I work on a cruise ship… here are the SIX things to bring on a lifeboat that the cruise ships DON’T tell you

A cruise ship employee has revealed five things you should take with you on a lifeboat that cruise ships don’t tell their passengers about.

Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, has worked on cruise ships for nine years and regularly offers advice to passengers to help them get the most out of their trip.

In a recent video she posted to her YouTube channel Cruising as Crew, where she now has over 69,000 subscribers, she shared some key advice that can come in handy.

She has advised passengers on the best items to take with them on a lifeboat, all of which can be vital in an emergency.

Read Lucy’s checklist of the most important items to take on a lifeboat below.

Lucy Southerton (pictured), 28, from Birmingham, has worked on cruise ships for nine years and regularly offers advice to passengers to help them get the most out of their trip.

Lip balm

Ms Southerton shared her first tip, saying that lip balm, to the surprise of many, is an essential item.

The cruise employee said, “[In a life-threatening situation] The body prioritizes the distribution of water to essential organs such as the liver and brain.

‘This deprives the lips of water and they dry out more quickly, which means they can crack. If you’re in a lifeboat for a long time, your lips are one of the first things to suffer, so you need to protect them at all costs.’

Documents

On to the second point that Lucy recommended taking on a lifeboat if possible. She said that cruise ship passengers should always carry some form of identification.

She pointed out that in case of emergency, rescue workers can identify you if you have some form of identification with you, such as a passport, driver’s license or even a visa.

In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed over 69,000 subscribers, Lucy (pictured) shared some key advice that can come in very handy in an emergency

Sun cream

Third, the 28-year-old advised cruise passengers to bring sunscreen on a lifeboat, noting that you never know how long or how long you’ll be exposed to the elements.

Lucy said: ‘If you are directly under the hatch or in a place where they take the roof off to let the wind in, then you will need a hat or sunscreen to protect yourself from the burning sun.’

“This isn’t as much of a priority as lip balm, but if you can get hold of sunscreen before you get into a lifeboat, then by all means do so.”

Layers

The veteran cruise ship worker then went on to say that cruise lines should always advise you to bring warm clothing on board, as it can get cold once the sun goes down.

However, she also said that you should always bring a few different layers of clothing that you can easily put on and take off depending on the time of day.

During the day, you might not think about keeping warm at night, because the sun is shining brightly and you are in a lifeboat with many passengers. But wearing extra clothing at night can make a huge difference in how you cope with adverse conditions.

Lucy (pictured) pointed out her six items you should take on a lifeboat that cruise ships don’t tell you about

Medication

Lucy’s penultimate point, that passengers should always carry this with them in a lifeboat, may seem obvious, but she warned that it is essential for people who regularly take medication to have this with them.

However, she added: ‘What they don’t recommend you do are things like paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, Sudocrem and ointments.

‘Although you may not need this type of medication, someone else on your lifeboat may – it is better to have it and not need it than the other way around. Just keep it in your pocket just in case.’

Water

Finally, Lucy said that as obvious and important as it may seem, you should never forget to take water on board a lifeboat.

She stressed that “there is only so much water that can fit in a lifeboat, so water will be rationed.”

Lucy continues: ‘If you can take extra water on board, do so, even if it’s just in the form of an extra bottle of water. [Humans] can’t survive long without water, so make sure you grab some if you can’.

Concluding the video, she assured passengers that “getting into a lifeboat is the very last resort,” adding that it is more likely that everyone on board the ship will be taken to a muster point while emergency services on board try to resolve any problems.