01-07-2025
Cruise ship worker reveals the hidden meaning behind wearing a black ring on board - and why you may be approached if you wear one
A former cruise ship employee has revealed the racy hidden meaning behind passengers wearing black rings onboard.
Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham, who worked on cruise ships for a decade, shared the eye-opening reason in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel in 2023.
In the clip, which has since amassed over 1 million views and hundreds of comments, she explained black and pineapple-themed jewellery are often worn to indicate one's status as a swinger.
This is not an official code used by cruise lines, but rather a discreet signal within the swinging community.
Lucy recalled how she discovered the hidden meaning while working at a spa on one liner.
She explained that when a couple had stripped down bare and settled down for a massage, a fellow crew member noticed the pair were wearing matching silver upside-down pineapple necklaces.
The former cruise shared she had complimented the couple on their 'cute' matching jewellery, and went on to curiously ask what the pineapple represented.
This prompted the couple to erupt into laughter, before responding: 'Look, we're swingers, this is how people can identify us as swingers.'
However, Lucy pointed out that a black ring does not always indicate the wearer is a swinger.
She explained that when it's worn on the right hand, it could be a simple fashion choice, and so warned cruise passengers from reading into it unless other 'clear signs' are present.
In the video, Lucy added that after getting into a conversation with the couple regarding secret terminology and hidden meanings, she quickly learnt of other quirky ways swingers advertise their status on cruise ships.
She said: 'There is a unicorn, which is basically a woman who wants to swing on her own - so wants to sleep with a couple. And then a rhino is a single man willing to swing.'
'A mermaid is a married woman willing to swing with a couple on her own, and then rainbow is pretty obvious that they're happy to swing with everyone and anyone.'
Lucy also noted that swingers commonly use phrases such as DDF, which means 'drug and disease free', as well as HMP, which stands for 'height, weight, proportional'. This helps to inform other swingers that they are not 'overweight.'
In the comments, one former cruise passenger hilariously recalled: 'I'll never forget the amount of attention I got in the buffet on my first ever cruise. I bought shorts that had loads of little pineapples in all different directions. I innocently thought they were just "nice and summery."'
Another joked: 'My partner bought me a nice black ring for Valentine's Day. Damn… I'll have to have a chat with her.'
It comes after a cruise ship passenger discovered why some holidaymakers attach pineapple signs to their room doors
It comes after a cruise ship passenger discovered why some holidaymakers attach pineapple signs to their room doors.
TikTok user Dominique from the US, who goes by @blogionistatravels on the platform, took to the platform after noticing the number of cabin doors adorned with the fruit symbols while onboard her first cruise trip.
At first, she was clueless about the meaning behind the 'cute' signs; however, TikTok users quickly enlightened her.
