Crew retention is a major issue facing the highly competitive shipping industry. Companies need to ensure key perks in an attempt to retain experienced and loyal staff. The impact of crew morale on retention addresses the following issues:

• Half of employees want to have better contact with friends and family. 90% of cruise crew members have experienced problems keeping in touch with friends and family while on board.
• Many crewmembers consider the communication facilities offered on board to be key factors in their decision.
• About a third of crewmembers find keeping in touch with friends and family while on board to be inconvenient. Their friends and family have had difficulty contacting then while they were working on board. A quarter of them have missed some important news because their friends and family could not contact them easily due to them being on board.

Two thirds of crewmembers feel one of the main issues to be cost and find it currently too expensive. Therefore, being able to communicate cheaply and conveniently with friends and family while working at sea is a key motivating factor.

Seagoing trade is expected to grow by 60 per cent by 2020, making it imperative for shipowners and managers to hold on to key personnel.

Now you can offer your crew virtually unlimited internet access and close to free telephone calls using the Satmarin™ Satellite Communication System. You will have a happier crew and you will also save on your own voice and data communication giving you the option to offer these services to your crew for free and make the difference in this highly competitive environment.