When most cruise passengers return to their stateroom, they are looking for rest and relaxation. But due to a simple mistake, one recent guest of MSC Meraviglia returned to a shock.
A TikToker, who goes by Beau Bays (@beaubays20) on the platform, left the door to his private balcony wide open. When he returned to his cabin and opened the door, his room essentially became a wind tunnel with both doors open.
“A tornado really went through my room,” he captioned the clip, along with a laughing face emoji.
The popular TikTok, which has been viewed 4.3 million times since it was posted on November 4, 2024, shows the cruiser struggling to open his door against the wind.
When he finally forces his way inside, viewers can catch a glimpse of his drapes flapping wildly.
Thankfully, the cruiser seemed to be in good spirits – and has not posted anything that suggests he was injured in the incident, or that his luggage was damaged.
He’s continued to show off his good sense of humor in the comment section of his video – even going back and forth directly with MSC Cruises.
“You should close that,” the MSC Cruises US TikTok account quipped.
“Closing it would ruin my plans for a dramatic exit!” the recent guest joked back.
Assuming the video was posted the night it happened, the surprise wind tunnel experience would have taken place in the middle of MSC Meraviglia’s 7-night Bahamas sailing out of New York City (Brooklyn), which embarked on November 3, 2024.
Before the voyage concluded on November 10, the 5,642-guest vessel called on Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and MSC Ocean Cay, the cruise line’s private island destination and marine reserve in the Bahamas.
More Reasons to Close Those Balcony Doors
Many cruisers like to keep their balcony doors open during their voyage for reasons like letting in the fresh air or enjoying the sounds of the ocean.
While it’s fine to prop the balcony door open while guests are in their cabin, the doors shouldn’t be left open if no one is in the stateroom to keep an eye on things.
This is largely because wind might not be the only surprise that gets in through the open door.
As recently as October 2024, a Carnival cruise guest came back to her cabin only to discover dozens of birds flying around her room. She had also left her balcony door open.
The passenger, who goes by @chanellbethley on Instagram and Facebook, posted a video showing the chaos in her cabin as the birds flew around the room.
It’s unclear which specific Carnival ship the unusual incident occurred upon, but both Carnival Freedom and Carnival Glory were bombarded with hundreds of birds while sailing in the Bahamas between October 4 and October 7.
Read Also: What NOT to Do When Choosing Your Cruise Cabins
During stormy weather, it’s also important to keep those balcony doors shut tight to prevent rain from coming in and causing flooding.
This has happened as recently as January of 2024, when Voyager of the Seas was hit with a severe storm in the Gulf of Mexico that caused flooding and water damage in several areas onboard – including guest staterooms.
On a more somber note, guests who leave their balcony doors open while they are not present could also be setting themselves up to become victims of a crime of opportunity.
While cruise ships generally are quite safe – and even have their own onboard security teams – burglars who see an easy opportunity could come up with a variety of ways to make their way onto the unattended balcony and into the open stateroom.
