On a cruise ship with thousands of guests, it’s inevitable that not everyone shares the same values and rules. Now, however, a growing trend of bad behavior is targeting the most enthusiastic cruisers.
One recent guest aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas, reached out via Reddit to warn other passengers so they don’t fall victim to it.
“Just got off Utopia and ended up talking to some people who had all their door magnets stolen,” the guest explained. “A lady was telling me that they’d had custom magnets made for someone’s birthday and all were stolen. This included several doors on different floors.”
“If you were planning to decorate your door, maybe think twice,” they warned.
Door decorations are often used not only to celebrate a special occasion onboard, but are a practical way to distinguish one’s door so it can be easily found. This is especially effective in a large group so everyone can find their friends and family members, or if a traveler might have memory challenges.
Magnets are one of the easiest ways to customize a cruise cabin door, as they are small and easy to pack, stick easily to the metal stateroom doors, and don’t cause any damage to the door’s surface.
Personalized magnets with names, sailing dates, ship names, and special messages like “Happy Birthday!” “Congratulations!” and “Happy Anniversary!” are common and easy to find online.
It is exactly those customized magnets that may be the most desirable targets for mischief, however, despite the fact that such magnets aren’t easy to reused. Other guests who have sailed recently onboard Royal Caribbean ships have reported similar behaviors, including with other types of magnets.
“I was on Odyssey a few weeks ago and even all the ‘do not disturb’ magnets were stolen off everyone’s doors,” one guest commented.
Some guests even participate in magnet exchanges arranged through social media before setting sail. For such an exchange, everyone brings souvenir magnets to share with other participants, such as magnets of their home states, favorite sports teams, or colleges.
During the sailing, they distribute the magnets to other participants’ doors so everyone has a nice collection to commemorate their cruise and their new cruise friends.
Unfortunately, such collections have also been targeted, with some or all of them being stolen.
Other related bad behaviors include turning magnets upside down or misarranging them, moving magnets to other nearby doors, knocking on doors and running away, or even throwing things in stateroom hallways.
While concerned travelers can contact ship’s security to report incidents, often the perpetrators are able to leave the area immediately, long before security could arrive to investigate.
Many guests simply accept that such behaviors may happen, and try not to let it ruin their vacations. Younger cruisers are often testing boundaries but fortunately tend to grow out of such poor behavior.
Problem is Not Just Aboard Royal Caribbean Ships
It isn’t just Royal Caribbean vessels where this disturbing trend is being noticed. Guests have reported similar incidents when sailing with Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and other lines.
In January 2025, one upset Carnival guest even suggested that anyone who steals door decorations should be put off the ship at the next port of call or otherwise be prosecuted. Needless to say, that extreme reaction is not happening.
So how can cruisers still enjoy door decorations but avoid the hassle of having them disappear?
“My decor always comes straight from the Dollar Tree,” one guest recommended, while another suggested, “I plan to bring ugly free magnets for this reason.”
Less distinctive magnets or those that aren’t as tempting can help. Some travelers take photos of their fully-decorated doors so they can report any incidents to security with photographic proof.
Read Also: What You Need to Know About Decorating Your Stateroom Door
Larger magnets that are less able to be quickly removed and hidden might also be safer options, or using strings and ribbons to connect multiple magnets into a larger piece could help stop a quick nicking.
Do you decorate your cruise cabin door? Have you ever had anything disappear? Share your tips on the Cruise Hive boards!
