winstonsmith - no flexibility on Eurofleet. Everyone works to the agreement, both crew and scheduling! No favours asked nor given. Its fairer that way so to imply we have a choice is incorrect. We could wish to keep GVA or lose MAN but it is just that - a wish, a pipe-dream.
Really? Sorry for sounding insolent - which is not my intent - but if you are suggesting that it's not happening you really don't know what's going on. It's actually more common than you, and possibly others, think. Maybe OPS can't always keep them on the trip for different reasons but the fact remains that some crew can be very flexible and completely ignore the agreements for their own interests - and sometimes when there's a high paying trip on the line.
Again winstonsmith, I have to correct you. All our promotion is done on merit; if you don't pass the rigorous selection process, (screening of Ops file, written application and essay, interview, presentation and role-play), you don't get the job. The nod to seniority is the qualification to apply which varies from campaign to campaign and fleet to fleet. On Eurofleet the last Purser campaign was open to crew with minimum 4 years experience so many post 1997 crew applied and were selected. Once you are a Purser you are immediately eligible to apply for CSD provided you merit it.
You still need enough seniority to be eligible to apply and be accepted to undergo the selection process. When mentioning 1997 crew I was referring to those recruited straight into WW. On EF there was a minimum of 4 years you say - EF is a "fairly" junior fleet compared to WW. 4 years on WW wouldn't get you anywhere.