What are living conditions like onboard commercial sailing vessels?

Question

I'm curious to know what living conditions are like onboard the average commercial sailing vessel. I'm considering attending a Maritime academy and becoming licensed as a sailor/deck officer.

How are the living/sleeping quarters? What about showers and bathrooms?

Answer 1

I concur with john,..but he left out that all the men stink

Answer 2

Well if you go to an Academy you will graduate with a license and become an officer on board. You will have your own state room with double bed, your own head with shower, desk, maybe lazy boy or couch, and maybe TV (you can always bring one on board). Someone will make your bed and clean your head everyday. You get three meals a day and if you have a good steward and cook the meals will be great. Most ships have a large selection of movies, DVD, and books. Most ships have email to write home. Some of the coast wise ships I have been on have had direct TV in the rooms, which is pretty cool. All in all most companies make life on board ship very comfortable. I was even on one ship that had turned a long passageway into a bowling alley. By the way not sure where you are thinking of going, but California Maritime is an excellent Academy.

Answer 3

The living conditions all depend on the age and type of ship. I have been on container ships where they were awesome. All the heads are on the small side around 7ft x7ft and some even smaller then that. Usually all with have a bunk, desk, closet, and some drawers. Sometimes they have carpet, sometimes not. They can be the size of a small bedroom at home or as big as a living room. There is also a gym on most ships as well.

The steward's department is really what makes or breaks a trip. If you have a good one that enjoys the cooking for the crew and doing the little things its a blast. There is also a ship's library with a cpl of hundred or so books. Most rooms do have a TV or there is a lounge where you can watch movies or hangout and play cards.

The biggest thing about shipping thou is the places that you get to visit on the trips.

Answer 4

we have a great lakes ship  that comes in carrying barley ,grain ,corn,etc..                it is licensed in Canada..about the only thing i would like to be on there is the captain..           .but even there  i think he has a lot of work.         The living  quarters are seperated from  the machine shop part of the ship,good thing the  shop looks pretty bad               and from  what i seen  the living quarters are tight..however  i was  not onboard..In Janurary/December it is too cold to operate these ships in the  great lakes everything freezes..    .A car ferry also comes in...this  isn't  looking to  bad  for any  jobs..the people  working, look  satisfied..             but to retain  these  jobs with the  fuel ,economy situation ..it don't look good to me                                       I have also  been in Liverno,Italy when the Queen Mary Two  docked there...i seen it from  the beach in  Marina Di Pisa,Italy ,,the seaport of Pisa             That was one  Beatiful ship..  i could  not understand  how that thing  stayed upright in the water,it looked top heavy...So i asked  my son who was in the  Navy on the  Misslie Destroyer,,Leyette Gulf,i think it is  now  decommisined now ...he said  what you see on top there is a lot more down  below..He had to do inspections down there..aid it was a Long way down..Any way  the Queen Mary Two  would  be something to be on...We met two of the  passagers   from the Queen on a  city bus in Marina Di Pisa..They were on the wrong bus going the opposite ditrection..they were glad to get turned around..The husband of the two had a  Harley Davidson Gulf cart dealership in  California, for 25 years..He also  knew a lot about  Golfing.. So the  Cruise Line had  Hired  him  to give Three lectures on this cruise from  the Usa to Europe...All expenses paid,great rooms and  cruising.. Also seen the  Ocean Going ships  that ship in the  Meditteranuim sea,and out beyond ...they  were  HUGE...What kind of  Living conditions on a ship  depends on the company that owns it,what they ship..like a coal ship would  pay as well as an oil ship....they all have living quaters,showers,etc..how good it depends like there are diffrant levels of hotels