I completed a contract with Laskaridis Maritime. The company has a large amount of paperwork and strict requirements: office staff check records, working hours, checklists and permits in detail. The office communicates with crew members equally, including cadets and captains. We did not lack food, and spare parts were supplied when properly requested.
I worked on the company's bulk carriers for four contracts. My salary was paid regularly and without delays. However, normal food was available on only one of the four contracts, and on some vessels the captain's orders meant working around the clock with little regard for crew members' opinions.
I worked for the company, and the reality did not match what I was told during the interview. The vessel and its equipment were in poor condition, although the crew itself was excellent.
I worked for the company for a short period. The vessels were relatively new, except for three older Capesize ships, and crew changes were always arranged on time. The management was extremely disorganized and required excessive paperwork. Salary was below the market, while food was inconsistent and generally average.
I joined the company as a rating, hoping to be promoted to an officer position. After one contract, I decided that I did not want to continue because promotion appeared to depend on pleasing the right people rather than on work. I also experienced a disrespectful attitude toward junior crew members and a rigid, old-fashioned working environment.
I completed two full contracts as a Third Engineer with the company. I was promoted during my employment, and the company sends its specialists to MAN training courses. I did not pay anyone for promotion.
I am currently working on one of the company's tankers. The vessel provides 3 GB of free internet twice a month, and the food allowance is $10 per day.
I worked for Laskaridis and experienced a one-month delay in salary payments. There was no fraud with the payments, but onboard supplies were generally at a low level and the company economized on them. A loyalty bonus was available, and on some vessels officers received more money for supplies than ratings.
I have worked with Laskaridis for several years. Salaries were delayed by one month, but I was never cheated or denied payment. The food allowance was $8 per day, medical examinations and flag-change expenses were reimbursed, and a loyalty bonus was paid without problems. Career progression was possible for people who worked well, while the amount of cash and the quality of supplies depended heavily on the captain; the Russian office was generally reasonable.
I worked for Laskaridis for eight contracts as a cook. The food allowance was $8 per day, which I found increasingly insufficient by 2023. The galley equipment on many reefers was in very poor condition; sometimes I had to cook for 20 people using only one working burner. On one vessel, the galley had almost no equipment or utensils, and I had to knead dough by hand and use a beer bottle as a rolling pin.
I underwent the company's interview process for a deck officer position. It included an English test, questions on safety, COLREG, GMDSS, lifesaving equipment, fire extinguishers, man-overboard manoeuvres and emergency procedures. The interview lasted about an hour in English and then continued in Russian, with detailed questions about maritime terminology and practical procedures.
I worked for Laskaridis in 2016 as a second engineer on a Panamax bulker. The vessel was in very good condition, with adequate supplies and food, and the contracts were six months for everyone. Salaries were fixed, and a return bonus equal to half the basic salary was available to those who came back. My main negative experience was the extremely poor treatment by the crewing office in Sevastopol.
The crewing office was pleasant to deal with, but I had a negative experience with the shipowner. I also noticed negative attitudes toward Ukrainian seafarers among some people associated with the company.