A long-standing cruise ship tradition has become the center of an intense debate. For years, vacationers have used personalized signs, festive banners, and colorful magnets to distinguish their rooms and celebrate milestones, but ecent safety guidelines and stricter rules about decorations are dividing the cruise-going community. The official policy explicitly prohibits placing materials anywhere on the interior of the ship, including stateroom doors, along corridors, etc. Cruise passengers argue that long cruise ship hallways often look identical, and having decorations on the cabin doors prevents walking into the wrong room. However, cruise operators argue that the practice introduces significant safety issues. Chief among these concerns is the threat of fire. Cruise ships doors and walks are designed with strict fire-safety ratings to contain emergencies, and decorations like string lights pose a threat. Safety isn’t the only issue fueling the crackdown. Many cruise lines are trying to mitigate damage caused by unauthorized adhesives like superglue, heavy duct tape, and command strips that frequently ruin the paint or underlying finish of expensive metal doors. There’s also the issue of theft, with cruise lines frequently receiving complaints of sentimental personalized magnets being stolen.
