Maersk deck cadets

[mikeodude]

Hey , would be great if anyone could share some info about Maersk....
are the cadets buddied up, as im guessing foreign crews for 4 months could be tough??
what is life like onboard a maersk vessel (facillities)
Is there a strong possibility cadets with Maersk will be offered a job?

Thankss

Mike

[Whitefall]

Can't really tell you how life as an cadet is with Maersk as they have me running a different course. But I didn't really have a problem with the foreign crew experience, everyone speaks english..more or less. As for life onboard I'm just going to refer to another post I made.

As for my last trip with Maersk on a g-class container ship, here be answers;

• Washing: shower conditions? hot water availability? frequency of (allowed) use? Toilitries needed/provided?

Showers are decent enough, standard issue shower head mounted in chest height, clingy curtains. Hot water not a problem, however thinking your last setting on heat is still the same can lead to some brutal experiences, both hot and cold. Shampoo, razors and other basic stuff was available through the slopchest. As previously mentioned, own supply are often better, at least if you have the sensitive skin and scalp.

• Toilets (a bit crude): but anything out of the ordinary like vacuum pumps? or hopefully not like in foreign hotels where you're not meant to flush paper down the drains i refuse to store it in the bins

Flushy bio toilets, body produced waste and ships tp only, NOTHING ELSE!

• Food: meal arrangements... snacks? Types of food, availability?

Breakfast 0730-0830, lunch 1130-1230 and dinner 1700-1800. Pretty basic, and everyone got the same, no different meals to choose from. This largely depends on the cook, provisions available and budget it seems. There was little available, if anything outside of ordinary mealtimes. Slopchest for snacks and general hunger.

• Drinks: both soft drinks and alcoholic, generally what have people found to be available.

Juice and milk available for breakfast, othervise water and coffee/tea. No alcoholic beverages at all, not even for christmas/newyears. Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer available for purchase with the cook.

• Laundry: how often? by whom? drying facilities? ironing clothes?

Ships laundry, when ever there is a free machine. You do your own clothes, steward does sheets and towels. No mixing of working clothes/boilersuits and ordinary clothes in the machines. Tumble dryer and drying room available, I have my own iron, but can also be borrowed from the steward.

• Smoking: Allowed? Where? When? How often? obviously tankers are a big no-no but what about in cabins or anywhere else

Own cabin, Suez room, engine workshop and bridge wings (only at sea). No smoking allowed on deck at any time, and you get to throw stevedores of the ship if you catch them smoking on deck.

• Working hours: Waking-up time? Starting work? Breaks? Finishing work? Sleeping time/sleeping patterns?

I was going the 3rd mate watch, so breakfast 0730-0800, watch 08-12, lunch and so 1200-1300 LSA/FFE 1300-1500+, sleepy/internet/movies 1500-2000, interrupted by dinner at 1730, then watch again 2000-0000. Sleep 0005-0753. In port I was doing deck watches by 6/6, so 0600-1200 and 1800-0000. You like sleep and feeling rested, many ports are not for you.

• Free time: What is there to do, TV? Gym? Internet? What do you do to pass time, cards? sports? board games? consoles?

Sleep! Or watch movies/read books from the library. No TV, so you can hit the gym instead. Limited internet from 1700-2100, as we had excessive usage. Otherwise socialize.

As long as you get your licence after you finish with the cadet stuff, and don't score to bad on your assessments on board, I would say the chances of employment are strong.