Crew and ship manager headquartered in Limassol with over 40 years in the business, about 25,000 active seafarers and some 15,800 on board at any time. Management offices in Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, India and Oman.
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.