Louisiana Guest ‘Finds Out’ – Never Say This on a Cruise Ship

A Louisiana cruise ship passenger on a voyage across the open waters of the North Atlantic learned a very valuable lesson earlier this year. No, it wasn't about how to find better parking at the Port of New Orleans nor was it how to smuggle a meat pie from Natchitoches on board. This was one of those unwritten rules that you only seem to learn once you've broken them.

Now when it comes to cruises in my several dozen times on board ocean-going vessels I have learned there are a lot of rules. You may have read earlier this year that every cruise that sails out of Louisiana is going to strictly enforce this rule at the buffet on the top deck. If you didn't hear about the rule enforcement, then you need to read about it here. 

In addition to the rules regarding the buffet, there are certain regulations about what you can and can't bring on board the ship. Some of those rules are for safety such as the ban on lighters and candles. Some of the rules are so the cruise lines can make money off of you, hence you can't bring your own beer, liquor, and wine.

But those rules are based firmly on passenger safety or economic liability for the cruise lines. The unspoken rule about the words you can't say on a cruise ship borders on superstition if you ask me. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, I can tell you that the enjoyment of your cruise will be curtailed if the ship's crew thinks you're about to bring the entire vessel a boatload of bad luck.

If you stop and think about it, it really does make sense. The one word and or subject that you're not supposed to bring up or mention out loud while on a sailing ship is this word right here, Titanic. If we have to explain to you why you shouldn't say "Titanic" on a cruise ship then you have deeper issues that need to be addressed.

I was on a vessel earlier this year when I mentioned the Titanic to my waiter at dinner. He very firmly and quickly corrected me. He told me that the word is "taboo" on board. And based on other stories I have heard, he wasn't kidding.

Evidently, I am not the only one who learned this lesson while at sea. Marc Sebastian, TikTok creator of note shared a similar experience. 

Do you recall the incident that happened over a Halloween Cruise involving the Royal Caribbean vessel the Explorer of the Seas? The ship was hit by a rogue wave and a wind gust was tilted over. The giant listing of the vessel caused tables and chairs to be strewn about the decks and many guests lost their footing too.

Oddly enough, guests who were onboard the Explorer of the Seas and in the theater at the time the giant tilt took place were enjoying a show that featured the song "My Heart Will Go On" from the movie Titanic. Many of the patrons onboard and in the theatre thought the ship's tilt was part of the special effects of the show.

So, unless you want to be like the guys in the old Southwest Airlines commercials and "want to get away" don't say Titanic on a cruise ship. We can't say for certain it's bad luck, but we do know it's bad manners.