Why Cruise Passengers Are Asked to Turn Off Lights and Close Curtains in Certain Waters — The Alarming Truth Behind the Quiet Request

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🚢 Why Cruise Passengers Are Asked to Turn Off Lights and Close Curtains in Certain Waters — The Alarming Truth Behind the Quiet Request

When you’re on a cruise, the last thing you expect is to be asked to dim the lights and close the curtains at night. Yet, in certain regions, cruise passengers are politely instructed to do just that — a quiet but serious request that comes with an alarming reason.

So, why would a luxury ship sailing under starry skies ask passengers to shroud their staterooms in darkness?

The answer is far more serious — and vital — than it first appears.

🌍 It’s All About Where You Are: Eco-Sensitive Waters

Cruise lines implement these requests when sailing through environmentally sensitive areas, particularly in regions where wildlife can be negatively impacted by artificial light.

This practice is especially common in areas like:

The Caribbean
The Galápagos Islands
Parts of the South Pacific
Coastal Florida and the Southeastern U.S.

The biggest reason? Sea turtles.

🐢 Sea Turtles Are Confused by Light — And It’s Deadly

Sea turtle hatchlings rely on the natural light of the moon and stars reflecting off the ocean to guide them safely from their nests on the beach to the water.

But artificial lights — from beachfront resorts, streetlights, and yes, cruise ships — disorient the hatchlings, leading them away from the ocean and toward danger.

This confusion can cause them to:

Wander inland toward roads or predators
Become dehydrated or die from exhaustion
Be crushed or accidentally stepped on

Even adult female turtles can be deterred from nesting if the shoreline is too brightly lit.

By turning off exterior cabin lights and closing curtains, cruise passengers help eliminate a major source of unnatural light that can lead to the death of thousands of hatchlings every year.