Cadet Life
Like Henry, Martyn James is a third phase Deck cadet studying on the Foundation Degree, sponsored by Viking Recruitment (Holland America Line). Martyn is 25 and from Hull, East Yorkshire.
“I found about the career and my sponsoring company simply by searching the internet. I really enjoyed my first phase at college because it was the start of a new career and I enjoyed learning the different aspects of the job. Now that I’ve been to sea I know that that’s really where I want to be so I’m finding it hard sometimes to motivate myself through college. But you have to accept that it’s all part of the process of becoming a qualified officer and get on with it as best you can.
I was on the MS Ryndam, and my time at sea last year was one of the best experiences of my life. I saw places that I never thought I’d see, and met great friends who will be friends forever. The work is challenging and you put in long hours but its always fun because, everyday is different. The social life onboard is awesome also, and on a cruise ship there’s no shortage of things to do. As an officer you have full access to all of the public areas onboard so that means you can go out to one of the bars, or go catch a show or a film. If you don’t fancy hanging out with the passengers then you can go to the Officers Bar which normally has a lot of people in.
The accommodation onboard was pretty small and I had to share with another cadet but this was never really a problem as we got on great. You don’t spend that much time in your cabin anyway, apart from when you’re sleeping. Keeping in touch with friends and family was easy as you can buy phone and internet cards onboard.
On my first trip I sailed from San Diego in California around the Sea of Cortez in Mexico and then headed North, sailing around Alaska out of Vancouver. The best sights I’ve seen so far are the Copper Canyon in Mexico (which is where I am in the picture), and also getting up close to the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.
The best moment for me so far was being on watch with an Officer and having him say “Right, you’re in charge now!!”. Being on the bridge of the ship and suddenly having to make the decisions was when it really hit home that ‘Wow, I’m driving a cruise ship with thousands of people onboard and their safety is in my hands’!! Obviously as I’m still a cadet the officer is still there watching over you, but just to have a taste of the responsibility was when I knew that this was definitely the career for me.
In 5-10 years time, I’d like to think that I’ll make it to Captain one day, whether it be on a cruise ship or not. I love the way of life onboard a cruise ship but whether I’ll still feel that way when I’m pushing 40 remains to be seen.
I like the fact that every day is different. One day you could be sailing into some vast metropolis and the next you’re dropping the anchor off some sun drenched paradise. Even the work side of it is different from one day to the next, it’s definitely not your average 9-5 job. I like meeting new people and on a cruise ship this happens on a daily basis.
I find it hard to explain the job to family and friends. My parents have cruised a lot so they have a better idea than most but my friends haven’t got a clue. At first they thought it was quite funny that I was going to be a ‘sailor’ and they probably had visions of me going off to war or something but they’ve since changed that opinion having seen my pictures from my first trip. I still don’t think they fully understand what the job of a deck officer entails but they now have a better idea.
I would recommend this career to other people in a heartbeat. Embarking on this career has been the best decision I ever made. I’m getting paid to see the world whilst getting a professional qualification, a degree and meeting tons of new friends in the process. It doesn’t seem fair really, but I’m certainly not complaining!