A cruise ship worker of 10 years has revealed the one luxury purchase you should never pay for while on your cruise ship holiday.
Millions of us head on to the open seas every year for a holiday on a cruise, with many treating it as a once in a lifetime experience, while others will go on no other kind of vacation.
With thousands of people on a ship at any one time, there has to be lots to do to keep people entertained. After all, you’re paying customers who have likely spent thousands and thousands for your cabin, drinks packages, and other luxury add-ons.
But according to Lucy Southerton, who has worked for the likes of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages cruise line as well as Royal Caribbean and P&O Cruises, there is one luxury additional purchase you should avoid if you want to avoid some potentially awful side effects. And after spending a decade of her life on the open seas, the Birmingham native knows a thing or two about what you should and should not do.
‘Avoid this cruise ship purchase’
Speaking in a recent video to her Cruising as Crew YouTube channel, Lucy explained why you shouldn’t spend your hard earned money on this purchase ‘at all costs’.
For Lucy, who spent two years working in spas on cruise ships, the big red flag came down to specific treatments in the spa facilities offered across many cruise lines.
In particular, she has said it is a massive no when it comes to getting Botox and filler at sea.
“There’s probably going to be a lot of you watching who didn’t even know that getting Botox and filler on a cruise ship was even an option,” Lucy says.
Lucy has said Botox is a no no (Instagram / @cruisingascrew)
Why you should avoid Botox and filler on a cruise ship?
“There’s a few reasons for this,” Lucy explains.
“The first reason. Although Botox and filler is actually a routine procedure for some people there is still a lot that can go wrong. And I’m not talking about just a botched lip job or a botched Botox job.
“I’m talking about things like necrosis and you do not want to have something like that when you are at sea.”
Necrosis is a very real and rare side effect of having a Botox injection. This is where the cells in your body prematurely die due to a lack of blood flow; it cannot be reversed.
As well as the above terrifying outcome, Lucy highlighted what actually happens after you get a Botox procedure. She said: “When you have a Botox and filler treatment, usually two weeks after you’ll go back and have a review where they will make sure that the Botox is sitting the way it’s supposed to sit or the filler is sitting the way it’s supposed to sit. Because again, if you have these treatments you’ll know that it does take a few days for it to get into place.
Lucy Sotherton worked on cruise ships for almost 10 years (Instagram/@cruisingascrew)
“Now this is fine if you’re on a month long cruise but if you’re going on a four or five-day cruise that means your review isn’t going to happen now. The therapist will book you in for a review before you leave the cruise ship but if you’re on a four day cruise and you have Botox done or filler done on the second day, you have to have your review a few days later which means that the filler or Botox might not be like in place yet.
“And once you’re off the ship it’s very difficult to get hold of the person who administered your Botox and filler which means if there is a problem with it sucks to be you.”
It’s a no for waxing and haircuts too (Instagram / @cruisingascrew)
Others to avoid
As well as Botox and filler, Lucy said you should not get your hair cut on a cruise ship.
“While I have worked with some truly fantastic hairdressers in my time I have also seen people walk out of the salon with orange hair and they didn’t want orange hair,” she said.
“I have seen bowl cuts, I’ve seen incredibly awful layering. I’ve seen some true disasters when it comes to haircuts.”
On top of this, waxing is another red flag for Lucy.
She said: “Usually people get this treatment done before they go on their cruise so it isn’t a very popular treatment. So although there might be a girl who is qualified to wax that works in the spa that can do your waxing treatment she might not have waxed anyone for six months.
“It’s not that I’m saying don’t get waxed on board if you really want it or need it, I’m just saying don’t have high expectations. She probably hasn’t done a waxing treatment in a few months so it might be a little bit more painful than usual, and she might not get every single hair.”
A cruise ship expert has revealed the items you should avoid packing if you’re planning to set sail anytime soon.
You may be looking at cruises as a possible option this holiday season, but there are a number of things you should consider when you start packing.
They could be a fire hazard, an allergy risk, or they could simply be illegal, so to avoid breaking any laws, you may want to double check before your bag leaves the house and goes through the scanner.
In case websites were being too vague though, or if you aren’t sure if you can pack a certain item, product director at Riviera Travel, Will Sarson, has weighed in on the subject and highlighted the five items you should not bring on your cruise travels across the world.
There are five items you should be aware of while packing. (Getty Stock Photo)
Will said: “When packing for a cruise holiday, it’s important to do your research to understand the list of prohibited items.
“This can help better planning while packing and help avoid disappointment when items are confiscated.”
So, here are the items you should be wary of.
Alcohol
There is alcohol on board a lot of cruise ships, so you can get your cocktail fix while at sea – just make sure you don’t bring a ton of bottles.
Will explained: “While alcohol is not strictly banned from cruise ships, most companies have a range of restrictions in place to avoid travellers bringing large quantities along for the trip.”
It turns out that guests are limited to just one bottle of wine or champagne with potential corkage fees to drink in public.
“With so much alcohol available on board, we recommend leaving the bottles at home to avoid further costs and instead making use of the available liquor found throughout the ship and at varying ports across the world,” he stated.
You can probably get your alcohol fix onboard. (Getty Stock Photo)
An iron/steamer
This is a huge safety risk while you’re at sea given that it’s a fire hazard, but it seems to go over a lot of holidaymakers’ heads.
Will compares them to extension leads in that most cruise liners prohibit you from bringing these aboard.
“This is an item that constantly catches people out, with travellers forced to part ways with their iron or steamer,” he explained.
“To avoid disappointment, it’s best to leave these items at home. Many ocean and river cruises have irons or steamers onboard that can be borrowed by guests during their stay.”
Candles or incense
Once again, these are an obvious fire hazard, with the naked flame or ash created already risky enough for many cruise companies.
Will acknowledged that they can be relaxing and good at ‘setting the mood’, but but labelled them as ‘incredibly dangerous’, with cruise staff certain to confiscate these items.
He highlighted: “Similarly, incense products fall under the same category. Like the rest of the items on this list, leave the candles and incense behind!”
If it can get hot, you should probably leave it behind. (Getty Stock Photo)
CBD Oils
“CBD oil is a popular wellness product that provides relief for physical pain and mental health disorders,” Will explained. “But it’s not allowed on cruises due to its varying legality around the world.
“While the product is legal for sale and tender throughout the UK, this is not the case in certain cruise ship stop-off destinations. As a result, the substance is not allowed onboard the ship,” he revealed.
It is legal in a number of European countries such as the UK, Spain and Italy, and the North American countries of the US and Mexico, but the majority of the world still haven’t legalised the product.
Every country has different laws and requirements for a prescription over the THC content.
Hopefully you weren’t planning on bringing your furry friends on board, ’cause they’re a big no-no.
“While this one should go without saying, you’d be surprised at how many people try to gain access to their cruise alongside pets,” the product director said.
“Domestic animals are not allowed on cruises due to the allergy risk and general health and safety aspects that come with allowing cats or dogs on board.”
The allowance here is that guide dogs are permitted as they provide medical assistance, but if not, it’s time to call your nearest pet hotel or kennel.
A cruise ship worker has explained exactly what you should never do when setting sail – and some of the pointers might shock you.
The summer season is almost upon us and with that, a boom in travel as millions head on their annual breaks abroad.
And for many Brits, Spain is the go to destination with recent guidance giving the 16 million UK residents heading there a sigh of relief.
But some fancy something a little different, with the likes of cruise ship excursions extremely popular if you can afford them.
With one cruise ship staff member recently explaining why you should ‘get ready to spend a lot of cash’ on one thing in particular, another in the industry is here with six things she says you should never do if you’re getting ready to set sail on any boat.
Tammy Barr has been sailing around the world, working on cruise ships, for years on end before now doing it as a customer.
Originally shared with Business Insider, here are six things she says she would never do following her experience as a cruise ship worker and now customer.
A big no-no to the drinks package
For many, this is the big question before setting sail across the world. But for Tammy, you shouldn’t pay if your drinking habits aren’t on the overindulgent side of things.
“I enjoy a pina colada by the pool or a Manhattan while listening to a jazz set after dinner,” she says.
“Even so, it doesn’t make sense for me to pay in advance for 12 to 15 cocktails a day.”
Who doesn’t love a cocktail (Getty Stock Images)
For Tammy, the math doesn’t add up especially if the trip you’re on will see you leaving the ship for multiple port-heavy trips. Going ashore means less time on the ship to drink its booze.
“I prefer to buy as I go and take advantage of happy hour and other drink specials that are available on certain cruise lines. I also check the beverage policy in advance and bring on my own wine, if allowed,” she says.
Touching surfaces
It’s time to utilise those elbows and knuckles with Tammy never using her fingers to touch stuff in the public areas such as elevator buttons.
“Some cruise lines are better than others at wiping down commonly touched surfaces, but I don’t take any chances,” she says.
“I avoid touching things others frequently touch, and I wash my hands frequently.”
Illnesses such as norovirus can quickly spread on cruise ships, given there are thousands of people in a confined space, so taking this little measure could be the different between holiday bliss and holiday bliss.
A cruise ship in port (Getty Stock Images)
Upgrading your food
Most cruise liners will include the main dining room meals in your package, which is one part of why the price is so much, given you’re essentially paying for perks like this in advance.
But if you want something fancy, expect to pay more on top.
Tammy says that, while ‘$12 may not seem like much for a steak of lobster tail’, it defeats the point. She will stick to what she’s got.
Calling the ship by the wrong name
A quirky one from Tammy, but one that comes down to looking the part when you’re on board.
She says: “Ships have proper names, and so do not require a definite article. For example – ‘Tomorrow I am embarking on Discovery Princess’ or ‘I enjoyed scenic cruising on MS Westerdam’.”
Basically if you want to look savvy and knowledge, drop the ‘the’ before the ship name. It’s just not correct.
Cruise ships at port (Getty Stock Images)
Room key does not go around your neck
Tammy thinks this is a bit naff for a few reasons. For one, it can be seen as flaunting your status by showing off how often you cruise.
No one likes a show off really and the longer you are at sea, the fancier your room key.
It’s also an invitation to those who have sinister means. She says: “In port, that room key bouncing off your chest looks like an invitation to be robbed. It screams ‘I have money! Come and take it from me’.”
Virgin Voyages cruise ship in Sydney (Matt Blyth/Getty Images)
There’s no need for super busy port day
The idea of missing your cruise ship’s departure and being stranded somewhere on the other side of the world is mortifying.
For Tammy, the best way to avoid this is to have pretty chilled port days so you’re never at serious risk of missing your cruise ship before it leaves port.
“I’ve never missed a sail away, but I have cut it too close at times and have had to run down a pier or two. Just recently, as a passenger, my taxi driver got lost returning our group to the port at night,” she says.
“When I realised how late we were going to be, I forked over $8 per minute to be connected with the ship. I pleaded with them to wait for us. It was a sprint through the port to get back on and we received quite a scolding from the first officer.”
It’s a sad reality that some people die when they’re on holiday. But what happens when you’re in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship?
Well, one former cruise ship worker has addressed the issue on her TikTok account.
Aside from the morbid reality of what ‘free ice cream parties’ mean on board a cruise ship, it’s an issue what some of us will face if we decide a cruising holiday is for us.
Former cruise ship employee, singer Dara Starr Tucker, used to sail around the Caribbean and the Mediterranean on cruise ships around 10 years ago.
And while we go on holiday to escape reality for a short period, sometimes it sadly comes with us.
Dara said: “I was a singer on a cruise ship about 10 years ago and I lived on a ship in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean for about six months.
TikTok/@darastarrtucker
“Thankfully we didn’t have to deal with this kind of stuff [passenger’s dying] but we were friends with some crew members who did.”
She revealed that sadly, four to 10 people will pass every on every cruise holiday. It might seem high but she says you need to remember they’re used by a lot of people who are older in age and therefore statistically more likely to have something that could cause illness or death.
Dara said her colleagues told her that “maybe four to 10 people die every cruise… there are a lot of older people on ships and often people die on cruises”.
Cruise ships are built ready with the idea that people will die while they’re sailing in the middle of one of the world’s oceans.
As a result, they all have actual morgues – although they are not publicised for obvious reasons. Bodies can be stored in them for around one week.
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Maritime solicitors Brais Law Firm explain that when someone dies, their remains ‘should be kept in the morgue undisturbed until the cruise ship gets to its next port which accepts human remains, at which point the body will be unloaded from the ship and transferred to local authorities’.
But they explain that the removal of the body is only the beginning of the process for those who have lost someone.
The law firm says: “Once the passenger’s body is removed from the cruise ship, it is up to the family to make arrangements to have their loved one’s remains sent home.
Getty Stock Images
“This can be challenging—especially if the passenger’s body is located in a far-away foreign country—and it can also be expensive without insurance.
“Even though the cruise line made the decision to leave the passenger’s remains behind, it will not assist with this process.
“But, if you hire an experienced cruise ship accident lawyer, your lawyer can help you take the necessary steps to bring your loved one’s remains home as quickly and safely as possible.”
A woman who went on her first ever cruise said it made her feel ‘sick long after touching dry land’.
Brittany VanDerBill embarked on a seven-day cruise in February on the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas.
Wanting to see if cruise holidays ‘actually lived up to the hype’, she spent a week sailing around the Eastern Caribbean.
However, for five days of the trip it rained on ‘all three port days’.
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The contributing writer for Business Insider explained: “So, we scrapped our plans to visit beautiful beaches on St. Thomas and St. Maarten and instead slogged through puddles to check out local shops.
“We also had to evacuate early on our first port day at Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas due to an incoming storm.
“My friend and I got in a couple of hours of cloudy beach time that day, but we headed back to the ship when it started sprinkling.
“On our way back, Royal Caribbean announced we were leaving the island early. I appreciate the cruise putting our safety first, but I was still bummed.”
Completely new to cruises, Brittany was aware of sea sickness, but didn’t think she would get it so bad.
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Although her doctor prescribed her with preventative sea sickness meds, she said she ‘had a negative reaction to it and had to remove it’.
And during her time on the cruise ship, she claims to have felt ‘a lot of movement’.
“One night it was so bad that many of us had trouble walking in a straight line down the hallway,” she wrote.
“Thankfully, other than a couple of hours of nausea I attribute to too much wine and not enough food, I didn’t get sick to my stomach.”
What surprised her the most was that feeling of ‘sickness’ did not go away after she landed.
Although she was on ‘solid ground’, she said she still ‘felt like I was still on the cruise ship battling rough waves.’
“As it turns out, I’d developed ‘land sickness’, also known as mal de débarquement syndrome, where you feel as though you’re still swaying on the ship once you get off,” Brittany said.
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“Although it’s somewhat rare, it’s a form of reverse motion sickness that can last for months or even years after a cruise (or other triggering event).
“So far, anti-nausea medication and ginger ale haven’t helped much.”
Amid the seemingly rough experience, she did have some ‘great laughs on board despite the rough seas and lack of sunshine’.
Even though Brittany won’t ever go on another cruise, the travel writer admits that she could have just been unlucky and what she ‘experienced probably isn’t the norm’.
