From the bridge to the galley, this is for all crew.
Deck or engine, galley or guest services, stage or spa, first contract or tenth: every crew member has a contract, a payslip and a life on board worth looking after. Pick your department for the records worth keeping and where to go next.
One contract, four stages
From sign-on to sign-off
Whatever your department, the same four moments matter. One small habit at each stage saves a lot of trouble later.
1
Before you join
Check the employer, the application route and what you are signing.
Practical habits, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your contract, the ship’s flag and the law that covers your work. When something has gone wrong, get help early.
Deck
The bridge and the open deck
Officers, cadets, bosuns, able seafarers, ordinary seafarers and deck ratings.
You keep the ship moving and everyone on it safe, from watchkeeping on the bridge to mooring lines at 0600. Long watches and port days can blur together, so your records do the remembering for you.
Worth keeping
Your own note of work and rest hours, especially around port arrivals, drills and stand-by.
Copies of certificates and endorsements, with expiry dates in your phone calendar.
Sea-service records and discharge book entries, checked before you sign off.
Engineers, electro-technical officers, motormen, oilers, wipers, fitters and technical crew.
Hot, loud and essential. Unplanned call-outs and alarms at 0300 are part of the job, which is exactly why a quick personal log of hours worked pays off later.
Worth keeping
A note of call-outs and unscheduled work outside your normal watch.
Sea-time and watchkeeping records you may need for your next certificate.
Any injury or exposure on the job, written down the same day, even if it seems minor.
Stateroom and cabin stewards, housekeeping, laundry, front desk, guest services, shore excursions and pursers.
Turnaround day, thousands of guests and a smile the whole time. Hotel crew often have pay made up of several parts, so knowing how each part is worked out is worth more than any tip.
Worth keeping
Every payslip, and a short note of anything you did not understand on it.
A written explanation of how any service charge, gratuity or bonus is calculated.
Any deductions for uniforms, laundry, phone cards or advances, with the date agreed.
Split shifts, double sittings and a galley that never really sleeps. Busy service days are where rest hours and pay questions usually start, so keep it simple and write it down.
Worth keeping
Your actual start and finish times on long service days, not only the planned rota.
How tips, service charge or pooled gratuities are shared, in writing if possible.
Burns, cuts, slips or strain injuries, reported and noted with the date and time.
Singers, dancers, musicians, production and technical crew, cruise and activity staff, hosts and youth staff.
Rehearsals, two shows a night and a quiz at 1400. Entertainers are sometimes engaged through an agency or production company, so the first question is simple: who exactly is your employer?
Worth keeping
The name of the company on your contract, and whether that is the ship operator or an agency.
Rehearsal and performance hours, which can be easy to forget once the show opens.
Any performance injury, with the treatment you received and who you reported it to.
Spa therapists, fitness instructors, hair and beauty, shop staff, photographers, art and casino teams.
Many of these roles are run by a concession company rather than the ship operator. Same ship, same crew bar, but possibly a different employer, different contract and different support contacts.
Worth keeping
Which company employs you, and who to contact on board and ashore if something goes wrong.
How any commission, sales target or bonus is calculated, explained in writing.
Copies of the agreement you signed, kept somewhere you can reach off the ship.
Ship doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical support staff.
You care for guests and crew alike, often as a very small team far from shore. Your own fatigue and wellbeing matter too, and so do the professional questions you ask before you join.
Worth keeping
Who employs you, and what your professional registration and indemnity arrangements are.
Your own work and rest hours, including nights on call.
Copies of your licence, registration and training records, with renewal dates noted.
Cadets, trainees, apprentices and anyone joining a ship for the first time, in any department.
New ship, new faces, new acronyms. Everyone was a first-timer once. Start from official routes, never pay a stranger to “guarantee” a job, and keep copies of everything before you fly.
Worth keeping
The official careers page or authorised hiring partner you applied through.
Copies of your passport, visa, medical certificate and training certificates.
Your contract, a joining letter and the name of a real contact who can confirm it.
New ship, new language. Here are some everyday terms in plain English. Usage can vary between companies and vessels, so ask if you are unsure; nobody minds.
Sign-on
The day you officially join the ship and your contract period starts on board. Before you join (Sign-on)
Sign-off
The day you officially leave the ship at the end of a contract or for another reason.
SEA
Seafarer employment agreement: your employment contract for work at sea. Contract questions (SEA)
Muster
Gathering at your assigned station for an emergency or a drill. Know yours on day one.
Watch
A set period of duty, common in deck and engine departments.
Turnaround day
The day one cruise ends and the next begins. Usually the busiest day of the week.
Crew mess
Where crew eat. Often the best place to hear how things really work on board.
Allotment
Part of your pay sent home regularly, for example to family. Check how it appears on your payslip. Pay record organiser (Allotment)
Repatriation
Your journey home at the end of a contract or in other circumstances. Check who arranges and pays for it. Ask before you sign (Repatriation)
Pick an answer to see a short explanation. There is no score and nothing is recorded. It is practice for good habits, not a test of your rights.
Look after the crew member, not just the contract.
Long months away, little sleep and patchy Wi-Fi are hard on anyone, whichever department you work in. Talking to someone early is a strength, not a weakness. Seafarer welfare organisations offer confidential support to crew and families.
