To keep the boat as pleasant as possible, clean, safe and comfortable, there are general rules that everyone must adhere to. You can think of:
- Not charging in your room: One of the major dangers on board is fire and of course everyone wants to prevent that. Therefore they will ask you not to charge anything in your room. Chargers get hot and batteries can ignite spontaneously. And so they offer a public place to charge. It is smart to mark your cables and plugs so that everyone sees that they are yours. It’s also more convenient to remove them when you’re not using them. This way no one else can take them by mistake and you make room for someone else to load.
- A dry and wet area: Every boat has a specific part where you can get wet after a dive, some swimming or snorkeling. But water, believe it or not, can be dangerous on a deck because you can slip. And so they’d like you to only enter the arid areas after you’ve been dried off. In addition, it is not cool to participate in lunch with wet swimming trunks, because as soon as you sit down, the moisture absorbs into the upholstery and that starts to smell.
- No paper in the toilet: Anything that has organically ended up in the sea or ocean, including the toilet drain. Ceptic tanks are present on these large ships, but they will sooner or later dump into the sea and that’s fine as long as it’s organic. That is why you are not allowed to throw paper in the toilet and only in the trash can, which they clean daily. In addition, the piping on board is small and paper clogs the pipes. The result is a big mess, because in the event of a blockage the toilet will return your message.
- No shoes or slippers: As soon as you come on board you will be asked to take off your shoes and you can walk around barefoot for the entire trip. Not only is it delicious, but it also prevents dirt from getting in. Do you have a medical reason to wear footwear? Don’t worry, you can, but then it is useful that you use slippers outside and inside to prevent dirt from walking in.
- Don’t jump off the boat: Who wouldn’t want that? Jump off one of the higher decks into clear blue water? Well, unfortunately the answer is the insurance company and therefore you will be asked not to. The insurance will not cover you if you break something or injure something else during that jump and that is not worth it. In addition, jumping from heights is not useful if you have been diving and do not want to have decompression sickness. And so most submarines simply forbid it.
- Hold on and back off the stairs: That the boat is moving is quite obvious, but often people forget how difficult it can be to walk on a boat. Especially going up and down the stairs is sometimes a nice challenge that is underestimated. To prevent a fall, it is best to walk as calmly as possible and especially hold on to yourself, especially when going up and down the stairs. If you go off, the advice is to do it backwards or sideways, so that you can put your feet down better. Do not forget to always keep one hand on the railing for extra stability.
- If you want to swim or snorkel, ask first:Whether the ship is anchoring or docking at a reef, the captain always has the right to move the ship without informing all guests in advance. It is possible that the anchor is dragging or that a line has snapped. That is why you should always ask if you are allowed to swim or snorkel. It is also useful to realize that diving water is not necessarily suitable for swimming or snorkeling, even if it looks fantastically clear. In fact, swimming or snorkeling above deep water can be very dangerous because you attract the attention of certain marine life or the current can take you away. So ask if you can and can swim before you slide into the water.
- Open door policy: Traveling by boat is fantastic, but unfortunately not without danger. Not that anything often happens, not at all actually. But if something happens, it is immediately bad. And so the entire boat has an open door policy and you can’t lock your room door. Ships often have a CCTV system and offer a locker to keep your belongings safe. Do they not have that and do you want your things under lock and key? Then ask for an envelope, close it and put your signature on the closure. They can then store it for you in the ship’s safe.
- Don’t drink water from the tap: the water on board can be bunkered in the harbor or self-made with a desalination system. Whatever it is, it’s limited and stored in tanks. This water is not suitable for drinking or brushing your teeth, use only the mineral water provided by the boat. Be conservative with your water use, rinse off after a dive, but save the extensive shower until after your last dive. This way you save the environment and the water supply.
All in all, a lot of rules on board that try to prevent the risk of an accident or inconvenience or the accumulation of dirt. And that’s more in your interest than you may realize. The thing is that many fantastic diving areas are far from civilization. And that in an emergency a helicopter has to fly out for you or the boat has to bring you back. That heli is a wonderful solution, but unfortunately that service is not offered worldwide. And so in most cases in most locations the boat will have to take you back. So be careful, prevention is certainly better than cure and especially a lot more pleasant during your diving holiday.