A lot has been said about crew accommodation over the past few years. It is one of the main issues seafarers are having in their daily lives.
Ship Owners are cutting back on the size of the Crew accommodation due to the fact that Crew accommodation is counted towards the GRT of a ship & incurs the relevant port & Canal charges etc. They cannot reduce the Cargo / Passenger Space as this is profit / bottom line so the Crew areas are fair game. Hence year upon year crew space is becoming more of a premium.
Whilst seafarers are at sea working, they do also need down time, to recharge & ensure they are well rested to enable them to effectively keep their watch. This doesn’t just include sleep, it also includes social interaction. The lack of social areas within a ship are having a negative effect on moral, which in turn affects efficiency & even safety onboard. This also leads on to retention & recruitment issues. All this at a time of manning crisis throughout the shipping industry.
A happy ship is a competent & safe ship…..a safe ship is a profitable ship. So really isn’t in the Companies & seafarers interests to have decent recreation & accommodation onboard?
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