Cruises are becoming an increasingly popular holidays choice among Britons.
A bonus of travelling by sea is that you can always keep all your belongings in the same place, no matter the destination.
However, there’s one thing some people say you should never bring aboard a cruise ship.
The rationale for this dates all the way back to the 1700s.
It’s considered very bad luck to bring bananas on board a ship.
This is not just due to superstition, however. In the 1700s it was noted that ships which transported bananas were often wrecked or lost at sea.
The explanations for these mysterious goings on relating to a seemingly innocuous fruit are varied.
One reason for the banana bringing bad luck is that they emit ethylene which causes other fruit and vegetables nearby to go rotten. This, in turn, would result in the crew going hungry.
Another explanation is that poisonous spiders would stow away among bananas and poison the crew.
A third reason, according to cruisedeals.co.uk, is bananas’ buoyancy – boxes of the fruit were allegedly found floating at wreck sites.
These days, of course, the rationale behind the superstition of bananas being bad luck is made null thanks to modern health and safety rules and superior food storage.
However, it’s not the only thing on board a ship that is rumoured to bring bad luck.
According to the New Zealand Maritime Museum, it used to be considered bad luck for one crewman to pass salt directly to another.
They also couldn’t stir tea with a knife or fork as this would bring misfortune.
In the past, women on ships were considered bad luck as they were considered too distracting for the sailors.
Flat-footed people were also thought to be unlucky – but the way to reverse this was to speak to them before they spoke to you.
The colours red and black are also traditionally considered unlucky, according to Porthole Cruise.
Red is associated with a warning colour while black generally represents death.
For most cruise ship passengers these days, however, these superstitions will be irrelevant. However, there are still things you have to watch out for on a practical level.
For instance, getting cash out from the onboard cash machines can be an expensive way to get money out.
