With the Omicron coronavirus variant leading governments close borders, shipowners, seafarers’ unions and maritime employer groups are responding. They are establishing their own approved international network of quarantine facilities to ensure seafarers
Yarden Gross, CEO and co-founder of Orca AI, explains how automation can help tackle the staff shortages and relieve the ongoing backlogs. The last few months has seen consumer goods soar in
By Ian Boyd, Group Sales Director – Shipping, GAC Group Conditions for crew changes around the world have improved in the last six months, but only incrementally, and the limited availability of
New national lockdowns, an increase in flight cancelations, travel restrictions, and increasingly strict crew change requirements, especially in Asia, are preventing seafarers from going back home after completing their contracts. This is
The crew change crisis could be followed by a crew retention crisis. Though the latest Seafarers Happiness Index report contains more evidence that significant numbers of seafarers are likely to leave the
The Global Maritime Forum says that data provided by leading ship managers indicates that only 15.3% of seafarers have received COVID-19 vaccinations and that the crew change crisis continues to get worse.
As the COVID-19 outbreak in India starts to threaten neighboring countries, Singapore has extended its prohibition on crew change ban on crews with a recent travel history to India. A Port Marine
New variants of COVID-19 have brought stricter border control and travel restrictions that threaten to sharply increase the number of seafarers affected by the crew change crisis. The International Chamber of Shipping
In a worldwide call to action to end the unprecedented crew change deadlock caused by COVID-19, over 300 companies and organizations have joined forces to help resolve what has become a humanitarian
The UK P&I Club has launched “Global Crew Change Advice,” a comprehensive manual that outlines current challenges and issues regarding crew changes in ports throughout the world. The UK Club worked with
