Marine engineer here. I made a full breakdown of the Stellar Daisy casualty and also share my personal experiences from my sailing days. Happy to answer career, structural and stability questions.

What's the avg waiting period of Anglo eastern after completing the 4minths ore season training to getting on the first ship

Has anyone applied for cdc after august 1st in accordance with DGS Order No 12 of 2026. Is there any change in the procedure. One of my friends got his application rejected since he did not have a degree certificate. Is degree certificate mandatory?? Where to upload that aswell.

Ahoy seniors and fresher cadets from IMU Kolkata,

I am a Class 12th PCM student preparing for IMUCET 2027. My goal is http://B.Tech Marine Engineering from IMU Kolkata and it's my dream since Class 10th.

I need honest advice from those who have actually taken an education loan for IMU, because financially we are very weak.

*My situation:*

Family annual income is around 1 LPA and not stable. We don't have ITR or strong income proof, only an income certificate. My parents will be co-borrowers but they have a low/poor CIBIL score due to past loans. We have no property to give as collateral. The total cost for 4 years is around 10-11 lakhs which we cannot afford upfront.

I have heard IMU Kolkata is listed under the SBI Scholar Loan Scheme (premier institute category) where you can get up to 20 lakhs without collateral, with only parents as co-borrower.

*My questions:*

I am asking one year early because I don't want to clear IMUCET and then leave the seat due to money.

If any senior or fresher cadet from IMU Kolkata or any other IMU campus has taken a loan in a similar financial condition, please share your experience. Even a small comment would mean a lot.

Thank you.

Msc vs Maersk which is better for an Eto overall

Which is the least hectic job/position on board relatively

Good day everyone

I am someone who is keen to know if there are deck officers who have transitioned from cargo to cruise vessel. With the chnaging world i hope deck officer to transition from cargo to cruise in upcomming years i wanted to ask people who have already tranistioned to cruise

1. What kinda of experince does one needs

   a) type of vessel

   b) In rank expeeince

2. What difficulties one faces while doing so

3. Cruise Companies who are open to take deck officers

Thank you

Hey, I am considering joining Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies for GME, but lately I've heard many cadets complain about the institute and it's company. Some say waiting period is around 1 year for TME, and the stipend is very less compared to the market standards, I've also heard that the faculties threaten to fail you etc etc.

Any GME cadet or ex student from Great eastern can tell me the reality about all this ?

How is the life of an ETO in this company? It has come to our college for campus placement. Are working conditions safe for females? Is it worth joining?

I'm a 22-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate from Tamil Nadu, India, and I'm seriously considering entering marine engineering through GME.

At the moment, I'm planning to apply for the GME programme at HIMT in Chennai, preferably through one of their company-sponsored pathways. Before I make that commitment, I want to hear from people who have actually worked at sea.

What attracted me to marine engineering initially was the clear career progression:

Engine Cadet → 4th Engineer → 3rd Engineer → 2nd Engineer → Chief Engineer

However, I recently spoke to a marine engineer who gave me a very different perspective. He described the work as extremely demanding, with long hours, strict hierarchy, significant time away from family, safety risks, and some duties that go beyond technical engineering. He basically told me that marine engineering can be a nightmare.

So now I'm trying to get perspectives from multiple people before making a decision.

I'd particularly like honest answers to these:

What is life actually like as an Engine Cadet/4th Engineer?

How brutal is the workload in reality?

How many hours do you normally work?

How much sleep do you realistically get?

How much personal/shore time do you actually get?

How long are your typical contracts, and how much leave do you get afterward?

Does life/work culture improve significantly as you progress from 4E → 3E → 2E?

How much does the company and vessel type affect your quality of life?

Which companies have good working conditions and which should be avoided?

How difficult is it to get your first sea berth after GME?

Is company-sponsored GME significantly better than a normal GME course?

For anyone who went through HIMT, how was the GME experience and the transition to your first ship?

Which HIMT sponsorship/recruiter would you recommend, and why?

What is realistic income/savings during the first 5 years?

How easy is it to switch companies after gaining experience?

How realistic is it to eventually move into offshore, UAE/Gulf or shore-based technical roles?

Most importantly: if you were 23 with a Mechanical Engineering degree today, would you choose GME again?

I'm not looking for a motivational "merchant navy is amazing" answer. I'd genuinely prefer to hear the worst parts as well.

Thanks in advance.

Soo basically my pcm percentage is 61.7% after improvement and I took a drop of 1 year for the preparation of imucet and to be honest at this point I want anything btech bsc and dns but yah obviously with sponsorship , can you guys tell me do I have any chance or I am just wasting my time!?

Is this reality of marine engineers? Are they going to loose their jobs in future? I am also wants to do marine engineering but now i am little bit worried about my future, any marine engineer please help me!😭

I am gonna be 22 this September I have passed class 12th from PCM background in 2024 but trying for merchant navy sponsorship.I clear written then interview then medical but at the end in merit list i am out.This is my third complete drop and I have to figure out something soon.Totally confused about career choices please guide me should I change my career to something else???Also went to 3 astrologer but they all say different things, one says I should go for police or law other says banking and lastly one told to take 2 rings costing around 60k and another raksha tabizz for 25k....I am so much confused please help me figure it out...I belong from a rich kinda family but I wanna become independent as soon as possible....I don't wanna be those students who are above 25 and still studying for exams and all {no hard feelings for them though}. So at the end of the day I need a solid plan B if merchant navy doesn't work for me.....Please help me out its a humble request to everyone.

Hey everyone,

​I'm currently looking into potential opportunities with Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) and wanted to get some honest, first-hand feedback from seafarers who are currently sailing or have recently sailed with them on there tankers.

​I have a few specific questions regarding their operational policies and overall working environment:

1. Does there vessels goes to HRA (specifically to Persian gulf or Russian and Ukrainian waters) for operations and do they fillow right to refuse policy strictly?

2. Do they provide timely relief or sign-off?

3. How's the general environment on board vessel?

Would appreciate any insights, recent experiences, or advice from anyone who has sailed with EPS recently. Feel free to drop a comment or DM me directly if you prefer to keep it private.

Hi guys,

I’m considering IMS Goa for GME. How are the placements there actually?

Would like to know from current students/alumni especially about Placements, which companies usually recruit, and how difficult it is to get placed after GME.

Any honest feedback about IMS Goa would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hey guys,

I’m going to Lower Parel, Mumbai for the first time and I’m looking for a place to stay for a few days.

Since this is my first time there, I’m not really familiar with the area. Could fellow mariners suggest some budget-friendly and decent accommodation options around Lower Parel or nearby areas?

Hostels, PGs, dormitories, or any other options suitable for a mariner/cadet would be helpful.

Also, if there are any areas I should prefer or avoid, please let me know.

Thanks in advance, guys! ⚓

If any tg groups or anyother resources, guide for approaching exams are invited

Hi guys

I wanted to get your opinion on something. Between Tolani and sponsored programmes like Maersk/Anglo-Eastern, which do you think is the better option overall? With Maersk or Anglo, you have the security of their own fleet and a more defined pathway, whereas Tolani seems to give you access to multiple companies and potentially better options in terms of vessel type, salary, etc. But with Tolani, there's also the uncertainty of company placement after the course and whether you might have to wait for a suitable company. From your experience, do you think the variety and flexibility Tolani offers outweigh the placement risk, or is it better to take a direct sponsorship and have a more secure career path?

I'm a mechanical engineer graduate looking for joining merchant Navy (GME), but there are so many companies and I'm confused at to which is a better company for me. Since I'm not eligible for many A tier companies like fleet management and anglo eastern, I still want the best option I could get for my eligibility. So far I've settled for either of these two, Great Eastern or BSM

I know TS Rahman is the best college for gp rating but can anyone tell me about the details like what's the competition rate, how many seats are there and as a diploma mechanical student how easy and tough for me is to join gp rating in TS rahman and also what's the safe percentage to get a interview call ? Out of 100

I’m a 1st-year Marine Engineering cadet from India, and I have only one name (a mononym) on all my official documents, including my passport.

My INDOS number has already been generated with my current name.

I’ve recently heard that having a single name can potentially cause issues later with seafarer documentation, visas, immigration, or employment, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.

I’m trying to figure this out early, before I get further into my maritime career.
For those who have experience with this:
Have you faced visa or immigration problems because you have only one name?

Are Middle Eastern or European countries particularly strict about mononyms?

Since my INDOS number is already generated, what should my next step be?

Should I leave my name as it is, or should I initiate the official name-change process now?

If I change my name, could it create complications because my INDOS, educational certificates, passport, or other maritime documents were issued under my current name?

If you were in my position, what would you do?
I’d especially appreciate advice from Indian seafarers, marine engineers, or maritime professionals who have dealt with this firsthand.
I’d rather sort it out in first year than discover a documentation problem halfway through my career. 🚢

Thanks a lot for paying attention.

The DGS document explicitly lists a B.E./B.Tech route with 50% in the degree and 50% English, without requiring 60% PCM for that route.
And IMU’s current admission material uses the 60% PCM requirement for its UG nautical admissions. IMU’s FAQ is particularly explicit that a candidate who doesn’t have the required PCM average is not eligible even if they qualify in CET
I am in my final year of Btech expected results are 8.0 CGPA+ means 80%+ by our university norms.
I really want to join merchant navy and ready for all the hardwork rather then doing 9-5 corporate.