Bad things can happen at sea, even though cruise vacations are a time to relax and recharge from your everyday life. While we'd like to think everything will go smoothly, it's important to be aware of the hiccups that can disrupt your time onboard.
From unexpected itinerary changes to sunburns and misplaced luggage, maintaining a flexible attitude on a cruise is essential to having a positive experience. Though you can minimize the likelihood of missing your cruise ship by returning at least thirty minutes before the all-aboard time, other things, like onboard fires and medical emergencies, are out of your control.
Here's a list of 11 problems that could impact your journey.
Lost luggage
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, you will leave your larger bags with porters. You can think of it like checking bags at the airport. Though you'll be separated from your luggage for a shorter time when checking in for a cruise, you won't see it again until you arrive at your destination. In this case, your cabin. It typically takes a few hours for your bags to be screened, transported to the ship, and delivered to your stateroom, so do not be surprised if they haven't arrived by sail away.
Because you won't have access to the majority of your belongings for most of embarkation day, it's important to keep essential items—like medication, passports, jewelry, and electronics—in a small carry-on bag. While rare, cruise lines have misplaced luggage. Ensuring that you aren't without your medication and other valuables can save you from more stress.
In July, a passenger onboard a Celebrity cruise to Northern Europe reported that their suitcase never made it onboard the ship. Instead, it was found by a port employee in the Amsterdam canals. Lindsey Hargesheimer went the entire cruise without her personal belongings, having to buy clothing, toiletries, and other necessities in port. When the vessel returned to Amsterdam, Hargesheimer claimed her bag, though most of the contents had been destroyed due to the water damage.
Recently, AirTags have become popular to help keep track of bags in airports and cruise terminals. Though I don't recommend obsessing over your suitcase's location when you could be enjoying lunch, grabbing a cocktail, or exploring the ship, being able to track your bag can provide you with the peace of mind needed to ease your brain into vacation mode!
Painful sunburns
Unfortunately, I know far too much about how a bad sunburn can ruin vacations. Having fair skin, I often feel I could reapply every 30 minutes and still turn out like a lobster!
Getting burnt on the first or second day of your cruise can easily make the rest of your trip less enjoyable. Sometimes, relying on sunscreen isn't enough. Instead, if you're susceptible to nasty burns, consider bringing long-sleeved swim shirts. While they aren't the most fashionable, it is better to protect your skin than look cute.
Moreover, bring more sunscreen than you think you'll need. If you run out, you'll have to pay the inflated prices onboard or in port. I've seen bottles of sunscreen cost as much as $27 before, so it will definitely cost you if you're unprepared.
Read more: 8 mistakes I saw people make on my Carnival cruise
Rough seas and seasickness
Modern cruise ships are designed with advanced stabilizers to handle choppy seas. Even so, you're never guaranteed smooth sailing. In general, the newer the vessel, the less motion you'll feel; however, while the stabilizers significantly reduce the motion felt onboard, occasional rough patches are still possible.
As such, you never know when you'll fall victim to seasickness. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned cruiser or a first-time sailor, it is crucial to come prepared with motion sickness remedies. When I took my fiancée on her first cruise, she started to feel ill the first night, despite thinking she'd be fine. Thankfully, Guest Services had small packets of motion sickness medication available, so she bounced back quickly!
There are even times I've felt a little uneasy, despite having been on over 20 cruises. You truly never know when might encounter rough seas, so it’s always better to be prepared just in case. If you’re prone to motion sickness or just want to err on the side of caution, pack over-the-counter remedies like Bonine or Dramamine. You can also consult your primary care physician to see if Scopolamine patches are a good fit.
Read more: The 9 Roughest Seas In The World For Cruise Ships
Itinerary changes
Speaking of rough seas, choppy weather conditions, harsh winds, and other factors can cause your ship to be rerouted, causing you to miss a highly-anticipated port of call.
Canceled ports aren't limited to hurricane season. Last year, Cruise.Blog writer Hayley went on a British Isles cruise onboard Norwegian Star. Unfortunately, a strong storm system caused the ship to skip its scheduled calls at Isle of Man and Dublin. She understood that the ports were canceled because of safety concerns, but she was disappointed nonetheless.
A few months ago, Carnival Vista's propulsion issues caused a few itineraries to be rerouted. The September 1 cruise, for instance, dropped Amber Cove and Grand Turk, replacing the Caribbean ports with Nassau and Freeport.
Though nobody wants to spend an extra day on the ship, especially on an exciting itinerary to once-in-a-lifetime destinations, there are ways to make the most of an unexpected sea day! It's best to have a positive mind when this happens and perhaps splurge on a specialty restaurant or spa treatment to give you something to look forward to later in the day.
Missing the ship
You should always, always, always fly into your embarkation city at least one day before departure. From inclement weather to crew scheduling and maintenance issues, you don't want to fall victim to a flight delay or cancelation that causes you to miss your ship.
Similarly, when planning independent days ashore, give yourself plenty of time to return for the scheduled all-aboard time. Unless you're booked on a cruise line-sponsored excursion, cruise ships aren't required to wait for late passengers.
Earlier this year, one couple went viral after sharing they were left behind by their Norwegian ship after their independently booked excursion ran late. Norwegian Dawn departed from São Tomé and Príncipe when the couple and six other passengers failed to return on time.
Though they attempted to board the ship with help from the local Coast Guard, the Captain refused to allow them onboard. They were eventually able to reunite with the ship in Senegal; however, that was after lengthy travel days and racking up $5,000 in expenses ranging from accommodations to food and toiletries.
Read more: I watched two people get left behind on a cruise. Here’s how it played out by the minute
Onboard fires
Carnival Freedom's funnel caught fire twice within two years, with the most recent occurring in March 2024. A few months later, a fire broke out on the world's largest cruise ship, as confirmed by Royal Caribbean Blog. Icon of the Seas briefly lost power; however, the crew took all necessary safety procedures.
Back in 2013, a fire onboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas caused the cruise line to cancel the rest of the sailing, flying all passengers from The Bahamas to Baltimore, the Associated Press reported. Thankfully, all crew and guests were accounted for, but Grandeur of the Seas' stern sustained substantial damage.
Most famously, a fire in Carnival Triumph's engine room caused the vessel to lose power and propulsion, leaving all guests stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. The voyage soon earned the nickname of the "poop cruise," as raw sewage began backing up into passenger areas. Videos and images circulated throughout the media showed guests sleeping on mattresses in the hallways and outdoor decks.
Losing your personal documentation
Rather than keep my valuable items in a backpack, I place them—especially my passport—in the cabin's safe. While it's recommended to keep personal identification on your person while ashore, I'll typically take a driver's license or a photocopy of my passport.
I'd rather risk losing my license or a picture than my passport. It's easy to order a replacement license through North Carolina's DMV and far cheaper than a passport.
If you're traveling with your birth certificate/valid photo ID, it's wise to secure them in the cabin's safe as well. You don't want to panic the night before disembarkation trying to locate your documentation!
Read more: 16 Things To Do As Soon as You Get to Your Cruise Cabin
Medical emergencies
In April, a 35-year-old woman was medically evacuated from the Disney Fantasy after she began experiencing pregnancy-related health complications. A few weeks later, a 12-year-old was rescued from Carnival Venezia after the ship's medical team determined he had a perforated bowel that would require immediate surgery, as reported by Fox News.
Even if you're healthy and enjoying your time onboard, medical evacuations can sometimes cause itinerary changes, depending on the severity of the situation and the location of the nearest port with medical facilities.
Medical evacuations highlight the importance of purchasing travel insurance. Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, were cruising on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas when Wasney began suffering from a series of seizures. They were eventually evacuated by a rescue boat, but not before being handed a bill over $2,500.
Read more: Pregnant woman medevaced from cruise ship
Norovirus outbreaks
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads through ingesting the vomit or feces from an infected person, such as consuming food touched by an infected individual or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching one's mouth.
While headlines about cruise ship norovirus outbreaks are relatively common, they only account for 1% of all reported outbreaks. You're more likely to catch the disease at school, hospital, or childcare center.
Even so, in 2024, there have been seven reported norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, including Celebrity Summit, Radiance of the Seas, and Sapphire Princess. It's important to stay on top of your hygiene practices and follow recommended protocols to stay healthy on your cruise.
Falling overboard
Falling overboard on a cruise is difficult. Ships are built with high railings and advanced safety measures to prevent such accidents. If, however, someone goes overboard on a cruise, the ship will often halt and begin search efforts.
In August, a man went overboard while on a 7-night cruise in the Mediterranean. Reddit reports indicate the ship, Explorer of the Seas, turned around and launched multiple lifeboats to attempt to locate the missing guest.
Sometimes, an extended search will result in the cancellation of a port of call.
Read more: MSC crew member goes overboard on cruise ship
Overbooked sailing
Perhaps one of the worst things that could happen on your cruise is not being able to sail at all! Imagine the disappointment of arriving at the terminal just to be turned away because the sailing's overbooked. Unfortunately, though less common than overbooked flights, cruise overbookings can occasionally occur.
For example, guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas' June 14, 2024 cruise received an email asking if certain passengers would consider rebooking. While Royal Caribbean avoided using words like "oversold" and "overbooked," they were searching for passengers with flexible travel plans to presumably free up staterooms to avoid chaos on embarkation day.
Similarly, GumB98014 shared an email they received regarding a Viking cruise on Reddit: "Your June 1 departure of [a] Grand European Tour is currently oversold. We would like to offer you the opportunity to sail on the same itinerary, departing later this year or next year, instead."
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
