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Seaman's Book
The Seaman’s Book is an official document used to record a seafarer’s experience over the years, including their rank progression. It was standardized in 1978 though there’s 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’ service, and to this day, many still do or have never had one at all.
So, why keep a record? In many countries (like the Philippines) it’s required to prove you’ve 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’s a very, very, very complex topic, and not all countries operate the same way. If you’ve talked to people from different backgrounds on board, you might’ve already noticed how uncommon or inconsistent this can be.
Now, if you’re a cadet (Engineering, Deck, Maritime), this record becomes essential. You need to prove the amount of time you’ve spent in training in order to move up in rank. You can’t just claim you’ve been a Third Engineer for ten years, you have to show proof of it. That’s where the Seaman’s Book comes in.
Why do we say it’s only one way of proving experience? Because cruise lines don’t actually provide Seaman’s 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’s Book from your own country, but this varies. For example, in Brazil, the military navy is the only issuer, and it’s 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.
So what’s the other way of proving sea time? That would be a Certificate of Discharge. 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’re a key part of documenting a maritime career.
We hope this helps clarify that the Seaman’s Book is simply a formal log of your time and experience at sea. Nothing more, nothing less.
OK, now that you’ve learned about the Seaman’s Book and the principle behind it as recording your work, rank, salary, and time on board. Here are the actual benefits that come from having one:
As already mentioned, you must have a Seaman’s Book to officially record your employment if you’re from a country where that system exists in the first place. It’s often necessary to access government benefits, pension plans, and even healthcare options for seafarers.
Again, as mentioned earlier, you must have one if you’re a Cruise Ship Engineer, Deck, or Maritime professional, or if you work on yachts or cargo vessels. It’s part of the essential paperwork for promotions, training requirements, and proving your sea time in these roles.
A Seaman’s Book can sometimes make you eligible to enter certain ports without a visa, 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, Ireland, Japan, or most commonly, the Schengen Zone. But don’t get us wrong: it’s not a blanket rule. Some nationalities (like Brazilians, just as an example) can enter these places even without a visa or without needing a Seaman’s Book. It all depends on your passport, visa agreements, and the local immigration rules. To be fair, we’re not experts in international law, so don’t rely solely on this. Check with your embassy or consulate for accurate info.
Believe it or not, that’s it. Those are the real benefits tied to a Seaman’s Book and the actual legal use of it.
If someone tells you that having a Seaman’s Book will make it easier to get hired or will speed up your job applications—well, that’s not backed by law. It might seem that way in practice for certain positions, but officially, there’s no legal mention that having one gives you any hiring advantage.
"What about the extra luggage allowance?"
Well, that’s not part of the Seaman’s Book. 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.
Maritime Labor Convention (2006) added a paragraph that didn’t existed before. It is about the rights of seafarers, having or not a seaman’s book. One of them, is under Guideline B2.5.1, 1.A and 3.D. “transportation of 30 kg of the seafarers’ personal luggage to the repatriation destination”. That’s the only mention to luggage allowance on MLC, and we truly believe that’s when the rumors about crew being able to carry excess luggage without being charged unfortunately started.
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. For example, Argentinians flying on most airlines are typically allowed 2 checked bags of 23 kg each, plus a carry-on of up to 10 kg, and a personal item with no official weight limit (as long as it fits under the seat). That’s approximately 56 kg of luggage that cannot be charged, which is quite generous.
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.
What’s important to highlight is this:
Having a Seaman’s Book does not entitle you to extra luggage or weight allowances.
It does not automatically give you any baggage benefits beyond what your airline already stipulates. This is a common misconception that continues to be shared across crew communities, and it’s simply not true.
That’s exactly why we created this website, to share the most accurate and truthful information possible, and to support you throughout your journey working on board.
"What about the Seaman's Book of rights"
Every issuing country has its own version of the Seaman’s Book—there is no global standard or format. And let’s be clear: there are no universal “rights” attached to having one. If you’re not satisfied with the content we’ve 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) of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC):
“MLC 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.”
In other words, the only document that cruise lines and yachts are legally required to issue is the Certificate of Discharge. The Seaman’s Book, while useful for certain national procedures or career progression (especially for Deck, Engine, and Maritime ranks), is not an international requirement under MLC for cruise or yacht crew.
This is a highly misunderstood topic, and as always, we’re committed to cutting through the confusion and giving you the most honest, fact-based information available.