Zwei Crewmitglieder stehen an Bord eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs im Hafen.

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Crew life: accommodation and leisure

For crew members, a ship is both a workplace and a home. Accommodation, recreation and contact with the outside world are part of the working and living conditions on board. The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) sets minimum standards, but specific facilities and occupancy arrangements are not determined solely by a ship’s name or a general rule.

Crew accommodation

The MLC requires adequate accommodation and recreational facilities for seafarers who work or live on board, as implemented under national law. This does not mean that every cruise ship must provide each crew member with a single cabin or a private bathroom. In its sixth edition of the MLC FAQ, published in 2026, the ILO explains that the general rule requiring individual sleeping rooms applies to ships outside the passenger-ship category; exceptions may also apply to certain smaller or special types of ship. The Convention does not impose a blanket requirement for private sanitary facilities for every person either. Requirements for the physical design and equipment of accommodation may also be implemented differently depending on the flag State and ship category.

Consequently, the MLC alone cannot establish how rooms are shared or what a cabin is equipped with in a particular employment situation. The FAQ describes minimum rules and exceptions, but not the accommodation plan for a specific employer or ship.

Leisure time between shifts

Recreation on board is distinct from working hours and from the facilities provided for crew members. The MLC treats adequate recreational facilities as part of living conditions; it is not possible to infer from this general requirement what a particular ship offers or when crew members can use it. The specific work carried out on board calls for different qualifications and documentation.

Social connectivity through internet access is addressed in the MLC. According to the ILO FAQ, shipping companies should provide access on board insofar as reasonably practicable; any charges must be reasonable. This does not create an unlimited right to free or unrestricted internet. Data allowances, connection speeds and specific access arrangements are not universal guarantees under the Convention.

Going ashore is a separate matter and is not the same as having free time on board. The current MLC principle provides for shore leave in the interests of health and well-being, insofar as the operational requirements of the position allow. The ILO’s 2026 FAQ gives 23 December 2027 as the expected entry-into-force date for the shore-leave amendments adopted in 2025; as of the FAQ’s publication, they should not yet be treated as amendments in force.

What should you ask about before starting?

The general minimum rules do not answer individual questions about room occupancy, private use of sanitary facilities, access to crew recreation areas or internet packages. Such conditions depend on the specific employer and ship. The International Labour Organization’s MLC FAQ, sixth edition, 2026 explains the international minimum standards, but does not replace information about a specific assignment.

Photo: Alesia Belaya