First Sunday at Sea? It’s Okay to Miss Home.

Your friends are posting Sunday brunch. Your family is getting together for a meal. You are somewhere at sea, learning a new routine and negotiating with the Wi-Fi over whether one photograph is really too much to ask.

Welcome to your first Sunday at sea. For some cadets, it feels exciting. For others, a little strange. Sometimes it is both before breakfast.

This guide is mainly about life onboard oceangoing merchant ships. Your actual duties, rest periods and Sunday arrangements depend on your vessel, department and instructions — not the day displayed on your phone.

1. Sunday is special. The ship still operates.

On many ships, Sunday has a different rhythm. Where operational needs and the work schedule allow, it is a valued chance to rest, relax and spend time together. For many seafarers, that quieter day is precious.

But the bridge still needs its watchkeepers. The machinery still needs attention. Cargo operations, port calls, essential work and emergencies do not necessarily consult the weekend calendar.

Check your own arrangements with your supervisor. Do not assume Sunday automatically means a day off, and do not assume you should invent extra work to look enthusiastic. Be clear about your duties and protect the rest you have been given.

A quiet Sunday is not a competition to see who can look the busiest.

2. Allowed a lie-in? Enjoy it.

If you have no watch or assigned work, and your supervisor has confirmed that the morning is yours, enjoy the chance to sleep a little longer. Within your agreed schedule, you do not need to set an early alarm just to prove you are committed.

Know when you next need to be ready. Keep track of ship’s time, meals and any agreed check-in. Rest does not mean missing a duty — and enthusiasm does not mean arriving at your next watch exhausted.

3. Say hello at coffee or a meal

Some ships have a Sunday morning coffee gathering — perhaps 10:00–10:20. That is an example of a shipboard routine, not a worldwide rule or an extra compulsory duty.

If you are awake, free and not protecting sleep after a watch, come along. Or join your colleagues at a meal that fits your schedule. Say good morning, sit down and get to know the people behind the ranks.

As a new cadet, a simple hello helps people know you are settling in. If you have agreed to attend or check in, follow through; if your plans change, let the appropriate person know. Nobody needs to organise a search party because you decided to sleep through an agreed arrangement.

You do not need to deliver a speech. “How is your Sunday going?” is enough. This is coffee, not your oral examination.

4. Call home — without turning the call into another watch

Agree a realistic time to speak with the people you care about. Explain your watch schedule, time difference and any limits on connectivity or data. A short message or voice note can be an option when a video call is not practical.

You do not need an expensive international plan or a new gadget to prove you care. Use the communication options available to you and permitted onboard.

And remember the people back home who are waiting to hear from you. Friends and your girlfriend, boyfriend or partner matter — but remember your mum, dad, or whoever raised and supports you too, where those relationships are safe and welcome. Especially on your first trip away, a short call can mean a great deal. They are adjusting to your absence as well.

You do not need to deliver a full voyage report. A few honest words about your day, a question about theirs and a realistic plan for your next call are enough. Keep it brief when time, rest or data are limited — but brief does not mean you are forbidden to say that something is wrong.

It is also okay to say: “I am still settling in. Today I miss home a bit.” Every update does not need to be a promotional video for life at sea.

And if your signal disappears halfway through a sentence, it does not necessarily mean the conversation went badly. Sometimes the satellite has simply chosen a dramatic exit.

5. Make room for something that is not work

Your time off does not need an impressive itinerary. Choose something simple that suits you and the ship’s arrangements:

• Have a quiet conversation over coffee.
• Read a book or watch a film in the Recreation Room, where available.
• Play a board game or join a friendly console game without taking over the room.
• Use the gym if permitted and conditions are safe.
• Spend a little time on a hobby, without disturbing resting colleagues.
• Enjoy some fresh air only where access is permitted, following the ship’s bridge-notification and safety procedures.

You do not have to buy anything to take part. And you do not have to be sociable every minute: quiet time is allowed too.

For the shared-space basics, revisit our shipboard etiquette guide for cadets. Yes, the sofa still belongs to everyone on Sundays.

6. Look at the week you have completed

Instead of measuring your whole contract in remaining days, try looking at one small piece of progress. Perhaps you learned the route to your muster station, understood a new term or finally stopped opening the wrong cupboard.

If it helps, write three short lines:

• One thing I learned this week.
• One thing I want to ask next week.
• One thing I enjoyed.

This is optional, not Sunday homework. Your training record book has enough official company already. For a simple approach, see our cadet notebook guide.

7. You do not have to handle a difficult day alone

Feeling homesick can happen at different stages of a sea career, not only on a first trip. Staying connected with people at home and getting to know colleagues are practical options — not a demand to “cheer up”.

If things feel difficult, speak to someone you trust onboard: a fellow cadet, a colleague, your supervisor or the designated welfare contact. You do not need a perfectly prepared explanation. “I am finding things difficult and could use a conversation” is a useful start.

If the distress persists, feels overwhelming or affects your sleep, daily functioning or ability to work safely, seek appropriate support promptly through the ship’s welfare or medical arrangements. You do not need to wait until it becomes a crisis. If you feel unsafe or unable to carry out a task safely, tell the responsible officer immediately.

A small word to the experienced crew

If you see a new cadet sitting quietly, an invitation to coffee can mean a lot. No interrogation, no jokes at their expense and no “we had it worse” competition. Offer a seat, listen and respect their choice if they need some quiet.

You remember your first voyage. They are living theirs.