I worked for Hapag-Lloyd through its crewing arrangements. The salary was reportedly the same through Marlow and RHL, with a starting rate of 3,800. The vessels assigned through RHL were good, while some of the Marlow assignments included older 7,000 and 13,000 TEU ships.
I am working on my third contract with Hapag-Lloyd. In my experience, after the acquisition of UASC, the company retained nationality-based crewing quotas and gives direct-hiring preference to certain European nationalities, while other seafarers are hired through crewing agencies and may not receive the same flag or contract terms. I consider this unequal treatment a serious disadvantage.
I have been working for Hapag-Lloyd through Marlow Navigation and am currently on my second contract on 13,500 TEU container ships. The vessels are well maintained for their age and operate on good Asia–US routes; there have been no problems with food or supplies, and Starlink provides 20 GB of internet per month. The crew is multinational, port watches are 4/8, and there is a junior officer who handles paperwork and may support the chief officer during the day. I progressed from junior officer to third officer during one contract; however, pay differs between former UASC crew and those hired through Marlow, with a lower rate for the latter and a promised increase after the New Year.