Its pretty awesome at first! Consider yourself lucky if you have an internet connection onboard. Not all shipping companies have it. Of course, most crew prefer to have an internet connection onboard ships.
We all know how difficult it is not to see your family after a hard days work, can’t discuss important matters of the day or t talk to our children or loved ones when we want to. That will always be seafarer’s sacrifice in order to give them a better life.
But say, we have an internet connection onboard ships. We got lucky to be in a company that’s looking after the welfare of their crew. Well, that is a huge help to us in maintaining constant communication with our family in real time.
There are still companies that does not adopt to the latest technology and just keep the old ways. We can’t blame them if they do so. There is no such rule obliging them to put an internet connection onboard their ships.
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If we have internet connection onboard ships…
As usual, there is always two sides of a story. A seafarer who is surfing after his or her duty can possibly interfere with his or her rest period. We seem not to care about this as we are prone for not having a well rested rest period even before the advent of Facebook or Messenger.
But it is a huge relief in our part if we can chat with our loved ones. Even if it means sacrificing some of our rest periods. As long as we can see them in our mobile phones or even hear their voices, thats already a huge lift for us. That moment that you can communicate with your loved ones at your finger tips is priceless.
We acknowledge that we are one lucky generation to have experience this kind of revolution that did not happen before us. We wish though that the seamless communication of a seafarer in any point on earth at any given time to his or her family can be attainable.
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What can we expect in the future?
I hope someday, more companies will join the technological revolution. There are companies like Maersk Line, Teekay, Grieg Group, Klaveness, OSM, Abojeb who have it. Some of them are free, some are not. Nevertheless, it is a great start to have an internet connection onboard ships even if it is just a basic plan.
As for our side, we are certain that having internet connection onboard ships cause us more good than harm. We wish to have that cheap, effective communication with our families at our own will, anytime, anywhere.