I worked for Berge Bulk from 2018 and joined through Fair Play. I was assigned to newer vessels with a full engine-room crew, but before scrubber installation the fourth engineer, wiper and cadet positions were removed permanently. As the equipment increased, the number of crew members did not, while the office continued introducing impractical ideas. Fourth engineers are now a rare position.
I worked with Berge Bulk and am currently on a contract. I was employed through Danica; the Romanian office also works with Ukrainian seafarers, and the salaries are the same. The office communication was calm and reasonable, and Sertica was intuitive and did not take much time. My main difficulty was working with Chinese colleagues in the engine department because communication was often difficult.
I am currently on board. Junior officers have 6-month contracts and senior officers have 4-month contracts. Food and supplies are above average, and the internet allowance is 1.5 GB per week via Starlink; films can also be watched free of charge from a special server. The crew is mostly Filipino, with Chinese, Indian and Italian officers also present, and Russian-speaking crew members are uncommon.
I worked for Berge Bulk as a second engineer on a handy-size vessel and a wood carrier. The salary for a second engineer started at 4660, plus seniority pay and $100 for holding a higher-rank licence, and the contract was 6 months. The vessels were mainly Japanese-built ships from 2013–2019, and their condition was generally good; promotion was possible, although the process did not suit me. The company provided good medical insurance for the seafarer and close family members, but there were many courses, trainings and checklists.
I worked with Berge Bulk. The vessels were mostly scrap, and the company did not pay the insurance or the full cost of my trip home. On the vessel I worked on, there were exhaust gases from the main engine and generators in the engine room, drinking water was available only from a tank, and a crew member with hepatitis A was not isolated for two weeks. If you do not join a vessel within two months, the bonus is not paid.