I'm a cruise ship worker... here are six TRAPS first-time passengers always fall into

• Lucy Southerton from Birmingham has worked on cruises for nearly a decade
• READ MORE: Cruise ship worker reveals SEVEN essential gadgets for your cruise

A seasoned cruise ship worker has revealed the six marketing traps first time passengers always fall victim to.

Lucy Southerton, 28, has racked up just shy of a decade worth’s of experience onboard cruise ships around the world.

Regularly sharing her insider knowledge on her YouTube channel – Cruising as Crew – Lucy said she has seen ‘every trick in the book.’

‘I’ve seen how they get you to spend money when you are on board,’ she said.

‘How they entice you to go to certain venues at certain times so everyone is spread out. It’s actually very very clever.’

From loyalty programs to all-inclusive packages, Lucy shared the six most common marketing ploys to get you spending more.

Seasoned cruise ship worker Lucy Southerton, 28 (pictured), revealed the six marketing traps novice passengers always fall victim to

From loyalty programes to all-inclusive packages, Lucy takes a look into the six most common marketing ploys

1. All-Inclusive 

Divulging that cruising is among the most expensive ways to holiday, Lucy claimed holidaymakers spend 50 per cent of what they initially pay for the cruise whilst setting sail.

She also dropped another bombshell, quipping how customers are often enticed into spending more before they even set foot on the ship.

‘One thing they try and do to get you to spend more money actually happens before you even step foot on board,’ she said.

Cruise liners will often ask customers if they would like to spend slightly more on their holiday by opting into an ‘all inclusive’ package, according to Lucy.

An all inclusive package could include things like WiFi, drinks, dining experiences and even a potential upgrade.

However – according to the cruise ship worker – these deals aren’t always worth the money.

Sometimes the WiFi won’t be up to par, or you may not get through that many drinks meaning you paid a great deal for very little.

‘If you work it out and you would drink eight to ten drinks a day and you think the drinks package would be worth getting – get it,’ she said.

‘But it is something that you really need to consider. This shouldn’t be an off the cuff decision when you are booking your cruise.

‘Because although they will tell you: “This will save you money”, it won’t always save you money.’

Buying all-inclusive packages, such as drink or WiFi deals can be a waste of money as you may spend more than you consume

2. Bidding For Upgrades

Similarly to all inclusive packages, this process – dubbed a ‘trick’ by Lucy – happens before you even set foot on the ship.

Upon booking your cruise you will be asked if you would like to bid for upgrades on your room.

According to Lucy, many people who bid for an upgrade eventually discover they paid more for the upgrade itself than if they had booked said room to begin with.

‘It is really easy to get caught up in the bidding process. It’s exciting you think you’re going to win,’ she said.

‘But it can obviously be a bit disheartening when you realise that you have paid a $100 more than you would have if you just booked that [the cabin] in the first place.’

Lucy recommends researching your desired rooms before bidding to find out it’s initial price, so that you have a spending threshold.

3) Excursions  

The most common onboard marketing ploy are the excursions according to Lucy, who said they are often ‘pushed’ onto customers

Moving on to spending traps customers fall for on board, the cruise ship worker was quick to point out the high-prices of excursions.

Explaining why cruise liners ‘push’ excursions, Lucy divulged that it was because they don’t want to spend with other companies.

She claims they also want to deter you from exploring at port on your own.

‘They will tell you stuff like: “It’s a little bit dangerous. You may not come back to the ship on time. It’s safer to do it with an excursion”,’ she said whilst also divulging this is somewhat true.

She added: ‘[However] there are only a few instances where I believe going on an excursion is worth the premium price.

‘Cruise lines are going to want to get as much money out of you as they possibly can so they are going to push this.’

Again encouraging viewers to their research, Lucy urged them to look into the locations they are going to and to plan ahead.

4) Changing Itineraries 

When you purchase your cruise, you sign a contract with the company – and according to the experienced cruise ship worker – the small print says the ship can change your itinerary spontaneously.

The cruise expert explained that a change of plans usually comes with a very good reason, such as bad weather and being unable to dock.

She recounted how many disappointing holidaymakers have often told her they were going to seek compensation because the ship deviated from its travel plans.

However, Lucy dropped the bombshell that regardless of if the ship doesn’t stop in the one location you were looking forward to – you are not entitled to any compensation.

‘The reason I feel this is a trick, they don’t spell it out for you is on the phone saying, “They can change the itinerary”.

‘It’s in the small print that a lot of people do not read,’ she said.

5) Free Items

Lucy also warned free charms and items being handed out on cruises often come with a catch.

The cruise ship expert, who was also previously a shopping ambassador, shared they would give hundreds of free items in the hopes of getting more traffic in their shop.

‘If they give out a hundred free [items] and one person purchases something, it makes giving out a bunch of free stuff worth it,’ the cruise expert said.

‘Especially if it’s the jewellery store and that one person purchases something for $10,000 – which happens.’

Adding that the marketing ploy wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, Lucy added: ‘Who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy.

‘But I just want you to know that the reason there is something for free or a free informational seminar is just because they want you to purchase something.’

She added: ‘There is nothing wrong with it, but just know we are not doing it out of the goodness of our hearts.’

6) Loyalty Programs  

The cruise ship worker revealed loyalty programs often discourage passengers for shopping for better experiences

The final ‘trap’ the cruise ship worker revealed to viewers was loyalty programs.

Divulging how every cruise company has one, Lucy shared that they are designed to keep you from shopping elsewhere.

Once you work your way up the scheme and start getting better perks, you will be less likely to look for packages with other companies, according to the content creator.

‘It stops cruiser trying new cruise lines,’ she continued: ‘adding that loyalty program in will make it more difficult to tear yourself away from that.’

Although Lucy wasn’t explicitly urging people not to join loyalty schemes, she urged her viewers to keep in mind that it was a marketing strategy.

Sometimes those on loyalty schemes can also miss out on the benefits as the responsibility is often placed on the consumer to know what they are entitled to.

She instructed potential cruisers to visit their loyalty manager onboard to be in the know of what they could get.

‘These little tricks aren’t bad., but they are just things to be aware of because the less money we spend per cruise the more we can afford to go on,’ she said.

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