"you have 23kg on your flight to Australia to join your ship... pack wisely." (Training officer)
What to take onboard a ship is tricky to answer as it depends on personal preference and the type of ship your joining. (Although, one that is certain when a cadet is to not forget your boiler suit!)
When looking back at the bag I took onboard my first ship and comparing it with how much I took on my last ship, the difference in quantity says it all. You don't need as much as you think you do. But there are general necessities that I would recommend any cadet to take onboard any vessel, such as:
1. a large memory hard drive - Having a large hard rive with lots of entertainment is a light way to store music, films or tv shows and is a good way to start talking to the crew by exchanging films onboard.
2. multinational plug adapter - you never really know what kind of plug are going to be on the ship, by having one plug that does all, you don't need to worry!
3. swimmers - some ships have swimming pools, or time off on a cruise ship to go swimming ashore on the beach. also useful for girls to wear a bikini under a boiler suit when in warmer climates!
4. Own tea bags and coffee
5. Own medicine
6. Head phones - be sure not to have both ear pieces in your ears at one time. you may miss a PA announcement or an alarm.
7. Money - for the places you're going to travel to! or if you don't know, US dollars are accepted in most areas.
8. shock proof watch with a light.
9. Documents and TRB
10. Vaccinations up to date?
11. 2 white shirts
12. 2 black trousers with black shoes and black socks - some companies, like cruise liners, tailor make your uniform to fit in with their dress code when you're on board, however this can take time, and you need something to wear on the bridge!
13. day diary/small note book - handy for writing down quickly what you have done yeah day to write up in report and evidence later.
14. Photos and homey comforts - to decorate the cabin and make it more homely.
15. stationary - mainly BLACK pens, pencils and a rubber.
16. Laptop
17. comfy clothes - check where your vessel is going to and pack appropriately. although always take a jumper to wear in bed, as the ships air conditioning can be quite bitter!
Those are just some of the things you could take on ship. the list goes on, but its is personal to you what you take. I would recommend taking a soft case with wheels rather than a hard one, as cabins are small as it is, with little storage. Sometimes less is more, you will be surprised by how little of what you bring you actually use on your first trip!
