Life in the navy

[Keeboo]

Curious to know places I can expect to travel and see, and if I’d have chance to explore where ever I may travel. And what can I expect to do as a chef, such as downtime, hours worked and personal training?

 

[soleil]

It's difficult to say for certain where you would go, as this would depend on where your ship needs to be and that could be influenced by such things as an unexpected requirement for humanitarian aid, but places such as Gibraltar, Malta, the Mediterranean in general, Bahrain, Dubai and the Caribbean spring to mind.

HMS Sutherland is in Australia at the moment.

 

[panelpin]

It's been 4 years since the last one so Keebo must ensure he signs on for rather longer than the average or he'll dip out.
My cynical old navy pal suggests that the MOD hopes the Australians will want to buy it.

 

[Levers_Aligned]

Curious to know places I can expect to travel and see, and if I’d have chance to explore where ever I may travel. And what can I expect to do as a chef, such as downtime, hours worked and personal training?

This depends on what branch you are, what your drafting/assignment cycle is and lastly, what ship you are gifted with.

Strike it lucky and you'll get one of the two CVFs. Both of them will be alternating their operational deployments over the next five years as they both achieve full op capability. This will involve trips to the States, Mediterranean and possibly for one of them, East of Suez. They'll be taking a handful of destroyers and frigates with them too and you can expect the RN to be showing the flag in more far flung areas of the planet with high profile visits. A proper detached deployment gets around ten or fifteen visits depending upon port facilities and political climate.

Of course, if world events require it, the programme can change and you can end up in defence watches sat in the gulf. Forever.

If you're set on smaller vessels, you'll be restricted t more coastal roles and patrols but this can be lucrative with regard visits. If you're set on submarines, forget it. Just count your cash.

levers

 

[panelpin]

If Keeboo's principal interest is seeing the world as a Chef, then he should consider Cruise Ships. They really do travel the world and the pay is excellent.
There is one proviso however. Keeboo will need to be an exceptional chef.
More Lobster Thermidor than Herrings-In or Yellow Peril.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

If Keeboo's principal interest is seeing the world as a Chef, then he should consider Cruise Ships. They really do travel the world and the pay is excellent.
There is one proviso however. Keeboo will need to be an exceptional chef.
More Lobster Thermidor than Herrings-In or Yellow Peril.

My principle interest was to travel the world as a Stoker. I wasn't disappointed on that respect & whilst others were perceived as being paid more for doing less, I found the way to increase income was to excel at my job.

Being a Chef in the Royal Navy is hard work, but I'd never suggest a chef would get paid more for doing less in the merchant navy.

Anyone that wants to be a professional chef from scratch, paid a wage whilst learning and seeks world travel will probably find the Royal Navy offers more than most.

 

[Traminator]

Anyone that wants to be a professional chef from scratch, paid a wage whilst learning and seeks world travel will probably find the Royal Navy offers more than most.

Also not forgetting the £5000 bonus for finishing the training that they get paid to do....

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

Also not forgetting the £5000 bonus for finishing the training that they get paid to do....

If they pass the course..............

Sorry Daps - had to be done!

 

[panelpin]

Ninja you're not comparing like with like.
In the 80's you benefitted from a number of ships far from home enjoying the delights of the East and West not to mention the South and the not so jolly North.
Keeboo enquired of his or her opportunity for foreign travel .
We currently have two ships in exotic parts--Sutherland with 180 aboard and Echo ( in South America) with 72 aboard.
Not sure how many of those are Chefs but precious few I imagine.
It's a great shame but there it is.

 

[Waspie]

Mmmm, expectations rarely meet with reality!!!!

 

[dapperdunn]

Being a Chef in the Royal Navy is hard work, but I'd never suggest a chef would get paid more for doing less in the merchant navy.

Anyone that wants to be a professional chef from scratch, paid a wage whilst learning and seeks world travel will probably find the Royal Navy offers more than most.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[dapperdunn]

If they pass the course..............

Sorry Daps - had to be done!

Git

 

[dapperdunn]

Not sure how many of those are Chefs but precious few I imagine.

About 18

 

[Sumo]

I couldn't agree more.

You been drinking

 

[mikh]

Been out far too long for me use my experiences on where you will get to go, but, a few years ago I got press ganged into joining my local SCC, two ex cadets have recently been to sea on their 1st ships, one has just returned from a gulf deployment, stops off in various med ports on way there and back, visits to a number of the gulf states and a couple of weeks in Mombasa. 2nd has only just joined her ship, she posted some pics on face ache last week, not too sure exactly where she was, but it was one of the Scandinavian countries, and as I am away from my pc for a few weeks and am having problems logging into face ache on my tablet, I cannot double check.

Moral is, you could end up visiting just about anywhere with a port.

btw both are on Type 23s

 

[dapperdunn]

You been drinking

Cooking sherry

 

[LateToTheParty]

2nd has only just joined her ship, she posted some pics on face ache last week, not too sure exactly where she was, but it was one of the Scandinavian countries, and as I am away from my pc for a few weeks and am having problems logging into face ache on my tablet, I cannot double check.

Moral is, you could end up visiting just about anywhere with a port.

btw both are on Type 23s

If it’s the person I’m thinking of they were in Norway on Westminster

 

[Sumo]

you could go Submarine Chef, get paid sheds loads, if the jollies don't suit you you could afford to go where you please, when on leave. Doesn't need a sea port, airport will do.
good luck a life on or under the ocean waves is not for everyone, for those that join pass all their training and join the fleet, it can be a sodding good life. I never met anyone in the navy that had exactly the same career as the next, so everyone's can be similar but all are different. Go for it you never know until you try.

 

[Sumo]

Cooking sherry

hope it was quality cooking Sherry, life is to short to waste on cheap plonk
in my youth, before I acquired a taste for wines, we were in Copenhagen and found a wine shop open, brought my bottle by picture on it? Then learnt how to push a cork into a bottle, for time when cork screw not available. Life as a young sailor.

 

[Taztiff]

Been out far too long for me use my experiences on where you will get to go, but, a few years ago I got press ganged into joining my local SCC, two ex cadets have recently been to sea on their 1st ships, one has just returned from a gulf deployment, stops off in various med ports on way there and back, visits to a number of the gulf states and a couple of weeks in Mombasa. 2nd has only just joined her ship, she posted some pics on face ache last week, not too sure exactly where she was, but it was one of the Scandinavian countries, and as I am away from my pc for a few weeks and am having problems logging into face ache on my tablet, I cannot double check.

Moral is, you could end up visiting just about anywhere with a port.

btw both are on Type 23s

My lad is on a 23 - 2 years now.
In that time he has done the usual maint periods and Sea Training in Guz but also, Sweden, Norway, Canada (twice) and a 9 month Gulf trip going to places I never went to in 24 years.
Oh, and Wales!