A cruise ship worker has revealed the biggest mistake “too many” first-time travelers make when booking their trips.
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, has worked on cruise ships for ten years and regularly shares tips on how passengers and crew members can make the most of their experience.
In one of his most recent videos uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where he has amassed nearly 80,000 subscribers, he revealed a series of mistakes, “some obvious, some not,” that novice cruisers are still making.
And there was one important one that topped the list.
First-time cruisers book trips with “too many days at sea,” he said.
In his video titled “Too Many First-Time Cruisers Still Get It Wrong,” he explained that when taking your first cruise, you should avoid booking a trip with too many days at sea.
She told her viewers: ‘Having worked on cruise ships for the last ten years, I’ve seen first-time cruisers make every mistake in the book.
‘Some are obvious, but others are just things you would know how to do if you had been surfing before.
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, runs a YouTube channel where she shares her tips and tricks with viewers.
He has been working on cruise ships for ten years and regularly shares tips on how passengers and crew members can make the most of their experience. Pictured: Lucy sailing on Virgin Voyages
‘When you’re booking your first cruise, you’ll want to make sure you book one with plenty of port dates. The ideal would be two days at sea at most, and ideally they would not be consecutive.
“The reason is that this is your first cruise and you don’t know if you like it yet.”
He warned that exaggerating the number of consecutive days you’re at sea on your first cruise could put you off the experience entirely.
Instead, he advised that all newbies should book cruises where they would only be at sea for no more than one day at a time and no more than two days total.
Opting for a shorter cruise with lots of port stops could make the cruise experience easier for you so you can figure out whether you like being at sea for long periods of time or not, he suggested.
While he said some people may find they are fine being at sea for several days at a time without the use of phones, he said many may find there is “nothing worse.”
The knowledgeable crew member said: ‘I can almost guarantee that if you go on a boat and spend two, three or four days at sea, you probably won’t like it.
‘What you want is to be able to get off the boat 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.
He insists that newbies should start by booking cruises that only have a maximum of two days at sea, and preferably not consecutive ones.
‘There are people who want to spend 15 days at sea, reading a book, without Internet access, and there are others 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 his experiences as a crew member working for Royal Caribbean, he told viewers about a cruise ship that crossed from Alaska to Australia, stopping in Hawaii and Tahiti along the way.
It was a long cruise that lasted 21 days, 15 of which we spent at sea.
And he told viewers how he had met a couple on board the cruise ship who vowed to “never” sail again.
She reacted in the video: ‘Of course you’re not going to like it. This is a cruise for experienced cruisers. People who know that they enjoy days at sea.’
As well as urging people not to book long cruises, Ms Southerton also pointed out other common mistakes beginners often make.
They included travel insurance, choosing the right places to cruise and the right cruise line.
In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed almost 80,000 subscribers, Lucy (pictured) shared some key tips that could prove very useful in an emergency.
The experienced cruiser also talked about other common mistakes, like not getting the right travel insurance and choosing the wrong cruise line.
While he acknowledged that travel insurance is an important purchase for any trip, he stressed that it is a ‘non-negotiable’ when it comes to cruises.
He said that while a delay to his flight for a “land holiday” would mean he would only be able to check in a day or two late at his hotel, the “hotel will still be there.” Whereas if you are going on a cruise and your flight to get to the departure point is delayed, you run the risk of missing the cruise entirely.
The 28-year-old also urged people to check that the travel insurance they choose has cruise coverage; Otherwise, the insurance will not be valid on board the cruise.
Among his other advice was to stay in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or Alaska. All three are the busiest cruise routes, meaning these areas are geared toward cruise passengers and are the most convenient to visit when cruising for the first time.
Another problem, in his experience, is that people go on their first cruise and end up spending the entire time “watching the clock” and worrying about being on time when exploring ports.
He suggested booking excursions through the cruise line, even if they are more expensive, to ensure that the cruise does not sail if the excursion is delayed.
Another common mistake was that first-time travelers do not read the terms and conditions and are often unaware of common conditions, including the fact that the cruise may change the destination without notice and without compensation, usually due to weather conditions. adverse.
“Know your rights when booking,” he urged.
He said choosing the wrong cruise could put beginners off the experience entirely.
While many may think that choosing the right cruise line is not one of the most important choices, Ms. Southerton disagrees.
She said her first cruise with her parents and brother was a carnival cruise. Although she and her brother loved the experience, her parents did not want to go on a cruise again.
She said: “Do it right and you’ll only want to go on a cruise in the future; do it wrong and you’ll never want to go on a cruise again.”
The experienced crew member also highlighted the importance of choosing the right cabin. While choosing the exact cabin to stay in can be more expensive, he said it’s sometimes the best option, as he advised against staying directly below the nightclub or gym deck.
He also highlighted the need to budget appropriately.
Many first-time travelers mistakenly expect that they won’t have many expenses once they’ve booked the cruise. However, Ms Southerton says cruise ships typically spend between 50 and 100 per cent of the initial ticket price once on board.
He added: ‘As a general rule, the cheaper the initial cruise fare, the more you’ll pay on board.’