Travel3 min(s) read
Published 10:45 13 Jul 2026 GMT
A cruise ship worker has opened up on the more intimate side of things onboard, warning passengers not to do one particular thing.
Cruises have risen in popularity as a vacation option in recent years, with companies also upping their game when it comes to the size of cruises and what they can provide onboard.
Once you look past seasickness and being isolated in the middle of the ocean temporarily, a cruise ship is just a big, five-star party with everything you could ever need onboard.
While spicy cruises have also become a getaway option in recent times, a regular cruise also has its fair share of steamy moments and unspoken rules when it comes to hooking up.
That is, if you believe what some of the workers on board say.
Lucy has worked in the cruise ship industry for a decade, so it's fair to say that she may know a thing or two about what it's like onboard.
She claims to know how to "maximize the enjoyment of a cruise vacation," and this can include being ready for any given scenario.
One of these is the potential to meet someone, as she explained in a 2022 video: "I think it's kind of well known that a lot of stuff goes on on cruise ships and it's all kind of incestuous in a weird way," as she compared it to a "small town."
"There's only a certain amount of people, so friends end up hooking up with friends, who then end up going with the other friend, and that's cruise ships ultimately," she admitted.
Aside from the inevitable crossovers that you may get as a single person on a cruise ship, it turns out that there is something that many passengers and workers worry about in particular.
Lucy explained that one of her friends was worried about catching an STI, but she explained how it all works.
"When you have your medical done to work on a cruise ship, I would say 80 percent of medicals test you for sexually transmitted infections and diseases, so actually, in that sense it's quite safe because the majority of people who work on a cruise ship have been tested for something, and if they have something then they will know about it," she added.
She then answered her friend's worries by explaining: "So I'm gonna say no in that sense, you don't need to come on here and be worried about catching something, it's like anything, you just use contraception to protect yourself."
But after years on cruise ships, she warned any potential lovers: "Just give it some time because having worked on ships for many years, I have seen some situations arise that you just wouldn't believe."
She advised people to abstain for their first two weeks onboard, because it's important to figure out what the dynamics are like with certain people.
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Lucy said that "especially if you're a girl," you will get messages from those onboard when you are new and joining the crew.
"You will have people message you because you're fresh meat, so you'll get a lot of attention and if you've never experienced that before," she admitted.
While she found it flattering at first, Lucy then revealed: "It happens to everyone, and the people trying with you are also trying with every new girl that comes on board most likely," as she further reiterated to "understand the dynamics" first.
