One year after the launch of the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines, a new report from the All Aboard Alliance showcases how 13 maritime companies are putting the recommendations into practice and where further progress is needed.
The nine Sustainable Crewing Guidelines were launched in March 2025, building off the findings of the ten-month Diversity@Sea pilot project, which engaged daily with a total of 400 seafarers across 12 vessels. Co-developed through the All Aboard Alliance, the guidelines provide a practical framework for improving life at sea, covering areas such as respectful behaviour, career development, crew welfare, connectivity, feedback mechanisms, and inclusive equipment and facilities.
Raising the standard at sea: Showcasing what good looks like with the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines shares examples from 13 participating companies, highlighting practical approaches to creating safer, more inclusive, and more attractive careers at sea.
The findings show strong progress across many of the nine areas covered by the guidelines, including respectful behaviour, reporting mechanisms, career development, crew welfare, connectivity, community-building, and inclusive personal protective equipment.
“Behind every policy or guideline are the people it is intended to support,” says Susanne Justesen, director of human sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum. “We are grateful to the companies that opened their practices for this report and shared what they are doing to improve life at sea. Their experiences show both how much can be achieved and where there is still work to do.”
All 13 participating companies reported providing ongoing training on inclusive practices, while 13 also reported having confidential, anonymous third-party helplines for seafarers to report harassment, bullying, power abuse or misconduct. Eleven companies reported providing at least 1 GB of free data per day to seafarers, while all 13 allocate a budget for onboard social activities.
The report also identifies areas where implementation is still evolving. Parental support stands out: only four of the 13 companies reported providing the level of paid parental leave recommended in the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines, and none currently provide paid paternity leave, although several are exploring the option. Support for returning to work is also still developing.
Rather than assessing compliance or prescribing a single approach, the report shares examples of what companies are doing, the challenges they have encountered, and the lessons they have learned. The aim is to make it easier for others across the industry to learn from what is already working and continue raising the bar.
The report comes as the All Aboard Alliance moves towards its next phase of work. More than 30 companies and key industry stakeholders, representing more than 100,000 seafarers, are now collaborating to develop ten independently verifiable Sustainable Crewing Standards for life at sea.
Click here to read Raising the standard at sea.