


Ship happens.
A video of a couple sleeping on a cruise ship balcony has gone viral, sparking debate over privacy etiquette.
A couple was sleeping on their balcony, and people on another cruise ship across the way took a video of the pair without their consent.
TikTok user @mandythrcruiseplanner, a self-proclaimed “cruise addict,” shared her take on the incident, acknowledging that while it is funny, it’s also “odd.”
“It does seem a little odd to me that we’re this comfortable with filming complete and total strangers and making them the center of our videos,” Mandy said in the video, which has garnered 557,000 views.
“It’s one thing to film yourself on a cruise and people are walking by, etc.,” she continued. “But when you go so far as to film somebody else and then put them out there for millions of people to see, a part of me wonders if this is just going too far.”
She went on to say that while she understands that it was a funny video, the comments were harsh and critical of the couple’s age and appearance, which is “unfortunate” and “upsetting” for the unsuspecting couple, who were on their balcony minding their own business.
A similar incident happened earlier this year, too, where a TikTok user defended cruise goers for putting their bed out on their balcony.
“If I’m paying $2,000, $3,000 for a cruise, I’m putting my bed wherever I want,” user @cartelmarcel said.
A majority of people in the comments section of Mandy’s video agreed that people shouldn’t be filming strangers on their balconies.
“I think a balcony is an extension of your personal space and shouldn’t be filmed,” someone said.
“Filming in public has gotten out of hand. Yes, you are allowed to, technically, but it’s so awful that it’s normalized, especially here on TikTok. ‘YoU dOn’T hAvE a RiGhT tO pRivAcY iN PuBlic.’ Well, you also shouldn’t be a f–king a–hole,” another wrote.

“Sleeping on the cruise balcony feels amazing and is very fun and spooky at night, but I couldn’t have imagined being filmed while doing so,” one shared.
“I just don’t get why anybody needs to film anyone nowadays,” a user noted.
“This! I don’t mind if I’m caught in the background …plz don’t make me the subject without asking,” one commented. “This should be standard morals.”
“Someone filming me whilst sleeping without my consent??? There is no world, in my mind, that is ok,” someone wrote.
“I thought that was really rude. They were enjoying their own vacation that they paid for, and they weren’t bothering or hurting anyone, so why shame them?” another said.