I have always wanted to be a part of the crew of a cruise ship. I can think of many reasons why – sailors can travel to Europe, Canada, both South and Central America and Asia. Sailors have visited every continent and went to over 85 countries and more, I believe.
Sailors have experienced once in a lifetime activities such as taking a sled dog ride in Alaska, white water rafting along a river through the jungles of Costa Rica, tasting authentic curry in Mumbai, spending a day on a luxury yacht sailing around the Caribbean, snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Great Pyramids of Egypt, spending nights at tapas bars in the busy city of Barcelona, witnessing the real and splendid beauty of Athens, Rome, Paris, Petra and so much more. Name it, our seafarers have done it! Thinking of wanting to place yourself in their shoes? Well, we are on the same page.
What you need to know about being a ‘Seafarer’
Now if you are a “wanna-be” Filipino seafarer yourself, here is something you want to know and might consider. The Philippines is known as the world’s top supplier of seafarers, providing up to 25% of the demand for sea-manning cruise around the world. According to data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), sea-based workers made up 468,000 of the 2.2 million OFWs deployed in 2013. This fact makes me wonder how many more Filipinos from all over, including myself, have that seafaring dream. That is, setting sail primarily for a living and for self-fulfillment.
While traveling all across the globe is something overwhelming, all great things have a catch and seafaring is not an exemption. Truth be told, seafaring is one tough job. Aside from the actual physical work our seafarers do every day, years and thousands of miles and many expeditions away from their families add up to the slight pain of the cruise. Talk about the signal. When you are at sea, there is little chance of you catching signal waves. That means you get to have no access to messages, calls and even the internet. This implies almost zero communication most of the time. Let that sink in.
Perks of being a seafarer
Needless to say, seafaring in its nature offers a sea of opportunities from the good to the impossible for people who work on board. Moreover, if you have that persistent heart and spirit to pursue your heart’s desire, why not take the risk to ride the wave of success?
I have to admit that I am a frustrated seafarer “wanna be” myself maybe because two people close to me are actually seafarers. Not to mention, one of them is just a step away from being a captain. Every time I ask them about their job, they always tell me about getting a good pay. Yes, a very good one, I suppose. But more than that, they impart to me all the adventures that they make; everything they do just amazes me.
Right now, I am too preoccupied with a lot of things running in my mind: school, deadlines, workloads, and a lot more. But one question dominates — will I be forever stuck with these kinds of scenario even in the near future? Or must I decide to set sail to higher waters in the years to come? I am afraid.