4. March 2026

Life Onboard: Return to Ships

Last week I finally got back onboard—only for a short few days, but it felt so good to return to ship life. The plan was a day in Zeebrugge, a day in Rotterdam, then a sea day before heading home. Unfortunately, our call to Zeebrugge was cancelled due to industrial action, which meant an unexpected extra day at sea.

Turnaround days are always hectic, especially when you’ve just joined a ship. Every vessel has its own layout and rhythm, so those first hours are a blur of orientation and finding your bearings. After a quick tour, getting my uniform, and settling into the cabin with my new cabin mate, we headed to lunch and welcome onboard training before diving into our first shift that evening.

From there, it was smooth sailing (pun absolutely intended). I crossed paths with familiar faces from previous contracts and met some lovely new people too. I was on IPM during our stop in Rotterdam, so no trip ashore this time, but a relaxed morning onboard made up for it.

When we returned to Southampton, I met up with a friend from my first contract for lunch and a catch-up before heading home.

It felt amazing to be back doing a job I love. Now I’ve got a few weeks at home before the next adventure begins—and I can’t wait.

Here’s to living joyfully,
Jodie ✨