Yes, cruise jails are a thing. Here's what could land you in one.

29.02.2024 - 10:51 / insider.com

A woman said she almost spent the last few days of her vacation in "cruise jail" after an altercation with a fellow passenger.

Turns out that's a thing, and it's called the "brig."

Theresa Rowley posted a TikTok on February 20, saying the experience almost turned her into "a pirate."

Rowley said she'd just returned home after a seven-day Carnival cruise and had almost spent three days in the brig after a woman "wouldn't stop talking shit" about her 67-year-old mother.

Almost turned me into a pirate. #storytime #carnivalcruise #cruiselife

"She talked the entire time, bro," Rowley said. "She's yelling across the bar. She had tiny little vocal cords too. Sounded like she had a Polly Pocket stuck in her throat." A fight nearly started, but luckily for Rowley, it deescalated and she didn't end up being locked away in the brig.

But if things had gotten violent, and the other woman was hurt, there's a chance she could have. Business Insider reached out to Rowley and Carnival Cruise Line for comment.

Brigs are there for the safety of passengers and staff. Cruise ship workers told BBC Three in 2022 that while most passengers are considerate, "about 5% can be a nightmare."

In January, for example, two passengers on board a cruise from Miami to the UK were arrested after authorities found 112 bags of marijuana in their bags.

Emma Le Teace, a cruise ship expert who runs the site Emma Cruises, pointed out in one of her blogs that people tend to forget the brig is on the ship because it's not included in tours for security reasons, and is located in a crew-only area. Therefore, is not often seen by passengers.

"The onboard jails are small and used as a place to hold guests suspected of breaking the law or those who are acting dangerously or recklessly," she wrote.

"It isn't the intention of the cruise line to keep guests here for any great period of time."

Most passengers who get into trouble on a ship are told off by staff, according to a post on Cruiseline.com. If they are belligerent or drunk, they can then be forced to stay in their cabin with security outside.

The brig is there for more serious crimes, the outlet explained.

"If you end up down there, you won't be staying there for the duration of the cruise," the blog states. "Instead, you'll be forcibly removed from the ship in the next port and turned over to the local authorities."

Any expense incurred from the change in plans is yours to bear.

A former cruise ship security officer told Le Teace that assault or murder are reasons for a passenger being locked in the brig. They may also be put in there if they have made threats to other guests or are deemed to be a danger to themselves.

The amount of crimes committed on cruise ships is relatively low.