[QUOTE=DeckApe;166681]Here’s another way of looking at it. I’ve been shipping for sixteen years. Eight years commercial union deep sea and eight years with MSC.
My first eight years commercial I had a lot of time off. The good ships were fine and the bad ships were ok. The most substantial thing I owned was a car. I didn’t have a retirement account or investments. I did meet a bunch of good people, all of whom I never saw or spoke to again. I lost my car to repo when the economy went bad and the jobs dried up. My employers were decent.
At the end of my eight years with MSC I have hardly any time off. The good ships were great, the bad ships were awful. I own two houses and rental property. I drive a nice truck. I have more saved for retirement then my parents ever did (which wasn’t hard to beat). I got my license paid for in full. I also met a bunch of good people who I still text and talk to and sometimes travel to visit in their home states. I have never seriously worried about loosing my job to a downturn in the economy. I frequently hate my employer.
That’s my story.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Jeffrox;166689]And there are little perks that sweeten the deal, like: buses and or vans whenever the ship is in port, (and they are in port a lot in interesting places), to drive you to and from the bars and shopping centers on an hourly schedule. Door to ship and ship to door travel payments. Mostly, day workers have a 6.5 hour work day, anything more is rewarded with OT, Specialty Pay or Penalty Pay. Loading cargo earns you cargo pay! Get less that an hour for a meal? That earns you Penalty Meal Hour pay. Staterooms a akin to studio apts. (if not you get extra pay) with 3 channels of TV at sea abroad and multi channel Direct TV stateside. There is internet desktops for use in the lounges and library’s. Free work clothes, free work gloves and free work boots with multiple brands and styles to choose from. Did I mention the free rides back and forth to the bars?
Chance 'em brah![/QUOTE]
I’m sold. I’m going MSC. Whatever it takes. Its too good to pass any of that up! Thanks for sharing your stories with us!