The cruise balcony. It’s your own private paradise with a million dollar view. And while it’s usually only about 20 square feet of space, we’ve heard of people that refuse to cruise unless they are sailing in a cabin with a balcony.

There’s a feeling of freedom that comes from a cruise balcony. Just knowing that at any time you have your own little quiet space to sit and watch the waves go by is calming — especially when most other places on the cruise ship have people all around you day or night.

And with seemingly no one else around, some cruise passengers get risque in the “privacy” of a balcony. In a recent survey, nearly 10% of passengers admitted to having public sex on a cruise ship, which explicitly included the cabin balcony.

If you’ve thought of getting down outside your cabin or simply wanted to get a little sun on those parts that normally don’t see daylight, there’s one thing you should know: that quiet balcony isn’t as private as you think.

Step out of your cabin onto the balcony and it looks at first glance like no one would be able to see you unless they were out in the water. A closer looks shows that’s not the case.

The partitions between balconies actually have a ton of room for prying eyes. The bottoms of the partitions are raised off the ground to allow for any water to flow through.

Meanwhile, the top of the partitions are relatively short — less than six feet tall — to allow wind to pass over them.

That’s not all. Space between the ship and the partitions allow any prying eyes a clear view into your balcony from next door. We don’t know of anyone that would purposely look to try to catch a peek, but if you are walking in and out of the cabin, there is a small period of time where you can see straight into the other balcony, similar to a stall door in a restroom.

But there is one more way to see into adjacent balconies that you wouldn’t normally think of — the reflection.

If you have a balcony with a glass railing then the reflection gives you a perfect view of the adjacent balconies whether you want to see them or not. If you aren’t careful you can catch an eyeful… or someone can catch an eyeful of you.

Don’t get us wrong. We understand why some people would want to be a little risque on their cruise balcony. But going nude — or more — isn’t as private as you might think.

Have you ever accidentally seen something on a cruise balcony? Tell us your story in the comments below.