MSC Cruises Tightens Rules for Crew Resigning Early

MSC's cruise ship, Magnifica in a dock
Cruise Industry Corporate News
by Maritime Bell Staff

MSC Cruises has introduced stricter conditions for crew members who voluntarily resign and leave their vessel before completing their contract, according to an internal policy document provided to a media outlet.

The policy sets out how repatriation costs will be divided between MSC and the crew member, depending on how much notice is given before leaving the ship.

Under the new rules:

  • Crew members departing within 10 days of resigning must pay 100% of their repatriation costs.
  • Those leaving between 11 and 19 days after resigning must cover 66.6% of the costs.
  • Crew departing between 20 and 29 days after resigning are responsible for 33.3%.
  • If the crew member leaves after 30 days, the company will pay the repatriation expenses.

Additional Rules During Blackout Periods

The policy also establishes stricter requirements during periods MSC designates as “blackout periods.”

If a voluntary resignation leads to a crew member leaving the vessel during one of these periods, the individual will be required to cover 100% of their repatriation expenses, regardless of the amount of notice they provided.

The blackout periods listed in the document include Dec. 15 through Jan. 15, Carnival week, major holiday periods and July 15 through Aug. 31.

Voluntary Resignation Could Affect Future MSC Employment

One of the most significant elements of the policy concerns what happens after a crew member voluntarily resigns.

According to Section 4.3.5 of the document, employees who voluntarily resign will be considered former employees and will no longer qualify for future employment opportunities with the company.

This suggests that voluntarily requesting an early sign-off could have longer-term consequences beyond being responsible for the cost of traveling home. Under the policy, the crew member may also lose the opportunity to work for MSC again in the future.

The resignation process must be handled through the vessel’s onboard HR Officer/Director.

A “Change in Contract Period” request must be completed and receive approval from both the Head of Department and the Master. The Crew Purser then forwards the relevant paperwork to the appropriate Crew HR Coordinator and begins the disembarkation process.

Questions Remain Over Possible Exceptions

The policy could have significant implications for seafarers who need to leave a contract early because of personal circumstances.

However, the document does not clarify whether exceptions to the future-employment restriction are available in situations involving medical emergencies, serious family circumstances, compassionate grounds or other legitimate reasons for leaving a vessel early.

MSC’s publicly available crew welfare information outlines a separate compassionate leave process for situations involving immediate family members. This procedure includes paid travel home, two weeks of unpaid leave and the option for crew members to remain at home until they are ready to return to work.

International maritime standards also recognize that seafarers may sometimes have legitimate reasons for ending an employment agreement early. Under the Maritime Labour Convention framework, consideration should be given to allowing seafarers to terminate an agreement without penalty and with reduced or no notice when compassionate or other urgent circumstances apply.

For MSC crew members, the new policy means that requesting an early sign-off may have implications extending beyond their current contract.