Crew Repatriation: Team effort ensures safe repatriation while working from home.

With many countries imposing travel bans and restrictions on crew changes with efforts to flatten the coronavirus (COVID-19) curve, it is without a doubt a challenge for all ship owners to repatriate seafarers whose contract has ended.  The shipping industry has been greatly affected at this time of crisis.

With great team efforts, support and encouragements from Owners, PT. SELEBES SARANA and our Crewing Agent, CREW SARGE MARITIME PVT. LTD, we persevered with success in repatriating 8 affected seafarers who have been “stranded” on board vessel MT. ROIL ORCHID ever since their contract ended on May 1, 2020 back home safely to their hometown on May 19 and May 20, 2020 from Jakarta to Delhi – with fully paid wages prior to disembarkation. 

All quarantine costs but not limited to such as; food, accommodation, transportation – for the affected seafarers who had to serve their 14-day quarantine period were covered by Owners.  This includes transportation costst for them back in their hometown. 

Our success would not have been made possible without the extraordinary support and assistance from the Consulate of Jakarta and the Government of India who were consistent, thus ensuring a smooth transistion for the 8 affected seafarers with immigration clearance in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta.  Despite the circumstances, they have shown their compassion and support to our fellow seafarers prior to being repartriated back home to Delhi via Jakarta.

“My crew and I felt greatly humbled when we were greeted and escorted to the boarding gate by Jakarta consulate in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.  When all the big shipping companies of the world are desperately looking for a way out, Mr. Gill, who is the Director of ASIA WORLD SHIPPING PTE LTD together with our crewing agent, soldiered on to find means and ways to get us home safely.  The entire journey have been the toughest one for us all as it has affected our moral and well-being.  Fortunately for us, we received constant support, encouragement and care by the Owners, Mr. Gill and his assistant Ms. Syarinna and our crewing agent which helped us to keep our spirits high. 

Vivek Sudarshanlal Sharma, captain of a ship, is a happy man these days. He has finally managed to reach his home in Mohali, thanks to the efforts made by the owners of his company. Seafarers who facilitate global trade are today stuck in foreign lands and waters due to the global lockdown and travel restrictions despite completing their work contracts They have definitely proven that as a seafarers, we were not overlooked nor neglected” – Capt. Vikram Sudarshanlal Sharma, Master of M.T. Roil Orchid.