Many candidates who want to work on a passenger ship assume their documents are the same as for someone joining a cargo ship. The law draws a distinction here: seafarers working on passenger ships need separate training. This article explains the basis for that training, who it covers and where it fits in your document plan.
Where the rule comes from
The STCW Convention sets training standards for seafarers at international level. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) explains on its own page that the convention contains provisions on the training of personnel on passenger and ro-ro passenger ships.
In Türkiye this provision has been carried into the Seafarers and Maritime Pilots Regulation of 29 August 2024. The regulation's article on specialist certificates states that, under Regulation V/2 of the Convention and Section A-V/2 of the Code, seafarers working on passenger ships must complete passenger ship training.
Who it covers
The regulation's wording is "seafarers working on passenger ships". The article contains no wording limiting this training to the deck department or to officers. So someone working on a passenger ship as a waiter, cook, steward or deck rating may also need it, if they serve as a seafarer.
Asking the employer or the agency whether the vessel in the posting falls within this scope, and whether this training is required of you, is the most reliable approach. Cruise ships and ro-ro passenger ships are the vessel types where candidates most need to ask this question. Getting the answer in writing avoids waiting at the last stage because of a missing course.
Why separate training
Crew members know the ship's routines, take part in drills and have learned where to go in an emergency. On a passenger ship there are many passengers on board who know none of this. In an emergency, the crew's task is not only to keep themselves safe but also to guide passengers to the right place in the right way.
That difference is why passenger ship training is kept separate. Its framework is set by Section A-V/2 of the STCW Code, which the regulation refers to. You can learn the details from the authorised institution where you take the training and from official sources. We do not list a syllabus here, because the official text sets its current content.
How it relates to other mandatory training
Passenger ship training does not replace basic training; it is added on top of it. Knowing this distinction from the start keeps you from ordering your document plan wrongly. The regulation makes the following safety training mandatory for all seafarers:
- personal survival techniques at sea,
- elementary first aid,
- fire prevention and fire fighting,
- personal safety and social responsibilities,
- proficiency in survival craft.
In addition, all seafarers must complete security-related familiarisation training and security awareness training. For a candidate who will work on a passenger ship, the picture is: basic safety training, security training and passenger ship training.
Where it fits in your document plan
The order we recommend in our other guides applies here too: first a medical report from an authorised centre, then the seafarer's book application, then mandatory training, and finally the position application. Passenger ship training belongs to the mandatory training stage.
A practical question for candidates: should you take passenger ship training before a specific posting is confirmed, or after? That depends on your goal. If you are aiming only at passenger ships, planning the training early can simplify the process. If you are open to both cargo and passenger ships, completing the common training first and adding this course once a posting is confirmed is one option. We can look at which suits you during a first conversation. In both cases the training must be taken at an authorised institution and recorded in the Seafarer Information System (GİBS); otherwise it may not be recognised in your application.
Where to take it
Like other seafarer training, passenger ship training should be taken at an authorised training institution. It is not enough for the institution to provide maritime training in general; it must be authorised for this course. We have collected the questions to ask an institution in a separate article.
Life on a passenger ship
Beyond the documents, working on a passenger ship has its own rhythm. A cruise ship is a busy and orderly environment: cabins are shared, the crew has its own mess and common areas, and port days are frequent. In positions with passenger contact, dress and conduct rules are applied strictly. You can read in detail whether this environment suits you in the cruise section of our ship types page.
Frequently asked questions
I will work in the galley. Do I also need passenger ship training?
The regulation makes this training mandatory for "seafarers working on passenger ships" and does not distinguish by department. The most reliable way to find out whether it is required for the vessel and position in a posting is to ask the employer.
Does passenger ship training replace the basic STCW courses?
No. Basic safety training and security training are separately mandatory for all seafarers. Passenger ship training is added on top.
Are river vessels covered too?
That depends on which rules the vessel is subject to and whether it falls within the passenger ship definition. We do not give a general answer; it needs to be confirmed in writing by the employer offering the position.