Hi Daze. How are You?
We have that in common. My dad was a pastry chef on passenger liners for a time. in the fifties and early sixties. Like with your Dad, it suited him.
In the States this is an area of work with very strong unions. (Or they used to be.) There was lots of job security (seniority) and excellent pay.
Not everybody has the temperament for it. The isolation, monotony, hard work and being away from home, but for some people it seems to be the perfect fit.
I think I would have loved it.
This life is often conducive to drug and alcohol use. That's something to consider. My own dad used both.
I don't know why I thought about it in relation to RN's son. But by putting it out there maybe it will apply to somebody's life.