Cruise ship worker explains vital question that you should always ask crew members

Cruise ship workers are the holy grail when it comes to the unknown tips and tricks to making your holiday at sea the best it possibly can be.

And one is back with another essential bit of advice that she says is essential to making sure your holiday isn't completely ruined.

Heading on to a cruise ship is the stuff of dreams for many across the world. Who can blame them when you look at the exciting contraptions being built on new $1.2 billion ships.

And when they have luxurious rooms that can cost you a whopping £3,100 a night, you know it's a rather special experience.

Staff on the ships have taken to social media over the years to offer their insider opinions on the trade, as well as reveal what it is really like to work on a floating metal box.

One cruise ship worker of a decade, Lucy Southerton, regularly offers insight into her 10 years on the open seas.

The 29-year-old Brit, from Birmingham, runs the cruisingascrew.com website and has her own Instagram and YouTube channels where thousands follower her for her content.

Nothing is off the cards, with Lucy having previously spoken about why some staff are left absolutely petrified about STIs.

Lucy Southerton (Instagram/cruisingascrew)

In her latest video, the Brummie explains the critical importance of obeying departure times - with what happens if you don't make it something you really want to avoid.

But there's a way to beat the system. And it's incredibly easy.

"Luckily this does not happen all the time but it definitely happens and when it does happen it is usually first time cruisers," Lucy says.

"They get off in port they go and explore by themselves which of course is part of the fun, it's absolutely fine. But what they don't allow for is the time to get back. So let's say you're off in the Bahamas. The Bahamas is known for having horrendous traffic.

"Exquisite beaches but horrendous traffic. So you make your way to one of the most beautiful beaches. You know you've got to be back at the ship at 4pm so you leave the beach at half past three thinking you've got plenty of time.

Cruise ships at port (Getty Stock Images)

"But you've actually got an hour's worth of traffic to get through so this obviously is going to stress you out to no end. I mean, I know it would stress me out especially if it's your first time cruise. Although saying that even if it was my 20th cruise I'd still be stressed out if I was going to miss the ship; it obviously makes things very difficult for the cruise line and it is just an all round mess.

"So when you're on a cruise it is very different to a hotel in that the hotel is going to stay stationary. It's not going to go any where.

"The cruise ship will so you absolutely have to make it a priority to get back to the ship on time. Ask crew members about what the traffic is like in this port if you are thinking about you know getting a taxi to a certain destination because missing the ship could really put a damper on your vacation."

Just last week one TikTok video went viral showing a couple stranded at a port after missing their departure time.

In those situations, if it up to you what you do next with any transport costs to catch up with the vessel your responsibility to finance.