Former cruise ship worker reveals hidden adult meaning if you see someone wearing a black ring on board

A former cruise shop employee has opened up about the significance of black rings which are worn by some people on board.

There's something about cruises which creates a uniquely permissive environment where the normal rules don't apply any more - and I'm not talking about being in international waters.

Buffets, flowing booze, and being a long way from society all create the perfect place for one particular lifestyle.

Lucy Southerton, 28, worked on ocean liners for some 10 years, and opened up about her encounters with people who are involved in this particular lifestyle on cruise ships.

In a YouTube video, Lucy revealed some of the ways that people use to send certain messages to each other when they're on cruise ships, and confided that years of working on a cruise ship means that she's seen a lot.

Sometimes a pineapple might just be a pineapple (Surasak Suwanmake/Getty)

If the penny hadn't dropped already, this is of course referring to the swinging community.

You might have heard of the pineapple code with swingers - if you have a pineapple on your cabin door or are wearing pineapple-themed jewellery then it's a signal to other swingers that you're open to getting to know one another better.

But pineapples are not the only code that swingers use to signal that they practice this lifestyle.

Wearing a black ring, or other black jewellery, is also a way to show that you're up for a good time as well.

Lucy recalled learning the meaning while working in a cruise spa and giving a couples' massage.

When she asked what the pineapple jewellery the pair were wearing represented, they burst out laughing and said: "Look, we're swingers. This is how people can identify us as swingers."

Lucy added: "One other that I've heard is there's a black ring on your right hand."

Swingers also have a lot of different terminology when it comes to types of swinger too.

"There is a unicorn, which is basically a woman who wants to swing on her own - so wants to sleep with a couple," Lucy explained. "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."

A black ring might also be seen as a signal, but some questioned it (Ekaterina Goncharova/Getty)

Taking to Reddit, some people pointed out that secret codes are not always the case.

One person wrote: "So the thing about the black ring on the right hand is that it isn't reliable. Honestly, no 'signal' about swingers is reliable unless it's a giant sign that says 'I/we are swingers and want to f**k, come talk to us about it and f**k!

"Anyone could wear a black ring on either hand. Anyone can wear a shirt with a pineapple on it, anyone can put flamingos on their lawn, anyone can wear an anklet... (all swinger 'signs' I've heard of)."

Interestingly, someone claiming to be a swinger said the code was not true.

They wrote: "I have a ceramic pineapple in my library and 4 pink flamingos in my backyard. Do I swing? Yep. Are they signals to the general community? Nope.

"The pineapple was an impulse purchase from HomeGoods and I think plastic lawn flamingos are tacky and hilarious. I love them. There's no deep meaning. You'll be hard pressed to find someone wearing a black ring that is trying to send you a message."