Thank you so much for sharing a typical day in your four month contract, Alfie! I get so sleepy watching TV that without high doses of caffeine, I would never be able to stay awake during night watch, but I'm 62 now. Thank you for being a great seamen or a Merchant Marine.
Hi Alfie, I really enjoy your insights into the life on board, as an experienced cruiser I've always wondered what a day entails for the crew and bridge officers are like and what is behind those crew only doors, so thank you for the time you spend making the great videos and keep safe.
It's good to see you again. Thanks for posting. My husband was in the Navy and he told me about these kind of shifts. I didn't really grasp how it worked (though I think he was 4 on 4 off - not sure). Seeing you go through your day is an eye opener. It looks exhausting.
GREAT to see you Alfie! 🙂 👍 Thanks for the update. Good to see everyone having fun playing table tennis- a great stress reliever from the daily duties. Looking forward to future updates. Be well! 👍🙏
Yeah, but if those hours he gave at the start of the video are true, he works a 16 hour day and gets 8 hours to eat and sleep between shifts. That's a grueling schedule! That's how slaves were treated!
I've been fascinated with the life inside a ship since I learned all about the Titanic and her officers. I find it quite fascinating that not many things changed regarding the routine of your job since 1912. Of course you have different technology, you have to deal with bigger ships and you have more stuff to do in your little spare time. Nevertheless the core of your job hasn't changed much and that's incredible. So glad i found this channel, all the best from Italy.
please make a video about navigation and the instruments you use. how do you avoid bad weather to make the cruise more comfortable for the guests and crew.
As a retired Navy officer I was particularly interested in the bridge and navigation, but doubtless you can’t show much if that fir security reasons. Our days at sea were filled up with many more things related to maintenance, training if the crew, and there were times when we were only in three section watches so sleep was even harder to get, although I never had to resort to eye drops. I am VERY jealous of your accommodations, though. Space is at a premium in a warship, and we never had an espresso machine. Navy coffee is notoriously bad, LOL. At one time I had thought about taking the second mate’s test (having been both a navigator and in charge of the desk crew on a supply ship) but the employment situation in the US Merchant Marine was rock bottom. So instead I went to jump school and joined a Marine Corps airborne unit.
I am so insanely jealous of both your job and your lifestyle! I lost my career in Aviation due to losing my other half and becoming a single parent. Which I do love but honestly, what you do is my absolute dream! ⚓️🚢 Embrace every moment for those of us who will never get the opportunity! 🇬🇧
I have been a shift worker my whole life and understand how beat up you can feel over long periods of early, late work. I just passed my 40 year mark driving buses for Transit, Greyhound for 30 years and back to Transit after Greyhound died here in Canada. My wife and I hope to be able to get back to cruising in the next year. Appreciate your content. Be safe.
When I stood radio watches on USN ships, in port we stood 2 eight hour MID watches, 2 eight hour EVE watches and 2 eight hour DAY watches then 72 hours off. At sea, we stood Port and Starboard watches, 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
Hi Alfie! Hope you're enjoying your vacation. I noticed someone else mentioned Clear Eyes - that you shouldn't use it long term. My eye Dr said the same thing, and he told me to purchase Lumify by Bausch and Lomb. He said it doesn't have any side effects like the other (mainly dry eyes) and that it clears your eyes in 1 minute. Not sure if you can get it where you're located, but I'd give it a try if you can find it. Liked your video. I'd probably lay there not being able to fall asleep cause I think I'll sleep thru my alarm! Looking forward to more videos!
Thanks for sharing your day Alfie. Very cool to see how your routine goes, i am sure when you get home from contract you must sleep for days to get catch up. ✌🏻
I'd struggle not being able to take a little more time for myself. However, you make it look easy! Definitely seems to have its perks so all the power to you, cool job!
I worked on the Dawn Princess in 2002 and this looks identical!! It just freaked me out as I wasn't expecting to see my old gym (worked as fitness). Crazy how not much changes over two decades.
Good day sir! I've watched some of your videos and all I can say is that it's quite informative, especially for people like me who will someday get on the cruise as a deck cadet. I am hoping you could make a video about your experience as a deck cadet onboard a cruise ship. Safe travels!
After being a truck hazmat dispatcher for years at the office by 5 am and on call 24 hours….yes. I think I would do well. The hardest thing is the discipline to exercise. Very interesting! Thank you for the vlog.😊
Would love to know more about what is involved in Watch, and how it is changing or not with technology change - what is being automated and what can't be automated, what are your tools of trade and are they changing?
I work the same way as you do, as captain. But as it is on a domestic Norwegian ferry I do not stay on board for quite as long as you do :) Longest I have been on board I think is 8 weeks. However everything will be a routine after a while. So even though it will be minimal sleeping, the days goes and before you know it you will be going home! :) Nice films!
Great to watch your video Alfie, and thanks for creating it, and giving me a few moments to reminisce! 50+ years ago I, too, was a Second Officer, on the Empress of Canada (Canadian Pacific) and our roles haven’t changed much at all - apart from a few minor differences like computerised navigation and positioning systems versus the old sextant! We, as Navigating Officers, were rotated between ships of the Canadian Pacific fleet, so I spent much of my time on freighters and bulk carriers on worldwide voyages. I must admit that I preferred the non passenger ships - the ports varied, the runs more exciting, and the cargoes less demanding!(Lol!) My last voyages were at time when containerisation was changing the nature of voyaging, and I could see the demise of the BritishMerchant Navy in the 70’s, so I swallowed the anchor, emigrated to Canada, with no regrets…..but still fond memories of my years at sea from late teens to late 20’s. Keep filming! Thanks!
Allie, interesting how your 12-4 days differed from mine. Mine were actually backward to yours. I used to try to get into bed by 0430 and then sleep solid until 1130. Quick shower and a bite to eat and I was on watch until 1600. Then I did paperwork, dinner and read a book. No nap before watch, just another shower. I found the 0430-1130 sleep was sufficient for me and better in in one go rather than try to split. Later I absolutely hated 4-8, would always do the afternoon nap thing and often woke up at 3.30 never quite knowing if it was 0330 or 1530. Found that quite disturbing. 4 month thrips these days are a luxury, my longest single trip was 7m 26d 5h 15m ….. not that I was counting!
Wow dude your sleep pattern is as bad as mine 🤣great insight, these kind of videos always fascinate me, also dude you work on a boat, how cool is that?! ☝️☝️
There are 2 officer and 2 lookouts. We navigate or maintain a port/anchor watch so lots of things to monitor. Of course traffic situation being a high priority, especially in Asia. I’ve got a bridge tour coming up on the channel so you’ll get a better idea then.
Hi Alfie, I really enjoyed the episode and seeing behind the scenes such as the wardroom. I sailed both with P&O Princess and the RAN. With Princess we worked standing watches for the time we were onboard which I think allows your body clock to get into a routine. Navy often ran a routine whereby you stood rolling watches with the routine being changed by splitting the Dog watch (1600 - 2000) into two, two hour watches which meant you never got into a fixed routine however depending upon the number of watch keeping officers every fourth night you got a full nights sleep. Think I preferred the standing watch routine. Do you still have ancillary duties such as acting as a boat coxswain in boat ports, LSA maintenance and survey work? Cheers Ivan
Hi Ivan. Yeah it’s good to have a routine, and yes I have LSA inspections and various safety related duties, as well as administrative and passage planning duties. Though the majority of passage planning is done by the 1st Officer
welcome back last heard you were heading to manila for crew change time flys , things here in Sydney australia getting worse with lockdown , take care Alfie
Great video thanks ! .. But those hours are crazy. Surely things can be organised so everyone gets time to sleep. Working longer in one stretch or maybe 6 hours then two is surely safer than doing two 4 hour shifts without ever having enough time to sleep.
Aye, split shifts are a nightmare; I did them for a few years, never again, and I'm certainly glad that I wasn't responsible for anything like a cruise liner...
Thats heavy split shift over all those months 😮 ( i thought my night shift. Going onto day shift in my nursing job was tough many years ago ) Does take a getting use to . Wauw beautiful footage 😍
I got hired on by Norwegian Cruiseline and after all the paperwork training medical exam I will be assigned to Pride of America ship and I plan to work my way up the ladder
This split shift would not be for me! Why don’t they schedule regular 7 to 8 hour shifts around the clock? Glad to see you have a good coffee machine on board. I would be putting 2 of those espresso shots in my cappuccino if I had to work your schedule!
What do you do if one of the watch keepers gets ill? I’m not talking a serious illness but one that might require taking a medication like decongestants, or causes you to not be able to keep watch? Air crew would be grounded. Is something similar done for you guys? Or do the other watch keepers just have to cover for you?
Hi William. Other officers would cover the watch until the officer in question is fit for duty. Most commonly the Safety Officer, who is usually day work, will take a watch to avoid reducing the rest time of other watchkeepers
Just completed our 65th cruise and the officers have a good situation compared to crew but I have been told if they don’t stay on top of their responsibilities there is hell to pay. So officers are under a different kind of stress
wow, clear eyes is amazing. it clears your eyes, gets you dressed and showered all in a split second after using them. that would totally save time, I need to get some.
I thought cruise lines were accepting passengers again. Confusing considering that airplanes in the US are packed and rental cars are hard to find, that the cruise industry is still not back.
Great to see you again. How are the studies going? Do we get to call you First Officer Alfie yet? When you get another contract, do you have to go through all the quarantine procedures again when you join a new ship? Things are not that good right now in Australia, but my cruise on the Pacific Explorer on 20th December 2021 ex Melbourne is till listed as sailing as scheduled. Fingers crossed.
BLINKING(eyes) `ECK Alfie - how do you handle those crazy sleep pattens mate? I dont think I could do it. When will you be taking passengers on board again? Stay safe - KEV
@@SameShipDifferentDay Hopefully soon we have a cruise out of Miami August 21 symphony of the seas I’m hoping hurricane Grace don’t throw a monkey wrench into it
#SameShipDifferentDay when you walked outside in the video, it was totally jet black, dark out there, with lights in the distance. Are the decks not lit up at night? I was hoping, if I don't sleep during the night on our upcoming cruise to go out on deck and have a ciggie and relax. But if there's no big lights outside on the ship, I reckon I'll be too creeped out. I've been watching the series "cruise ship killers" and it's been creeping me out just the thought of being alone at night on the ship . Stupid tv hehe I felt 1000 per cent safe on board till I watched that show. That'll teach me hehe
Hi Debbie the open passenger areas are all lit up at night, however the bridge and forward decks have to be in darkness for navigation. Like driving a car
So you said you are four months on, so are you then normally two months off or some other period of time off? Also are you now underway or just manning the bridge while the ship stays in basically the same location?
Hello my friend. My name is Pedro. I will be working on board for the first time this year at MSC in the bar department. I would like to know how to become an officer, just like you? It is very difficult to find the correct instructions. Working as an officer I would have a better balance between time on land and on board. Much better than the bar department. Where you spend almost the whole year at sea. As an officer I could dedicate myself to the seas ;) Any help is welcome, sim og the seas !
What is the difference between carnival security that wears a black shirt and security that wears white shirts and has the stuff on the shoulder but a different design
Hello Sir Myself Pradeep Rathi from India I have 9 months experience as a Deck Cadet on a Tanker ship. I want to join Cruise ship. Can you please guide me how to join a Cruise ship as a Deck Cadet? Thank you
