'Not responsible': Long-standing cruise trend you might want to reconsider
Long-time cruisers will already know about the fun tradition of decorating your cabin door for the duration of your cruise.
There are endless blog posts, social media videos, and Reddit threads with people sharing their inventive decoration choices using magnets, banners, and more to distinguish their cabins from the others.
But some people are reconsidering the practice.
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Decorating your cabin door is an easy way to distinguish your room from others. Supplied
Cruisers on board Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas apparently received an official notice informing them that decorations are placed at their own risk.
According to Cruise Hive, while cabin door décor is still allowed, guests be mindful.
"Royal Caribbean International is not responsible for any items on display that go missing outside of your room," the letter said.
Cruise Hive said the letter was likely issued on board after "bad behaviour", which was reinforced by Facebook comments on the story.
"We always put magnets on our door and have had some taken but we know this is a risk we take," one cruiser wrote. Others added that they've seen "unsupervised kids" take or move magnetised decorations.
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In long cruise hallways, all the doors tend to look the same. Getty
"We were on deck 6 and kids were moving decorations around! Our happy birthday banner got moved," another passenger said, with another adding that it's "sad that people can't respect others".
Other frequent cruisers say they've been sailing for years and have never had a problem.
So if you want to decorate your door, to help you recognise your cabin or just to bring a bit of fun on board, maybe keep it simple and low-cost, so you won't be too bummed if something goes missing.
There are, of course, rules around what you can use to decorate your door.
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Some cruisers go all out with door decorations. TikTok / @kimaginediy
You can't hang up anything that could pose a safety risk. A big no-no is fairy lights, which are strictly called out in the policies of Carnival Cruise Line.
"Decorations may consist only of fire-retardant materials", per their website, and "no string lights of any kind are allowed."
Most cruisers use magnetised decorations, which stick to the cabin's metal door, or paint-safe tape.
Disney specifically asks passengers to be mindful of what they use, saying: "Please avoid using tape and other adhesives, including gel adhesives, to affix items to your stateroom door, as this can damage the doors' finish."
Per Royal Caribbean's onboard policies, decorations that cover the peephole, use lithium-powered lights, pose a fire hazard, or touch the door frame are not allowed due to potential safety risks.
