Singapore’s Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) revealed that seafarers will be housed on a PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH)-owned vessel to enable crew changes.

The MPA said crew who are unable to immediately connect with planes or vessels when signing on or off in its port will be required to stay on the vessel or at a city hotel.

Authorities will approve crew changes involving seafarers requiring long transits, subject to a booking in one of the two designated holding facilities.

The announcement was accompanied by a second stating that Singapore-registered ships would be given priority for crew change applications.

The 198-passenger offshore support and maintenance vessel POSH Bawean (built 2014) — owned by Robert Kuok's POSH — has been roped in to provide waterfront accommodation.

Seafarers will be provided with en-suite cabins and meals.

Hotel alternative

Crew may also stay at the Seacare Hotel located in the city centre. The 100-room venue will also provide meals. The hotel is affiliated with the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS).

The MPA did not specify the rates that each hostelry will charge, and recommended that companies looking to reserve accommodation for their crews contact POSH or the hotel directly.

SOS will be setting aside more than SGD1.5m ($1.07m) to help defray the cost of accommodation and meals for seafarers staying at the Seacare Hotel.

“Seacare, as a co-operative set up by a seafarers’ union, knows what it takes to look after the welfare of seafarers,” SOS president Kam Soon Huat said.

In addition, from 26 June shipmanagers and agents must arrange meet-and-greet services for sign-on crew arriving at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

They will also be able to escort crew from the moment they disembark the plane to the point where they are handed over to the agent for the direct transfer to the ship or designated holding facility.

Singapore recently began allowing sign-ons and sign-offs for seafarers whose contracts cannot be further extended after successful tests of a “safe corridor” that allows the process to be carried out in a manner that minimises potential health risks to the local population and the maritime community.

In addition, the Singapore permits crew changes on compassionate and medical grounds.

In a separate notice issued on Thursday, the MPA said that due to the large number of crew change requests it is receiving, it will prioritise applications involving Singapore-registered ships.

The authority also offered to act as an intermediary for owners and managers of Singapore-registered ships that want to conduct crew changes in foreign ports.

“The MPA is aware that Singapore-registered shipowners and managers may face difficulties in repatriating their seafarers at foreign ports. Where possible, the MPA will assist by contacting the relevant port authority/authorities to seek the authority/authorities’ consideration to allow crew change at its/their port,” the agency said.

This article has been updated to include input from the Singapore Organisation of Seamen