“Someone filming me whilst sleeping without my consent? There is no world, in my mind, where that is okay”

Cruise Passenger readers always have plenty to say about what’s going on in Australian cruise, and in the broader cruise community. In Your Say, Cruise Passenger looks at the issues our readers are writing to us about on our blogs, posts and newsletters.

Sleeping on the balcony of your cruise suite has been the subject of debate for some time. Now, after a couple were secretly filmed with mattresses on the balcony, there is a new debate: just what should be filmed and what should be private on a cruise?

What has people talking this time is more a question of cruisers respecting the privacy of other cruisers.

A TikTok video this week went viral of a couple sleeping on their cruise ship balcony. It was filmed from an adjacent ship and showed the couple sprawled over their balcony bed.

While some found the video funny, others felt that it constituted an invasion of privacy, particularly as some ruder comments rolled in that commented on the couple’s age and appearance.

Popular TikTok user Mandythrcruiseplanner made a video commenting on the situation. She said: “While I originally saw this video and thought that it is funny, it does seem a little odd to me that we’re this comfortable with filming complete and total strangers and making them the centre of our videos.

“It’s one thing to film yourself and people are walking by etc, but when you go so far to film someone else and put them out for millions of people to see, a part of me wonders if this is just going too far?

“I looked at some of the comments and there were a lot of people that were critical of the couples age and appearance, which appears unfortunate for a couple that was simply minding their own business.”

@mandythrcruiseplanner

Are we going too far filming strangers on their private cruise balconies? #cruise #cruisetok #royalcaribbean #carnivalcruise

♬ original sound – mandythecruiseplanner

Many commenters agreed with her, writing things like “Someone filming me whilst sleeping without my consent? There is no world, in my mind, where that is okay” and “I thought that was really rude. They were enjoying their own vacation that they paid for, and they weren’t bothering or hurting anyone. Why shame them?”

However, other commenters have taken the opposite stance, believing that being filmed is fair game.

One wrote: “The woman is awake, clearly aware of the proximity of the other ship, and therefore clearly aware of the possibility of being filmed – and she doesn’t care. Case closed.”

Another commenter said: “There is no expectation for privacy when you are in the public. Get over it.”

This all happened at the same time as cruisers debated once again over whether cruisers should be allowed to take their mattresses outside or not.

With some saying “If I’m paying for a cruise, I’m putting my bed wherver I want” and another comment reading, “Ummm..hard no. Do they need to start bolting the furniture to the floor? This is not your home; you are renting a space. So many reasons you should not move furniture around.”

What do you think? Is it fair game to film someone on a cruise ship or a breach of privacy?

Elsewhere in cruising, following the reveal that Carnival’s Australian profits are on the up since canning P&O Australia, Aussies have plenty to say.

Glenda Stirling said: “P&O although not Australian felt part of us, we have a history cruising P&O, they understood Australians.”

Ruth Oakman said: “We had travelled on P&O Adventure 6 times before it changed to Carnival Adventure & there really was not any change. The crew seemed more relaxed. The food was the same. Drink prices have gone up (but so has everything). 

My only qualm is that our travel status points we had on P&O didnt carry over to Carnival, & not only that we were not given any notification that this was going to happen.

Other cruisers took this opportunity to call for the return of themed cruises.

A cruiser wrote: “Perhaps with such good financial results Carnival can repay some of that faith and loyalty that P&O passengers have shown to them by reversing their decision to end themed cruises like the 80s cruises – which are always full and no more expensive to operate given they have all the 80s paraphernalia already and the guests largely take care of the entertainment and atmosphere for them.”

Cruisers also had lots to say on NCL’s decision to begin charging for second entrees.

Sarah Wilson wrote: “I am just about to go on the Norwegian Sun in a couple of months. The only times that I have ever ordered 2 entrees is when I go for a combined steak dish and a lobster dish. But the reality is that Norwegian cut out lobsters from the main dining rooms a long time ago, so this was with other cruise lines.

“So one can totally pig out only if you are frequenting the buffet or other non specialty restaurants, since specialty restaurants already limit what you can have even when you are paying $40-50-60 per person (personal experience on multiple cruise line ships.

“These cruise lines need to be careful at how they keep on adding costs and regulations. I already won’t cruise on Cunard, and am likely not to cruise on Princess again either due to what they have done over the last couple of years with their unilateral changes that up costs.

Please keep those comments coming!

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