There are some things that should simply be common sense – such as closing your cabin door or pulling the curtains closed while in various states of undress.
However, my 14-year-old self learned that this is not the case the hard way while sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas many years ago.
I entered my interior stateroom, which overlooked the promenade, only to make eye contact with an elderly cruiser in the cabin window directly across from me, who was standing there stark naked.
More than a decade later, with that image forever burned into my brain, the topic of closing one’s curtains, while undressed, is once again up for debate in the cruise community – this time on Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page.
Heald received a complaint from a recent guest of Carnival Liberty, who didn’t realize that the Conquest-class ship would be docking close enough to another ship while in Cozumel, Mexico, for other cruisers to see into her stateroom.
“She had not drawn the balcony cabin curtains before going to bed and both her and her partner, woke up, stood up and started to potter about the cabin ‘ au natural” as they say in Cleveland, Ohio before realizing that guests on the Carnival Legend were enjoying the show,” Heald relayed in a Facebook post.
Understandably embarrassed, the passenger told Heald that an announcement should have been made to remind guests to close their curtains before arriving in the port.
“Her plea was to have the captain or cruise director announce if the ship was docking next to another ship to inform the guests to close their curtains. I am not sure we need to do this but it is perhaps a warning to close the curtains if you have a balcony or ocean view cabin,” Heald continued.
While this is a largely impractical request, let this woman’s story serve as a cautionary tale to close your curtains if you don’t want to put on an accidental show while in port.
Carnival Cruise Community Supports Modesty
While your cruise cabin should feel like you’re home away from home, it never hurts to take a beat to consider what your fellow passengers might be able to see – even in interior cabins that look into common spaces within the ship.
Of course, docking near another ship may make your cabin visible – but certain lighting conditions can make the view clearer for both interior and exterior accommodations, such as when it’s dark outside but the lights in your stateroom are turned on.
Among Heald’s Facebook followers, maintaining privacy was seen as something that should have been common sense and not something that would warrant a reminder.
“Folks with windows in their cabins could close their curtains at night and then open them up after they have clothes on. No need for the captain or cruise director to be involved. On Port day, they are busy,” one person commented.
“Apparently common sense is seriously lacking these days,” another added.
Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise
That said, it’s not the first time passengers have accidentally provided the cruise community with a show while docked in port – and likely won’t be the last.
During the christening ceremony for Explora Journeys Explora II on September 16, 2024, a couple was caught on camera becoming intimate on their (not so) private balcony.
This likely was even worse than just waking up exposed on a normal port day, as this unidentified duo, who were guests of the smaller ship’s maiden voyage, were caught in the buff during a formal event.
At the end of 2024, Heald also had to reaffirm that topless sunbathing was not allowed on Carnival cruise ships and hadn’t been for many years.
