One of the worst things whilst
working on ship is when you fall ill. Unlike other jobs where you can call in
sick, the company will still operate without you or they can call in a temporary replacement. When you are an
officer on a ship in the middle oft he ocean, it’s not so easy to find a temporary replacement to navigate the ship.
As a cadet, the impact of you not turning up for
work is not a severe as being an officer, however not turning up will result in
you being hounded by telephone and eventually by a cabin visit. This is not to
say, that you can never rest from being ill as an officer as there is the need
for an officer to be fit for duty. If you’re not fit for duty due to illness,
then you are not allowed to take the watch.
If you are ill, take a visit to
the ships nurse or doctor. If you are deemed fit to work then, tough, you will
have to get up at 3:30am with a blocked nose. If they deem you unfit for work
then they will inform the master and give you a sick note for a period of time,
you will then be in quarantine in your cabin to stop the spread of the illness.
Two illnesses that must not be spread to the rest of the ship is a fever or the
norovirus. The norovirus is a stomach bug can causes vomiting. It is highly infectious
and particularly dangerous on cruise ships where there is an elderly population.
Ships have been detained or been stopped from operating due to the spread of a
Norovirus on board.
If you do throw up, or suspect
you have the norovirus, then you must
not leave your cabin, you must call the doctor and inform him. He will
visit and then you will be put into quarantine either in your cabin or in the
sick bay in the hospital. You must be clear for at least 24 hours before you’re
allowed out of quarantine. This is the general procedure for most cruise ships,
other ships may vary but it is important to not to spread the illness to the
rest of the crew.
Also be aware that different
nationalities from all around the world will have different illnesses. Other crew
members may have a higher tolerance to it than you, so what might just be a
cold to a Philippine, may feel like you’ve been hit by a bus and left for dead
to you!
To avoid illnesses, eating plenty
of fruit to boost immune system bodes well, as well as packing plenty of cold
busting tablets from home. A few homey comforts come in handy too e.g. bed
socks, comfy hoodie or emergency snack box from home!
