Cruise ship worker explains why you shouldn't sleep with someone for your first few weeks

Life on board a cruise ship is unique, to say the least, with you and hundreds more working around the clock to make sure guests are having the holiday of a lifetime.

Okay, so you won't be put up in rooms that cost £3,100 per night... But that's not to say it's bad either.

The food can be really surprising - but don't get people started on the cost and quality of Wi-Fi.

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It can be a really fun working experience, and the money can be very rewarding.

Naturally when working on a ship with hundreds of others, some times for months on end, you form close bonds with your colleagues.

Some might grow in to relationships. But one cruise worker has revealed three very important reasons why time is vital with this, with her urging cruise liner staff to give it time before sleeping with a colleague.

Lucy Southerton, from Birmingham, started working on cruise ships when she was 19.

She shares her journey in the industry on Instagram, YouTube, and her website cruisingascrew.com.

In one video, she speaks about three golden rules to follow if you do want to embark on a romantic venture while working in the cruise industry, and all three focus on not jumping in to bed too early on.

You're there to work and people will know if you're distracted

It's important to show those around you what your priorities are, Lucy says.

She explains: "On a cruise ship it's very difficult to separate personal and professional life and your priority when you first get on a cruise ship is your professional life. You want to be good at your job.

"You want to fully understand your job because - I've said it before and I will say it again - if you make a good first impression at work and your manager likes you, you're getting good comments, you turn up to work on time every day, you work really hard, you're one of the last to leave, the rest of your contract will be easy because your manager will just leave you to it.

@CruisingAsCrew / YouTube

"No one's going to be on your back and even if you are slacking off a little bit no one will assume you're slacking off because when they were making their mind up about you during your first few weeks on board you were the hardest working person there.

"However if in the first few weeks of being on board you turned up to work late once or twice, you weren't the hardest working person there, you're going to be known for that well because while your manager and your colleagues are making their mind up about you, it's just really important that you're on top of your game because then even if it's in their subconscious, they're going to remember everything.

"If you were late during your first few weeks you will be labeled as someone who is late in their mind. So if you're late some time in your second month on board they're going to come down really hard on you because this isn't the first time it's happened. And because of this your first few weeks to a month on board your only focus should be being fantastic at your job.

"And you're not able to be fantastic at your job when you are hungover from the night before or you're thinking about someone that you're crushing on so my point with this is before you start sleeping with someone and getting caught up in the drama - because nine times out of ten there is it's going to turn into drama - you have to know that you've made a great first impression at work."

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Baggage and knowing the full situation

A bit of fun to one person can be very, very different to another.

There's also the massive risk that you're getting in to something that's already multi-layered and the consequences could be pretty rubbish for you.

Lucy says: "You want to be judicious about sleeping with someone within your first few weeks on board because you're going to be working and living with the same people. You don't want to step on anyone's toes you don't want to upset the wrong person.

"On cruise ships, it's very much 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine'... so if you've already p****d off someone who has a big influence as to whether your time on board is easy or not, all I can say is it's not worth it. So it is important that you take the time to understand the dynamics between people, the relationships that are already there, who is off limits.

"Because the guy who is trying with you might be the guy that your manager has a huge crush on and if you end up going with that guy, your manager is going to hate you. You could be fantastic at your job but she's gonna hate you because you've got the guy she wanted.

"It ain't worth it and also I cannot tell you the amount of newbies that have come on started sleeping with someone, man or woman, and then a few weeks into it they found out that they're married and it's heartbreaking because you think you're just having an innocent little hookup.

"You know you've got a nice little dynamic / relationship going and because you didn't take the time to truly learn who they are before you got in the sack with them you've already got feelings.

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"But you've found out that they've also got a wife or a husband at home and unfortunately it happens all the time, so protect your own emotional well-being and at least learn about the person that you want to sleep with first.

"Do they have a wife at home, do they have a husband, do they have six kids at home, because trust me it's very likely that they do. So take the time to know who you're getting into bed with."

Don't be a bad roommate

Lots of cruise ship workers have to share rooms with a colleague and as such, having a positive relationship with them is absolutely vital.

Don't ruin it for a bit of fun, Lucy says, with this person being one of the people you'll interact with the most during your contract.

She explains: "You want to have a really good dynamic with your roommate. I have done so many videos on how to have a good dynamic with your roommate, how to make sure that you get on, that it goes smoothly, and because one of the number one questions I get is I'm worried about having a roommate, I'm worried about sharing a cabin blah blah blah.

"Going on a cruise ship is scary for your first contract it is but it is also scary being the person in the cabin and you know that you're going to get a new roommate.

"You both have the same concerns - are we goong to get on, are they going to be really annoying.

"I'm Lucy right and 'Gina' is joining the ship today. Okay I'm nervous, she's nervous, but she moves in we get on alright, it's okay.

"But three days in Gina starts bringing men back to the cabin and having sex with them without without talking to me.

"First it's disrespectful even if I actually really like Gina. She's a nice girl but if she starts staying out all night and bringing people back to the cabin without me even having a say in it I'm not going to like her and I am going to have a big problem with it.

"Specifically, do not have sex in your cabin when your roommate is there unless it has been agreed beforehand that that's okay. But absolutely under no circumstances can you do that and expect to have a good relationship with your roommate after."