Hello my dear cruisers. Today I want to talk about something that made me raise an eyebrow and got me thinking.
I was reading about a warning that Carnival Cruise Line recently issued to its guests.
It was about closing the cabin curtains in order to avoid “flashing” others.
This advisory came after several incidents of what someone called “cabin flashing” – essentially, passengers inadvertently exposing a bit too much of themselves by leaving their cabin curtains wide open at the wrong time.
Let’s see what happened, what Carnival has said about them, and general cruise line policies regarding cabin privacy, because there’s something interesting and quite controversial on this subject.
What Prompted the “Cabin Flashing” Warning?
In short, a passenger recently shared what had happened to her on a cruise, which was then reposted by John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Ambassador:
She had not drawn the balcony cabin curtains before going to bed and both her and her partner, woke up, stood up and started to potter about the cabin ‘ au natural” as they say in Cleveland, Ohio before realizing that guests on the Carnival Legend were enjoying the show.
After this incident, the passenger asked the cruise line to make an announcement when the ship docks in front of another ship, reminding passengers to close their curtains.
However, the cruise line believes that an announcement is not necessary.
“Her plea was to have the captain or cruise director announce if the ship was docking next to another ship to inform the guests to close their curtains.
I am not sure we need to do this but it is perhaps a warning to close the curtains if you have a balcony or ocean view cabin.”
The Official Cabin Privacy
So, what is Carnival Cruise Line’s stance when it comes to privacy in your stateroom or on your balcony?
In a nutshell: your cabin is your private space – but only as private as you make it.
Cruise lines like Carnival uphold policies to ensure one person’s good time doesn’t become another’s uncomfortable memory. That means public nudity or acts that can be seen by others are a big no-no under the guest conduct code.
Technically, your cabin with the door closed is private. However, if your curtains are open and you are open (as in, without clothes), and others can see in from public areas or other ships, it crosses into “public” territory pretty quickly.
Carnival’s guest policy doesn’t talk specifically about these cases, but it does prohibit indecent behavior or anything that might offend others.
In extreme cases, passengers who engage in lewd displays visible to others could even face consequences like a warning from security or being asked to disembark at the next port.
Other Cruise Lines and Cabin Curtain Etiquette
Carnival isn’t alone in this battle for keeping private things private. Other cruise lines have similar unwritten rules (and some written ones) about cabin etiquette.
For instance, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, and MSC all implicitly expect guests to use a bit of discretion.
Balconies and cabin windows are essentially semi-public spaces in the sense that what happens there can often be seen or heard by others.
Some lines even include notes in their daily newsletters or planners, reminding guests to keep curtains drawn at night for safety and privacy.
In addition, on specific itineraries, leaving your lights on with curtains open can attract flying insects or even affect security, as we’ve seen in this article.
However, I know that not everyone will agree with me on this, but I believe that the cabin should still be considered a private space and that, therefore, a person should be free to undress without any problems.
For example, I can’t stand enclosed spaces, and I hardly ever close the curtains when I have a cabin with a balcony.
I don’t know, maybe as a European I just have a different view on nudity, but as long as it’s not about anything intimate and it’s just about sleeping or getting changed, I honestly don’t see the issue.
Besides, many modern cruise ships have tinted windows anyway, so it would only be an issue at night — but in most cases, ships start sailing after dark anyway.
I am very curious to hear your opinion on this, so remember to leave a comment below the Facebook post and have a look at the 10 Cruise Rules You Must Follow (these are really important).