A schoolgirl from West Kirby has been chosen to help shape cruise ships for the future.

Seven-year-old Lily Beddow was chosen by Royal Caribbean to be a part of children's panel the 'Little Extraordinaires'.

The creation of the panel follows research from Dr Paul Redmond which revealed the powerful influence children have on shaping family holidays.

Generational expert Dr Redmond said: “For the travel industry, Generation Z is an incredibly important cohort.

"Not only do they exert a powerful influence on their Generation X parents – who are extremely tuned into their well-being and personal development – but they are a generation that care more for experiences than possessions.

"Moreover, as a generation which has grown up with more digital technology at their fingertips than NASA used to launch the Space Shuttle, they expect to see innovation embedded in the experiences around them."

Lily is the eldest daughter of globe-trotting bloggers 'Mini Travellers' and her family believe it was her 'creativity, imagination and cuteness' that made the Royal Caribbean choose her.

Other members of the panel include Maddy, the eldest daughter of parenting and lifestyle blogger 'Mummy, Daddy and Me', 11-year-old Ben from Southampton who spent three months building a Lego model of ship Independence of the seas, Luke the son of Irish travel blogger Sarah Slattery and twins Rayan and Ayaan who have seen half the world with their travel-mad mum Bijal.

The Little Extraordinaires will be sharing their feedback directly with the company’s president and chief executive Michael Bayley to create the most extraordinary ships of the future and allow parents to get their holiday right every time.

Associate vice president and managing director of UK and Ireland Ben Bouldin said: “The Little Extraordinaires will be given the chance to provide feedback directly to our most senior team.

"We truly value their comments and you never know where the next big idea will come from.”

The panel's first mission will be to road test Independence of the Seas following the ship’s multi-million pound makeover in May.