{"id":15732,"date":"2024-10-11T18:59:06","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T21:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/?page_id=15732"},"modified":"2025-04-10T19:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T22:47:30","slug":"seamans-book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/selection-process\/seamans-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Seamans Book"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Seaman's Book<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Seaman\u2019s Book is an official document used to record a seafarer\u2019s experience over the years, including their rank progression. It was standardized in 1978 though there\u2019s some controversy about the actual date, especially when referring to MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) standards. Before that, countries had their own systems for tracking seafarers\u2019 service, and to this day, many still do or have never had one at all.<\/p>

So, why keep a record? In many countries (like the Philippines) it\u2019s required to prove you\u2019ve worked on board vessels or cruise ships. Some countries also use it to determine eligibility for paying taxes, receiving government benefits, or accessing seafarer rights. It\u2019s a very, very, very<\/i> complex topic, and not all countries operate the same way. If you\u2019ve talked to people from different backgrounds on board, you might\u2019ve already noticed how uncommon or inconsistent this can be.<\/p>

Now, if you\u2019re a cadet<\/strong><\/span> (Engineering, Deck, Maritime), this record becomes essential<\/span><\/strong>. You need to prove the amount of time you\u2019ve spent in training in order to move up in rank. You can\u2019t just claim you\u2019ve been a Third Engineer for ten years, you have to show proof of it<\/i>. That\u2019s where the Seaman\u2019s Book comes in.<\/p>

Why do we say it\u2019s only one way<\/i> of proving experience? Because cruise lines don\u2019t actually provide Seaman\u2019s Books. These are issued by the country whose flag the ship is registered under, commonly Panama, Malta or the Bahamas. You can also apply for a Seaman\u2019s Book from your own country, but this varies. For example, in Brazil, the military navy is the only issuer, and it\u2019s only available to those in official seafarer training programs (Deck, Engine, Maritime). Getting one there requires enrolling into active service, taking a course, passing an exam, and waiting a few weeks to be certified.<\/p>

So what\u2019s the other way<\/i> of proving sea time? That would be a Certificate of Discharge<\/b><\/span>. These are a lot more accessible and basically anyone can get one, and many companies issue them by default. For instance, Carnival provides one when you sign off, and on NCL, you can request it through the HR department. Yachting companies and private vessels often issue them as well since they\u2019re a key part of documenting a maritime career.<\/p>

We hope this helps clarify that the Seaman\u2019s Book is simply a formal log of your time and experience at sea. Nothing more, nothing less.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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OK, now that you\u2019ve learned about the Seaman\u2019s Book and the principle<\/i> behind it as recording your work, rank, salary, and time on board. Here are the actual benefits that come from having one:<\/p>

As already mentioned, you must<\/span> have a Seaman\u2019s Book to officially record your employment if you\u2019re from a country where that system exists<\/span> in the first place. It\u2019s often necessary to access government benefits, pension plans, and even healthcare options for seafarers.<\/p>

Again, as mentioned earlier, you must<\/span> have one if you\u2019re a Cruise Ship Engineer<\/span>, Deck<\/span>, or Maritime professional<\/span>, or if you work on yachts<\/span> or cargo vessels<\/span>. It\u2019s part of the essential paperwork for promotions, training requirements, and proving your sea time in these roles.<\/p>

A Seaman\u2019s Book can sometimes make you eligible to enter certain ports without a visa<\/span>, as long as those countries are part of the MLC (Maritime Labour Convention). For example, some nationalities may need it to visit countries like Russia<\/span>, Ireland<\/span>, Japan<\/span>, or most commonly, the Schengen Zone<\/span>. But don\u2019t get us wrong: it\u2019s not a blanket rule<\/span>. Some nationalities (like Brazilians, just as an example) can enter these places even without<\/span> a visa or without needing a Seaman\u2019s Book. It all depends on your passport, visa agreements, and the local immigration rules. To be fair, we\u2019re not experts in international law, so don\u2019t rely solely on this. Check with your embassy or consulate for accurate info.<\/p>

Believe it or not, that\u2019s it<\/span>. Those are the real benefits tied to a Seaman\u2019s Book and the actual legal use of it.<\/p>

If someone tells you that having a Seaman\u2019s Book will make it easier to get hired or will speed up your job applications\u2014well, that\u2019s not backed by law<\/span>. It might seem<\/i> that way in practice for certain positions, but officially, there\u2019s no legal mention that having one gives you any hiring advantage.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"What about the extra luggage allowance?\"<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Well, that\u2019s not part of the Seaman\u2019s Book<\/strong><\/span>. And as probably heard it so often, people abused it so much that airlines started to get angry and deny it. You can hate us for this, but at least take in consideration that when they created this rule, they were not talking about cruise ship crew, but seafarers in general. Think about your fellow crew greasing engines right now somewhere on the coast of Thailand, or a Refrigeration Engineer working against time, keeping the products cool on board a cargo vessel, shipping your favorite flavor of ice cream.<\/p>

Maritime Labor Convention (2006) added a paragraph that didn\u2019t existed before. It is about the rights of seafarers, having or not a seaman\u2019s book<\/span><\/strong>. One of them, is under Guideline B2.5.1, 1.A and 3.D. \u201ctransportation of 30 kg of the seafarers\u2019 personal luggage to the repatriation destination<\/span><\/strong>\u201d. That\u2019s the only mention to luggage allowance on MLC, and we truly believe that\u2019s when the rumors about crew being able to carry excess luggage without being charged unfortunately started.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lastly, we want to point out that crew members from different nationalities often have different rights and travel conditions. Likewise, airlines have varying baggage allowances depending on the route, country of origin, and even the ticket class.\u00a0For example, Argentinians flying on most airlines<\/span> are typically allowed 2 checked bags of 23 kg each<\/span>, plus a carry-on of up to 10 kg<\/span>, and a personal item<\/span> with no official weight limit (as long as it fits under the seat). That\u2019s approximately 56 kg of luggage<\/span> that cannot be charged, which is quite generous.<\/p>

This is such a broad and complex topic that we could go on forever discussing all the different scenarios based on nationality, airline, and destination, and still not reach a solid conclusion.<\/p>

What\u2019s <\/span>important to highlight is this:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Having a Seaman\u2019s Book does not entitle you to extra luggage or weight allowances<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>

It does not automatically give you any baggage benefits beyond what your airline already stipulates<\/span><\/strong>. This is a common misconception<\/span> that continues to be shared across crew communities, and it\u2019s simply not true<\/span>.<\/p>

That\u2019s exactly why we created this website, to share the most accurate and truthful information<\/span> possible, and to support you throughout your journey working on board.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"What about the Seaman's Book of rights\"<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Every issuing country has its own version of the Seaman\u2019s Book\u2014there is no global standard or format. And let\u2019s be clear: there are no universal \u201crights\u201d attached to having one.\u00a0<\/span>If you\u2019re not satisfied with the content we\u2019ve taken the time to research and present with accurate, verified information specifically for you, we invite you to refer directly to the Standard A2.1, paragraph 1(e)<\/span> of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC):<\/p>

\u201cMLC requires seafarers to be given a document containing a record of their employment on board the ship. The MLC, 2006 does not define or have a specific model for this document.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>

In other words, <\/span>the only document that cruise lines and yachts are legally required to issue is the Certificate of Discharge<\/span><\/strong>. The Seaman\u2019s Book, while useful for certain national procedures or career progression (especially for Deck, Engine, and Maritime ranks), is <\/span>not an international requirement under MLC for cruise or yacht crew.<\/p>

This is a highly misunderstood topic, and as always, we\u2019re committed to cutting through the confusion and giving you the most honest, fact-based information available.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Want to learn more?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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MLC 2006:
<\/strong>https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/dyn\/normlex\/en\/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:92:0::::P92_SECTION:MLC_A2<\/a><\/p>

FAQ:
<\/strong>https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/\u2014ed_norm\/\u2014normes\/documents\/publication\/wcms_237451.pdf<\/a><\/p>

Review of labor:
<\/strong>https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/\u2014ed_norm\/\u2014normes\/documents\/meetingdocument\/wcms_631581.pdf<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Share this article with that one friend that insists that he can take his whole house with him because he has a Seaman's Book!<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Seaman’s Book The Seaman\u2019s Book is an official document used to record a seafarer\u2019s experience over the years, including their rank progression. It was standardized in 1978 though there\u2019s some controversy about the actual date, especially when referring to MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) standards. Before that, countries had their own systems for tracking seafarers\u2019 service, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":12444,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15732","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15732"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17959,"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15732\/revisions\/17959"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiplife.org\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}