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Over the last few months, crew on vessels from the shipping, cruise and superyacht industries have been taking part in innovative onboard research using wearable and mobile technology to track the impact of social interaction on their wellbeing.

The research is part of our Social Interaction Matters (SIM) Project – a long-term initiative to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of seafarers by promoting increased quality social interaction and rest time. The data we gather will enable us to evaluate the effectiveness of our existing guidance and recommendations, and develop it to become a valuable and inclusive health and wellbeing tool for all seafarers working in industries across the maritime sector.

We spoke to three members of the SIM Project steering group from the cruise, shipping and superyacht industries to hear their thoughts on the latest research – Pam Kern, Director, Maritime Mental Health Services, Port Medical Management (cruise industry); Stewart Bankier, Director Crewing Training, Columbia Shipmanagement (shipping industry); and Emma Kate Ross, Co-Founder and Director, SEAS THE MIND (superyacht industry):

Why did you want to contribute to the development and steer of ISWAN’s Social Interaction Matters (SIM) Project?

Pam Kern: I wanted to contribute to [this project] because of my deep connection to the maritime community. As a former seafarer for eighteen years on cruise ships, I bring firsthand experience and a personal understanding of the challenges faced by crew members in this sector. I was deeply motivated to offer my expertise to help shape initiatives that can improve seafarers’ social wellbeing and support their mental health, both personally and professionally.

Stewart Bankier: I have 45 years’ experience looking after seafarers in various roles and given the recent technological advances where the impact of the internet has unfortunately had a negative impact to social harmony on many vessels, there was a clear need to have the evidence to drive change for the better for crew on board.

Emma Kate Ross: Humans are essentially social creatures, so any project or initiative that gets us thinking and prioritising our social health is something I want to get behind and promote. Our time working onboard can be improved – better connections, communications and ultimately a safer and healthier way to work for all!

Previous research in the SIM Project has focused on ships in the Merchant Navy. With the expansion of the project scope into cruise and yachting, how do you expect the results will differ to those from commercial shipping – or do you expect the key issues to be the same?

Stewart: I would expect the results to be somewhat different, mainly because of the larger numbers of crew on board cruise vessels and the social facilities provided which are vastly more in scope and scale than cargo vessels. In the yachting sector there could be similar issues raised as whilst the crew size can be large, the facilities and access opportunities can also be limited and this has an impact on crew welfare and morale.

Emma: I think accurate reporting on Hours of Rest will be revealing. In the superyacht industry, we tend to be simultaneously more professional in some ways, and less professional and still quite ‘Wild, Wild West’ with some of our working practices and policies. We still have some work to do to get to the regulatory standards of some other sectors and I believe good quality, quantitative research such as the SIM Project will give us an amazing insight into leadership, culture, work and rest beyond anything I’ve seen done before in superyachting.

Why is this project so important and what are your hopes for its long-term outcomes?

Pam: This project is groundbreaking in studying social norms in the cruise sector. The unique environment requires tailored approaches, and ISWAN’s efforts to engage seafarers where they are with practical, relatable solutions are commendable. The long-term hope is to enhance crew wellbeing, improve intercultural understanding of needs, and foster stronger social cohesion on board. By addressing the unique challenges faced by seafarers in the cruise sector, this research can lead to purposeful and lasting improvements.

We will publish a report of our findings from this research in 2025, followed by an exciting relaunch of our guidance.

The SIM Project is funded by the Trinity House Maritime Charity Department for Transport (DfT) Fund and sponsored by Seaspan Corporation. We are grateful to our technology partners, PsyFyi and Fitabase, and our research partners: AIDA Cruises, MY Savannah, V.Ships, Y.CO, another yacht management company, and a 74m private superyacht.