First Ship Tips and Tricks

 So I've worked a few contracts for different companies and on different sizes of ships, here's a few things that seem universally helpful to bring with you, and at the end of the post is a cabin tour to show the kind of place you might be staying in.

Pack magnets… everything's magnetic, the easiest way to decorate your room, print some pictures from home or a scratch off map and you'll be feeling at home in no time. Magnetic baskets and door hooks etc are really useful for space saving.

Bring shampoo and conditioner, and bathroom products from home. In your first few weeks you'll be stuck on the ship getting caught up on safety training, so you don't want to be stuck without these things, also the products out there (depending on where out there is) are going to be alien to you and it's hard to decide what to buy or to get hold of familiar brands. If you use them up before your contract ends you'll have more space to take things home afterwards. A really great buy is the shampoo bars from lush, zero packaging and they last a surprisingly long time, a majority of waste on ships is incinerated so the less waste to burn the better.

Bedding if you think it’ll bother you… sounds crazy but the bedding you'll be given is pretty low quality, questionably stained and smells like bleach because it's been boiled in a vat with a thousand other peoples sheets. I've still never taken my own bedding but it's a quick way to make your cabin feel more homely and a lot of people do it. It'll be worth the extra space it'll take up in your suitcase, or pass it along to another new hire once your contract ends. There's a great culture of hand me downs on ships, join in! 

If you're from a country that's ok with tanning (like the UK) buy your suncream before you leave home!! You'll need it and it's surprisingly pricey in hot countries where being pale is sought after, even in thailand where the currency is way less than the pound, they charge a fortune for suncream. Although the suncream from Australia is a lot more powerful and worth the extra money if your travels take you there.

Wardrobe hanging shoe organizer- I brought one with me and it was really handy, I used the top layer for vest tops, the one after for leggings, the bottom few for shoes, and the middle ones for snacks, with minimal space it's nice to have individual sections for each thing. 

Laundry bag- you'll be hauling laundry all over the ship, this is a must!

Sauces or snacks that you enjoy usually, a lot of the people working on ships for years are easy to spot in the crew mess (cafeteria) because they can be spotted bringing in their favorite hot sauce or something similar to change up the food. Although you'll be getting a lot of the same food as the guests, it's going to get old quickly, if you have something you enjoy and miss from home it can help. I like to bring pesto and make various toasted Sandwiches or add some interest to the pasta. 

So here's a video of my latest cabin. The cabin can vary hugely depending on where in the ship you are, your position on board and whether you are sharing.So there's also photos of a shared bunk bed set up and single cabin