Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have become a member of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network  and have been praised for their continuing commitment to the welfare of seafarers.

ISWAN is an international maritime charity which works to improve the lives of seafarers and their families with resources, strategies, advocacy and by offering a range of wellbeing services and humanitarian support.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ look after a total of 2,568 crew, who are dedicated to their fleet of three smaller sized ocean cruise ships, Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral. Their crew are now able to make use of Seafarer Assistance, a free, confidential, multilingual helpline service, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This independent wellbeing and support service is operated by ISWAN on behalf of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to provide support and help to the company’s seafarers and their families around the world.

Paul Clifton, Head of Crewing at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said:

“Crew welfare is the centre of everything that our team do ashore. The life of a seafarer is demanding, with long shifts, but as former seafarers, our Crew Management team are well aware that a job a sea is both a rewarding and an exciting experience. Whilst exotic ports and making good friends of different nationalities and cultures can be fulfilling, there are times when either the day-to-day or life back home can catch up with you, and approaching friends or managers onboard can sometimes seem daunting, so being able to reach out confidentially by phone, email or online message, provides a much needed hand of support to our seafarers. In addition, the support offered to acquaintances ashore is seen a major benefit to all with loved ones at sea. “

Chester Quintal, Helplines Manager at ISWAN said,

“We are delighted to welcome Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to our network of members and to be operating this helpline service on their behalf. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is an excellent example of a company which not only recognises the importance of prioritising the wellbeing of its crew and their families, but is also taking positive action towards this.”

Alongside support offered by Seafarer Assistance and the other confidential helplines it operates, ISWAN also offers a range of free health resources via the ISWAN for Seafarers app and humanitarian support in the Philippines and India.