Cruise ship rules can be confusing.
In some cases, it's hard to know why a cruise line has made certain decisions. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, allows passengers to use multi-plug outlets as long as they're not surge-protected, while Royal Caribbean does not.
To make matters more confusing, Celebrity Cruises, which is part of Royal Caribbean Group, has the same rules as Carnival. That means that power outlet devices that are allowed on Celebrity are not allowed on Royal Caribbean.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line takes strong stand on smoking
Cruise lines also have different rules when it comes to their pool decks. Carnival and Royal Caribbean allow beverages in their pool as long as they're not in glasses.
MSC Cruises does not allow any beverages in its pools, even in its adults-only pool areas.
Keeping glass out of pools makes sense because a single broken glass or bottle will force the pool to be closed and drained. That's an inconvenience for all customers, but a spilled drink does not require that making the MSC rule a bit strict.
The drink rules, at least on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, aren't publicized because the pool bars simply don't serve drinks in glasses. Passengers may not even know the rules unless they bring a glass from elsewhere on the ship and are asked to keep it out of the pool.
That's also how it works for another key pool deck rule that's very strict but not widely known.
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Image source: Royal Caribbean.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean have a secret pool rule
It's important to wear flip-flops, sandals, or some other sort of shoe on the pool deck. The surface can be quite hot, and even walking a few feet can lead to painful burns.
Many passengers will wear some version of pool shoes, slides, sandals, or flo-flops and leave them right outside the entrance to the pool. If you wear pool shoes — shoes specifically for going into a pool — you are not allowed to wear them into a pool on either Carnival or Royal Caribbean ships.
That's a rule most people don't know about until they're actually told to take their pool shoes off.
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Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently fielded a question on this little-know rule on his Facebook page,
“My elderly husband now wears water sandals on the pool deck and in the water for safety (after slipping getting out of the pool, requiring five stitches),” the guest shared. “Today, a lifeguard informed him he could not wear water shoes in the pool. Nowhere in the Carnival pool and safety information does it state water shoes are not allowed. We’re disappointed and concerned about safety and further injuries.”
John Heald explains Carnival's pool rules
The challenge with the pool shoes rule is that it's not written down anywhere not is it posted at the pool. It's also not fully enforced as lifeguards and other pool workers also have more important safety responsibilities they have to deal with first.
Pool shoes, however, are not allowed in the pools or hot tubs, and Heald explained why.
“We don’t allow water shoes in the pool. The reason is because they may have picked up some kind of germ or even a piece of glass or dirt that may go into the swimming pool,” Heald said. “That’s why we don’t allow them.”
Some passengers noted that they were fully unaware of the rule.
"That's odd since I regularly wear water shoes in the pools," wrote Andrea Rambi Stearns.
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Royal Caribbean has the same rule, and, in a similar fashion, it's not on any of the signs near its pools, nor is it carefully enforced.
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