7 Most Annoying Cruise Behaviors (and How to Handle Them Without Losing Your Cool)

There’s this moment from one of my cruises that still makes me laugh, mostly because it was so ridiculous. I was carrying a plate of tacos, trying not to drop a single crumb, when a guy sprinted past me like he was chasing the last lifeboat.

Turns out he wasn’t running for safety. He just wanted to beat someone to a lounge chair. My tacos survived, but my patience didn’t. And honestly, that’s when it hit me. Even on the happiest vacations, people can be… a lot.

Cruises are fun, relaxing, and all the good stuff, but sometimes you run into chair hogs, loud neighbors, or that one person who thinks cutting the line is their birthright.

You don’t need to turn into security to keep your sanity, and you definitely don’t need to ruin your trip. You just need a few smart ways to handle the annoying stuff without losing your cool.

Below are real, human fixes (the kind people actually use, not the polished brochure version) for the most common cruise frustrations.

How to Handle Annoying Cruise Situations

Chair Hogs: The Sunrise Towel Brigade

Chair hogs are the folks who wake up before the sun, drop a towel, then vanish for three hours like they got kidnapped by the buffet. The good news is you don’t have to accept defeat.

Try this instead:
• Give it a little time. Most ships allow staff to clear unattended items after a set window. Snap a quick photo of the empty chair with the time showing on your phone. If it’s still untouched later, you’re good.
• Ask a pool attendant. Seriously. They deal with this every day and won’t make it awkward.
• Hang out near the pool area for a few minutes. People leave faster than you’d think, especially after lunch hits.

What not to do: Don’t toss someone’s stuff yourself. Even if their towel is basically trash decor at that point.

Line Cutters: The “I’m Just Joining My Family” Lie

Some people swear they’re “just catching up with their family”, but the math never adds up. If six people are ahead of them, and the “family” keeps growing, well… you get the idea.

How to handle it without starting drama:
• Be direct but not rude. “Hey, we’ve all been waiting. The end of the line is back there.” Keep your voice normal. That helps a lot.
• If it’s a big group pushing through, step a little to the side so they can’t squeeze past. It sounds silly, but it works.
• If it really gets messy, grab a crew member. They’re used to this and usually fix it fast.

Most people won’t argue once you call them out calmly. They know what they’re doing.

Kids Who Press Every Elevator Button

You haven’t lived until you’re stuck in an elevator stopping at every single floor because a kid got a little too excited and smacked the whole panel like it owed them money.

Everyone inside slowly makes the same face, like we’re all rethinking our existence one ding at a time. By the 8th stop, you start wondering if the stairs were the smarter move all along.

Try this:

• I know this one’s annoying, but most of the time it only adds, like, a minute and a half to your ride. Take a deep breath and just roll with it. Cruises don’t have THAT many floors so it’s normally bearable.
• If the elevator is stopping on every single floor and you can feel your soul leaving your body (and/or the kids are obnoxiously loud), step out and grab the next one. Sometimes that’s the faster move.
• Say something friendly to the parent, like “Kids love buttons, huh?” It lightly hints at the problem without turning it into a whole scene.
• If a crew member walks by, they’ll usually help guide the family or calm things down without making anyone feel bad.

Unsupervised Kids in the Pool Area Splashing Everyone

There’s always that group of kids who treat the pool like a splash war zone while the adults who brought them are nowhere in sight.

You’re trying to relax, maybe keep your hair dry for once, and suddenly a tidal wave hits you right in the face. Meanwhile the kids are living their best lives, and everyone else is silently wondering who they belong to.

Try this:
• Move a few steps back from the main splash zone. Kids always gravitate to the middle or the edges near the ladders.
• Catch the eye of a nearby crew member. They won’t scold anyone, but they’ll remind the kids to chill out a little.
• If the parents are nearby but checked out on their phones, a quick “hey, getting a lot of water here” usually snaps them back into reality.
• Worst case, take a short break and come back in ten minutes. Kids burn out fast when they’re going full tornado mode.

Loud Neighbors: Midnight WrestleMania Upstairs

Nothing tests your patience like the cabin above you sounding like they’re rehearsing a stomp routine. Or the couple next door having the world’s longest argument about who lost the sunscreen.

Here’s the move:
• First night, let it slide. Sometimes cabins just settle or people don’t realize how loud they are.
• If it keeps happening, knock gently and keep it friendly. Something like, “Hey, sorry to bug you, but the noise is coming through pretty strong at night. Could you lower it a bit?” Most folks apologize right away.
• If you’re not comfortable knocking, call guest services. They’ll handle it quietly and professionally.

And please don’t blast your own TV to “get even.” That only makes two sets of annoyed people.

People Who Dominate Every Hot Tub

You know the type. They camp out like the hot tub belongs to them and keep adding “just five more minutes.” And then there’s always one guy giving stock market advice no one asked for.

Try this:
• Wait until late afternoon. People get tired, hungry, or distracted by trivia games.
• Use the solarium or adult-only area if your ship has one. Way calmer.
• If someone’s been in there way too long, ask politely, “Mind if we take a turn soon?” That single sentence works more often than not.

Elevator Chaos: The Doorway Standers

I cannot overemphasize how much this one irritates me!

Why people stand directly in front of the doors like others are made of jello and can squeeze by, I’ll never understand. But it happens on every ship. It’s especially infuriating when people try to get into the elevator without letting people off first.

This has to be the rudest one on here (at least, the one that really irks me!) Roudy kids and loud neighbors are one thing, but SIR, please move out of the way! The complete lack of self-awareness and consideration is just beyond…. Okay, let me rein it back in. Focus.

It’s not THAT bad. Here’s how to deal with the situation with class.

Solution:
• Say “coming out” before the doors fully open. It alerts people to move aside without sounding annoyed.
• If someone tries to push in before you’re out, hold your spot for a second and walk forward. They have no choice but to back up.
• If it’s truly packed, take the stairs for a floor or two. Faster and weirdly satisfying.

Final Thoughts

Cruises really are amazing, but the people on them can test your patience sometimes. The good news is you don’t need to be a saint or a referee. You just need a few smart tricks, a little patience, and maybe a sense of humor. Because honestly, the annoying stuff becomes a pretty good story once you’re back home.

And if you ever see someone running with a towel at 7 a.m., just step aside. Trust me.