While most people who work and vacation on cruise ships are there to have a good time, it’s always a good idea to stay aware of one’s surroundings. One TikToker has plenty of tips to keep cruisers safe, especially for women and solo travelers.
How To Stay Safe On Cruise Ships
Cruising is generally one of the safest forms of travel. With surveillance cameras in most public spaces and professional security teams onboard, cruise lines actively work to keep their guests safe. Even so, it still doesnโt mean passengers should let their guard down completely.
Luckily, Victoria from @victorias.way on TikTok posts tips to keep travelers safe. While her advice is primarily targeted at the women and solo travelers among her 155.8K followers, it can be useful for anyone who feels the need to take extra precautions – both on land and at sea.
One of her most popular cruise safety videos, which was posted on February 17, 2024, has been viewed nearly 29 million times. In the video, which was filmed on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Victoria takes her followers through her nighttime routine before going to bed.
First, the influencer makes sure no unwanted visitors can break in while sheโs sleeping. In addition to putting the โdo not disturbโ sign out and locking the door, she also closes the peep hole and makes a back-up lock uses hangers and towels from her stateroom.
She then installs a doorstop alarm, a wireless security camera, and pushes a heavy piece of furniture against the door. After a final check of her surroundings from her cabinโs balcony, Victoria closes the curtains with clips for extra security before calling it a night.
Earlier in 2024, Victoria also went viral for sharing her safety routine to keep unwanted guests out of her cruise cabin on a newer MSC cruise ship, earning over 18 million views.
That said, some think that Victoriaโs methods are a bit too over-the-top, often questioning how quickly she could exit her cabin if there was an emergency.
โNo Way. If I have to get out quickly in an emergency this would be horrible,โ wrote one TikToker.
โI work on a cruise ship and have never felt safer when I sleep. 24 hour security 24/7 versus when Iโm home alone,โ commented another.
Ultimately, Victoriaโs tips come down to staying aware of oneโs surroundings, which is important to do no matter how many precautions guests feel they need to take.
Arrest Made On Symphony of the Seas
On March 2, 2024, Victoria posted a video of how she stayed safe on the last night of her cruise onboard Royal Caribbeanโs Symphony of the Seas. The video, which has been viewed over 5 million times in less than a week, was posted one day before a shocking arrest was made onboard the 5,518-passenger Oasis-class ship.
A male cabin steward working among the 2,200-person crew was taken into custody on March 3 in Fort Lauderdale. The now fired crew member, 34-year-old Arvin Joseph Mirasol from the Philippines, faces federal charges for allegedly hiding cameras inside guests’ staterooms to secretly record them.
Considering the timing of Victoriaโs video, itโs quite likely she was onboard the same 8-Night Southern Caribbean sailing in which Mirasol was apprehended after another passenger found one of his alleged hidden cameras in her stateroom.
It also makes the topic of her video, which is all about how to keep unwanted visitors out of your cruise cabin, extra relevant.
In the video, the influencer again shows how she barricades her door, but adds a new tip. She puts a coin on the door handle so she can quickly see if someone opened the door without her knowledge.
She also shares the safety devices she keeps closeby on her bedside table in case someone were to break in, such as a flashlight, small safety alarm, and pepper spray.
Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Really Need to Know
Even more recently, Victoria posted another video with more cruise safety advice on Thursday, March 7, 2024. In the few days since the video was shared, it has been viewed almost 30,000 times.
The video highlights little details about staying safe that excited travelers might forget about, such as storing money and valuables in the typically provided safe.
Even though housekeepers likely did a thorough cleaning, Victoria also does her own quick wipe down of commonly used surfaces and appliances, such as door handles and the phone.
In a slightly darker turn, the TikToker also places her thumbprint on the wall, leaving a small smudge. She does this in order to leave a piece of her DNA behind for investigators to find in the unlikely event she was kidnapped, or something similar occurred.
While the recent arrest onboard Symphony of the Seas shows that anything can happen anywhere, incidents like that are few and far between on cruise ships. TikTokers like Victoria try to prepare their followers for the unexpected – but how many precautions to take is up to each traveler and their individual comfort levels.