Seafarer Happiness Under Pressure Due to Workload and Wages

The Seafarer Happiness Index continues to slip, reports The Mission to Seafarers, not only due to the shocks from the war in the Persian Gulf but also from persistent issues that are steadily eroding crew morale. After seeing an upward trend, the index has slipped over the past two quarters, with the organizers of the survey highlighting issues ranging from workload and lack of time ashore to the financial pressures coming from perceptions of stagnant real-wage buying power.

The overall Happinex Index fell to 6.87 (out of a scale of 10) during the second quarter. It was 7.18 in the first quarter and 7.26 in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The decline confirms that the hoped-for recovery after a challenging start to the year has failed to take hold, says the Mission to Seafarers. The report highlights that the industry is in a transition, which it calls “from acute shock to chronic strain.”

“Seafarers are extraordinarily resilient, but we must not mistake resilience for unlimited capacity; endurance is not the same as well-being. The fundamentals that crews are asking for are strikingly basic: enough rest to recover, connectivity to sustain family life, quality food, and pay that justifies the sacrifice,” says Ben Bailey, Director of Programme, The Mission to Seafarers.

Time ashore continues to be one of the most persistent issues. Shore leave scores fell this quarter to 5.72, the lowest by a significant margin, with time ashore increasingly sacrificed to intense schedules, short port stays, and restrictions on port and terminal access. Further, the report highlights that workload management scored 6.20, amid a relentless cycle of six-on, six-off watchkeeping, rapid turnarounds, heavy paperwork, and inspections, with rest hours, most alarmingly, recorded “just for authorities and filing.”

The report also frames a deepening recruitment and retention challenge, with pay increasingly judged against the total life package available ashore rather than historical maritime wages. The sponsors and The Mission to Seafarers warn of the dangers as the industry continues to face declining numbers and difficulties attracting new workers at all levels.

On the positive side, seafarers are giving high scores to crew interactions (7.49) and connectivity (7.46), showing, according to the report, that seafarers continue to draw strength from crew relationships and from staying connected with family. The report says that where companies get it right, the best operators respect sign-off dates, ensure timely reliefs, offer merit-based promotions, and maintain modern tonnage.

The Mission to Seafarers has been overseeing the surveys of seafarers for the index for the past 11 years and continues its collaboration with Idwal, the global provider of independent vessel inspections. The reports are published quarterly and are available online.