The very common cruise mistake that drives crew crazy revealed – have YOU done it?

A travel expert has revealed the ‘number one’ mistake that cruise passengers make that ‘drives crew crazy’. 

Jackie Steele, travel expert at Magic Guides, tells MailOnline Travel that being stingy with tips is the easiest way to upset the crew on your cruise ship. 

He explains: ‘The number one way to drive crew crazy is not tipping properly. It’s part of the cruise cost. Not optional, even if you didn’t read the fine print.’ 

Cruise ship gratuities are usually automatically added to the price of the overall holiday. On some lines, guests can prepay their gratuity fee. 

But holding back on tipping isn’t the only way to upset cruise ship crew according to Jackie. 

He says that ‘folks who ignore ship rules or act like they’re on a floating free-for-all’ are guaranteed to upset the crew. 

The travel expert explains: ‘Wearing swimwear in formal dining rooms, showing up late to muster drills, blasting music in the hallway at 2am – it’s all avoidable, but it happens way too often.’ 

Cruise ships often have a dress code for their formal dining room while the safety muster drill is compulsory for all passengers onboard. 

Jackie says that ‘folks who ignore ship rules or act like they’re on a floating free-for-all’ are guaranteed to upset the crew.

Blasting music could also annoy other passengers and Royal Caribbean has recently introduced a ban on using Bluetooth speakers at its private island. 

Jackie has also shared some booking advice for first-time cruise passengers with MailOnline Travel.

He says: ‘First-time cruisers often get caught up in pricing and pick cruises that don’t actually match their vibe. Some end up on a party ship when they just wanted to relax, or on a slow-paced itinerary when they were hoping for more entertainment. That disconnect can mess up the whole trip.

‘Also, flying in on the same day the cruise leaves is a huge risk. Airports aren’t reliable. Delays happen. One storm, one missed connection, and that ship isn’t waiting. It’s not dramatic, it’s just how it works. You miss it, you miss it.’ 

While it may seem like everything is included on a cruise holiday, guests will usually need to fork out extra money for drinks, meals outside of the buffet restaurant and excursions. 

For this reason, when it comes to budgeting, Jackie explains that holidaymakers need to think ‘beyond the cost of the cabin’.

The travel pro says: ‘Think through the cost beyond just the cabin. You’re paying for tips, drinks, WiFi, specialty meals.’ 

Jackie reveals that it pays off to be prepared when arranging excursions.

Jackie says that ‘balcony cabins are worth it’ as they offer a ‘little extra breathing room when things get crowded’

He explains: ‘If you skip planning excursions in advance, you might end up with nothing but the bottom-of-the-barrel options by the time you check onboard. That happens a lot. People assume they can just wing it.’ 

And according to Jackie, there’s one other option that’s worth paying the extra money for. 

He says: ‘Balcony cabins are worth it. It’s not just about the view – it’s about having a little extra breathing room when things get crowded. 

‘A place to sit outside, maybe sip a drink, decompress. Especially on sea days. It makes a difference.’