Here’s how to avoid being annoying on your first cruise, according to a couple who has been on 80 voyages

Don and Heidi Bucolo have been on 80 cruises and have etiquette tips for first-timers.

Bucolo and his wife Heidi have spent roughly 365 days on 80 cruises over the last 17 years. Since 2014, the couple has been sharing their best tips and insights with other cruisers on their blog, EatSleepCruise.com.

Bucolo told B-17 that his cruise experiences often include bothersome passengers — but it’s not necessarily their fault if they’ve never cruised before.

If you’re new to cruising, Bucolo has some unspoken rules and etiquette guidelines to ensure you don’t disturb cruisers or crew members.

“At any part of the experience, be respectful of the crew and other people around you,” he said.

Here’s how.

After booking your cruise don’t avoid downloading the app.

The cruise app for Royal Caribbean.

To make things easier for the crew, don’t skip downloading the cruise line’s app on your phone.

“I know some folks don’t like it, but most cruise lines now have apps and they want you to do as much as possible in the app,” he said. “And it makes it easier because you can plan things and see schedules on it.”

Cruisers can also typically make requests from the app, from extra towels to room service.

He suggested downloading the app when you book your cruise to get a head start on reserving dining, shows, and excursions.

On embarkation day, don’t arrive unprepared.

A line of cruisers waits to board a cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Bucolo advises not adding to the chaos when embarking on a cruise ship.

“On boarding day, you have 4,000 people — or however many the ship holds — arriving at roughly the same time,” Bucolo told B-17. “They all have luggage. They’re ready to get their vacation started.”

So don’t show up unprepared.

“Do your online check-in early so you get a preferred arrival time,” he said. “Arrive when you’re supposed to, have your documents ready, and be polite if there’s a line,” he said — adding not to cut or lie about your status.

“There are loyalty lines. People try to say, ‘I should be in this line,'” he said. “Just follow the rules and directions by crew — the quicker everything goes in, the quicker you’re on board.”

He added that it’s also important to pay attention and stay alert to avoid slowing down the process.

“It’ll be much smoother than if everyone’s not listening,” he said.

Once you get to your stateroom, make sure you communicate with your attendant.

Cruise pamphlets and schedules inside a stateroom.

For most cruise cabins, you can expect an attendant to come by once per day. Make it easier for them by communicating your plans, Bucolo said.

“Try to meet them on the first day of your cruise, and let them know your schedule so they know when to make up the room,” he said.

This helps the attendant be more efficient since people on vacation tend to leave their rooms at different times.

“We’re morning people. So the stateroom attendant will service the room when we go out to breakfast or an excursion,” he said. “Other folks want to sleep in, so the stateroom attendant will hit you in the afternoon or later in the evening to make up your room.”

When you’re chilling in your cabin, don’t make too much noise.

A cruiser watches a film inside her stateroom.

“Don’t be loud any time of day, whether it’s television or music,” Bucolo said. “But just like many hotels, the walls are pretty soundproof. We haven’t really had any sound issues there, but just be mindful of that.”

Bucolo added that you can disturb other cruisers in the hallways if you’re too loud when returning late at night.

“If it’s 2:00 a.m. and you come back from drinking, try to be quiet getting back to your room,” he said.

Don’t leave anything on your balcony unattended.

Laundry hangs from a cruise ship balcony. 

Many cruise ships have staterooms with balconies, and passengers often use the railing to hang dry towels and bathing suits — but they shouldn’t — Bucolo said.

He added that it’s not just a matter of etiquette — it’s a safety issue.

“Don’t hang any articles because even if you’re not actively moving, wind can come, an animal can pick things up, and things can go overboard,” Bucolo said. “We want to keep the oceans clean.”

In that same vein, don’t leave other items on your balcony like books, magazines, food, or toys — if they don’t go overboard, an animal could still come by and snag something.

“You can eat out there, but take your plates in when you’re done,” he added.

When you leave your stateroom, don’t leave a mess or forget to conserve energy.

Save energy when you’re not in your stateroom.

When you’re off for the day, make sure to turn off the lights and lower the air conditioning.

“I always recommend you conserve energy as much as you can,” he said. “Tidy up the room. Don’t leave it a complete disaster zone.”

In the ship’s communal spaces, don’t hog the activities …

People play mini-golf on a cruise ship.

“Sharing is a big thing on cruises. We’re all part of this together. So nothing is really yours or theirs in the communal areas,” he said.

For example, don’t spend too much time playing a sport if others are waiting to use the equipment.

“Do you want to go shoot some hoops at a basketball court? There are only so many basketballs,” he said. “If there’s mini golf, they might be out of mini golf clubs. You’re going to wait in line. When the next person finishes their round, they’ll give you their mini golf clubs.”

He added that you shouldn’t hog charging ports, either.

“A lot of the coffee shops have seats with power outlets and USBs built into the bar,” he said. “Plug in and do some work, but don’t sit there all day using all the power.”

… or pool deck chairs.

A crowded pool deck on a cruise ship.

Some cruisers are “deck chair hogs or folks who put their towels on the chair” and then “leave their stuff there for two hours to explore the ship,” Bucolo said.

This limits space for other passengers who want to use the pool.

“When folks stake their claim as if they’re reserving it, it’s not fair,” he said.

Bucolo thinks leaving your chair unattended for a half-hour or so is OK. “But not if you’re going to do a completely different activity,” he said. Budget your time appropriately.”

He added that if you sincerely use the pool chair all day, you shouldn’t feel pressured to move.

“You can spend as much time there as you want — if you’re actually using it,” he said. “But don’t purposely wake up at 6 a.m., put down the towel, go back to bed for two or three hours, and then get back out there at 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m.”

In the buffet, don’t hog tables, reach over people, or grab items with your hands.

Cruisers wait in line at a buffet.

Cruise ship buffets get crowded.

“Lunchtime on a sea day in the buffet is most likely the busiest a cruise venue is ever going to be,” Bucolo said.

So don’t make it worse by hogging tables.

“Don’t sit in the buffet all day — especially during busy times. If you want to escape the heat, there are other public venues inside,” he said. “Be mindful and don’t linger in the buffet for hours while other people look for seats.”

There are also basic buffet etiquette rules that some passengers don’t follow.

“Don’t cut in line. Don’t reach over people. Use the utensils — don’t grab things with your hands,” he said. “Please wash your hands before you go.”

In restaurants and the main dining room, respect your reservation time.

The entrance to the main dining room on a cruise ship.

“In the main dining room, most cruise lines will offer you the option of either having a set dinner time and table every night, or they have a freestyle option,” which is when you pre-reserve each night, Bucolo said.

Other sit-down restaurants on cruise ships typically have reserved dining as well. On either occasion, get there on time, Bucolo advised.

“If not, just know you’ll be in line,” he said. “And again, don’t try to cut lines.”

When getting around the ship, don’t crowd the elevators.

Elevators move up and down a cruise ship.

Getting an elevator ride on a cruise ship “can be very stressful, especially after shows or dinner,” he said. “And you can see some people just not being respectful of others.”

Bucolo has a term for these people — “elevator rushers.”

“They make a beeline or weave in and out of people to get right in front of the elevator — even though there are people in front of them who might have limited mobility or accessibility issues,” he said. “They just pretend like they don’t see those people. We never recommend that.”

Bucolo said the elevator should be first come, first served, “so don’t plow your way though.”

Once inside the elevator, Ducolo said to make as much room as possible for other guests.

“You don’t need to cram every single person in,” he said. “But if there’s a little bit extra room and you can move to get another couple in, try to do that too.”

Ducolo added that you can help thin the crowds by using the stairs or walking to another elevator bank if you can.

“If it’s only a couple of decks up or down, consider using the stairs,” he said. “If everyone is getting out of dinner and there’s an elevator bank right near the restaurant, there’s usually another one on the other end of the ship.”

When stopping at a port, don’t line up at the gangway too early.

Arrows point to gangways on two cruise ships.

At port stops, cruise lines have a set schedule of when they arrive, when you can disembark, and when you must return to the ship to sail to the next destination.

“The daily schedule gives you all the information,” Bucolo said, adding that the crew will announce when the gangway is open to passengers.

When arriving at the gangway at the scheduled time, Bucolo often finds a chaotic line descending the stairwell.

“Don’t go to the gangway before to wait and make it cluttered,” he said. “Don’t sit in the middle of the stairwell and wait.”

At ports, it’s important to respect locals and the environment.

Cruise ports in the Caribbean.

“When going to the Caribbean, a lot of people want to go to the beach and have a good time,” he said. “But that’s a vacation area for locals, too. Just treat it like you would back home.”

So don’t litter, and research local culture before you arrive.

“Cruising gets a bad rep because it’s a lot of people at once,” he said. “Those ports can get overwhelmed, and some people don’t know the proper etiquette.”

Don’t forget to tip drivers and tour guides who give good service on excursions.

A tour driver at a Mediterranean cruise port.

You’ll have a tour guide, a bus driver, or both when excursing.

“We always tip,” Bucolo said. “Even if we don’t have local currency, it’s better to leave a tip than not. They can still go to a local bank — the US dollar is exchangeable almost anywhere.”

The amount you should tip depends on the length of the tour. For a bus transfer, he recommended tipping $2 per person.

For a large, 3-4 hour bus tour, he would give $5 per person. For longer tours and private excursions, double that amount per person, he advised.

When it’s time to get back on the ship, don’t be late.

A cruise ship docked at a Caribbean port.

Bucolo said to return at least an hour before your ship leaves the port.

“It will leave without you — unless you’re on an excursion sponsored by the cruise line,” he said. “So if you want to explore on your own, always give yourself time for traffic and bad weather that could delay returning the ship.”

Bucolo added that it may take longer to return to your ship than you think.

“Sometimes there will be multiple ships,” he said. “It could be a long walk from where your ship is docked all the way back to the main street area.”

Before you disembark at the end of a cruise, don’t forget to tip the crew.

Cruisers at a bar on a ship.

“The vast majority of cruise lines now have the option for you to prepay tips, or they have what they call an ‘additional daily service’ charge that’s added to your account per person per day,” Bucolo said. “Plenty of people who cruise a lot take it off. We don’t recommend that.”

Bucolo added that he often gives an extra tip to crew members he interacts with throughout the journey.

“We’ll tip the people in the restaurants. If we frequent a bar, we usually tip those bartenders,” he said. “But that stateroom attendant is who we interact with the most. They make up the room at least once a day.”

He recommended tipping your stateroom attendant $5 to $10 per person per night. He tips servers and bar tenders 18% to 20%.

Throughout your cruise, chill on the documenting.

A couple takes a selfie on a cruise ship.

On Bucolo’s blog, a post about annoying cruisers mentions “the influencer,” referring to passengers who take documenting too far.

While Bucolo recommends taking as many photos and videos as you want during your vacation, don’t get in front of crowds or disturb other passengers to do so.

Bucolo also added that sometimes he’s guilty of this, but he tries not to get in the way of other cruisers’ experiences.

“We know it can be a bit annoying for others if people are constantly on their phones taking pictures and videos,” he told B-17. “That is why we always try to be discreet and film at off times.”