Secrets on the Cruise Ship

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

If you’re lucky enough to be cruising on the sea, then you’re lucky enough. For those who have never boarded a cruise, you may be imagining laying out by the pool and enjoying all-inclusive food and drink packages. But there are secrets on a cruise ship, some of which might take you by surprise.

1. The walls are magnetic—what? Most cruise ships are made of metal walls. This feature was implemented in case of a fire. The metal walls would prevent the fire from spreading. But that also means if you bring a strong magnet hook, you can hang things from your walls, a tip that will come in handy when you see how small your room is. For example, you can use magnetic hooks to hang clothes, bags, and towels to keep your room tidier.

2. This next secret might make you scratch your head. Cruise ships are legally required to have a morgue onboard. In the case that someone dies from natural causes, a mishap happens by chance, or even the pos- sibility that someone has an incident such as an allergic reaction, cruises are required to not only have medical facilities, but those medical facilities must be capable of dealing with a limited number (usually three to four) of passenger deaths. The morgue is located on the ship’s lowest deck. According to thepointguys.com, this is the area where the crew often refers to it as the “I-95.” The long passway lets you get from one side of the ship to the other. The morgue must be kept away from all areas where food is stored.

3. Rumor has hit that cabin designers know how limited space is in the cabins and that they have created hacks for extra storage. Frequently you will find additional storage behind a mirror, under the bed, or in a decorative ottoman. Sometimes you can find USB charging ports behind your cruise cabin television. If you’ve searched your cabin for extra space but have yet to find it, asking a steward for a tour of your room doesn’t hurt.

4. Cruise ships will host Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while at sea. Oftentimes you will find “Friend of

Bill W” meetings on the ship’s schedule. The cruise will host meetings and refer to them as the “Bill W” as a reference to William Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. The meetings are a support system for each other as alcohol is a visible and present temptation on a cruise.

5. On a cruise, a port day is when your cruise is docked or tenders to a port of call or private island. This is the time when you are free to do what you want. You can exit the ship and explore, but if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, consider taking advantage of the ship’s low capacity and discounted deals during this time. The cruise’s spa often offers discounts to generate business, or you can enjoy the pools, attractions, and amenities with less foot traffic.

6. My last tip is for those staying in a windowless “Inside” cabin; these rooms are dark. But there is a trick.

Most cruise ship televisions have a feature called the Bridge Camera Station. This station is a live webcam. If you set it to this channel at night, you’ll see the nighttime sky, and as morning comes, the light on your TV will grow brighter. It’s a strange way of creating a window in your windowless cabin.

Next time you’re on your cruise, take a copy of the Log newspaper with you and snap a photo. Then, submit that photo to thelogeditor@thelog.com to have your memory shared in our next issue. Bon voyage!