Alexandra and Maria Busuioc,Romania & Italia.

We are twin sisters and our relationship is very strong, we always say that we are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep. We have never been on the same ship but every two weeks our ships met in Miami and the time we spend together was awesome.

What we enjoy about our job is travelling around the world, waking up every day in a different place with different people and experiences. But there is nothing better than performing some maneuvers. Both of us did one in Miami and these moments for us will be unforgettable, we hope we will perform more maneuvers soon.

One of the most challenging experiences was the step between the cadet rank and the 3rd officer. It is a very tough exam but we studied very hard and we did it. We are the first in our family to do this job and we are very proud to continue in our careers.

IMO in the past few years has done a lot to address gender equality in the maritime industry, and the navigation companies and as well all the maritime industries nowadays are hiring more women

To future female seafarers study a lot because if you are knowledgeable no one will be able to stop on your path.

Alexandra and Maria are both 3rd Officers