A cruise ship crew member has revealed some of the ‘dark’ things that passengers might not know about – including the fact that there is often a morgue on board
Cruising has never been more popular, with last year seeing a record number of bookings and high occupancy for these sea-bound holidays, according to The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). With massive cinema rooms, large pools, fantastic onboard entertainment and more, people just can’t get enough.
However, a cruise ship worker has revealed some lesser-known aspects of life on board that guests are often oblivious to. The content creator, known as @beauty.tips186, shared: “I work on a cruise ships, most people have no idea about the darker side of life on board.”
She confessed that her job is challenging and getting “six hours of sleep is a luxury”. She also revealed in a viral video, the existence of an onboard morgue.
The capacity of such a morgue depends on the size of the ship, but it’s usually between two and 10. The crew member explained: “Every cruise ship has a morgue. With over 72% of passengers over 60 it makes sense…but finding out that an average of three people die on cruises each week blows my mind, omg.”
If someone passes away on board, the body will be kept in the morgue until it can be disembarked at the next major port or at the port of origin.
The cruise ship morgue is typically a stainless steel refrigerated room where bodies can be stored safely. The crew member recalled a time when staff were called to “remove a dead passenger”. She added: “The body had a terror-stricken expression and frostbite marks, despite the cabin being hot. Strange incident.”
The cruise ship content creator also revealed that there is an onboard prison known as a ‘brig’ or ‘holding cell’- and she has issued a warning to any party lovers. She explained: “Crazy partying spirals into drunken fights or assaults.”
“Passengers who fight spend the rest of the cruise in a windowless room, until they can be handed over o the authorities once we dock in the harbour.”
The crew member also said that leftover food from buffets on board will be eaten by the crew for dinner. The cruiser said: “Leftovers from the buffet lunch often end up in the crew mess for dinner. It is all handled safely but it still messes with my head knowing someone else already ate my meal.”
She also said that packages can get delivered onboard – she often gets Amazon packages delivered. She added: “Amazon package making it on the ship. Thank God for it, with all this exhaustion from work.”
She also shared some money-saving tips with her followers. She said that instead of buying water, you can get it for free at the buffets or in the gym – take your own water bottle on board and fill it up as much as you like.
She also noted that while people often book cruises far in advance, there are a lot of last minute deals. She added: “Most guests don’t know this but you can score last minute cruises for a fraction of the price! Empty cabins mean huge discounts – think $250 [£206.15] for a 7 day cruise. Amazing deals.”