I’m a cruise ship worker… here are six TRAPS first-time passengers always fall into
A seasoned cruise ship employee has revealed the six marketing pitfalls that passengers always fall victim to.
Lucy Southerton, 28, has just under a decade of experience on board cruise ships around the world.
Regularly shares her insider knowledge on her YouTube channel – Cruising as a crew – Lucy said she’s seen “every trick in the book.”
“I’ve seen how they get you to spend money when you’re on board,” she said.
‘How they tempt you to go to certain locations at certain times, so that everyone is spread out. It’s actually very clever.’
From loyalty programs to all-inclusive packages, Lucy shared the six most common marketing tricks to get you to spend more.
Seasoned cruise ship worker Lucy Southerton, 28 (pictured), revealed the six marketing pitfalls that first-time passengers always fall victim to
From loyalty programs to all-inclusive packages, Lucy takes a closer look at the six most common marketing tricks
1. All inclusive
Lucy revealed that cruising is one of the most expensive ways to holiday, claiming that holidaymakers spend 50 per cent of what they initially pay for the cruise while setting sail.
She also dropped another bombshell, joking about how customers are often lured into spending more before even setting foot on the ship.
“One thing they try to do to get you to spend more money actually happens before you even step foot on board,” she said.
According to Lucy, cruise liners will often ask customers if they want to spend a little more on their holiday by opting for an ‘all-inclusive’ package.
An all-inclusive package can include things like WiFi, drinks, dining experiences, and even a possible upgrade.
However, according to the cruise ship employee, these deals are not always worth the money.
Sometimes the WiFi isn’t up to par, or you might not get through that many drinks, meaning you paid a lot for very little.
“If you do the math and you drink eight to 10 drinks a day and you think the drink pack is worth buying, get it,” she said.
‘But it is something you have to think about carefully. This shouldn’t be an obvious decision when you book your cruise.
“Because even though they tell you, ‘This will save you money,’ it doesn’t always make you money.”
Buying all-inclusive packages, such as drinks or WiFi deals, can be a waste of money as you may end up spending more than you consume
2. Bidding on upgrades
As with all-inclusive packages, this process – which Lucy calls a “trick” – takes place before you even set foot on the ship.
When booking your cruise you will be asked if you would like to bid on room upgrades.
According to Lucy, many people who bid on an upgrade end up discovering that they paid more for the upgrade itself than if they had already booked the room.
“It’s very easy to get caught up in the bidding process. It’s exciting that you think you’re going to win,” she said.
‘But of course it can be a little disheartening when you realize you paid $100 more than if you had just booked [the cabin] in the first place.’
Lucy recommends researching the rooms you want before making an offer to find out the initial price so you have a spending threshold.
3) Excursions
The most common marketing ploy on board is the excursions according to Lucy, who says these are often ‘pushed’ to customers
When we moved on to the spending pitfalls customers fall into on board, the cruise ship employee was quick to point out the high prices of excursions.
Lucy explained why cruise ships ‘push’ excursions and revealed it was because they didn’t want to spend money with other companies.
She claims they also want to discourage you from exploring the harbor on your own.
“They’ll tell you things like, ‘It’s a bit dangerous. You might not get back to the ship in time. It’s safer to do it with an excursion,'” she said, also revealing that this is somewhat where is.
She added: ‘[However] there are only a few cases where I believe an excursion is worth the premium price.
“Cruise lines want to get as much money out of you as possible, so they’re going to push this.”
Lucy once again encouraged viewers to do their research, urging them to look at the locations they are going to and plan ahead.
4) Change itineraries
When you buy your cruise, you sign a contract with the company – and according to the experienced cruise ship employee – the fine print states that the ship can change your itinerary on the fly.
The cruise expert explained that a change of plans usually has a very good reason, such as bad weather and an inability to dock.
She recounted how many disappointing vacationers often told her they were going to seek compensation because the ship deviated from its travel plans.
However, Lucy advised that regardless of whether the ship does not stop at the one location you were looking forward to, you will not be entitled to any compensation.
‘The reason I think this is a trick, because they don’t spell it out for you, is because on the phone they say, “They can change the itinerary.”
“It’s in the fine print that a lot of people don’t read,” she said.
5) Free items
Lucy also warned that free amulets and items given out on cruises often come with a return.
The cruise ship expert, who was also previously a store ambassador, said they would be giving out hundreds of free items in the hope of attracting more visitors to their store.
‘If they give out a hundred for free [items] and one person buys something, it’s worth giving away a bunch of free stuff,” said the cruise expert.
“Especially if it’s the jewelry store and that one person buys something for $10,000, which happens.”
Lucy added that the marketing ploy wasn’t necessarily a bad thing: ‘Who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy.
“But I just want you to know that the reason there’s something free or a free information seminar is just because they want you to buy something.”
She added, “There’s nothing wrong with it, but just know we’re not doing it out of the goodness of our hearts.”
6) Loyalty programs
The cruise ship employee revealed that loyalty programs often discourage passengers from shopping for better experiences
The final “trap” that the cruise ship employee revealed to viewers was loyalty programs.
Lucy revealed how every cruise line has one and said they are designed to stop you shopping elsewhere.
Once you work your way up the schedule and start getting better benefits, you’ll be less likely to seek out packages from other companies, according to the content creator.
“It discourages cruisers from trying new cruise lines,” she continued. “Adding that loyalty program will make it harder to break away from that.”
While Lucy didn’t explicitly urge people not to join loyalty programs, she urged her viewers to keep in mind that it was a marketing strategy.
Sometimes those who follow a loyalty program 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 onboard loyalty manager to find out what they could get.
“These little tricks aren’t bad, they’re just things you have to keep in mind because the less money we spend per cruise, the more we can afford to go on,” she said.