Frequently asked questions

Not for every position. In hotel and catering an entry-level start is often possible; deck and engine roles carry heavier certificate and experience requirements. We work out which position suits you during the first consultation.

Yes, there are positions suited to first-timers. Mandatory documents and STCW training are completed first, then the application is made.

The core three: a seaman's book, a medical certificate from an authorised centre, and the STCW training the position requires. On top of those, additional documents may be requested depending on the position, the flag and the owner. The required documents page lists them one by one; once we have seen what you hold, we tell you what is missing in writing, not by guesswork.

Most foreign-flag vessels expect English at a everyday communication level. If your level is not sufficient we tell you what level you need to reach and share training options.

Quoting a single duration would be wrong. Four things decide it: the state of your documents, whether the position is open, whether a visa is needed, and the owner's interview schedule. If your documents are complete, the timeline shortens. If someone tells you up front “you'll be on board in X days”, that sentence is pretending to know all four unknowns at once.

Two separate limits get confused: the legal minimum for the documents, and the range an owner asks for in a vacancy. Both change, which is why we publish no age figure on this site — nobody should give up because of a wrong number. Tell us your age and we will look together at which open vacancies fit.

The international floor is set by MLC 2006: at least 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period and at least 77 hours in any seven-day period. Rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which must be at least six hours. The real arrangement above that floor depends on the ship and the watch system; it is written in your contract and in the table of shipboard working arrangements posted on board.

It varies by ship type. Cruise contracts tend to be longer, cargo vessels shorter. The duration is stated in writing at the offer stage.

There is no one-sentence answer. Deferment, exemption and completed service each produce different outcomes in the passport and paperwork process. A general answer here would be misdirection; tell us your situation in the first consultation and we will work out which route is open by checking the official source together.

Yes. Women work on board, particularly on cruise ships and in the hotel and catering department; deck and engine roles are also possible with the relevant certificate of competency. The number of open positions varies markedly by ship type. We can look together at which vacancies fit in the first consultation.

The visa application belongs to you; document preparation and guidance come from us. We put in writing which document is expected from you and which from us.

Under shipboard working conditions this is generally not possible. Exceptions depend on the position and the owner; if there is one, we say so plainly during the consultation.