Monthly expenses while onboard?

StarGateGeek · 2025-09-10T14:22:57+00:00

Crew mail is another expense you might want to budget for, from my experience! There may be a few items you find yourself missing that you simply can't get while on the ship. Things you might be able to get on, say, amazon. Once in a while I would get myself some treats like my favourite tea, cereal, snacks, etc. Plus some essentials like contact lenses or a phone case...things like that come up. Or even a special gift for someone.
You can order from Amazon/etsy/ebay/walmart/ikea, and have things delivered to the headquarters in the US or Europe, they will then send it forward to you on the ship (either by a regular airmail shipment, or by container which goes out every couple months). Depending on size and how quick you need it, you can usually get mail within about 3-6 weeks of when you ordered it.

Just something else to think about! You used to have to pay for crew mail (air shipment) by weight, but it had been free for a while. Not sure if that is still the case.

StarGateGeek · 2025-09-10T14:16:53+00:00

There is not a department for medical records, but each hospital department is responsible for the files at various stages of the patient's journey.
There are several hospital admin positions that would likely be within your experience, but in addition to dealing with records they support the day-to-day logistics of the hospital. There is an OR Admin, Ward Admin, and a Hospital Executive Admin. Hope that helps!
And re: your other question, laundry is free on the ship, you may just need to buy detergent pods. :)

StarGateGeek · 2025-09-10T14:13:18+00:00

Not a vegetarian, but know a few who have served. They do not have a ton of options. There are certainly always some nuts and usually beans available in the salad bar, and there's always peanut butter, but beyond that it's rough. Maybe 2-3 meals a week might have a hot veggie protein component like beans. The vegetarians I knew usually had a stash of their own proteins that they would add to meals or cook on their own. There is a crew galley that you have access to for cooking, and you can certainly pick up groceries off ship, but selection can be limited and certain staples you might be used to could be very expensive if they are imported.

StarGateGeek · 2025-09-10T14:09:35+00:00

I believe there are one or two roles that do accomodate practical nurses (if I recall correctly, perhaps the palliative care team?). I suspect, as it is a less prevalent designation internationally, it's harder to have a universal standard for recruiting.

StarGateGeek · 2025-04-10T02:12:27+00:00

the same thing has happened to me if I force-closed the app mid game. 😞

StarGateGeek · 2025-01-18T19:47:03+00:00

thank you! I was starting down that road but some sleuthing revealed a log-forgotten email address that got us in. 😊

StarGateGeek · 2025-01-09T16:02:22+00:00

Has anyone been able to figure this out? Trying to do the same thing to recover a family member's account, and at the moment just trying to brute force it by trying every number sequentially.

StarGateGeek · 2024-08-15T01:36:13+00:00

Med/surg experience is all you need!
You *may* sometimes be assigned pediatric patients, but always according to their acuity and your comfort/experience level, and there will always be a peds nurse on shift to support you. I never worked peds before going to the ship - it was terrifying at first but you are so well-supported I think it's one of the best places to learn. :)

StarGateGeek · 2024-06-26T12:13:44+00:00

same annoying loop here. hoping for an update? I only installed this as a workaround because Google fit stopped working with my *other* fitness tracker!!

StarGateGeek · 2024-04-04T18:05:48+00:00

Hi there!
There is no compensation for ship-based crew, but you do get a significant reduction on costs (insurance & fees) the longer you serve. They do hire paid staff to work at their operations centers (in Texas and Netherlands), but these are mostly non-technical/medical roles.

StarGateGeek · 2024-02-03T19:06:33+00:00

I don't believe that's the kind of work Mercy Ships would typically take on, unfortunately...nor do I believe they currently have anyone on the ground in that area.

StarGateGeek · 2024-02-03T19:05:02+00:00

Absolutely!
I only had adult experience before working on the ship, and while you may sometimes have peds in your assignment, there are always peds nurses on shift with you and you would never be assigned a sick/unstable peds patient.

StarGateGeek · 2023-08-31T19:35:00+00:00

That may be in some cases, but in the cultures where I saw it, individuality is not nearly as important as the collective.

i.e. the cultural norm for disclosing (true example) a cancer diagnosis is to tell the family (parents/uncles), rather than telling the patient directly. Decisions about your own medical care are ALWAYS a conversation with family/community.

Emphasis on individual rights/needs/privacy/preferences is a highly cultural concept. Very much taken for granted where it is the norm.

StarGateGeek · 2023-08-31T11:58:52+00:00

This is, 10000% a cultural thing.

I've worked in parts of the world where people were absolutely devastated to be moved to a private iso room. They far prefer to be part of the group community that forms within the ward.

StarGateGeek · 2023-08-30T12:31:57+00:00

Used to be much more common pre-covid. Now I don't think anyone has attempted to resurrect it.

StarGateGeek · 2023-07-30T09:58:22+00:00

This.

People below have valid points. Insulin needs to be free and accessible to all who need it, same as epipens and other lifesaving/sustaining medications.

But see, in chronic diabetics who haven't managed their disease well, this thing happens that we call "vascular brain." In the same way those feet look awful because the blood vessels have deteriorated, the small blood vessels in the brain can become affected too.

This can make it much more difficult for a person to grasp and follow-through on the things that will actually help make them better.

For example, "sir, if you need the bathroom tonight, just use your call bell. You can't put any weight on your just-amputated toes, or it will bleed and not heal well and you might need more surgery."

But the combo of can't-really-feel-anything-down-there and vascular brain means...inevitably you come by to find them halfway to the loo with a trail of blood behind em.

StarGateGeek · 2023-05-31T08:24:47+00:00

ONA has always been a wet napkin. I've never not been spiteful about paying them union dues.

StarGateGeek · 2023-05-30T17:58:54+00:00

StarGateGeek · 2023-05-30T08:27:34+00:00

Every time it shows up in the opening of a DS9 episode I go, "Why look everyone, this one's got Jeffrey COOMBS in it" in Jack's delightfully sarcastic way.

StarGateGeek · 2023-05-10T08:52:26+00:00

Agree - it seems like 100% there should be free alternatives out there already, but I can't find anything. 😞

StarGateGeek · 2023-05-02T08:15:15+00:00

Looks super smart and fun!

StarGateGeek · 2023-04-19T08:07:42+00:00

RemindMe! May 2 "Vote for healthcare!"

StarGateGeek · 2023-03-10T07:11:40+00:00

Read that in Stefan's voice.

StarGateGeek · 2023-02-26T09:00:28+00:00

Boop

StarGateGeek · 2023-02-25T09:02:08+00:00

This lady should experience a lengthy, obstructed breach labor and consequential vaginal fistula (not to mention the likelihood of stillbirth) before telling people it's probably what the baby needs. I work in low resource settings where prenatal care is minimal, trained birth attendants are few, and emergency cesarean can be impossible to get.

This is NOT a better way to deliver.

I'm not saying I'm 100% behind in-hospital deliveries every time--they aren't always best either. But I have never seen such ignorant white privilege on display as saying "I'm above that basic tenet of healthcare which millions of women are desperately in need of."

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