stops dead in the middle of a corridor to decide where to eat. Another group crowds the elevator doors, chatting, with no thought of letting anyone through.

Traffic between decks slows to a crawl, especially near shows and buffets at peak times. Crew carrying trays, luggage, or cleaning carts have to squeeze around the cluster and hope nobody bumps them.

Staff gently redirect when they can, with a polite “excuse me” or a friendly nudge. Most of the time it isn’t intentional. It’s vacation brain, distracted and relaxed. But a small step to the side would prevent most of it, and crew notice the groups that never seem to make it.

#4 – Complaining loudly about minor issues in front of other guests

The drink wasn’t cold enough. The table was too far from the window. Instead of quietly flagging it, one guest announces the problem to the entire room.

Guest relations staff would much rather talk privately, where they can actually fix things. A public scene sours the mood for nearby passengers, who came to relax and now feel stuck in the middle of someone else’s drama.

Crew handle it diplomatically and keep service moving. Accounts note the contrast with guests who raise concerns calmly, who often get a faster and friendlier solution. The loud approach rarely works better. It does, however, make sure the staff remember the guest who tried it, along with the exact complaint.

#3 – Using the cabin as a personal storage area with items everywhere

Some guests unpack like they’re moving in. Every drawer is full, every surface holds a pile, and the counter looks like a pharmacy shelf crowded with toiletries.

Stewards must clean around all of it. Over a week-long cruise, that extra rearranging adds up, and it contrasts sharply with rooms where guests keep things tidy.

Housekeeping teams remember the cabins that needed the most work to put right, and they notice which guests made life easier. The all-inclusive mindset seems to turn the cabin into a second home for some travelers. Staff still finish the job, because that’s what they do. But the room that looked like a closet exploded is the one that gets mentioned at the end of the shift.

#2 – Ignoring safety briefings or muster drill instructions

The muster drill is the one moment on a cruise when everyone is supposed to stop and pay attention. Some guests talk through the instructions, scroll their phones, or skip the session entirely.

Officers and crew then have to repeat key points or track down the people who weren’t listening. It slows things down, and it’s one of the few parts of the cruise where the stakes are truly serious.

The drill exists for one reason: to protect everyone on board if something goes wrong. A guest who skipped it may not know where to go in a real emergency. Crew don’t make a scene about it, but they do notice. It’s the rare habit on this list that could matter far beyond the buffet line.

Fast Facts

• The drill is meant for every passenger, not just first-time cruisers
• Your assigned assembly station is usually posted in your cabin and in the ship’s materials
• Phones down: the instructions only help if you actually hear them
• Knowing your route from the cabin takes just a minute and could matter most

#1 – Treating the whole ship like a private living room, from the pool deck to the dining room

The guests crew remember longest aren’t defined by one bad habit. They’re the ones who combine several of them into a steady pattern across the whole sailing, from the reserved lounger to the messy cabin to the snapped finger at the bar.

They expect constant accommodation while showing little awareness of the crew or the other passengers around them. Because their behavior touches multiple departments every day, they turn up in everyone’s stories.

Crew remember the room numbers and faces long after the ship has docked, and the tales get passed along to teams on later sailings. The good news is that most passengers keep it reasonable. The outliers are rare, but they prove how much a little courtesy changes the whole trip for everyone on board.