Do You Need To Be Able To Swim To Go On A Cruise?

You’re often surrounded by water as far as the eye can see when you take a cruise, so surely you need to be able to swim?

No, actually, you don’t need to be able to swim to take a cruise.

You Don’t Need To Swim To Cruise

Cruise ships are designed to be extremely safe environments.

Millions of people cruise every year without ever going near the ship’s swimming pool or going in the sea.

Cruise Ships Are Built For Safety

It is extremely difficult to “fall off” a cruise ship into the water. All of the open decks have railings at least waist-high, in some cases higher.

Safety briefings, known as “Muster Drills are mandatory and must take place before the cruise ship departs or immediately on departure. (Usually, they are held within the first few hours of embarking and definitely within 24 hours of departure.)

Muster Drills ensure everyone onboard knows what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Life jackets are in all of the cabins, but you don’t have to return to your cabin to retrieve one in an emergency. Simply head to your Muster Station, and you will be given another.

Find out everything you need to know about Muster Drills here:

What is a Muster Drill on a Cruise? Everything You Need to Know (REVIEW of Traditional and Virtual Muster Drills)

On average, around 20 to 30 people go overboard annually out of the 30 million + passengers who cruise every year. That works out at around just under 0.00065 per cent.

The vast majority are not accidental. They are usually linked to intentional acts, extreme recklessness or intoxication.

It is not unusual to hear of people climbing railings or jumping between balconies when drunk. If you have a fear of water and can’t swim, you are highly unlikely to be doing that!

Life Jackets And Emergency Situations

Life jackets are there as a precaution, and you’re shown how to use them.

There are lifejackets for every passenger, and a surplus of around 5% are kept at Muster Stations.

Life jackets on cruise ships are designed to keep you floating, not to help you swim long distances. They’re large, very buoyant, and turn you onto your back so your head stays above the water.

So even in the extremely unlikely scenario of an emergency, the goal isn’t swimming, it’s just staying afloat safely until help arrives.

Situations like this are incredibly rare, and cruise ships have multiple layers of safety systems in place.

Pools And Water Activities Are Optional

You don’t have to use pools, slides, or hot tubs

There’s plenty to do onboard that has nothing to do with water. Swimming is not a required part of the cruising experience at all!

When Swimming Might Come Up

Swimming might be on the agenda on certain shore excursions.

Some shore excursions feature boat trips, snorkelling and time on the beach. Of course, you don’t need to pick one of those excursions if you can’t swim.

Other excursions might offer things like kayaking, but again, if you can’t swim or are uncomfortable around water, don’t book those.

Tendering

Some ports you visit are tender ports. This means you will use one of the ship’s lifeboats, or sometimes small local boats, to ferry you across to the port.

There is no reason you should get wet or have to swim, but you will be close to the water, getting on and off small boats.

Choose an itinerary with no tender ports if this would make you anxious.

What If You’re Nervous Around Water?

If you are that nervous around water, you probably won’t be considering a cruise.

But if you are nervous, you can always stay in the indoor areas, and around the central parts of the ship.

You’re never forced to be near open edges of the ship, and there will always be barriers to prevent you from falling.

Modern ships feel more like floating hotels.

Often, you can’t even feel the ship moving, and you can completely forget you are at sea. You might feel like you are in a high-end restaurant or a hotel room.

Is It Safe To Bring Children Who Can’t Swim?

Yes, many cruise ships have children’s pools and splashparks, the majority of which have lifeguards on duty.

Taking your child into the pool would be exactly the same as visiting a pool on land – children would need to be heavily supervised, as they always must be in and around water.

Barriers are designed to be far too high for children to climb on or over, unless, of course, they climbed on furniture – but again, it is down to parents to supervise their children closely, as they would on land.

Find out more about barriers on cruise ships and look at real examples of barriers in the article below:

Are Cruise Ships Really Safe For Kids? (Real Picture Examples of Cruise Ship Decks and Safety Barriers)

It is far more likely that someone would choose to jump off a ship, often when drunk or if they are being reckless for some reason.

Find out what happened when someone jumped off the Norwegian Sky when we were sailing to the Bahamas here:

Before You Go

Find out whether you really need to dress up smartly when you are on a cruise here:

Do You REALLY Have To Dress Up On A Cruise?

Find out how can you avoid booking a cruise with lots of children onboard here:

How To Avoid Booking a Cruise With Lots of Kids Onboard (Without Booking An Adults-Only Cruise)