A crew member who has worked on cruise ships for nine years has revealed four of the things that workers onboard hate passengers doing.
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, documents her experiences and shares behind-the-scenes information and advice with her 65,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she posts under the name ‘Cruising as Crew’.
In a recent video, she told viewers how she spoke to some of her fellow crew members to find out their biggest pet peeves.
Alongside commenting on workers English, being ignored, and encouraging cultural stereotypes, she has added four more annoyances to the list.
Read on to find out what you should avoid doing on your next cruise, if you don’t want to get on the staff members’ bad sides.
A crew member who’s worked on cruise ships for nine years has revealed four of the things workers onboard hate passengers doing
Messy cabins
The first pet peeve Lucy mentioned came from a conversation she had with the housekeeping staff and the stewardesses – it was a response she got ‘overwhelmingly’.
She explained: ‘They hate it when the cabins are left messy because their job is to clean not to tidy.
‘It’s fine when there’s a few t-shirts left on the bed or there’s a little bit of clutter and stuff but there are some cabins where you go in and it’s crazy to think they’re only on board for five days, because the amount of s*** that’s everywhere.
‘It’s like how are we supposed to clean the cabin successfully if there’s stuff everywhere? They were like, we have to spend time moving the stuff.’
To give an example, she added: ‘Let’s say there’s a heap of clothes on the bed – they’re like, ‘we can’t just move the heap of clothes on the floor, we have to fold the clothes.’
‘That’s not their job, but it wouldn’t look good if they just moved the heap of clothes on the floor.’
Lucy advised holidaygoers to ‘just be mindful when you are on a cruise ship and you’re staying in your cabin, the housekeeper’s job is to clean and sanitize your cabin, it’s not to tidy up your mess so just bear that in mind’.
![Alongside commenting on their English, being ignored, and encouraging cultural stereotypes, she has added four more annoyances to her list](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/25/12/82592785-13235765-A_crew_member_who_s_worked_on_cruise_ships_for_nine_years_has_re-m-97_1711369769101.jpg)
Alongside commenting on their English, being ignored, and encouraging cultural stereotypes, she has added four more annoyances to her list
![Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham , documents her experiences and shares behind-the-scenes information and advice with her 65,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she posts under the name 'Cruising as Crew'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/25/12/82592461-13235765-In_one_clip_Lucy_delved_into_all_of_the_pet_peeves_that_really_g-a-98_1711369894243.jpg)
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham , documents her experiences and shares behind-the-scenes information and advice with her 65,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she posts under the name ‘Cruising as Crew’
![In a recent video, she told viewers how she spoke to some of her fellow crew members to find out their biggest pet peeves](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/25/12/82161531-13235765-The_first_thing_that_passengers_do_that_riles_up_staff_members_o-a-99_1711369917478.jpg)
In a recent video, she told viewers how she spoke to some of her fellow crew members to find out their biggest pet peeves
Passengers flirting with crew members
Next up, she warns passengers that flirting with crew members may not have the effect they think it will.
She recalled: ‘When passengers flirt with you and think they have a chance with you just because you are a crew member.
‘Now this one, I know you’re all thinking this is one that came from a woman, but this came from two guys.
‘It was funny because I was asking them what’s something they hate passengers doing and they were both big stocky guys. They were like ‘sexual harassment’.
‘Drunk women are very persistent, they’re very touchy-feely and they basically want to get in our pants. So he was just saying it’s really annoying when you’re just trying to do your job and obviously you have to be friendly.’
The YouTuber and crew member continued: ‘But it’s hard when they take it another way and they think that they have a chance with you just because you’re a sexy crew member and it’s a little bit forbidden so it’s exciting.
‘Especially if they’re a big group of ladies that came on for a cruise, they’re all a bit drunk, they all think it’s hilarious to be flirting with the sexy barman or the sexy waiter, but just be mindful that he might not want that attention.’
No manners
Lucy adds that this next point ‘obviously goes without saying’.
She tells her followers: ‘Some people crew members often get treated like they’re not people.
‘It doesn’t take anything to just say: ‘Hi, how are you? Can you please help me with this?’
‘It doesn’t take anything but it happens so much that either a passenger will come into my shop or go to a bar or go anywhere around the ship and just walk in, see a crew member and be like: ‘I need this’.
![Next up, she warns passengers that flirting with crew members may not have the effect they think it will](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/25/12/82161535-13235765-Lucy_Sotherton_28_from_Birmingham_has_been_working_on_cruise_shi-a-100_1711370161427.jpg)
Next up, she warns passengers that flirting with crew members may not have the effect they think it will
‘It’s just rude and I think with manners, the reason it annoys me so much and annoys crew members so much is because it doesn’t take anything to just say please or thank you.’
She continued: ‘Sometimes when I’m stood outside my shop someone will just walk past me and go ‘Toilet?’ They’re asking for the toilet but by adding a few more words to your sentence, it makes all the difference.
‘Like, ‘I’m sorry could you just tell me where the toilet is?’ or ‘Please can you direct me to the toilet?’
‘There’s no need for it because it’s just so easy to be polite, especially when you’re on vacation. Who’s unhappy on vacation?’
Bragging
Finally, the cruising expert hates passengers who brag, especially to those who don’t have as much money as them.
She revealed: ‘People love to brag and all I would say about bragging is know your audience.
‘I also find it really cringey when you’ll see a really wealthy passenger bragging about their new car or watch that’s £50,000 or whatever.
‘The person they’re bragging to is from an impoverished country or could only dream about getting close to that sort of stuff, let alone owning it themselves.’
She concluded: ‘Just be mindful of who you’re bragging to – brag to people who are on a similar level to you.
‘Don’t brag about your new Mercedez-Benz to a crew member who is working every hour God sends just so they can send enough money home to support their five family members.’
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