A cruise ship worker has revealed the mistakes that new cruisers ‘always make’ their first time aboard a ship.
Lucy Southerton, 29, from Birmingham, has worked on cruise ships for over a decade and regularly shares advice on how passengers and fellow crew members can get the most out of their experience.
In a recent video shared to her YouTube channel @CruisingAsCrew, which has close to 100,000 subscribers, Lucy warned ‘rookie cruisers’ about the mistakes she sees passengers make time and time again.
From hidden costs to setting your phone on flight mode, Lucy revealed both the mistakes she has made as a passenger and witnessed as a cruise worker so that first time cruisers can avoid regrets.
1. Flying to your cruise ship the same day that you are joining it
One of the biggest mistakes people can make cruising for the first time is actually getting there, Lucy argued.
‘If your flight is cancelled or delayed, that cruise ship is leaving with or without you!’ the cruise ship worker said.
‘This is not an all inclusive hotel where you can rock up late…if your flight is cancelled or delayed, that cruise ship is leaving with or without you!
Lucy Southerton, 29, has worked on cruise ships for over a decade and regularly shares advice on how passengers and fellow crew members can get the most out of their experience
‘I know it’s tempting to save that little bit of money by not booking a hotel before you go, but honestly it is v risky to fly out the same day because things happen.’
She advised: ‘Spending that little bit of money on a hotel the night before could honestly save your whole holiday.
‘For me, a holiday is all about being stress free, so it can taint the cruise if getting to it is super stressful.’
2. Not budgeting for extras
A little known fact among first timers is that not everything is included in the price of a cruise.
Indeed, when you embark onto the ship, you might be offered a wifi package, a drinks package – and then will have to pay extra for excursions, speciality restaurants and any gratuities at the end too.
So to avoid being caught off guard, Lucy warned newbies to factor in these extras when planning their first cruise.
‘ie wifi package, gratuities, drinks packages, excursions, speciality restaurant, etc’
Lucy shares her insights on her YouTube account @CruisingAsCrew which has nearly 100,000 subscribers
3. Overpacking
It’s the most common mistake, but one we all fall prey to.
Lucy advised those flying to join their cruises to remember to factor in room for purchases made both on board and during visits off port to excursions.
She said: ‘If you’ve got 23kg of allowed weight in your suitcase, maybe fly out with 22kg for holiday purchases.
‘There are shops on board the cruise ship that you’re going to want to spend money at.’
4. Not putting your phone on flight mode
Another crucial mistake that Lucy revealed cost her £500 on a cruise she went on around Australia is not putting your phone on flight mode.
The cruise ship worker reminded first timers to avoid costly phone bills when they return from holiday by turning their phones to flight mode as soon as they step foot on board.
Overpacking and not being careful when picking a cabin cropped up as big mistakes that first time cruisers always make
She added that another lesser known hack was to switch off automatic time updates and change your phone’s settings to manual time updates instead.
This will make sure that while you’re going through different locations on holiday, your time will stay the same as the ship’s time – and you won’t miss any shows or be late to dinner!
5. Not being careful when picking a cabin
One thing people find hard when booking a cruise, especially for the first time, is choosing a cabin wisely.
Lucy said: ‘If this is a new cruise for you, you want to make sure that you pick a cabin in the middle of the ship surrounded by other cabins.
‘Trust me you do not want to have the gym above you, because at 6am you’re going to hear the thud of people on the running machines, or if you go to bed early and you’re near the nightclub, you’re not going to be happy!’
Lucy shared her top advice for first time cruisers as both a passenger and cruise ship worker
Lucy added that if passengers are offered a cabin upgrade when they embark, they should always check the deck plans before agreeing.
‘While the cabin itself might be better, and have a balcony, for example, actually if you’ve been strategic in picking the location in the middle of the ship, if this cabin is available then it’s probably the worst of that tier of cabin.’
