Professionals are merchant seaman, merchant sailor, and merchant mariner, or simply seaman, sailor, or mariner.

Two additional sea projects are spent aboard commercial ships to best prepare cadets for the real life occupation of a merchant mariner.

Merchant mariners are held in high esteem as a result of their extraordinary losses in times of war.

In addition, non-combatants, such as merchant mariners and civilian aircrews, have been imprisoned in some conflicts.

Also, many merchant mariners would make do with a deck chronometer at half the price.