Pros
Relaxed engine room atmosphere Short contracts 1-2 weeks Equal leave plus 4 extra weeks leave a year (only work 5 months a year)
Cons
Poor salary Monotonous work/ not much variety Aggressive disagreements/bullying are common Benefits are slowly being eroded e.g. junior engineers have received a £10000 pay cut in the last 5 years Travel isn't paid Food quality varies wildly depending on which ship you sail on HR, shoreside and accounting team are poor and often make mistakes such as forgetting to pay people. To progress to higher ranks you much attain the ticket above the rank you will be promoted to (until the company are desperate) e.g. to be a 3rd engineer you need a 2nds ticket Safety is a dirty word e.g. very poor/dangerous enclosed entry procedures High crew turn-around due to low pay and unwelcoming atmosphere.