The latest Seafarers Happiness Index Q3 2025 published by The Mission to Seafarers reveals a sharp downturn in global seafarer satisfaction, with the overall happiness score dropping from 7.54 to 7.05 (out of 10). Almost every area of seafarer welfare, from wages to rest hours and training. declined compared to the previous quarter.
Despite this industry-wide dip, cruise ship crew continue to rank among the most satisfied groups at sea, with a happiness score of 7.6, outperforming most other vessel types. Only container ship crews reported slightly higher satisfaction this quarter, highlighting that cruise ships still provide comparatively better living and working conditions, even as challenges grow.
Cruise Ship Crew: Comfort Amid Decline
The Q3 report notes that cruise ship crew happiness fell from 8.4 in Q2 to 7.6 in Q3, signaling a noticeable decline but still a strong result compared to tankers, offshore vessels, and ferries, many of which scored between 5 and 6. This suggests that ships designed with crew comfort, recreation spaces, and structured welfare systems retain higher morale, even during demanding operational periods.
Cruise ship employees benefit from modern accommodations, leisure facilities, and stronger social bonds compared to crews on cargo vessels. Yet, respondents still reported growing fatigue, heavier administrative workloads, and limited shore leave due to tight turnaround schedules. The report describes how these pressures are “beginning to strain even the most resilient aspect of seafaring life, the bonds between crewmates.”
What Seafarers Happiness Index Q3 Report Highlights?
Across the wider shipping industry, happiness fell sharply in nearly every category:
- - Overall wages index dropped from 7.52 to 6.81, as seafarers cited stagnant pay despite heavier workloads.
- - Training and professional development fell from 7.75 to 6.99, with concerns that online compliance modules are replacing mentorship and practical instruction.
- - Health and exercise declined from 7.82 to 7.09, showing crews have less time to rest or exercise.
- - Shore leave reached its lowest point at 6.56, with seafarers describing vessels as “floating prisons.”
- - The only improvement was in digital connectivity, reflecting broader adoption of satellite internet, though access remains inconsistent between vessels.
Seafarers Happiness Index Scores by Ship Type
This shows cruise ships remain a leading sector for crew satisfaction, thanks to better welfare, interaction, and onboard services, but the declining score reflects that even this segment isn’t immune to the broader welfare downturn affecting all seafarers.
Responsibilities Have Increased, But Wages Have Stagnated
The report highlights growing frustration among seafarers who say “tasks are increasing and salaries have not increased.” Many report exhaustion, shrinking crews, and rising administrative burdens that replace mentorship with paperwork. These issues are common across all sectors, but cruise ship staff, often working long contracts and managing high passenger expectations, are especially vulnerable to stress and burnout during peak seasons.
The Mission to Seafarers warns that the decline in nearly every aspect of life at sea signals deep-rooted challenges resurfacing across the profession and urges ship operators to take immediate steps.
