Cruise worker shares what you should always take into a lifeboat
A cruise ship worker has shared the six essentials you should always take if you ever need to get into the lifeboat on a cruise.
Lucy Southerton, who has worked on cruise ships for nine years, regularly shares cruising advice on social media to help travellers get the most out of their voyage.
In her most recent video, Lucy shared invaluable advice on what items you should take on a lifeboat in the event of an emergency.
While many people would instinctively leave all their belongings behind in an emergency, Lucy said there are six things you should always take.
The first thing to bring in the event of an emergency is your documentation, such as a form of ID, such as a passport, driving licence or even a visa.
The second thing may surprise some people, as Southerton recommends always having lip balm in case of emergencies.
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.”
Thirdly, Lucy recommends you should always have sunscreen, as you never know how long you will be exposed to the elements for.
She said, “If you are sitting 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.”
Next up, the veteran cruise-ship worker said you should always take layers of clothes that you can easily take on and off in changing weather.
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.”
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.”
Finishing up the video, Lucy 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.
Image credits: Instagram / Shutterstock