Table of Contents
- Common Misconceptions About Cruise Ships
- Life Onboard for Crew Members
- Safety on Cruise Ships
- Relationships Among Staff
- Sanitation and Health Concerns
- Social Media Reactions
A WOMAN who resides on a cruise ship has addressed several common misconceptions that many people hold.
Megan McGuinness, who lives aboard the ship, revealed that staff often form close relationships with one another while onboard.
An influencer has shared insights into what really happens behind the scenes on a cruise shipCredit: TikTok/@megankatemcg
Megan McGuinness candidly discussed the phenomenon of male staff having “an onboard wife” and addressed the idea that crew “never get a day off”Credit: TikTok/@megankatemcg
In addition, she shared a significant mistake that could lead to employees being fired.
Posting on social media, the Irish influencer provided viewers with a glimpse into her unique lifestyle, where she enjoys free accommodation and travel.
The influencer, who travels with Holland America, has explored destinations such as Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Mexico since embarking on her cruise ship journey.
After spending five years onboard with her partner Marvin, a safety officer, Megan opened up about the misconceptions surrounding cruise ship life.
The first misconception Megan addressed is that cruise ships are “unsafe.”
In response, she stated: “If you mean in terms of sailing, you have no idea about the extensive training and drills that occur every single day – the crew is prepared for any possible situation at sea.
“And if you’re referring to safety onboard, I feel 10,000 times safer on a cruise ship than I do walking down the street.”
Next, Megan mentioned: “Another misconception is that all crew members just hook up with each other – well, kind of; think of it as a small town – people are meeting and forming connections.
“It might be a short-term fling, or they may end up married and have children, who knows?”
Following this, Megan continued: “Crew members can get fired for hooking up with guests? Yes, for obvious reasons, it's self-explanatory.”
Megan also discussed the belief that crew members “never get a day off,” acknowledging: “This is true. I would estimate that 98% of crew members never receive a full day off during their contract.
“They will have hours off throughout the day, but never an entire day.”
Additionally, Megan debunked another common misconception about cruise ships – that staff “throw an ice cream party when they need to dispose of a body.”
She dismissed this harsh rumor as “false” and clarified: “I’ve seen this on TikTok, and it is simply not true – there is a morgue onboard, of course.
“The only time they would need to start clearing out freezers for bodies is if there was a mass casualty situation while at sea for an extended period.”
You have no idea about the behind-the-scenes sanitization, scrubbing this ship from top to bottom every single day to protect the guests.
Megan McGuinness
Meanwhile, Megan addressed the idea that crew members have “an onboard wife and a wife at home.”
She explained: “Unfortunately, this can be true, but it can also happen on land.
“I don’t attribute this behavior to cruise ships because, in my opinion, a person will cheat on you in three hours or three months when they’re away; it doesn’t matter – if they’re a dishonest person, they’re a dishonest person. I do not blame ships for this.”
Are cruise ship staff allowed to sleep with guests?
In one word, "NO!"
Sleeping with guests is strictly prohibited on cruise ships, with severe consequences for any staff member caught engaging in such behavior – but that doesn’t prevent it from happening.
One crew member, who worked on a Celebrity Cruises ship, explained: “Fraternization with passengers is strictly forbidden – any crew member even suspected of being involved with a guest is asking for serious trouble.”
He elaborated that these rules were established “after a number of incidents where guests utilized a variation of the ‘honey trap’.”
“Guests would lure unsuspecting crew members to their cabins, sleep with them, and then the next day claim sexual assault and file lawsuits against the cruise line,” he said.
However, another former cruise ship musician mentioned that fraternizing with holidaymakers is so common that staff even have a special term for it.
“We refer to sleeping with passengers as ‘coning’ because passengers were considered ‘cones’,” he
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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