Cruise passengers detail their WILDEST on-board encounters – from passing wind at the buffet table to sex on sun loungers

A wash of cruise goers have outed the rudest passenger behaviors they’ve ever witnessed on ships – from people pooping in public areas to passing wind at the buffet table.

Cruise expert Ilana Schattauer posted a video to her YouTube channel, Life Well Cruised, which details some of the wild stories she has heard from ships and, in turn, hundreds of commenters have joined the conversation.

In her clip, Ilana says many complaints from guests are around buffet etiquette, and some say they have witnessed people ‘pass gas’ while waiting in lines for their food. 

Other gripes from the dining room included passengers cutting in line at the buffet, people eating from the food stations or their plates on the go and others blowing their noses into cloth napkins. 

One commenter revealed that their pet peeve at mealtime is ‘people not washing their hands when going into the buffet,’ while another said they are not a fan of small children serving themselves. 

In turn, hundreds of commenters have joined the conversation (stock image)

They explained: ‘The smaller ones don’t have the motor skills to make a choice and move along. Picking them up and holding them so they can make a choice is rude to others waiting! 

‘Your six-year-old with a full plate of food doesn’t need to pick up nine pieces of INDIVIDUAL bacon for their plate.

‘Seat them with someone else and get them some food. It happens at home, so let it happen at the buffet on vacation. Stop letting them touch all the plates, utensils, serving tools! It’s maddening!’

Another viewer recounted a real horror story on their cruise which started at breakfast time. 

They wrote: ‘[I encountered a] person who was so drunk he threw up all over the floor in front of the buffet at breakfast. 

‘[On the] same cruise another guy was so drunk, he pooped on the floor on the carpet and another woman who was so drunk, she was laughing and crying late at night and couldn’t walk. She thought it was hysterical until she fell down and couldn’t get up. 

‘This all happened on NCL Prima in October 2023! NCL was amazing. Full on hazmat [response]: shut down that buffet area and rerouted passengers to another restaurant, dumped entire buffet food in that section, removed all plates, isolated and transported to dish room for rewash and sterilization, cleaned and disinfected floor, counter etc. Very efficient and very thorough!’

In her clip, Ilana says many complaints from guests are around buffet etiquette, and some say they have witnessed people ‘pass gas’ while waiting in lines for their food (stock image)

Ilana says another thing she has heard many cruise goers complain about is ‘chair hogging.’

This, she says, can take place on the pool deck and in the show theatre and ‘people just don’t like this at all,’ especially if they are ‘saving chairs for an entire group or family.’

One cruise passenger revealed that they also encountered a different kind of chair-based activity during a voyage to Mexico. 

They recalled: ‘I took a short walk around 9pm one night on my Mexico cruise. So many stars! Then as I was climbing the stairs to the bow of the boat I heard and saw slightly, two people having a go at it on a lounger. 

‘As soon as I realized what I’d be walking into, I made an about face and hurried back to the busier part of ship and then to my room. RUDE!’

Cruise ship elevators were another thing on Ilana’s hit list. 

She reveals in her video that they often get overcrowded, and people forget to let people out before they try to get in. 

The avid traveler adds: ‘The other thing, and I think that this one is pretty important, is if there is a wheelchair user [or] a scooter user, let them in before you.’

One viewer, who recently started using a wheelchair and went on their first cruise, agreed with Ilana on this point. 

They revealed: ‘My husband and I took our first cruise recently on NCL Encore to Alaska. It was also the first time I’ve traveled as a wheelchair user. 

‘The elevators were a challenge. I tried to be considerate and not shove myself into a crowded car. 

‘Some people were very kind and considerate but others were extremely rude and pushed past me to get on. 

‘I’d also add that it seemed I was invisible while going around the ship, people would walk right in front of me and cut me off, I’d frequently have to stop quickly so I wouldn’t run into them. I will add that the crew members were all fantastic and went above and beyond to help!’

At the end of her video focused on rude cruise ship behavior, Ilana reminds viewers to be kind and considerate to crew, with ‘thank yous’ going a long way. 

She says she has often witnessed passengers ‘behaving in a very entitled way and being rude to the crew,’ which is ‘pretty unacceptable.’