Hi Final,
long time, no see. If you have managed to secure a deck cadetship you must have done well in your exams, so - well done. My sister tried to get a deck cadetship on North Sea Ferries and they are as difficult to get into as flying cadetships. There must have been something about it that made you want to do it. Life often drags you off down a side road and you find you like it even better than you think - I was all set to be a vet until I got sidetracked. I would echo the advice which says you aren't going to see many flying jobs in the next few years, and life isn't one big race to see how fast you can get there. If you want to get into flying because of the big machines and seeing the world, then the Mercant Navy will certainly give you that. The only thing you won;t get are the views
. The other thing is the world, and in particular, the aviation world has changed since Sept 11th. You will certainly get a much better social vibe on a ship than in a cockpit.