I'm a cruise ship worker...these are the FIVE things smart passengers always do onboard

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• Lucy Southerton, 28, has been working on cruise ships for nine years

A cruise ship worker has shared the five things that 'smart' passengers always do when they come aboard for their holiday.

Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, worked on cruise ships for nine years, and regularly shares advice for passengers and crew on her Cruising As Crew YouTube channel.

Now, she has shared how passengers can make the most of their voyage with her own expert tips.

From being prompt and ready to preparing for emergencies, read on below for the five top tips she had for cruise passengers.

Get there 'as early as possible'

Kicking off with the first piece of advice to get ahead of the game while travelling on a cruise, Lucy said people should always arrive early to avoid being stranded.

She said that, when it comes to booking flights, it is best to arrive at the destination of your cruise embarkation point 'as early as possible', suggesting an arrival time of up to two days before your scheduled departure.

While the cruise ship worker said that many people avoid doing to save on the added cost of a hotel, she pointed out that this cost is a lot cheaper overall than the cost of a potentially missed cruise would be.

Spend wisely

Moving on to her next tip, Lucy encouraged customers to spend wisely when it came to choosing which type of cruise operator they would like to travel with.

Lucy said there are four main types of cruise lines to book with. She said these were: 'Mass cruise lines, premium cruise lines, small cruise lines and ultra-luxury cruise lines'.

She said that, while it may be tempting to book the cheapest option to save a larger amount of money up front, you may have to pay for more extras when on board your cruise ship if you book with a budget-friendly operator.

The cruise worker highlighted the potential extra cost of items such as food, drink and entertainment packages for mass lines compared to higher-end voyages, urging customers to plan ahead in this regard.

Buy travel and medical insurance

Lucy's third piece of advice for how to be a smart passenger when going on a cruise concerned travel insurance.

She urged anyone looking to be savvy when booking a cruise to purchase travel and medical insurance as soon as they have paid for their holiday.

During her eight years working on cruise ships, Lucy says she has been upset by the number of passengers who do not have the requisite cover in the event of an unexpected emergency.

She warned it could cost 'thousands' to have a problem resolved or for passengers to be flown home.

She also said that seeing a doctor onboard a cruise shop can be expensive, advising passengers to take a First Aid kit with essentials such as 'painkillers, plasters and Sudocrem' to treat any minor illnesses or injuries yourself.

Choosing the right cabin

The cruiser worker's penultimate tip of five urged holidaymakers to choose the right cabin for their own specific needs and requirements.

Elaborating on this point, she suggested it would always be best to book a cabin surrounded by other cabins, as oppose to outlets available for the public.

Lucy remarked: 'You may run the risk of getting a noisy neighbour, but a noisy neighbour is not even going to come close to being under the gym, nightclub or under the pool deck'.

Pre-booking their holiday to save money

Her final piece of advice for how to be a smart passenger when boarding a cruise ship concerned pre-booking certain aspects of the cruise to save money.

Lucy suggested this could be done in practice by reading the cruise liner's magazine for offers such as drinks packages, dining experiences and shows.

She said: 'The reason you want to decide on these things before you get on board is because if you pre-book them, you will often get a discount'.

The veteran cruise worker also said that offerings such as excursions may quickly become fully booked, so you can avoid disappointment on missing out by planning any trips you would like to make well in advance.