Today is “Day of the Seafarer,” and it’s a day to celebrate the hardworking crew members you meet on every cruise. It is the fifth year that the International Maritime Organization has celebrated this campaign.

In 2010, the Diplomatic Conference that met in Manila, the Philippines, agreed that the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole, should be marked annually with a “Day of the Seafarer.” The date chosen was June 25, the day on which the amendments were formally adopted.

Catholic Seafarers’ Center a Home Away From Home for Crew

Holland America Line recently hosted a “Home from the Sea” fundraiser luncheon for the Catholic Seafarers’ Center aboard Statendam at the Port of Seattle. The event was attended by Stein Kruse, chief executive officer of Holland America Group, along with the Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop of Seattle, and Father Paul Magnano.

Before the luncheon, attendees gathered at a ceremony to honor Fr. Tony Haycock, the Catholic Port Chaplain at the Catholic Seafarers’ Center, who has served the facility for nearly two decades.

“The Catholic Seafarers’ Center provides support to our crew members that is valued and appreciated by everyone in our organization,” said Kruse. “It is an honor to have had such a longstanding relationship with the center and to support them in return so they can continue serving our community.”

The Catholic Seafarers’ Center is a social-service agency in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Its mission is to meet the spiritual and practical needs of seafarers and maritime workers visiting and living in Seattle. The center provides a number of services to workers coming to the city, including shipping goods on their behalf, arranging transportation and coordinating recreational activities.

Kruse and Most Reverend Sartain admire a painting of the ship.

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Holland America Line seafarers live and work onboard, and it’s a 24/7 operation. Traveling for months at a time away from home, they bring their land-life with them and work colleagues become like family. So home doesn’t feel so far away, the ships organize activities and socials for the crew members to bond and have some fun.

Eurodam holds monthly food events for the crew, and recently it was a Mongolian themed dinner.

Nieuw Amsterdam recently held an ice cream social for its crew members where they could stop by and have a scoop or two with all of the toppings.

Crew members from Eurodam went on a crew tour to Dolphin Cove at Grand Cayman and had an incredible time interacting with the gentle creatures.

These Zaandam wine attendants and dining room staff went on an educational crew tour to Lustau Cellar while at Cadiz.

The ships even have their own soccer teams and play against other local and ship teams when in port.

Eurodam’s crew soccer team at a game in St. Thomas.

Do you have a favorite crew member, one that made a lasting impression on your Holland America Line cruise? Tell us about them in the comments!

Caption for the main hero image at the top of the page: Front row, from left: Assistant Steward Lido Ni Made Oktarini, Stein Kruse, the Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain and Wine Attendant Milleth Bebiro. Second row, from left: Beverage Manager Kenneth Johnson, Dining Room Manager Philip Stolte and Steward Restaurant Hery Priyanto. Back row, from left: Assistant Manager of Culinary Operations Raj Kantharaju, Beverage Attendant Ariel Peradilla, Bellboy Eko Wahyudi and Dining Room Greeter Humid Barbara.