Working at sea is not one job. The day looks very different depending on which ship you are on and which department you are in. This article gathers what we describe on our ship type and position pages in one place; for detail, follow the pages listed alongside.
There are three departments on board
Work on board falls into three departments: deck, engine, and hotel and catering.
- Deck: deck ratings handle deck maintenance, rope and anchor work and keep watch. Officers keep the navigational watch on the bridge. The master carries ultimate responsibility for the vessel, the crew and the cargo. Security also sits in this department.
- Engine: engine ratings operate, monitor and maintain the main engine and auxiliary systems. Electricians, fitters, welders and technicians are the specialist jobs of the same department.
- Hotel and catering: waiter, busser, bartender, cook, assistant cook, housekeeping, reception and cleaning attendant. Most of these positions are found on cruise and river vessels.
What a day looks like
Work on board runs on shifts, but what the shift is built around depends on the job. In restaurant service, shifts are built around meal times. Bar hours lean toward evening and night. Reception is shift work, including night shifts. In the galley the day starts early.
The engine room is hot, loud and confined; planned maintenance is done in the quiet hours of the voyage. Deck work is exposed to the weather; painting, rust treatment and rope maintenance make up the routine of a voyage, and during port manoeuvres the full team is on deck.
Six ship types, six different lives
- Cruise: crowded and orderly. Cabins are shared; the crew has its own mess and common areas. Port days are frequent, so shore leave is more available than on other ship types.
- Cargo: quiet and self-contained. You share the same space for a long time with a crew rarely exceeding twenty; cabins are usually single. Port calls are short.
- Tanker: disciplined. Safety procedures are the most strictly applied in the sector and drills are frequent. It is one of the most instructive environments in the profession.
- Ro-Ro: fast-paced and regular. Loading and discharging repeat often and port entries are frequent. On short routes you get home more often.
- Offshore: intense and technical. Weather-driven waiting periods alternate with heavy operational spells. Teams are small and specialised.
- River: different from the sea. The vessel runs close to shore, the view changes constantly, and phone and internet access is usually uninterrupted.
Which job on which ship
- Waiter, busser, bartender, housekeeping, reception and cleaning attendant: cruise and river vessels.
- Cook: all six ship types. On cargo vessels a single cook may feed the whole crew, while on a cruise ship there is a large brigade split into sections; these are very different jobs.
- Deck ratings and engine ratings: cargo, tanker, Ro-Ro and offshore.
- Electrician: cruise, cargo, tanker and offshore. Fitter: cargo, tanker and offshore. Welder: offshore and cargo vessels.
- Security: cruise and Ro-Ro. Technician: cruise and offshore.
Who each one suits
For people with a hotel, restaurant or tourism background, cruise is the most natural start; it is also the ship type most open to inexperienced candidates. Cargo vessels suit those who prefer quiet over crowds and want to go deeper technically. Tankers suit people who can work to procedure and hold their attention over long periods.
Ro-Ro is a realistic start for first-time seafarers and for those not ready for long voyages. Offshore is for technical trades such as welders, fitters and electricians, and for experienced deck and engine crew. River vessels suit those with a hotel and catering background and people not ready for the isolation of ocean voyages.
What you should know at the outset
- On cruise ships working hours are heavy and run seven days a week.
- On a cargo ship, if the route involves long ocean passages you may not see land for weeks; this is an isolated period.
- In guest-facing roles, dress and conduct rules are applied strictly.
- In entry positions such as busser and assistant cook the work is busy and physically demanding; in return you learn quickly.
Next step
You can read about the ship type and position that suit you in detail on the pages listed alongside. Documents and training are not the subject of this article; they are covered on the Required Documents and Training pages.