As we approach Day of the Seafarer on 25th June 2025, we’re taking a moment to recognise those who spend their lives between home and open sea – and the people behind the scenes who help get them there and back with care.
This year’s IMO theme, “My harassment-free ship”, is a vital reminder that safety and wellbeing go beyond physical conditions. They extend to the entire experience of life at sea, including the often-overlooked moments in between: crew changes, transit journeys, missed connections, overnight layovers, and reunions delayed.
At Clyde, we don’t sail the ships. We don’t dictate life onboard. But we do play our part: standing beside the travel bookers, HR leaders, and logistics teams who carry the responsibility of ensuring every journey starts and ends with dignity, humanity, and support.
Recognising, not replacing, the seafarer’s voice
Too often, comms about seafarers end up speaking for them. We’ve chosen to speak alongside.
We acknowledge the spirit of IMO’s 2025 message, calling for harassment-free, respectful environments at sea, while also reflecting on a broader truth: being a seafarer means enduring long separations from family, complex journeys, and often invisible emotional tolls. Care isn’t just about responding to what goes wrong. It’s about building systems that support them, every step of the way.
As Paul Cronjé, Managing Director at Clyde Travel Management, put it in a recent address:
“We must not underestimate the emotional highs and lows of crew travel. There’s often sadness in leaving family behind – and a surge of adrenaline in returning home. Our role is to ensure nothing dulls those moments. To get them there, and back, with care.”
That sentiment captures something we believe deeply: every journey deserves to be respected, no matter how routine it may seem.
The invisible hands behind every journey
For most people, a flight delay is an inconvenience.
For seafarers, it can mean missing a vessel connection, delaying a critical crew rotation, or extending time away from home by weeks.
That’s where travel bookers come in.
And while they may be working from the safety and comfort of a desk, that doesn’t make the task any easier; juggling cascading rebookings, out-of-hours calls, and a very human story on the other side of the spreadsheet.
Travel bookers and HR teams are the invisible hands behind these journeys. They’re planners, problem-solvers, emotional anchors, and often the first to hear when things go wrong. Their decisions don’t just affect schedules. They affect lives.
Whether in procurement, HR, or operations, these individuals work tirelessly to make sure the right person is in the right place, at the right time.
At Clyde, our role is to empower those people, not to overshadow them. We do this with 24/7 access to marine specialists, deep experience with airline and visa logistics, and a team that sees every name on a ticket as a life in motion.
A shared commitment to care
We support these teams, not just with fares and systems, but with partnership. Not to remove the burden entirely – we know it’s not that simple – but to share it.
We care as much as you do about your crew’s welfare, and about yours.
Because while we can’t control what happens at sea, we can commit to covering every base within our reach. From routing and rebooking to responsiveness and reassurance, we focus on the parts of the journey we can shape – for the seafarer’s experience and your peace of mind.
This day is a reminder – and a responsibility
To those who keep the ships moving: we see you.
To those who keep the crew moving: we support you.
And to everyone in the wider supply chain: we all share the responsibility to raise standards, extend empathy, and keep care at the core of how we operate.
Because at Clyde, “Travel with care” isn’t a campaign. It’s our commitment.
Want to learn more about how Clyde supports crew travel?
Explore our Marine & Offshore Travel Services or connect with our team here.