If you’ve ever worked on a cruise ship, you already know the truth: your cabin isn’t just where you sleep — it’s where you recover, reset, and try to feel human again after a long shift. But when you’re sharing that tiny space with someone else, your “rest” can turn into a survival challenge.

Crew Center received a flood of comments from crew members sharing their funniest, messiest, most exhausting cabin mate experiences and the stories prove one thing: cabin life can make or break your contract.

The Snoring Olympics: “Wake Poseidon” Level

One of the most relatable themes? Snoring the kind that turns a crew cabin into a disaster zone.

Former crew member Abel Dimaano described living with a cabin mate whose snoring wasn’t just loud, it was “legendary,” so intense that it seemed to travel through bulkheads and down the corridor. It got so bad neighboring cabins complained, thinking something was seriously wrong. Abel’s solution became a nightly race: fall asleep first… or suffer.

Others chimed in with their own versions: snoring “like a bow thruster,” “like the engine room,” “like a dragon,” even “like a cow” with the wall vibrating. One crew member said they ended up sleeping on a friend’s cabin floor for a week because there was no immediate cabin change available.

Hygiene Horror Stories: The Cabin That Turns Into a Biohazard

Right behind snoring came the second big cabin killer: hygiene.

Crew described roommates who barely showered — with one person saying the soap stayed nearly full after a month, while the bathroom walls told the real story with grime and black marks. Another crew member said their roommate stored dirty underwear for a week in the wardrobe. Others mentioned “stale wet socks,” dirty dishes piling up, food left in the cabin, and bathrooms left in terrible condition.

One comment summed it up in classic ship logic: if your cabin mate smells like stale wet socks… change cabin ASAP.

Loud Calls, No Sleep, No Respect

Another common complaint: phone calls at full volume — especially after long duty hours.

One crew member said their cabin mate would take loud calls late at night, so intense it sounded like fighting, only to be told it was “normal conversation.” Others shared frustration with loudspeaker calls while they’re trying to sleep, doors banging, toilet lids slamming, and roommates acting like the cabin is a public hangout.

One crew member even shared a “no-HR-drama survival strategy”: don’t argue — just match the energy later. Not the healthiest solution, but it shows how powerless some crew feel when rest is constantly interrupted.

When Cabin Sharing Crosses the Line

Some comments went beyond annoying habits and into serious boundaries.

A few crew members described roommates bringing partners into the cabin without warning, leaving them shocked and uncomfortable. Others talked about unwanted visitors and drinking sessions in the cabin while they were trying to sleep.

Then there were the stories that hit harder: accusations made to security, rumors spread onboard, and one disturbing account of money reportedly stolen from a cabin  with the victim saying the situation flipped into a “he said, she said” mess that damaged their reputation onboard.

These aren’t “funny cabin mate stories.” These are real examples of how quickly cabin issues can spiral into safety, privacy, and career problems.

The Good Roommate

Not every comment was negative. A number of crew said they’ve been lucky  good cabin mates, mutual respect, and problems solved like adults. One person said they always managed to work things out and still had a great time. Another said having a cabin mate on a different shift can feel like winning the lottery the cabin becomes quiet and private for half the day.

And Abel’s original story ended on the most crew-life note possible: despite the suffering, they still became friends  because you don’t get to choose your cabin mate, but you do learn to live with them.

What Crew Are Really Asking For

Under the jokes, emojis, and ship humor, the message is clear: rest is not a luxury onboard — it’s survival. And cabin sharing only works when there’s basic respect.

Crew repeatedly pointed to the same “dream solution”: single cabins, even small ones  or at the very least, better standards and faster action when serious issues happen.

Because when you’re running on 4–5 hours of broken sleep in a job that demands constant focus, cabin life isn’t just a comfort issue. It’s a safety issue, a mental health issue, and sometimes even a career issue.