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I know there have been a few posts on this, and I thought I'd share my experience. I've been at sea little more then 10 years, o not long in the big scheme of things, but more then the average person stays. This is really my personal opinion, but might help other people.
HeavyLift Ships
I started out on Heavylift ships and sailed on trip as officer on them, actually some of the ships were multipurpose which meant they also carried general cargo or project cargo. The cargoes varied massively, whether it was loading yachts in Monaco, discharging pipes and umbilciles to pipe layers in west Africa or wind turbines in the Far East. The work could be pretty intense with loading in 6 or 7 ports in Northern Europe (including moving berths several times a day), followed by a wonderful few weeks on passage to the next port. I thoroughly enjoyed this work, it was interesting challenging and with 3 or 4 days in different ports worldwide you could get ashore in some interesting places off the beaten track. Sadly, I was replaced by colleagues from South East Asia and made redundant.
Cruise Ships
I worked for HAL and had a great balance or work hard, play hard. The hours with intensive watches, two standbys a day and various additional duties whether its planning a world voyage or climbing through AC rooms checking dampers, followed by hosting a dinner table, partying with steiners, dancers and casino staff before retiring for the night (or not...). The politics can be bad on some ships and you can sail with some absolutely egotistical wankers, but most people just want to do their job and get on. I enjoyed cruise ships a lot, learn't a lot from some very skilled people, got lots of hands on ship handling and had a great social life (met my wife). Sadly the contracts are long and the money is awful, even in senior ranks. Promotion isn't particularly quick.
Standby Vessels
What can I say? North Sea, Unionised Brits and Eastern Europeans who barely speak English and its totally boring. Slightly less boring when on close standby, but erm boring. A means to an end, most people have a reason they are there. I only did this as a temp job between work, I wouldn't rule out doing it again, but it would be well down on my list.
Super yachts
This is the hardest one, because yachts vary so much. The work is very competitive and cut throat, you have to be ready for people trying to screw you over and take your job at every turn on some yachts, although I've been on some great yachts with a great crew. Generally the larger yachts are mostly ex merchant guys, generally because over 3000gt they need unlimited tickets, and on Class 1 yachts some cruise ship experience might help get you through the PSSCs. Most yachts expect the officers including the chief officer to be on deck washing down, painting and varnishing or driving tenders, this is in addition to all of the normal ISM and normal duties as an Officer. The money can be great, the social life can be wonderful and with excellent budgets and generally well skilled Officers and Crew it can be a comfortable life. The negatives? You have to toe the line strictly, upset the Captain or Owner and its goodbye, if its a busy yacht your pockets will be full but your life will be non stop (very long hours), good leave is hard to come by as Deckies and jobs a competitive. It isn't a job where you finish duty or go home on leave without a phone call for one thing or another.
This is just my brief snippet, I've enjoyed all the ships I've worked on, and at the end of the day a ship is just a ship underneath.
Sorry if the spelling and grammar is poor, this is written on an iPad with a glass of wine in hand.
HeavyLift Ships
I started out on Heavylift ships and sailed on trip as officer on them, actually some of the ships were multipurpose which meant they also carried general cargo or project cargo. The cargoes varied massively, whether it was loading yachts in Monaco, discharging pipes and umbilciles to pipe layers in west Africa or wind turbines in the Far East. The work could be pretty intense with loading in 6 or 7 ports in Northern Europe (including moving berths several times a day), followed by a wonderful few weeks on passage to the next port. I thoroughly enjoyed this work, it was interesting challenging and with 3 or 4 days in different ports worldwide you could get ashore in some interesting places off the beaten track. Sadly, I was replaced by colleagues from South East Asia and made redundant.
Cruise Ships
I worked for HAL and had a great balance or work hard, play hard. The hours with intensive watches, two standbys a day and various additional duties whether its planning a world voyage or climbing through AC rooms checking dampers, followed by hosting a dinner table, partying with steiners, dancers and casino staff before retiring for the night (or not...). The politics can be bad on some ships and you can sail with some absolutely egotistical wankers, but most people just want to do their job and get on. I enjoyed cruise ships a lot, learn't a lot from some very skilled people, got lots of hands on ship handling and had a great social life (met my wife). Sadly the contracts are long and the money is awful, even in senior ranks. Promotion isn't particularly quick.
Standby Vessels
What can I say? North Sea, Unionised Brits and Eastern Europeans who barely speak English and its totally boring. Slightly less boring when on close standby, but erm boring. A means to an end, most people have a reason they are there. I only did this as a temp job between work, I wouldn't rule out doing it again, but it would be well down on my list.
Super yachts
This is the hardest one, because yachts vary so much. The work is very competitive and cut throat, you have to be ready for people trying to screw you over and take your job at every turn on some yachts, although I've been on some great yachts with a great crew. Generally the larger yachts are mostly ex merchant guys, generally because over 3000gt they need unlimited tickets, and on Class 1 yachts some cruise ship experience might help get you through the PSSCs. Most yachts expect the officers including the chief officer to be on deck washing down, painting and varnishing or driving tenders, this is in addition to all of the normal ISM and normal duties as an Officer. The money can be great, the social life can be wonderful and with excellent budgets and generally well skilled Officers and Crew it can be a comfortable life. The negatives? You have to toe the line strictly, upset the Captain or Owner and its goodbye, if its a busy yacht your pockets will be full but your life will be non stop (very long hours), good leave is hard to come by as Deckies and jobs a competitive. It isn't a job where you finish duty or go home on leave without a phone call for one thing or another.
This is just my brief snippet, I've enjoyed all the ships I've worked on, and at the end of the day a ship is just a ship underneath.
Sorry if the spelling and grammar is poor, this is written on an iPad with a glass of wine in hand.
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