Joining a ship for the first time can be hard,
especially if you've never really been away from home or
travelled that much before. What makes it especially
difficult is the fact it's not just a new job, it's a
whole new lifestyle.
You may find your working hours a lot longer and less
social than before. Then at the end of a hard day you
might have to share a cabin with someone you don't know
and possibly don't even like. You can't get away from
your colleagues like you can on land. You can't just go
home at five o'clock, put the kettle on and forget about
work. You may not be able to get off the ship for days at
a time. There might be more petty rules and regulations
than you've been used to, the food may be lousy, you feel
institutionalised and you' re missing your family or
partner back home. These are all things that newcomers
find difficult to handle.
Plus, it's easy to become burnt out, not only by the work
but also because experiences and emotions are heightened
by being permanently in transit. There's far less
stability at sea than onshore. People come and go. You
make friends and live with them for 24 hours a day for
several months, then they get off and you never see them
again. The same with relationships. Tearful farewells are
more commonplace at sea than on land. What could be more
dramatic or poignant than sailing out of port, while your
disembarked lover stands, suitcase in hand, on the
pierside?
Even ordinary activities like going to a bar or hiring a
jeep are much more exciting in a strange and foreign
country. You become more streetwise, more
self-sufficient. But so much depends on the individual.
Ship life tends to suit people who are independent and a
bit adventurous, but I would say to anyone with doubts,
'Try it'. Whether it will be the best time or the worst
time of your life - and it will probably be both - the
main thing is having the guts to walk up the gangway. |
