Water parks, tattoo parlours, a jail and a morgue – these are some of the “hidden features” on cruise ships, The New York Times reports.
An “entire ecosystem, often below passenger decks” is “shrouded in mystery”, the newspaper reports.
“The morgue, usually a small stainless steel refrigerated room on the ship’s lowest deck, accommodates between two to 10 bodies, depending on the size of the vessel,” it says.
“In most cases, the body will be removed at the next port of call, but sometimes will remain on board until the end of the voyage,” it says.
Most cruise ships also have “small jails known as the brig” for passengers who may have violated the company’s code of conduct, it says.
Drunk passengers may be put under “cabin arrest,” where they cannot leave their quarters without a security escort.
It says there are often hidden pools and facilities for the crew, and many cruise ships do not have a deck numbered 13.
The exception is ships on the Asian market, where the number has no associations with superstition, while one Italian cruise line company has no deck 17 as this number is considered unlucky in Italy.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are also often a feature of cruise ships, it says.
Read more in The New York Times here
