I spent years working on cruise ships. Here are the 8 things I used to wish all cruisers knew about the job.

Throughout my six years working on cruise ships — first in guest services, then in onboard entertainment — I came across many different types of guests.

Here are the things I wish more cruisers knew about crew members before boarding ships.

Responding to inconveniences with kindness instead of aggression will probably get you further

Things don't always go smoothly on cruises. Luggage gets left behind, itineraries change on the fly, and plumbing issues can sometimes soak the carpets.

On the other hand, some people reacted to mishaps with anger, raising their voices and demanding compensation for every detail that went wrong. Being rude, aggressive, and belligerent didn't get them very far on the ships where I worked.

Some crew members may not get a share of the tips, even if they work closely with guests

Some crew members had roles that weren't tip-eligible and didn't receive a portion of the pool, regardless of how hard they worked.

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Of course, the tipping structure varies between cruise lines. However, if a crew member has gone above and beyond, feel free to give them an extra cash tip. They'll almost always appreciate it.

At the end of a cruise, guests usually find comment cards in their rooms or at guest services. These cards give passengers the opportunity to praise crew members who did an exceptional job.

My supervisors didn't always get a chance to see how hard I worked, so acknowledgment from passengers helped prove I was doing a good job. These comment cards were particularly useful when I was working toward a promotion or a raise.

My coworkers came from around the world, representing dozens of different countries, and that's often the case on cruise ships.