Travel3 min(s) read
Published 17:18 04 Feb 2026 GMT
From seasickness and pirates to walking the plank, the misconceptions surrounding life on a cruise ship are two-a-dime, and cruise-worker Megan McGuinness has shed light on some of the biggest myths people have about life at sea.
Megan, who resides onboard a Holland America cruiseliner with her husband Marvin, a ship safety officer, shared insights from her five years living on a floating vessel.
Since starting her ocean life, she’s travelled everywhere from Alaska and Hawaii to the Caribbean, French Polynesia, and Mexico.
Speaking in a candid TikTok post, Megan explained that crew members receive free accommodation and food but rarely get full days off during their contracts.
“About 98% never get an entire day off,” she said. “They’ll get a few hours here and there, but that’s it.”
Another rumor, that staff constantly shack up with one another, has some truth to it, she admitted, likening it to life in a “small town” where people naturally meet and date.
However, any romantic involvement with passengers is strictly forbidden and considered grounds for immediate dismissal, although - thankfully - it doesn't appear that walking the plank is a viable punishment for such misdemeanours.
By no means working aboard a nude cruise, Megan addressed the gossip that staff frequently indulge in extra-marital activity, often having “an onboard wife” as well as one at home, saying that such behaviour reflects the individual, not the job: “A person who cheats will do so anywhere,” she added.
Megan went on to debunk harsh internet hearsay that crews “throw an ice cream party” when someone dies on board.
She clarified that ships have dedicated morgues and that emptying freezers for bodies would only happen in an extreme situation, such as a mass casualty event.
Allaying the old wives’ tale that cruise ships are “filled with viruses,” she explained that cleaning and sanitising take place constantly, with the crew working hard behind the scenes to ensure passenger safety.
Megan also dispelled some of the other fallacies associated with deck life, namely that cruise ships are unsafe. In reality, the crew undergoes daily safety drills and training, and Megan insists she feels “far safer on a ship than walking down the street.”
In addition, when asked if staff have more fun below deck than guests do above, she laughed and replied: “I can neither confirm nor deny, but yes, we do have a very good time.”
Her social media video quickly gained traction, drawing praise from thousands of viewers, many of whom shared their love for holidaying on a cruise ship, thanking her for busting long-held stereotypes about life at sea.
