Advice needed about avoiding shared rooms as far as possible (both on ship & shore)- can it be done?

[simonator]

Hi,

I've read all I can find on the forum, but I'm still a little unclear...

I'm now 33 (will turn 34 in my first year of cadetship if I start in Sept), and find the thought of sharing a bedroom with another cadet absolutely horrific!! I will also be expecting regular conjugal visits from my Mrs. ... which is clearly not practical if I'm bunking with some stinky teenager & his Playstation 5!!

I've seen posts stating 'everyone shares a room in phase 1'... yet some sponsors do not allocate accommodation for you; instead giving you a salary to fix your own.

I can see that halls in Warsash (as an example) are ?15 per week more per person per week... so presumably you can just opt to pay this if you are paying from your salary?

1.) My two primary choices of sponsor (at this moment) would be SSTG or Princess/Carnival... who as far as I can see arrange your (presumably shared room) accommodation for you... if this is the case, would I have the option to pay the additional ?15 per week from my meager salary to get myself my own room???

2.) Also, from what I'm reading, I get the impression that if I go on cruise ships, I'm more likely to get my own personal cabin than if I went on other vessels... is this correct?

3.) Even if I do manage to luck my way to sponsorship with a cruise company, am I correct in thinking I will still need to go off & do training on containers/oilers etc at some point in the training... and that here I will likely need to share as an officer cadet?

I feel I can cope with working everyday solidly for extended periods... but only if I have my own personal haven to retreat to in my down-time. If I am without ANY privacy for 3 months solid, I think I could start going whappy! It's something I could perhaps tolerate for a few short tours in the sea phase... but not something I'd want to do lots of!!

Cheers

[Laser]

Here at South Tyneside every one has there own room. But from what I've been told is that it used to be shared.
Also the rules here say that your not allowed any one that of the opposite sex past the security gate. But I've seen lads with partners pass many times.

[chris]

Simonator - On board ship as a cadet you're quite like to share a cabin on a cruise ship, less likely on other ship types.

You won't need to share a room up at South Tyneside College but you might not get a say in which college you attend so you should definitely be prepared to share.

Reading some of your posts as a mature cadet myself, I'm not getting a good feeling about how you'll adapt to being a cadet.

[simonator]

Also the rules here say that your not allowed any one that of the opposite sex past the security gate.

Wtf? Is it some sort of devoutly chaste religious institution? College with no copulation? o_O

To be honest, I could perfectly well live with that... it's far more to do with the everyday situation; just need my personal space if it's for as long a duration as this!

[chris]

Its quite different to halls at uni, thats for sure.

[simonator]

Simonator - On board ship as a cadet you're quite like to share a cabin on a cruise ship, less likely on other ship types.

Okay, thanks for this info.

You won't need to share a room up at South Tyneside College but you might not get a say in which college you attend so you should definitely be prepared to share.

... So it's not an option to pay the nominal extra rent yourself to upgrade to a room of your own?

Reading some of your posts as a mature cadet myself, I'm not getting a good feeling about how you'll adapt to being a cadet.

Really? If you are referring to my post last year about heights... I've since done a 'working at heights' course, and feel much more confident in that respect.



I want to totally dedicate myself to studies while doing the training, so just have a strong preference to have my own quiet study space! As said, I think I'll cope with sharing a cabin at sea for a few trips.

[CharlieDelta]

At Warsash, everyone shares in phase one. Or at least everyone should expect to. The odd person will get lucky and get a single room, but only one or two per phase at most and it's not done on request. Paying extra to secure a single room isn't an option until later phases. Single rooms are mainly reserved for phase five cadets and some international cadets. While some companies (SSTG) pay directly for accomodation and some (well, most of the rest) pay you a higher allowance/salary, living on-site is the only option in phase one, with very few exceptions (people who already live very close and with permission from their company).

From phase three onwards, with all companies, you can choose where to live. Warsash accomodation is limited, so phase three cadets will either live in Emily Davies (in Southampton city) in shared or single rooms, rent a room from a local landlord or get together and rent an entire house. In this case, the companies that give you an accomodation allowance (SSTG) will pay your rent and utility bills within reason.

Carnival/Princess send the vast majority of their deck cadets to Warsash. Only one fellow Carnival deckie who started at the same time as me went to Tyneside.

On cruise ships, you'll share a cabin 90% of the time. Sharing is also likely on ferries and offshore support vessels. Sharing is very unlikely on deep sea cargo; the worst you might expect is a shared bathroom.

From my experience, your cabin (at college and at sea) is for sleeping and little else. If I want to study, I go to the library (college) or bridge (ship). If I want to sit and have a drink, I go to the bar/wardroom. If I want to get away from everyone, I go for a walk/out on deck. Most people will share a cabin at some point and you'll find that most people are also respectful and will give you space. On ship, my cabinmate was on a different watch, so when I finished watch I had the cabin to myself for four hours.

Unfortunately, it's one of those things that comes with being a cadet. Give it three years and you'll have your own cabin.

[simonator]

Its quite different to halls at uni, thats for sure.

Would you please elaborate on this a little bit for me?... I thought this literally was halls at a Uni; at least Warsash appears to be a campus of Southampton Solent University.

[electrolytic_coffee]

Wtf? Is it some sort of devoutly chaste religious institution? College with no copulation? o_O

To be honest, I could perfectly well live with that... it's far more to do with the everyday situation; just need my personal space if it's for as long a duration as this!

IF (and thats a BIG IF) you end up at STC then you wont be allowed someone of the opposite sex in. Its something to to with them being liable for that person when they are on site.. Or something, no doubt someone will give you a more indepth answer than that if you wish. Regardless they wont allow it, and I was on pretty good terms with the management and guards there but they refused my GF to even accompany me to my room when she came up to visit me when I was staying in the halls there.

My gf is a cadet at Warsash and it was the same there, I couldnt stay with her because she was sharing a room and they wouldnt allow it anyhow even if she wasnt..

Cruise ships you will more than likely end up sharing unless you catch a time when your the only cadet onboard (which happend to me briefly) or if you end up with a female cadet(s) you will have separate cabins, at least thats how it worked for me on my first ship (cruiseship). My second ship (a lighthouse/buoy tender) I had my own cabin which was lovely.

I understand the desire for personal space, again like chris Im a mature(not as mature as chris though :P) Cadet. I will say when you get into the rythym of working etc and you will be busy you probably wont even notice your cabin mate all that much as youll be so tired lol....plus it does mean someone you can ask to go to the bar/ashore with ya if you ge the chance!

[simonator]

...

Thanks a lot for all that info! Much appreciated.

[simonator]

...

Cheers!

[chris]

I think the other two answered most of what you just asked me but

1. Halls at uni are generally a lot more relaxed, you don't have a sponsor who can be emailed about your behaviour, some uni students use drugs etc.

2. How you'll find the cadet ship - There was just something about how you came across in your posts (RFA thread and this one). Just my opinion though.

[unstad09]

2.) Also, from what I'm reading, I get the impression that if I go on cruise ships, I'm more likely to get my own personal cabin than if I went on other vessels... is this correct?

I would say you are most definitely more likely to get your own cabin on cargo ships. I have been on offshore support vessels and always had my own cabin and ensuite, however that would have been the case regardless for me - being the only girl on board.

[simonator]

At Warsash, everyone shares in phase one. Or at least everyone should expect to. The odd person will get lucky and get a single room, but only one or two per phase at most and it's not done on request. Paying extra to secure a single room isn't an option until later phases. Single rooms are mainly reserved for phase five cadets and some international cadets. While some companies (SSTG) pay directly for accomodation and some (well, most of the rest) pay you a higher allowance/salary, living on-site is the only option in phase one, with very few exceptions (people who already live very close and with permission from their company).

From phase three onwards, with all companies, you can choose where to live. Warsash accomodation is limited, so phase three cadets will either live in Emily Davies (in Southampton city) in shared or single rooms, rent a room from a local landlord or get together and rent an entire house. In this case, the companies that give you an accomodation allowance (SSTG) will pay your rent and utility bills within reason.

These are clearly moot points, but out of curiosity-

A.) Do you happen to know why they insist on you staying on campus in phase one?

B.) Is it just that the college has insufficient quantities of accommodation that you aren't allowed to pay the difference for a single room?

... I could more understand point A if it weren't for point B!!

[simonator]

1. Halls at uni are generally a lot more relaxed, you don't have a sponsor who can be emailed about your behaviour, some uni students use drugs etc.

Ta.

2. How you'll find the cadet ship - There was just something about how you came across in your posts (RFA thread and this one). Just my opinion though.

Ha ha! ;-)