I worked for Italian owners for 6 years. There are pros and cons, but overall they are greedy, definitely better than Indians. We often stood next to Sider, and there are vessels that mainly operate in the Mediterranean, often new builds, with Italians, Romanians, and Croats on board. They hire our crew mainly for cement carriers and bulk carriers. Don't expect the vessels to be in great condition. A friend was called for a delivery of a new build for a 2-month contract, but then they put Europeans on board. Regarding the flag, if it's Italian, most of the officers are likely to be Italians, with Romanians and Croats who mostly speak Italian. Sometimes relatives or friends of the owners are on board, but they mainly stay there permanently.