Frequently asked questions.

Start with the role you are qualified for, then narrow your search by vessel type, department, location and contract terms. Maritime Bridge covers yacht crew, commercial shipping and shore-based maritime careers. Check the job description, employer and application route before you apply. Some listings link to the original employer website.

Yacht crew roles often focus on vessel operations, guest services and hospitality alongside marine engineering and deck duties. Merchant shipping roles typically serve cargo, passenger or specialised commercial vessel operations. Qualifications, rotations, medical requirements and employment terms can differ substantially.

Some entry-level deck and interior positions accept applicants who are new to yachting, but competition can be strong. Relevant hospitality, maintenance or technical experience may help. Employers may require safety training, a recognised medical certificate and eligibility to work in the relevant location; check each vacancy rather than assuming one certificate is sufficient.

Look for roles by department and certificate level, including marine engineer, electro-technical officer, deck officer, able seafarer and motorman. Check vessel type, flag-state endorsement, required sea service and watchkeeping responsibilities, and whether the role is on board or shore-based.

Many maritime employers recruit internationally, but the rules depend on the flag state, port or country of employment, nationality, immigration status and individual vacancy. Never assume a listing includes visa sponsorship or travel arrangements unless the employer states this clearly.

Verify the employer and the recruitment contact using independent sources. Be wary of guaranteed hiring, pressure to pay recruitment fees, requests for passport scans before a genuine recruitment process, or unexpected bank-transfer instructions. Report suspicious listings and avoid sending sensitive documents through unverified channels.

STCW is the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. It sets international competence standards for many seagoing roles. The exact safety courses, certificates, endorsements and refresher training you need depend on your position, vessel and flag state.

STCW safety training is commonly requested for commercial yacht crew, but requirements depend on the vessel, flag, role and operation. Confirm the specific courses and certificate validity with the employer or competent maritime authority before paying for training.

ENG1 is a seafarer medical fitness certificate issued under the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency system. It is commonly relevant to UK-linked commercial maritime and yacht employment. Other flags and employers may accept or require different recognised medical certificates.

No. Medical certification requirements depend on the vessel, flag-state rules, duties and employer. The UK MCA provides guidance on ENG1 and ML5 certificates; requirements outside that system can differ. Always check the vacancy and appropriate maritime authority.

A focused maritime CV, current role-relevant certificates, accurate sea-service records and references are useful starting points. Some employers may later request identity, medical or travel documents through a secure, verified process. Do not upload passports or medical records to a general-purpose CV form.

State your target role, vessel experience, types and sizes of ships or yachts, valid certificates, endorsements, languages, relevant skills and availability. Be specific about your duties and sea time, and avoid unnecessary sensitive personal information.

No. Maritime Bridge is being developed as a maritime employment information and candidate-referral platform, not the employing company. The relevant shipowner or employer is responsible for its recruitment decisions and, where applicable, the employment contract. Applicable rules for employment intermediation still need to be followed.

Employers can contact Maritime Bridge using the contact information in the legal notice to discuss a vacancy. A dedicated employer account and self-service vacancy publishing area are planned but are not yet active on this website.

The planned service receives applications to a named vacancy, checks the information needed to handle that application and provides the employer with relevant candidate details through a controlled process. Employers will not have unrestricted access to the wider candidate database or stored CV files.

No. An application or expression of interest does not guarantee shortlisting, interview or employment. The employer decides whom to contact and whether to make an offer.

Browsing the public website is free. The platform does not currently accept candidate registrations or applications. Where the Maritime Labour Convention applies, recruitment and placement fees must not be charged to seafarers, subject to the Convention’s specific provisions and exceptions.

Not yet. Candidate registration, the private talent pool and CV uploads are still being developed and are not active on this public version. We will remove this notice only when the system has completed security and legal checks.

Our planned privacy-first approach is to keep CV files in private storage, limit access to the candidate and authorised Maritime Bridge administrators, and prevent employers from freely browsing or downloading the full candidate database. These safeguards must be tested before uploads are enabled.

No. Maritime Bridge does not plan to send CV files or bulk candidate databases automatically to employers. Any referral must relate to a specific application or a separately chosen future-opportunity preference, with suitable information and controls for the candidate.

A private, opt-in Maritime Talent Pool is planned. When launched, candidates will be able to choose whether their profile can be considered for future opportunities. Joining the talent pool will be separate from applying for an individual job.

Use the contact route and information in our Data Rights and Privacy pages. When candidate accounts are activated, we intend to provide additional self-service controls. Your legal rights depend on the processing context and applicable privacy law.

Yes. Maritime Insights covers shipping companies, maritime logistics, ports, offshore energy, shipbroking, fuel markets and their potential implications for maritime careers. Source-linked automated industry briefings and original analysis are distinct types of content.

Maritime Insights explains relevant shipping and bunker-market developments and links to their original sources. Menorca Brokers also provides dated maritime fuel reference information. Do not treat editorial commentary or an older snapshot as a live executable freight or bunker quote.

VLSFO is very-low-sulphur fuel oil; MGO is marine gas oil; LNG is liquefied natural gas. They are different marine energy products with different handling, operating and pricing characteristics. Their suitability depends on vessel machinery, route, regulation and fuel infrastructure; they are not interchangeable.