I visited Seagull’s office and found the experience unpleasant. The company seemed unclear and unreliable to me, so I decided not to cooperate with them.
I am currently working on a Seagull vessel. It is an old Korean-built ship from 2002 in poor condition. There are almost no spare parts or basic tools on board, and even essential engine-room items are missing. The main engines require frequent maintenance, but there are not even spare fuel injectors available. I was not provided with proper work clothes or safety shoes and had to use worn equipment found on board; the food is also poor.
I am currently working on one of Seagull’s vessels. I joined without paying any money. The salaries are at market level and are paid without delays, although the transfer fee is paid by the seafarer. Food is adequate and the internet is unlimited, but spare-part and other supplies are very poor. Contracts are long, and many crew members have been with the company for 10–15 years.
I worked for Seagull in 2018 and 2020 on two vessels. The salaries were transferred in advance, usually arriving around the 23rd–25th, although there may have been a deduction from the first salary. The vessels were in poor condition and there was enough work for the deck crew, while the food was average. Both vessels had decent gyms, but there was no internet during my contracts. One captain supported professional growth, while some other senior officers treated the crew very badly.
I would not recommend Seagull based on my experience. People are not valued, and promised bonuses may be withdrawn at the last moment. Crew changes can be delayed for a long time, with seafarers sometimes kept on board for up to 15 months and pressured to extend their contracts. There is also favoritism and alcohol abuse on board. The only clear advantages I experienced were free unlimited internet and a few newer vessels.
I worked as a junior for Seagull in 2020. Compared with another company where I later completed two contracts, Seagull was preferable. My salary was always paid on time, although the bank transfer fee was charged to me. Safety supplies that I ordered arrived on time and without reductions, and there was unlimited internet on the bulk carriers at that time. The crewing process was quick and straightforward, there was an opportunity for promotion, and I was not charged a hiring fee, although a departure commission could be taken within reasonable limits.
I worked as a junior through Seagull via an intermediary. They promised that after two months I could be promoted to fourth engineer at the captain’s discretion, but after two months the company said they had considered me for the entire contract as a junior. Supplies were very poor: chemicals were economized, bacteria for the sewage treatment plant were sent only after I insisted, and spare parts were ordered only every two or three months. The food was generally very poor, apart from occasional borscht and buckwheat; cadets also replaced the motorman while receiving less than 800.