As people flock to cruise ships after the pandemic, health and sanitation conditions are still a big issue — including a record 13 norovirus outbreaks so far in 2023.
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While the CDC has inspected more than 200 active cruise ships, most receive a score of nearly 90 on the 100-point scale. If a cruise ship does not make a passing grade, it cannot sail until it corrects the issues noted. All cruise lines are subjected to two unannounced CDC inspections per year.
Many cruise ships have self-service laundry facilities on each deck, including washing machines, dryers, ironing and detergent. Passengers can also use the ship's valet laundry services for a fee, which includes washing, pressing and dry cleaning. Alternatively, guests can hand wash and dry within their cabin.
Even though twice-daily stateroom cleaning has long been the standard in the cruise industry, how often you like your cruise ship stateroom cleaned by your cabin steward is a matter of personal preference. Some cruisers love the pampered feeling of a stateroom that is always clean -- when done by someone else.
Cruise ship tap water is safe to drink unless you are told otherwise by the ship's authorities. The water throughout the ship has been treated, filtered and frequently tested to meet the standards of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Public Health Service on ships sailing into and out of U.S. ports of call.
Shipboard potable water (drinking, bathing, whirlpools, etc.) either comes from a shoreside water treatment plant or is generated on board from seawater via Reverse Osmosis systems or Evaporators. Swimming pool water is typically seawater.
Tap water on cruise ships is safe to drink. Guests can drink tap water either from the tap in their cabin bathroom or at dinner when it is offered. The water has been through a purification system and though it may not taste the best on all cruise ships, it's safe to drink.
After breakfast service ends in the late morning, all major cruise lines offer an all-day room service menu of salads, sandwiches, snacks and desserts. Most cruise lines have special in-room dining menus, separate from what you'd find that day on the buffet or in the main dining room.
At night for dinner guests can go for casual or smart casual clothes at most of the restaurants. Although for specialty restaurants in cruise ships a formal dress code is suggested. The cruise line does not have any kind of formal nights but 'Norwegian's night out' can be considered as the formal night.
Your bed linens might be changed frequently, but decorative blankets, bedspreads and pillows aren't always laundered between sailings. Remove these items from your bed and hide them in a closet or drawer – or ask your cabin steward to take them out of your room for the duration of your cruise.
And while some other items in the video also seem fairly obvious, two things that are flushable at home can't be flushed on cruise ships -- wipes and non-cruise-ship toilet paper.
Cruise ship workers are not supposed to hook up with passengers, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It is rare though – most crew follow the rules because they know they'll lose their job if they're caught. You won't be surprised to hear that cruise lines ban crew from having sex with passengers.
Cruises are often known for decadence when it comes to food – it's available all day, every day, in unlimited portions, and it's certainly not all healthy. That said, it is possible to eat healthy while on a cruise ship – while still enjoying yourself, too!
Yes, on most cruise ships you will have a phone in your cabin that you can use to call land phones (as well as ship-based phone numbers). But prices can be as high as $8 per minute, varying by cruise line, to call outside the ship.
Cruise ships have cellular service that you can connect to. However, it's usually considered international roaming and means you'll be charged high rates to access. You likely know that instead of using a cell signal, you can hook your phone up to wi-fi and use the Internet to make calls, send texts, and surf the web.
As for your person, you will go through a metal detector. We have yet to go through a port that has the body scanners that have caused so much controversy at airports.
When a toilet is flushed on a cruise ship, the sewage travels to the onboard treatment plant. Here the waste is filtered before it enters an aeration chamber. The aeration chamber cleans the waste. It is then sterilized using UV light and released into the ocean when clean enough to do so.
While water, juice, and tea are usually free on a cruise, you often have to go to the ship's restaurants to get them. Meanwhile, non-alcoholic drinks like sodas cost extra (usually around $2-3 per serving), so bringing those on with you when allowed can save you a decent amount.
Shipboard potable water (drinking, bathing, whirlpools, etc.) either comes from a shoreside water treatment plant or is generated on board from seawater via Reverse Osmosis systems or Evaporators. Swimming pool water is typically seawater.