Raising the standard of seafarer port services

Ports play an important role in enabling seafarers to make the most of their limited opportunities to get ashore. Global Ports Report sat down with Jan Webber, director of development of The Mission to Seafarers, to find out where the friction points are for seafarers around shore leave and how ports can help improve crews’ experiences during calls.

Q: When it comes to time in port, what services/activities are most valued by seafarers?

 A: The most commonly requested services that we encounter are enduring, as our regular Seafarer Happiness Index surveys tell us. Seafarers are looking for access to WiFi and communications that are available at our seafarers’ centers which will enable them to speak to family and friends. They are often keen to go shopping; either in person or with the support of our volunteers who can do their shopping for them, which is often the case if they are unable to go ashore themselves. For example, more than 50,000 seafarers used our transport services in 2022.

 We have a presence in more than 200 ports and our port chaplains and ship visitors continue to be in demand, spending time with crew who welcome their pastoral, spiritual, and practical support. Finally, the simple but essential opportunity to be able to relax and socialise ashore with colleagues remains a vital service, and in 2022, we had nearly 70,000 visits to our centres.

Q: What challenges do seafarers face in accessing those services?

A: The faster turnaround time in port and more limited access to shore leave, coupled with administrative challenges, makes it far harder for seafarers to enjoy meaningful shore leave. The opportunity to leave the port and visit local towns or shops is often unavailable to them, and they then rely on the Mission volunteers to do shopping for them.

 ‘One of the measures we have recently introduced to help make the most of shore leave limitations is our ‘Happy at Sea’ app. This app is the world’s first ‘digital seafarer centre’, providing access to many services and facilities that were previously only available in port, such as the opportunity to speak with a chaplain. However, it also provides seafarers with advance details of the services we can provide in each of our 200 locations, so they have rapid access to our support and can pre-order ship visits, transport requests, shopping items, and more.’ 

Q: Has seafarer shore access improved post-pandemic?

A: Sadly, the pandemic measures have left a legacy of heavily restricted shore leave that persists to this day, without justification. While those restrictions were understandable during the pandemic, the burden continues to this day. Although this year we are seeing an improvement to shore leave access, this progress has been slow, post-pandemic. In some cases, there has been a reluctance to restore shore leave, which is so vital to their welfare needs, for so many reasons. This is unacceptable and we are actively campaigning for seafarers to have their access to shore leave fully restored.

Q: Are there particular geographic regions where seafarers report the most difficulty accessing shore time/services?

A: There are some regions where access to shore leave is more of a challenge, but restrictions can be encountered all over the world and are often influenced more by changing operational patterns. For example, we know that tankers and bulk carriers are typically in port for longer, compared to container ships. Certain nationalities sometimes face more restrictions. Fewer crew on board and faster turn-around times in port have also placed a squeeze on the time available for shore leave. Estimates vary, but over the past two decades, port turnarounds have been reduced from 18-36 hours to just eight in many cases. 

Q: Does MtS have any trouble accessing ports?

A: There are instances where ports have reservations about access for third parties, including understandable security concerns.

However, we have invested a great deal of time in building up close relationships with port operators, so they trust us and value the services that we deliver.

This is often driven by the one-to-one relationships built up on the ground between our local chaplains and volunteers, and their counterparts at the port.

We simply could not do our job without the support that we have from our port partners, and we are very grateful to them.’ 

Q: What improvements could ports make to improve the experience of seafarers during calls?

A: We need to remove the red tape that prevents seafarers from making the most of their limited time in port. Faster turnaround times for vessels are a fact of life, but much more can still be done to help seafarers make the most of the time they do have. This can include faster, easier access to shore, including the opportunity to travel beyond the confines of the port. We also welcome support from port operators and port authorities for the welfare services and facilities that we can provide. For example, in many locations, we can provide the vehicles and drivers that allow seafarers to travel from the port to local shops, but we need the port’s cooperation to ease the practical constraints on our transport services. 

Q: Are there any examples of ports investing in better facilities for seafarers?

A: Many ports are investing heavily in improving the facilities for seafarers, which is wonderful to see. For example, the port of Rotterdam is investing in a new / expanded seafarer centre that will help the port to keep pace with demand from seafarers for modern, well-equipped shoreside facilities and services.

Q: Does MtS collaborate with ports to improve seafarer treatment?

A: We collaborate very closely with port operators and port authorities. They are a vital ally and partner in what we do, spanning many of the leading port operators, such as DP World, as well as many smaller, independent ports. These are often based on longer-term agreements, including memorandums of understanding (MoUs), whereby we agree to collaborate on many different aspects of seafarer welfare services and support. For example, we recently signed an important MoU with the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, which promises to deliver significant enhancements to the delivery of welfare services to seafarers in the UAE.

Discover other interesting topics in the Global Ports Report 2024.