Welfare Visitor

A welfare visitor, or ship visitor, is a chaplain or volunteer from a seafarers’ welfare body such as the Mission to Seafarers or Stella Maris who boards ships in port to offer practical and pastoral support: communications, transport, supplies, and a confidential ear. Ship visiting is a core delivery channel for the shore-welfare services recognized in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, reaching crews who cannot leave the ship during short port calls.