A cruise line worker has revealed the biggest mistake ‘too many’ first-time cruisers make when booking their trips.
Lucy Southerton, 28, of Birminghamhas been working on cruise ships for ten years and regularly shares advice on how passengers and fellow crew members can get the most out of their experience.
In one of her most recent videos uploaded to her YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed nearly 80,000 subscribers, she revealed a series of mistakes, ‘some obvious, some not’, that newbie ‘cruisers’ continue to make.
And there was one big one that made it to the top of the list.
First-time cruisers book voyages with “too many sea days,” she said.
Speaking in her video titled “Too Many First-Time Cruisers Still Get It Wrong,” she explained that when going on your first cruise, you should avoid booking a trip with too many days away from shore.
She told her viewers: ‘Having worked on cruise ships for the past ten years, I’ve seen first timers make every mistake in the book.
‘Some are obvious, but some are just things you’d know to do if you’ve traveled before.
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, runs a YouTube channel where she shares her tips and tricks with viewers
She has worked on cruise ships for ten years and regularly shares advice on how passengers and fellow crew members can get the most out of their experience. Pictured: Lucy sailing on Virgin Voyages
‘When you book your first cruise, you’ll want to make sure you book one with lots of port dates. Ideally you want a maximum of two sea days, and ideally not consecutive.
“The reason is that it’s your first cruise, you don’t know if you’ll like it yet.”
She cautioned that overdoing the number of consecutive days you are at sea on your first cruise can completely put you off the experience.
Instead, she advised that all newcomers book cruises where they will only be at sea for no more than a day at a time, and for no more than two days in total.
Opting for a shorter cruise with lots of port stops can ease you into the cruise experience so you can figure out whether or not you enjoy being at sea for long periods of time, she suggested.
While she said that some people may find that being out at sea for a few days at a time without the use of phones is fine with them, she said that many people may find that there is ‘nothing worse’ is not
The knowledgeable crew member said: ‘I can almost guarantee that if you go on a ship and you spend two to three to four days at sea, you’re probably not going to like it.
‘You want to be able to get off the ship and explore the ports.
One of the biggest mistakes she says first-time cruisers make is booking cruises that consist of many days at sea
She urges newcomers to start by booking cruises that only have a maximum of two days at sea, and preferably not consecutive
‘There are those people who want to spend 15 days at the sea, read their book, have no internet access, and there are people who say: “I can’t think of anything worse than that.”
“So please, for your first cruise, make sure you book a cruise that is in port most of the time.”
Recalling one of her experiences as a crew member working for Royal Caribbean, she told viewers about a cruise that crossed from Alaska to Australia, stopping at Hawaii and Tahiti along the way.
It was a long voyage lasting 21 days, 15 of which were spent at sea.
And she told viewers how she met a couple on board the cruise ship who vowed to ‘never’ set sail again.
She responded in the video: ‘Of course you’re not going to like it. This is a cruise for seasoned cruisers. People who know they enjoy sea days.’
As well as urging people not to book long cruises, Ms Southerton also pointed out other common pitfalls that first timers often make.
This included travel insurance, choosing the right places to sail and the right cruise line.
In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed nearly 80,000 subscribers, Lucy (pictured) shared some important advice that could come in handy in an emergency
The seasoned cruiser also discussed other common pitfalls, including not getting the right travel insurance and choosing the wrong cruise line
While she acknowledged that travel insurance is an important purchase to make for any trip, she emphasized that it is ‘non-negotiable’ when it comes to cruises.
She said that although a delay of your flight for a ‘country holiday’ would mean you might not be able to check into your hotel a day or two late, the ‘hotel would still be there’. If you go on a cruise and your flight to get to the departure point is delayed, you run the risk of missing the cruise altogether.
The 28-year-old also urged people to make sure that the travel insurance you choose has cruise cover, otherwise the insurance will not be valid on board the cruise.
Some of her other tips were to stick to either the Mediterranean, Caribbean or Alaska. The three are the most well-trodden cruise routes, meaning these areas are catered to cruise passengers and are the most comfortable visits when sailing for the first time.
Another pitfall, in her experience, is that people go on their first cruise and end up spending all their time ‘watching the clock’ and worrying about getting back on time when exploring ports.
She suggested booking excursions through the cruise line, even if they are more expensive, to ensure the cruise doesn’t leave if the excursion is late.
Another common mistake was that first-time cruisers do not read the terms and conditions and are often unaware of general conditions, including that the cruise ship can change the destination without prior notice without compensation, usually due to adverse weather.
‘Know your rights when you book,’ she urged.
She said that choosing the wrong cruise can completely put first timers off the experience
While many may think that choosing the right cruise line is not one of the most important choices, Ms Southerton disagrees.
She told how her first ever cruise with her parents and brother was a carnival cruise. While she and brother loved the experience, it dissuaded her parents from ever wanting to sail again.
She said: ‘Get it right and you’ll only want to sail in the future, get it wrong and you’ll never want to sail again.’
The experienced crew member also emphasized the importance of choosing the right cabin. While choosing the exact cabin you stay in can be more expensive, she said sometimes it’s the better choice, as she advised against staying directly below the nightclub deck or gymnasium.
She also stressed the need to budget properly.
Many first-time cruisers mistakenly expect that they won’t have many expenses once they book the cruise. However, Ms Southerton says that cruisers generally spend around 50-100 per cent of the initial ticket price once on board.
And she added: ‘A general rule of thumb, the cheaper the initial cruise fare, the more you’re going to pay on board’.
