Maritime comparisons for seafarers

Side-by-side guides for the high-stakes choices working seafarers make: vessel-type trade-offs that shape pay, sleep, and lifestyle; flag-state trade-offs that shape how enforceable your contract really is; and convention-by-convention explainers so you know which instrument gives you a remedy when something goes wrong.

Comparison guides

• Oil vs chemical tanker

  Tanker job comparison: oil (crude + product) versus chemical (IBC Code). Cargo handling, certificates, pay, lifestyle, and which suits which seafarer.

• Container vs bulker

  What it's actually like to work on a container ship versus a bulk carrier. Port rotations, crew size, cargo workload, sleep, pay, and career trajectory.

• Cruise vs cargo

  Two completely different jobs that share the word 'ship'. Crew size, passenger-versus-cargo focus, contract length, pay, lifestyle, document burden, and which suits which seafarer.

• Panama vs Liberia

  Two of the world's largest open registries. How they differ on MLC enforcement, STCW recognition, Paris MoU rating, complaint routes, and what a seafarer should expect from each.

• MLC vs STCW vs SOLAS

  The three big maritime conventions every seafarer needs to know — and what each one actually covers. Crew labour, training + certification, and ship safety.

• Deck vs engineer

  Two of the most common officer career tracks: deck (navigation + cargo + ship handling) and engine (propulsion + machinery + electrical). Day-to-day work, certificates, pay, and which suits which seafarer.

• LNG vs LPG

  Two specialist gas-carrier careers: LNG (membrane / Moss, methane at -162°C) vs LPG (fully refrigerated / semi-ref / pressurised, propane + butane + ammonia where carried). Cargo systems, pay, career leverage.

• Offshore vs merchant

  Two very different jobs: offshore (OSV, AHTS, PSV, DP-class) supporting oil + gas + wind installations vs merchant navy (container, bulker, tanker, gas) moving cargo between ports. Contract pattern, pay, lifestyle, certificates.

• Superyacht vs merchant

  Two careers that share STCW basics but diverge on everything else: superyacht (small crew, guest-facing, seasonal, MCA / RMI / Cayman codes) vs merchant navy (large fleet, cargo-focused, year-round, IMO + flag conventions). Pay, lifestyle, qualifications, longevity.

• Paris vs Tokyo MoU

  The two largest port-state-control regimes. How their geography, targeting, white/grey/black lists, and inspector culture differ — and what that means for the ship you're sailing on.

• BST vs SAT

  Two STCW Code requirements that are often confused. BST (A-VI/1) is the four-module safety baseline every seafarer holds; Security Awareness (A-VI/6-1) is the ISPS-Code-driven anti-terrorism + access-control training.

• ECDIS generic vs type-specific

  Two STCW-recognised ECDIS training requirements. Generic teaches the principle; type-specific teaches the actual ECDIS brand fitted on your vessel. You need both — and PSC inspectors check.

• BRM vs ERM

  Two STCW-required resource-management courses. BRM (Bridge Resource Management) for deck officers; ERM (Engine Resource Management) for engineers. Same human-factors discipline applied to two different teams.

• RMI vs LISCR

  The two dominant Flag of Convenience registries — RMI (IRI) and Liberia (LISCR) — side by side for shipowners choosing registration + seafarers weighing job offers.

• DIS vs NIS

  The two Scandinavian second-registries that let owners flag foreign-crewed vessels while retaining Danish or Norwegian nationality — compared on tax, labour, and career implications.

• DP1 vs DP2 vs DP3

  IMO MSC.645 dynamic-positioning equipment class categories, side by side. What operations each class supports, redundancy requirements, and DP officer career implications.

• LNG vs methanol vs ammonia

  The three main alternative marine fuels contesting the IMO 2050 net-zero pathway — LNG (mature), methanol (rapidly scaling), ammonia (still emerging). Bunker infrastructure, safety training, and career implications.

• ITF TCC vs IBF vs Flag CBA

  The three CBA frameworks that determine seafarer wages worldwide — ITF Uniform TCC, IBF Framework Agreement, and national flag-state CBAs. Which framework applies to your contract, and how the wage floors compare.

• IMO vs MMSI vs Call sign

  Three distinct vessel identifiers, easily confused: IMO Number (permanent hull identifier), MMSI (radio identifier), and Call Sign (radio identifier). What each is for + how they interact.

• VLCC vs Suezmax vs Aframax

  The three main crude-oil-tanker size classes — VLCC, Suezmax, and Aframax. What each carries, where they operate, and career implications.

• ULCV vs Neo-Panamax vs Panamax

  The three main modern container ship size classes — ULCV/Megamax-24 (24,000 TEU), Neo-Panamax (13,000-14,500 TEU), Panamax (5,000-8,500 TEU). Route archetypes + career implications.