Taking a steam together part of egalitarian Scandinavian culture
North American employers of choice are notorious for their beer carts and foosball tables, but for sailors serving on a Swedish warship, saunas, massages and fresh-baked bread are the perks of choice.
During off-duty hours on the Carlskrona, the flagship of the European Union's force to hunt Somali pirates, the sauna is the heart of socializing for Spanish, German, Norwegian and Swedish officers.
Women make up about 20 per cent of the sailors on the Carlskrona. The saunas are used by both men and women and all living quarters and bathrooms are unisex.
Taking a steam together, where everyone is in little or no clothing, is an essential way of getting to know someone and part of an egalitarian Scandinavian culture, according to a sailor in the Finnish navy.
There are also two nurses onboard the Carlskrona who give sailors massages between watches to help them relax.
The kitchen staff, or galley crew in navy-speak, will sometimes prepare a surprise formal dinner in the middle of the night for the late watch. And bakers make at least four different types of fresh bread every day.
In the evenings, off-duty sailors can unwind with a film.
