Cruise Lines Are Too Chatty with Guest Cabin Numbers

By Dr. Gary L Deel, Ph.D., J.D.

My family and I love to vacaton. And one of our favorite vacation options is cruising. We love the amenities, the flexibility, the travel to interesting places, and of course…the food.

However, one thing I don’t love about the typical cruise line experience is the inexplicably cavalier way in which some cruise lines compromise passenger cabin privacy and safety.

If you stayed at a modern and responsibly operated hotel almost anywhere in the world recently, you were likely witness more than once to a security protocol concerning guestroom safety and privacy — and you might not have even noticed.

It usually goes like this. You check in at the front desk. The agent takes your information, verifies identification, completes the process, and then eventually issues you your room number and your keys. And the security feature lies in the way they do this.

Commonly, the agent will write your room number somewhere discrete — such as the inside of a keycard envelope. They will then hand you the closed envelope, and verbally tell you that the keys and your room number can both be found inside.

Why do this? Why not simply tell you your room number? The answer is fairly obvious: So that there is no risk anyone…