Crew comfort

Efficient and cost-effective crew management requires precision timing, comprehensive planning and strong partnerships. Above all, it requires the ability to seamlessly meet both the plethora of local and national requirements and the demands of global businesses. But when it comes to crew travel and crew rotation management, It is the interface with the port that is important.

Standards and requirements can vary wildly from country to country, sometimes from port to port, and between private and state-run sea and airports. Some port services seem to operate on a discretionary basis, and that can lead to significant disruption and delays for crew changeovers and the provision of other services and supplies. Others, however, are run in accordance with strict rules and requirements and have access to a wide range of on-site facilities.

The main challenge in effective crew rotation management lies in engagement with the relevant authorities and local ship agents. Each port presents its own challenges, but it’s the role of the ship agent to traverse them. But just as ports have different standards and operational procedures, so too do ship agents – and that can make the safe and efficient transportation of crew tricky for stand-alone maritime travel agents.

The fragmented nature of traditional crew travel services is especially apparent in port, hence the need for a unified single travel solution catering specifically to the maritime and offshore sectors with the ability to handle other husbandry matters (cash to master deliveries, ships spares and local service provider coordination etc).

Standardised ‘door-to-deck’ crew travel at any port of call can generate considerable efficiency and cost savings, in line with ship operators’ overall business and operational strategy.

Many of the issues are tackled by having a single contact arrange flights and last mile services from airport to deck, and vice versa, and services being billed on a single invoice. Integrated crew handling – including meet and greet, hotel bookings, shore passes, crew welfare services (including medical), mail delivery and the provision of pre-paid calling cards – gives owners and operators the assurance that they have exercised their full duty of care.

Many seaports have poor connections to local and regional airports, and travel can be unpredictable. Owners and operators need to be able to monitor their crew movements against their planned rotation; from the moment that they leave home to the minute they step on deck. And travel agencies serving today’s maritime market need to blend in-depth local knowledge of the workings of each port, including visa and safety requirements, with a clear understanding of what vessels and their crew need when in port and a clear insight into global travel policies.

By integrating travel services with ship agency and being aware of the port interface, a single travel solution can reduce shippers’ operational expenditure across the board and improve port throughflow.

Christer Sjödoff is group vice president for GAC Solutions. GAC is a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services. For more information go to www.gac.com.