In terms of working as a 1st or 2nd mate working to becoming a captain, would working on a cruise ship or chartered mega yacht be better? Salary wise, how do the two differ? And working hours/ time on/off? Thanks!
Are you an American? If so these questions are a bit of a foregone conclusion because Americans are rare in any corner of the passenger industry. If not, then I would say the progression on a cruise ship is about the same as any other merchant ship, somewhat slow, and on a yacht it would depend on the captain and/or owners. Career progression on a yacht is less formal than on a merchant ship. If you’re good at your job and the captain/owners like you then you can move up at their discretion. If you’re bad at your job and not well liked then you could get bumped back down to cabin boy, or fired. The passenger industry is a weird, weird place. Enter at your own risk!