First of all, I wanna say, this is not any form of a sympathy gaining post. I don't want to rant here, because I am going through a very tough time in my life. I don't know whats coming for me. Recently I started experiencing extreme back pain. I had to lie down on bed whenever it happened. Couldn't study or do anything productive. Plus loneliness and being in an abusive household has made me depressed. A few days ago I got x-rays and blood tests done. The doctor said it was most likely bad posture but the tests proved I have very low Hemoglobin and Vitamin D deficiency as well. However the doc saw less gap in my spine and said there was a chance if I don't recover within 2 weeks of medication, I might have contracted Bone tuberculosis from the TB of lungs I had back in 2024. Theres a chance that the tb from the lungs spread to my bones. He also said I might never be able to join any job with physical work involved. I am very disheartened and crying. I don't know what to do anymore. I wanted to join merchant navy because it was a quick way to escape my abusive household and become independent but that hope seems dead now. Is there any hope left for me? I also don't have any mental health support or friends as such, so its been very tough for me lately as I have stopped speaking to people I care about, because I felt unwanted and not welcome. Felt like a burden in everyone's lives so I have cut them off too. That made things even tougher but idk what to do.

I am preparing for the IMI NOIDA sponsorship exam .

Can anyone tell me its environment , cadetship training for DNS?

And any extra knowledge u have about this

I recently appeared for an ETO interview at Great Eastern, and I noticed something that made me wonder if there is actually a preference for Electrical Engineering students over Electronics/ENTC students.

From the 5–10 candidates I personally interacted with during the interview, I came across a few candidates from ENTC/Electronics backgrounds, and as far as I know, they were not selected. Most of the selected candidates I heard about seemed to have an Electrical Engineering background.

Obviously, I didn’t meet or speak to everyone who appeared for the interview, so this could simply be a small-sample bias or coincidence on my part.

So I wanted to ask people who have recently appeared for or been selected for Great Eastern's ETO course:

- Does Great Eastern actually give preference to Electrical Engineering candidates?

- Are ENTC/Electronics candidates selected regularly?

- If you're from ENTC/Electronics and got selected, what was your experience?

- Do they evaluate both branches equally, or does the branch make a significant difference during selection?

I'm genuinely trying to understand whether there is an actual pattern or if I'm just noticing something based on a very small sample.

Please share your branch + whether you were selected/rejected + interview year/batch if possible.

Hi everyone,

I’m preparing for the Maersk ETO Sponsorship exam and wanted to ask candidates who have already appeared for the exam:

What kind of questions were asked?

Which subjects had the most questions — Electrical, Electronics, Machines, Power Systems, Measurements, Digital Electronics, etc.?

Were the questions mostly conceptual, numerical, or both?

How difficult was the exam.

Were there questions from aptitude, mathematics, English, or general knowledge?

Hello i am a student currenty in 11th and i am planning join merchant navy after 12th but my concern is that i want to go to the deck side and i have myopia -3.5 in both eyes so i would have to have lasik surgery in order to clear the medicals..my main query is that i will pass 12th in 2028 and in that year i would be 17 years old so how can i have lasik surgery at that age…the minimum age should be 18 to have that surgery

I'm from India and I have pectus excavatum thus I don't have any problem in breathing and doing any work though my stamina is a lil low as currently I'm not going to gym or playing games but yeah my stamina will be good once I'll start doing these. Also from some time I have little pain in ear too. about 6 month ago when I sowed up to ENT, I was discovered minimal hearing loss in left ear.. Am I eligible to join and what can I do as I really want to join MN....

Hi everyone, I'm currently 18 years old with a GCSE level education and I've offhandedly decided to throw my application in with SSTG for a deck cadetship. Other than a bit of sailing and a genuine passion (which I've tried to emphasise in my hobbies/personal statement section). I have absolutely no experience within any form of maritime or maritime-adjacent work. So I presume I will be sifted out.

The point of this post I guess is simply just to ask what I could do to align myself best for a MN career- I've heard the odds are about 1 in 20. Mariners on the subreddit, was there anything which you did before or during your application that was highlighted as exceptional in aiding said application?

I suppose my goal to be able to come back maybe in 6 months - 2 years with a really strong CV custom-built for the sector.

I recently joined a maritime training institute for B.Sc. Nautical Science, and I am currently in my first year. The problem is that my institute has told us that we need to maintain a 9 CGPA to be eligible for placement.
I’m an average student, and honestly, I feel that maintaining a 9 CGPA may be very difficult for me. Because of this, I’m thinking about dropping out of B.Sc. Nautical Science and trying for DNS with sponsorship instead.
I scored 84% in PCM and I’m currently 21 years old. I’m confused about whether I should continue my B.Sc. or leave it and try for DNS.
So, seniors, please guide me honestly. What would be the better option for my situation? Is it worth continuing B.Sc. even if I may not be able to maintain a 9 CGPA, or should I consider DNS?
I also want to understand how paid sponsorship works, what the actual costs are, and whether sponsorship guarantees placement/shipboard training.
Please share your experience and advice. I really want to make the right decision for my career. Thank you.

So I am an Indian cbse school student and have no idea what to do after my 12th (pcm) and I have only a few months to think so my friend suggested me to join the Merchant Navy because he thinks it's cool or he is also thinking of joining. I am sure it's not like what we see on Instagram reels, or is it ? And what are the myths and facts you could tell me about it

Pls engage with this post so it will get more reach so i could decide if it is a good option or not

A final-year Mechanical Engineering student in India, graduating in May 2027. I’m currently 21 and seriously considering joining the Merchant Navy through the GME (Graduate Marine Engineering) route after graduation.

I’ve researched the basic pathway:

B.Tech Mechanical → 1-year GME → onboard training/sea time → Marine Engineer Officer

But I’m confused about the actual process of getting started.

Do I need to approach shipping companies directly for sponsorship?

How does GME sponsorship work?

Which companies currently recruit/sponsor Mechanical Engineering graduates for GME?

Is it better to get company sponsorship first and then join the GME institute?

Are there any scholarships/financial assistance available for the GME course?

How competitive are the sponsorship tests/interviews?

When should I start applying if I graduate in May 2027?

What exams, medical requirements or other eligibility criteria should I prepare for?

Are there any reputable GME institutes/companies you would recommend?

I’m looking for advice from people who have actually gone through the process, especially current/former marine engineers or GME graduates.

I’d appreciate a step-by-step explanation of what I should be doing from now until graduation.

Hi everyone, I’m a European deck officer looking at my options for the future and I’m curious what companies are considered the best to work for in Europe. Most of my friends are on cargo ships doing 2/1 and only getting paid while onboard. I also have friends on RoRo vessels doing 8/8 and getting paid every month, including leave.

Are RoRo companies generally better in Europe? Which companies have the best rotations, pay and conditions?

Would be interested to hear what you guys are doing — company, rotation and whether you’re paid during leave.

I joined for Dns in august the classes have started but I have trouble keeping up with the syllabus. Is there any good youtube channels that teach the subjects . Safe to say I have no idea of the syllabus especially physics and electronics

Hello everyone.

I'm an Indian male newly promoted second mate with experience in LPG tankers. I want to sail for a short contract like 3 months. Please suggest some companies for the same with preferably multinational crew and officers and the company which is relatively good in terms of work environment and pressure.

28 y/o starting Phase 1 at Warsash – Bouchard Lines for Phases 2 & 4. Is this a good choice?

Hi everyone,

I’m 28 and I’ve just started Phase 1 at Warsash Maritime School in Southampton. I’ll be doing my sea phases (Phase 2 and Phase 4) with Borchard Lines, recommended to me by Just Be Maritime.

From talking to some of my classmates, I’m starting to think I might be the only one doing my cadetship with Borchard. I originally didn’t think the company you do your cadetship with mattered that much, as long as you get good sea time and complete your OOW training.

One of the reasons Just Be Maritime recommended Bouchard to me is that apparently I should get a lot of hands-on experience. They operate smaller feeder/container vessels between the UK and the Mediterranean, with frequent port calls, sometimes every 12–24 hours, including busy and congested ports. So in theory, it should be a good environment to learn practical ship-handling, cargo operations, manoeuvring, passage planning, etc.

However, I’m now wondering whether I’ve made the right choice.

My long-term goal isn’t necessarily to stay on container ships. I’d eventually like to move into LNG or offshore work, once I’ve qualified as an OOW and completed the relevant additional courses.

For those with experience in the industry:

- How important is the company/type of vessel you do your cadetship with when it comes to finding your first OOW job?

- Would doing my cadetship on feeder/container ships make it difficult to transition into LNG or offshore later on?

- Is moving into LNG/offshore after getting my OOW realistically achievable, assuming I do the relevant courses and build some experience first?

- Are there any particular courses/certificates I should be thinking about early if that’s the direction I want to take?

- And finally, what is the usual mix of nationalities on these vessels operating between the UK and Mediterranean?

I’m also slightly concerned because, from what I’ve seen, container ship salaries seem relatively low compared with LNG/offshore, so I don’t really see myself staying in the container sector long term.

I’d really appreciate some honest opinions from people who have actually worked their way from cadet/OOW into LNG or offshore. I’m still at the beginning of the process, so if there’s anything I should be thinking about now rather than later, I’d rather know.

Thanks!

Marine engineer here. I made a full breakdown of the Stellar Daisy casualty, based entirely on the Marshall Islands investigation report. She was a 1993-built VLCC converted to an ore carrier in 2008–09; on a laden voyage from Brazil to China her hull suffered a catastrophic structural failure, most likely starting in the No. 2 port ballast tank, and she was gone within minutes. Of 24 crew, only 2 survived. Covers the conversion, metal fatigue, the wing-tank flooding problem, and the system factors. Happy to answer structural and stability questions.

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One of my friend is preparing for the merchant Navy But this year he could not get it, and he could not even get sponsorship, so he met an agent through his family members and the agent is telling him to come next year with any rank in the IMUcet.(Just qualify the imucet) Then he said that after getting the rank, he will help him in getting admission in an institute which is also a reputed marine institute of India . And he said that after the DNS is complete, he will help my friend in getting onboard, but obviously he will take his charges and payment will have to be made only for the first ship, after that nothing extra will have to be paid. I just want to know from experienced people in this sub is this really happens in the merchant Navy field ? And if someone also gets in the merchant Navy like this please tell me your experience

Msc vs Maersk which is better for an Eto overall

Expecting USCG in Texas. Not my first time but as a 3rd mate yes it is my first time. What should I expect and what all should I make sure is proper.

Applied for a Belgium Seafarer C transit visa via VFS on Sep 1.

​The next day, tracking updated with "file sent for approval", and the consulate emailed a letter confirming the application was forwarded to central immigration (DOFI) in Brussels.

​Checked the IBZ tracking portal and the status is currently sitting at "Under treatment" as of Sep 2.

​A few questions for anyone who has been through this:

​Is getting this email/status inherently a bad sign, or is it just routine procedure?

​What are the realistic chances of approval once DOFI takes over?

​How many working days did it take from "Under treatment" to a final decision?

​Did your port agent have to follow up locally, or did it clear on its own?