A passenger claims he was kicked off Norwegian Breakaway after making discourteous comments to a crew member in a heated argument over reservations.

Robert Gaines and his wife were left stranded on a Caribbean island and they had to figure out how they were going to get home.

The incident occurred in the first few days of a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines, the couple told Fox News in America, and he was not given a chance to challenge the decision.

Mr Gaines claims that he had reservations for the show but his name was not on the list. He became unhappy when the crew member refused to let him in.

He told NBC 6 in Miami that he responded with, “Listen you idiot, I’m telling you right now that my family is in the show. Why are you keeping me out of the show?”

Mr Gaines added, ”They started calling security, and I may have made a comment that said you better get more than a couple because I’m a big guy. They were really scaring me.”

The incident did not come to a physical altercation but a security officer showed up at his cabin to deliver the captain’s decision the next morning. He was told to disembark at Tortola, one of the British Virgin Islands.

Some news sources suggest that it is the word ‘idiot’ that got Mr Gaines in trouble.

A statement from the line said, “We are in the business of providing incredibly positive and memorable experiences for all our guests. We also care deeply about our team members and work very hard to ensure they are happy and treated with the utmost respect. Therefore, we do not take kindly to anyone who behaves badly by disparaging others or creating an environment which erodes the experience we are providing for our guests and crew.

“As such, we have a zero-tolerance policy aboard our fleet when it comes to inappropriate or discourteous behaviour.”

So what are your rights? And what might get you thrown off your cruise?

Disorderly conduct

This includes verbal and physical misbehaviours. Last year, a total of seven guests were ordered off a P&O cruise at Bradleys Head after a drunken brawl. The brawl allegedly involved two stag parties and one man was struck on the head with an empty wine bottle, causing a laceration.

In 2011, American celebrity Foxy Brown was booted off Royal Caribbean after going “completely ballistic” when the nail salon could not accommodate her after she turned up late for her manicure appointment, according to TMZ. She was confined in her room for two days before the ship’s anchor was dropped somewhere in the Cayman Islands and she was kicked off.

Not attending the muster drill

Attendance is mandatory and there have been reports of ships ordering passengers to disembark for failing to turn up. In 2012, an elderly couple was kicked off the Seabourn Sojourn in Portugal. The passengers in cabin 627 had not responded to numerous requests, phone calls and announcements to proceed to The Restaurant for the muster drill.

Getting Sick

The ship’s medical staff has the right to determine whether a passenger is unfit to continue on a sailing. Cruisers will be disembarked if they are in a condition “likely to endanger health or safety,” according to MSC Cruises’ conditions of travel, for example. Cruise doctors can make arrangements to have passengers transferred to a health facility at any port, at the passengers’ expense.

Throwing anything overboard

Throwing anything off the ship no matter how big or small can also get you kicked off the ship. The captain ordered a Perth man off his P&O cruise in Bali after he flicked a cigarette overboard in 2016. A small ciggie butt can pose a major hazard. A Princess Cruise ship was caught alight after a passenger disposed of their cigarette overboard.

Make a terror threat

Terrorism is not to be joked about. Secure your social media accounts! Back in 2012 someone posed as the neurosurgeon who was on board Carnival Magic to give a presentation on Twitter and tweeted about having a vial of a disease for a bio-hazard attack on the ship. Dr Kruse eventually had his name cleared, but only after his room was raided by FBI and Homeland Security agents and was removed from the ship even before it set sail.

Buying a minor a drink

Letting your son or daughter, who might be turning 18, sneak a glass on a cruise can end with a problem. If you don’t want your family holiday to end abruptly, do not buy drinks for minors or let them borrow your ship ID to buy their own. Cruise lines don’t tolerate aiding and abetting an underage person to acquire alcohol. Both the adult and minor involved could be disembarked if caught.

Forgetting your passport

Being on a cruise often means waking up at a new port everyday. If you plan to go on shore and explore the destination, remember to bring your passport with you. Some ports might need to check your passport before allowing you back on board. If you don’t have your passport, it is possible to be denied entry back onto the ship.

Impersonating Crew

Pretending to be a crew member—whether it’s the captain or just someone who makes colorful animals out of bath towels—will get you thrown off a ship instantly. A German man posed as a ship doctor on several different cruises and treated hundreds of patients over the course of five years before he was discovered in December 2015.

Organise your own tours in public

Booking an independent tour with a few friends is fine but when the tour includes 30-person bus and an advertising campaign, you might want to hold back as you might get removed from the ship for soliciting.