Prison cells? Mortuaries? Your cruise ship has some surprises for you.
Cruise ships have hidden features that many passengers, especially newbies, don’t know about. Some ships are the size of small towns, and while it’s relatively easy to familiarize yourself with a seemingly endless number of amenities – water parks, tattoo parlors, multiple restaurants – there’s also an entire ecosystem, often beneath the passenger decks, that is shrouded in mystery .
Here are five things cruisers may not know about cruise ships:
There’s a morgue…
Cruise ships carry millions of passengers every year, and it is not unusual for deaths to occur on board. Most ships are required to have a morgue and extra body bags in case of an emergency.
The morgue, usually a small stainless steel refrigerated room on the lowest deck of the ship, can accommodate two to ten bodies, depending on the size of the ship. When a passenger or crew member dies, officials on the ship will notify authorities ashore and a medical team will assess the body and move it to the morgue, where it will be kept until arrangements are made for repatriation. In most cases the body is removed at the next port of call, but sometimes it remains on board until the end of the voyage.
…and a prison
There are no police officers on cruise ships, but most ships have small prisons known as the brig, and unruly passengers can be locked up if the ship’s security team determines that they have violated the cruise line’s code of conduct.
The brig, usually a bare room with a bed and bathroom facilities, does not have iron bars like a traditional prison cell. It is used to detain guests who commit serious crimes, such as assault or possession of illegal substances. Drunk and disorderly passengers may be placed under ‘cabin arrest’, meaning they cannot leave their cabin without a security escort.
Depending on the circumstances, most passengers placed in the holding cell will remain there until they can be turned over to law enforcement officials.
Many ships do not have deck 13
Many cruise ships do not have deck 13 due to widespread superstition in Western culture that this number is unlucky. Ships with deck 13 typically use this for public areas, not cabins.
Some ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships, have a deck 13 because the ships are mainly used for the company’s market in Asia, where this number is not considered an accident. MSC ships also have a deck 13, but not deck 17, because the cruise line’s founder is Italian and 17 is considered an accident in Italy.
Cruise lines harbor other superstitions, such as appointing godmothers to bless new ships and ensure the safety of passengers and crew. They also hold naming ceremonies where a bottle of champagne is smashed against the hull of a new ship as a good luck charm. If the bottle does not break, the vessel, according to superstition, is unlucky. Today, cruise lines use mechanical devices to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Hidden pools and crew facilities
There are typically more than 1,000 crew members aboard large cruise ships, and although they spend most of their time serving passengers, there are several places on the lower decks where they can relax.
Facilities vary from ship to ship, but there are usually small swimming pools in the bow of the ship, exclusively for crew members, as well as restaurants, bars and leisure areas such as games rooms and gyms. The designated bar, a central social hub for employees after they complete their shifts, often hosts live music and events in the evenings.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has an entire “neighborhood” dedicated to its 2,300 crew members, including a clubhouse with massage chairs and virtual balconies – large screens that show real-time images from outside – as well as a restaurant with portholes that overlook the ocean.
Most ships organize AA meetings
With all-inclusive drink packages and numerous bars, cruise ships can be a difficult environment for recovering guests. Many cruise lines offer daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are usually scheduled as “Friends of Bill W.,” a reference to William Wilson, who co-founded the AA program in 1935.
The meetings are usually held in a quiet place such as the library, where guests can feel comfortable and maintain their anonymity. They are also open to other support group members such as Women for Sobriety and Narcotics Anonymous.
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