I'm a cruise ship worker... here are the SIX things you should take into a lifeboat that the cruise liners DON'T tell you about

A cruise ship worker has revealed the five things you should take into a lifeboat that cruise liners do not inform their passengers about. 

Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, has been working on cruise ships for nine years and regularly shares advice to passengers to help them get the most out of their voyage. 

In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed more than 69,000 subscribers, she shared some key advice that could come in very handily. 

She has advised passengers on the best items to bring on a lifeboat - all of which could prove crucial in the event of an emergency.

Read on below to check out Lucy's checklist of the most important items to have with you on a lifeboat. 

Lucy Southerton (pictured), 28, from Birmingham , has been working on cruise ships for nine years and regularly shares advice to passengers to help them get the most out of their voyage 

Lip balm 

Sharing her first tip, Ms Southerton said that to the surprise of many, lip balm is a must-have item. 

The cruise worker said: '[In a life-threatening situation] the body prioritises the distribution of water to essential organs such as the liver and the brain. 

'Because of this, the lips receive no water so they are going to dehydrate faster, meaning they could crack. If you are in a lifeboat for a long period of time, your lips are going to be one of the first things that suffer so you should protect them at all costs'. 

Documents

Moving on to the second item she recommended that you take on a lifeboat if possible, Lucy said that cruise ship passengers should always take some form of identification. 

She pointed out that having a form of ID, such as a passport, driving licence or even a visa can help rescue crews identify you in the event of an emergency. 

In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Cruising as Crew, where she has amassed more than 69,000 subscribers, Lucy (pictured) shared some key advice that could come in very handy in an emergency 

Sun cream 

Thirdly, the 28-year-old advised cruise-ship holidaymakers to carry sun cream on a life vessel, indicating that you never know how much or how long you may be exposed to the elements for. 

Lucy said: 'If you are sat directly under the hatch or where they take the roof off to let the breeze in, you're going to want a hat or sun cream to protect yourself from the beating sun'. 

'This is not as much of a priority as lip balm, but if you can get hold of some sun cream before entering a lifeboat then you should'. 

Layers

Next up, the veteran cruise-ship worker said you should always be advised by companies operating cruises to take warm clothing onboard because of how cold the weather can get once the sun goes down. 

However, she said that you should always look to take a number of different layers that can easily be put on or taken off depending on the time of day. 

Indeed, during the day, while you might not be thinking about keeping warm at night if the sun is hot and you are crammed into a lifeboat with a large number of passengers, having those extra layers for cold, windy nights could make a world of difference to how you cope in adverse conditions.  

Lucy (pictured) pointed out her six items to take on a lifeboat that cruise liners don't tell you about 

Medication

Lucy's penultimate item that passengers should always take on a lifeboat might seem obvious but she warned that it is essential for those who take medication on a regular basis to bring it with them. 

However, she added; 'What they don't tell you to take is stuff like paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, Sudocrem and ointments. 

'While you may not need these types of medication, somebody else on your lifeboat might - it's better to have it and not need it than the reverse scenario. Just shove them in your pocket just in case'. 

Water

Last but not least, Lucy said you should - as obvious and essential as it may seem - never forget to take water on board a lifeboat. 

She stressed that 'there is only so much water you can fit in a lifeboat, so the water is going to be rationed out'. 

Lucy continued: 'If you can take extra water on board with you, do it, even if it's just in the form of an extra water bottle. [Humans] cannot last long without water so make sure you grab some if you are able to'. 

Rounding up the video, she reassured passengers that 'getting into a lifeboat is the absolute last resort', adding that it is more likely that anyone on board the ship is taken to an assembly station while emergency services on board attempt to fix any issues that could arise.