A woman who has spent almost a decade working on cruise ships has issued a warning about sleeping with fellow staff members on board.
Lucy Southerton, from Birmingham, was 19 years old when she began her cruising career as a massage therapist.
Nine years on, she has shared her experiences on her YouTube channel Cruising As Crew, where she provides interesting insights into what really happens out at sea.
From the one mistake passengers always make on board to what not to do if you don’t want to be made fun of, Lucy has revealed various things you need to look out for, from a traveller point of view.
This time, however, she’s given a warning to those who are thinking about working on a cruise ship, and what is likely to happen if you sleep with a colleague.
“Sleeping with a colleague on a cruise ship is very different to sleeping with a colleague in a job on land,” she said in a video from last year.
Cruise worker Lucy has warned against sleeping with coworkers on board (YouTube/Cruising As Crew)
“Now the reason is if you’re working a job on land, of course everyone in the office likes the office gossip and is involved in everyone’s business.
“But you get to leave the office and go home to your friends and your family who are completely separate from those people that you work with.
“On a ship, you have obviously left your friends and family at home to work on a ship, which means that the people you work with are going to become your friends, your family and everything in between.
“So you’re going to be getting all of your needs met from this one group of people.
“They’re also going to be your professional team who you want to impress on a professional level if it’s a career and you want to progress.
“And what this means is there is no escape. There is no escape from the people you work with because you work every single day on a cruise ship contract, so you will see these people every single day and they will want to talk about the new relationship that’s sparking up between you and so and so.”
There are benefits, of course, to finding the love of your life at work, as Lucy adds: “And this is obviously amazing when everything is going well because it’s fun to tell your work colleagues, ‘Oh my God, we did this, we did this. It was so good. We had such a good time.’
“And it’s really fun to see your crush at work. It adds a little bit of excitement to the day like, ‘Oh my God, he’s over there’.”
Although she cautions that if ‘s**t hits the fan,’ you’ll be in ‘deep water’ (not literally).
“When the conversations you’re having with your team members are, ‘Yeah, I’m really upset, I’m really disappointed, or ‘I’ve really upset him or her,” she continued.
“And you can’t escape him or her. You have to see them every day for the next four months.
“That is when it gets a little bit sticky. And you know what? If we could control who we got feelings for, wouldn’t life be literally 20 times easier?”
Best to avoid, then…
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Black Friday is officially here and shoppers are scrambling to find the best bargains on the internet.
And we’ve found an absolute winner as Savage x Fenty is offering a whopping 65 per cent off… if you time your purchase right.
The bestselling brand from Rihanna, which stocks men’s and women’s underwear, has officially launched its Black Friday sitewide sale and it’s chock-filled with everything from stocking stuffers from activewear.
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Christmas has come early thanks to Savage x Fenty’s Cyber Week sale (Savage x Fenty)
If you really want to hack the system, make sure you log on to the Cyber Week sale when the discount is at its highest; that way you can make the biggest savings.
The discounts are:
• Nov 26th-27th: 60% Off
• Nov 28th-Dec 3rd: 65% Off
• Dec 4th-19th: 50% Off
• Dec 20th-31st: up to 60% Off
To tempt you further, we’ve highlighted nine of the best on-site deals to suit every body and any taste – from edgy lingerie sets to comfortable briefs, satin sleep shirts and more.
Peak Performance High-Waist X Mesh Leggings
Savage x Fenty
Whether you’re lifting weights or nipping out to run errands, you can do it all and more in the Savage x Fenty Peak Performance High-Waist Mesh Leggings.
Not only are these full-length leggings fully lined with French-cut front and back knicker panels, but they feature flat-lock stitching and have been hailed as a ‘smash hit’ by fans.
Instead of the regular £52 Member Price, you can snag the Peak Performance leggings for just £15 in the Cyber Week sale.
Satin Foulard Sleep Shirt
Savage x Fenty
Snooze in style with the Satin Foulard Sleep Shirt this festive season.
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Why not make like the model and pair yours with the Satin Foulard Sleep bottoms?
Savage X Flocked Monogram Brief
Savage x Fenty
Sexy, breathable and cheeky—need we say more about the Savage X Flocked Monogram Brief?
Thanks to the Savage x Fenty Cyber Week sale, these briefs are now just £3 instead of the regular £12 member price.
Features included a flocked mesh body, a jersey-lined front contour pouch and an elasticated waistband.
It’s recommended you wash these bad boys inside out on a cold, gentle wash with like colours. We don’t want them to get damaged now, do we?
Curve Alert Jumpsuit
Savage x Fenty
Savage x Fenty’s ethos is always to stay true to you – and with the £15 Curve Alert Jumpsuit you can look as good on the outside as you do on the inside.
An excellent addition to any loungewear closet, this all-in-one features a comfy, built-in shelf bra, a sexy keyhole cutout at the lower back and flattering crisscross back straps.
Usually, this jumpsuit is priced at £72 for members – meaning this is one of the best steals online thus far. Get it while it’s hot for the love of your life… or just yourself.
Tagged by Savage Logo Stockings
Savage x Fenty
Remember those jaw-dropping stocking fillers we talked about earlier? Well, the Tagged by Savage Logo Stockings fits that description perfectly!
These romantic red sheer stockings (£3) reach thigh height and feature classic ‘Savage X Fenty’ text on the back.
Why not wear yours with the matching Tagged by Savage Quarter Cup bra, the Crotchless Bikini briefs and a pair of strappy sandals to curate the ultimate power move?
So Speed Racer Boxer Briefs
Savage x Fenty
You just cannot go wrong with the classics—and what better excuse to revamp your underwear draw than the Black Friday sale?
If you want comfort and understated style, then let us introduce you to the So Speed Racer Boxer Briefs.
Like everything else on this list, these pants are included in the sitewide sale and are usually priced at 20 quid for non-members.
The So Speed Racer Boxer Briefs (£3) are available in sizes XS to 4XL but you better be fast because these are selling like hotcakes!
Cotton Essentials Lace-Trim Bralette
Savage x Fenty
Trust us: basics don’t have to be boring.
Comfort is key when it comes to exuding confidence and that’s exactly why the Cotton Essentials Lace-Trim Bralette and matching pants from Savage x Fenty are the ultimate investment.
The unlined bralette features a two-layer front for greater support and stunning scalloped logo lace trim.
Excellent for both down days at home and getting sh*t done in the lead-up to the festive season – what’s not to love for £7.70?
Ringmaster Long-Sleeve Sleep Top
Savage x Fenty
The festive season is all about giving, right? So why don’t you give yourself the gift of looking fierce in the Ringmaster Long-Sleeve Sleep Top.
For Cyber Week, this flocked, slim-fit silhouette is priced at just £3 instead of the regular member price of £44.
But be fast – because this discount won’t last forever!
Build the ultimate loungewear set by pairing your long-sleeve sleep top with the Heat Wave Satin Boxers or the Ringmaster Mesh Boxer Briefs.
If you’re looking to muscle in on Savage x Fenty’s stunning Cyber Sale discounts then you’ll be pleased to know the sale is already live online.
When is the Savage x Fenty Cyber Sale taking place?
The real deal is taking place between November 28 and December 3, where a whopping 65 percent price slash will be in play.
If you miss the Cyber Sale then don’t worry because some festive discounts also come into play from December 4.
Between December 4 and December 19, Savage x Fenty is delivering 50 percent off items.
On December 20, you can get up to 60 percent off. This latter promotion is set to run until New Year’s Eve (December 31).
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/ Savage x Fenty
Topics: Shopping, Black Friday, Fashion
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The infamous cruise ship which spent months stuck in Belfast before it could go out and begin a voyage around the world soon ran into another problem which caused an almighty stink.
This is the Villa Vie Residences cruise ship Odyssey, which had been scheduled to leave port in Belfast on 30 May, but had issues with the rudders and gearbox – meaning it couldn’t set sail until 30 September.
Even then, it had to turn around and return to Belfast once more, because some of the proper paperwork was missing.
Finally, it managed to get underway properly after several months of delays.
But any passengers wondering if, perchance, the Odyssey could now take them on a the round-the-world trip without further issue ended up being somewhat disappointed as a new issue hit the ship.
Fortunately, this one didn’t mean they had to turn around once again and go back to Belfast, but they did end up wishing they could deprive themselves of a sense of smell for a bit.
They’re supposed to be sailing around the world, but the Odyssey has been beset by a plethora of problems. (Villa Vie Residences)
Writing on Substack on 14 October, Odyssey resident (which he says is the correct terminology) Joe Rhodes dubbed the vessel the ‘SS Clusterf**k’ as he said that after a ‘joyful departure’, much had not gone to plan on board the vessel.
He said the swimming pools don’t work, ‘the beer sucks’, and the hot water stopped working pretty early on.
However, the real water problems came when the ship had made it to the French port of Brest and overnight, all of the water on board the ship was switched off.
Rhodes explained that because of this timing, most of the folks on board were unaware that they were without running water, meaning that they were in for a shock went they had their morning bowel movement and discovered the flush didn’t work.
As Rhodes poetically put it, residents ‘awakened to the faint smell of s**t marinating in a hundred unflushed bowls’.
Charming.
They have finally managed to get underway on their global voyage. (PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)
Fortunately, they were able to fix that problem pretty quickly, and the smell of faeces has somewhat dissipated.
Villa Vie’s CEO Mike Petterson told The Independent in a statement that: “We transferred water to the rear overnight where we had to turn off water temporarily.
“This affected all water including toilets. This lasted ‘til the morning hours where residents did not have water when they woke up in the morning.
“Water was back on in the morning and has since been operational. Residents have been able to enjoy every port since.”
He also said that the ship’s ‘forward water tanks were full’ due to being stuck in Belfast for so long, and that the ship’s swimming pools ‘needed complete replacement’, which could mean they wouldn’t be up and running until the cruise ship arrived in the Caribbean.
LADbible has contacted Villa Vie Residences for further comment.
According to a cruise ship passenger, there is one word you should never say whilst at sea.
Cruising can be one of the most luxurious ways to travel, of course, that’s providing you don’t get sea sick easily.
Like any holiday resort, there’s rules that guests have to abide by, but one man was shocked when he heard the extent to which the rules go.
Marc Sebastian is on Royal Caribbean’s nine-month cruise, though he is only onboard for the South America-Antarctica leg.
He has been documenting his journey on his TikTok page, and it turns out that the rules go way past lights out by 10pm and keep the noise down a bit.
Viewers have been baffled by the crazy niches of the cruise, such as an iron being $8 to use.
Marc Sebastian is currently on Royal Caribbean’s nine-month cruise. (Tiktok/MarcSebastianf)
But the biggest no-go of all, is one that Marc unfortunately learnt the hard way.
Apparently, one thing you should never talk about whilst out at sea on a cruise is the Titanic.
Now, whilst it doesn’t take a scientist to work out why this might be, it’s a strange unwritten rule to have.
In the clip, he said: “Who knew that? I didn’t.
“I brought up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic.”
And the sheer mention of the ship apparently had people’s jaws dropping.
“When I tell you that, utensils dropped okay. Waiters gasped dead silent.” he said.
It wasn’t until his friend leant across the table and dropped the hint.
He mentioned that the ship didn’t come ‘with a f***ing handbook’, and whilst that’s fair enough, we can see why it might make people feel uneasy.
But people in the comments said their fascination would be too strong to not talk about it whilst onboard the ship.
One said: “I’m sorry if I’m going on a boat, I’m talking about Titanic and OceanGate.”
“Who knew that?” (Tiktok/MarcSebastianf)
Another said: “Not being able to talk about the Titanic would definitely ruin the experience for me.”
A third added: “Is the titanic thing for cruises the same as like macbeth for theatre?”
And if you thought the quirks of the ship couldn’t get any weirder, well, you were wrong.
Further in the video, he revealed that ships tend to have ‘godmothers’ – the particular one he was on being Whoopi Goldberg…which is kind of iconic.
There was even a framed picture of the actress.
According to Cruise Critic, a ship’s godmother is said to ‘bring good luck and protection to the vessel’.
While the number of people who go overboard on cruise ships is very low, it’s still higher than the ideal figure of zero.
Of the millions of people who pay to hop aboard a cruise ship, the number of those who fall overboard is about one or two a month.
Between 2009 and 2019, a total of 212 cruise ship passengers were listed as going overboard, and sadly the survival rate is not great.
Of those 212 people who went into the water only 48 survived, so one of the more common things which happens when someone falls overboard on a cruise ship is that they sadly die.
A report from the Cruise Lines International Association about people falling overboard between 2009 and 2019 found that passengers had a 0.00004 percent chance of falling from the ship.
While it’s unlikely to happen, the crew of ships are well drilled for such an emergency and have certain procedures in place.
Crews train for people going overboard, but survival rates are low. (Getty Stock Photo)
Man Overboard!
The cry of ‘man overboard’ is actually gender neutral, and is a universally recognised maritime call.
Whomever sees a person falling overboard should be using that as their shout to try and alert crew members to what’s just happened, as time is of the essence.
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It’s difficult for a ship to stop in time, and getting back to the stricken passenger is difficult. (Getty Stock Photo)
Code Oscar
If you hear this phrase over the ship’s announcement system, then it means someone has gone overboard.
You might hear ‘Code Oscar’, the word ‘Oscar’ repeated or hear the crew members talking about ‘Mr Mob’, which is code for ‘man overboard’.
At this point it’s best to get out of the way and let them handle things as the tannoy announcement means it’ll be public knowledge.
If you hear the word ‘Oscar’ over the ship’s announcement it means someone is overboard. (Getty Stock Photo)
Log the location
The seas are vast and often lack distinctive features, while a cruise ship itself can hardly slam the brakes on and end up pretty much where it was.
Stopping a ship or turning it back to where it was takes a lot of time, so instead it’s vital for the crew to log the location they were in when they were alerted that someone had gone overboard.
This will help the search and rescue efforts have a starting point.
Once the crew know someone is overboard they’ll log the location. (Getty Stock Photo)
Begin the search
From there the ship will turn around and return to the spot it just marked as it’s going to be the closest vessel which can respond.
The cruise ship will notify other vessels in the area, which will be required to come and help in the search.
Meanwhile, the ship’s crew will put their training to work and scour the sea for signs of someone going overboard.
The ship will have smaller craft which can be deployed to get over to somebody in the water, and search efforts can last several hours.
Sadly, given the low survival rates involved with people going overboard these rescue efforts are not always successful at locating whomever fell from the ship.
Rescue attempts will be launched, which the crew will have trained for. (Getty Stock Photo)
Support the family
Many people who fall overboard on a cruise ship have got loved ones with them, and counselling will be made available to them.
They will usually be given the chance to leave the cruise at the next available port and can be helped to return home.
