My first taste of life at sea was with the University Royal Naval Unit while I was studying for my degree in Manchester. Fast forward 7 years and, after graduating from university and working as a Recruiter in the oil industry, I decided that life behind a desk wasn’t for me! I applied for a variety of cadetships and took a Maritime London sponsored cadetship.

Since qualifying I’ve worked on a Ro-Pax ferry, a small cruise ship and I now work as Officer of the Watch onboard large cruise vessels. Day-to-day I undertake 8 hours’ of watchkeeping (usually 4 hours on, 8 hours off). I also have additional duties of ensuring the ship’s LSA is in good order, assisting the ship’s Navigator with passage planning, attending guest functions, and much more! 

Every day I learn something new and meet new people from a variety of different backgrounds.

A highlight for me was sailing across the Atlantic and finally reaching New York, watching the city’s skyline appear on the horizon. Opportunities like this certainly make a change from sitting behind a desk, so I suppose the decision to go to sea was worth it.

Every day I learn something new and meet new people from a variety of different backgrounds. I always keep an open mind, embrace all opportunities and be safe in everything I do. Very few people can say they’ve driven one of the world’s largest cruise ships, so I count myself very lucky.