A guest aboard a luxury cruise enters their cabin, discovers a hidden speaker by accident, and after some confusion, a solution is found

For many travelers, a cruise cabin is a place to rest—a quiet space to escape the noise of the ship and recharge. But for one guest aboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, peace was unexpectedly interrupted by a hidden speaker playing music with no apparent way to turn it off.

The incident was shared by the guest on the social media platform Reddit, where they explained they were staying in a junior suite during a nine-night cruise through Spain and Portugal, departing from Southampton on June 9, 2025. “There’s a speaker under the vanity that sounds like the hallway music. We thought it would stop at night, but we don’t know how to turn it off,” they wrote.

Unwanted music in a luxury cabin

Although the guest initially assumed it might be an integrated feature of the room, they looked for a quick fix—trying a nearby volume knob. But when they attempted to use it, it didn’t work. Even the cabin attendant couldn’t solve the issue, and maintenance staff eventually had to be called in to disable the speaker.

Some users with experience on other Royal Caribbean cruises confirmed that certain suites sometimes include hidden speakers as part of the ship’s public address system, intended for emergency announcements. What’s unusual is for them to play ambient music continuously and uncontrollably.

This traveler’s experience doesn’t seem to be an isolated case. Guests on other cruise lines have reported similar situations. During the inaugural voyage of MSC World America, for example, several cabins reportedly began playing jazz music through ceiling speakers for hours—without warning or any way to turn it off.

Ironically, while Royal Caribbean has been trying to reduce noise by limiting passengers’ use of personal speakers, some cabins are surprising guests with unwanted music. Since March, the company has banned Bluetooth speakers on its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, in an effort to avoid disturbing other visitors.

While that rule hasn’t officially extended to the ships themselves, passengers are encouraged to use headphones in public areas, and crew members may confiscate devices in cases of misuse.

Although this incident is likely to be resolved without further issues, it raises questions about how certain onboard tech features can impact the guest experience. Even soft background music can be frustrating for those seeking peace and quiet.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.