Don Pedro's - "Sometimes commercial cargo ships are also called "merchant ships", "merchant navy ships", or "commercial navy ships"; as deck officers can be called "navigators" or just "nautical" - the style is different in different parts of the world. Crew members except Officers and Engineers are sometimes called "ratings". "Deck hand" is an old expression still sometimes used ashore, the official term is nowadays "AB" ( Able Bodied seaman ). ... If you are completely new to ship work ( you have NEVER worked on a ship before ) get advice on how to get started on a seaman's career."