A long-standing cruise ship tradition has become the center of intense debate following stricter enforcement issued to passengers.
For years, vacationers have used personalized signs, festive banners and colorful magnets to distinguish their rooms and celebrate milestones.
Recent safety guidelines and stricter rules, however, are dividing the cruise-goer community.
The latest debate started after passengers sailing on Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas received an official notice from the cruise line outlining specific guidelines for stateroom door decorations, according to a letter obtained by Cruise Hive.
The official policy explicitly prohibits “placing materials anywhere on the interior of the ship (including stateroom doors, along corridors, etc.).”
Fox News Digital reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
The news highlights a larger debate among frequent cruisers who view door decorating as an integral part of the cruise experience.
One Reddit post on the subject, entitled “Door decorations, yea or nay?” delved into the topic.
“All the pictures I’ve seen look fun, but I’m worried about being the only one doing it, or our decorations (nothing expressive obviously) disappearing over the trip,” the user wrote.
Long cruise ship hallways often look identical, making it easy to walk past the correct room, many Reddit users said.
As one cruise passenger shared on a Reddit post, “We went on a group girls trip and this definitely helped the six of us with drink packages find our door.”
Cruise operators, though, argue that the practice introduces significant safety issues.
Chief among these concerns is the threat of fire. Cruise ship doors and walls are designed with strict fire-safety ratings to contain emergencies.
The official website of Carnival Cruise Line indicates that the company’s policies mandate that “decorations may consist only of fire retardant materials” — and strictly dictate that “no string lights of any kind are allowed.”
Safety is not the only issue fueling the crackdown. Many cruise lines are trying to mitigate damage caused by unauthorized adhesives.
Cruisers who use superglues, heavy duct tape or command strips frequently ruin the paint or underlying finish of expensive metal doors.
“Please avoid using tape and other adhesives, including gel adhesives, to affix items to your stateroom door, as this can damage the doors’ finish,” Disney Cruise Line warns its passengers in its prohibited items list.
Additionally, high-quality or sentimental decorations can be targets for theft and vandalism by passing guests, which leads to disputes onboard, according to multiple cruise blogs.
Passengers from various cruise lines took to social media to say their items had been stolen.
One commenter on Facebook said he or she knew someone who experienced theft.
The individual “had personalized sailing magnets stolen,” the person wrote.
This appears to be in line with the letter at the center of the latest debate.
Royal Caribbean reportedly wrote, “Please Note: We expect guests to be mindful of your door display, but any decoration displayed outside your stateroom door is done at your own risk.”