Sirius_55_Polaris

All the time, but as I'm the guy that manoeuvres the ship, it's not as big a deal as if I were to, say, call up from the mess room and tell someone else to do it ;)

I love that I have been able to see the world and get paid for it. The money is good - tax free, which helps - but it would be better if I was working on oil tankers or certain offshore vessels. That means sacrificing the lifestyle, though, and I chose the lifestyle over a few extra numbers in the bank.

It can be extremely stressful in an emergency situation, but thankfully they are rare. Onboard you are a navigation officer, safety officer, firefighter, generally the person that everyone else looks to for answers when something goes wrong.

Nah man, the way to go is crew. There are plenty of singers, dancers, shop staff, etc. onboard. That is allowed. I even took one home!

I'd intended to join the Royal Navy, then was told by my friend's dad (who was in the merchant navy, aka merchant marines in the US), that it was better pay, more time off, and less dangerous. So that was me pretty much sold!

Well, we had a murder-suicide. That wasn't funny but it was definitely bizarre. A passenger also found his way to the aft mooring deck, drunk, and released the stern anchor while the ship was underway.

I believe it didn't end so well for him though - he got a jail sentence, a huge fine, and his wife subsequently found out that he wasn't on a 'business trip' but was actually on a cruise with his mistress.