Norwegian Getaway Passenger Climbs Over Balcony for Risky Selfie

Image: Screenshot from video shared by rudyhdez1962 [YouTube & Instagram]

There's going the extra mile for the perfect holiday photo.

And then there's climbing over the balcony railing of a cruise ship and standing on the outside of the vessel to take a selfie.

A video circulating on social media shows a passenger aboard Norwegian Getaway doing precisely that, apparently climbing from their cabin balcony onto an exterior section of the ship while the vessel was docked.

After taking several photographs, the passenger can then be seen making their way back towards his cabin and climbing over the balcony railing to get back inside.

There doesn't appear to be any barrier between the passenger and what could have been a very unpleasant fall.

And unsurprisingly, Norwegian Cruise Line's rules are rather clear about this particular form of holiday photography.

The video shows the passenger standing on a narrow exterior section of Norwegian Getaway near the front of the ship.

They appear to be well beyond the normal passenger area, with no railing between him and the edge.

Rather than appearing to have accidentally ended up there, the person can be seen deliberately positioning themselves and holding up their phone to take photographs.

Getting back to the cabin is perhaps the most alarming part.

The passenger approaches the balcony and climbs back over its railing from the outside of the ship.

Exactly when and where the video was filmed has not been independently established.

Norwegian Cruise Line specifically prohibits passengers from climbing on or over ship railings.

Its current terms state that guests must not sit, stand, lie or climb “on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers.”

Passengers are also prohibited from entering areas restricted to crew or engaging in other behaviour considered unsafe.

In other words, the balcony railing isn't a shortcut to a better camera angle.

Norwegian's photography policy also makes clear that while passengers are welcome to take photos and videos for personal use, doing so must not interfere with the safety or operation of the vessel.

Norwegian's Guest Conduct Policy gives the cruise line a range of options when passengers breach its rules.

Depending on the circumstances, consequences can include intervention by ship security, loss of onboard privileges, confinement, being removed from the ship at the next port, denial of boarding on future Norwegian cruises and potentially having incidents reported to law enforcement authorities.

There has been no confirmed information indicating what, if any, action Norwegian Cruise Line took against the passenger shown in this particular video.

It's also unclear whether crew members were aware of the stunt at the time.

But cruise lines have taken balcony climbing extremely seriously in previous incidents.

Image: Screenshot from video shared by rudyhdez1962 [YouTube & Instagram]

Perhaps the strangest part is that this isn't an isolated phenomenon.

Videos and photographs of passengers climbing onto balcony railings or entering restricted exterior areas periodically appear on social media, often apparently in pursuit of a photograph or video.

Just days before the Norwegian Getaway footage attracted attention, another photograph circulated showing a passenger sitting on a cruise ship balcony railing, prompting a fresh round of discussion about risky behaviour onboard.

In other incidents, passengers have been filmed balancing on balcony railings while ships were at sea.

The motivation often seems remarkably mundane considering the potential consequences: getting a better photograph for social media.

Cruise ship balconies are designed to give passengers a private outdoor space with an ocean view.

The railing, however, is very much intended to remain between the passenger and the ocean.

Norwegian Getaway certainly isn't short of places where passengers can take photographs without climbing over anything.

The ship has passenger balconies, outdoor decks, pool areas and numerous public spaces specifically designed to provide ocean views.

Whatever view the passenger was trying to capture from outside his balcony, it's difficult to imagine the resulting selfie being worth the potential consequences of slipping.

And while cruise passengers regularly debate everything from chair hogging to dress codes, drink packages and whether ducks should be hidden around ships, there probably shouldn't be too much controversy surrounding this particular piece of cruise etiquette:

Stay on the correct side of the balcony railing.