October 2026

Introduction

October has been another busy and demanding month for the MtS Ship Welfare Visitor Team. It has also been a fantastic month for work output. Throughout the month, the team has had to contend with several less visible challenges while continuing to meet its responsibilities and expectations. Despite these demands, the staff have demonstrated commendable dedication, resilience, and commitment to the welfare of seafarers visiting the Port of Colombo.

During the month, the team successfully resolved two of three welfare cases involving seafarers who wished to sign off their vessels and issues related to wage settlement. These matters were addressed through collaborative efforts with the National Union of Seafarers of Sri Lanka (NUSS), highlighting the importance of cooperation and coordination in resolving seafarers’ concerns.

The team also responded to a distress call from a vessel stranded off Galle. With the intervention and assistance of the Harbour Master and the Senior Deputy Harbour Master, arrangements were eventually made to dispatch food and drinking water to the crew. This intervention demonstrated the importance of maintaining effective communication and working collaboratively to meet seafarers’ urgent needs, even in challenging circumstances.

These activities reflect the MtS Ship Welfare Visitor Team’s broader commitment to providing practical assistance, safeguarding seafarers’ welfare, and ensuring those serving at sea have access to support when they need it most.

Ship Visiting

Ship visiting remains the MtS Ship Welfare Visitor Team’s primary responsibility and a vital part of its mission to support seafarers. During October 2026, the team completed 158 ship visits, continuing its efforts to maintain contact with seafarers aboard vessels calling at the Port of Colombo.

This achievement represents far more than a numerical target. It reflects the dedication, commitment, and sustained efforts of the ship welfare visitors, who regularly engage with seafarers in the demanding environment of port operations. Each ship visit offers an opportunity to identify welfare concerns, provide assistance, build trust, and develop meaningful relationships with crew members.

Ship visits also serve as an important gateway for the team to introduce seafarers to the services and facilities available at the MtS Centre. By informing crew members about the Centre and encouraging them to visit, the team helps ensure seafarers know they have a welcoming place to relax, socialise, seek assistance, and enjoy a change of environment while ashore.

The continued focus on ship visiting reinforces the MtS team’s commitment to ensuring that seafarers are not overlooked or forgotten during their time in port. Through regular engagement and personal interaction, the team remains well positioned to identify emerging concerns and respond to the seafaring community’s practical and emotional needs.

The MtS Centre – A Home Away from Home

The MtS Centre in Colombo continues to welcome seafarers visiting the Port of Colombo, offering a friendly environment characterised by warm hospitality and dedicated staff. Although modest in size, the Centre holds a special place for seafarers seeking a comfortable, welcoming, and different setting away from the demanding routines of life aboard their vessels.

A significant achievement in October was welcoming more than 3,000 seafarers to the MtS Centre in 2026. This reflects the Centre’s continuing relevance as a place of rest, recreation, companionship, and support for seafarers visiting Colombo. During October alone, the Centre received 420 Seafarers, demonstrating its ongoing role in providing a welcoming space for crew members during their time ashore. The Centre provided transport to and from the Centre for 415 seafarers.

The Centre’s approach continues to focus on providing simple but meaningful facilities while maintaining appropriate standards of quality and service. Staff remain committed to ensuring visitors have a positive experience and are treated with friendliness, dignity, and respect.

As part of efforts to strengthen service quality and encourage greater participation, a QR-code-based feedback facility has been introduced at the Centre. This gives seafarers a convenient way to share comments and suggestions, helping the team better understand visitors’ experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.

The souvenir shop also continues to develop as a relatively new feature and attraction at the MtS Centre. It adds further value to the services available to visiting seafarers and supports the Centre’s continued development as a welcoming and useful facility.

During October, crew members from 59 vessels visited the MtS Centre, with some of them making return visits* during the month:

1. CMA CGM Nerval (Malta – IMO No.9406XXX)
2. Msc Alyssa (Panama – IMO No.9235XXX)
3. Msc Joanna (Panama – IMO No.9304XXX)
4. Madison Maersk (Denmark – IMO No.9619XXX)
5. CMA CGM Pelepas (Malta – IMO No.9365XXX)
6. Msc Mundra VIII (Cyprus – IMO No.9294XXX)
7. ONE Eagle (Japan – IMO No.9741XXX)
8. Msc Lisbon IX (Cyprus – IMO No.9304XXX)
9. Maersk Savannah (Hong Kong – IMO No.9352XXX) *
10. Msc Tiger F (Panama – IMO No.9248XXX) *
11. Msc General IV (Liberia – IMO No.9344XXX)
12. Msc Patnaree III (Liberia – IMO No.9240XXX) *
13. NYK Fuji (Singapore – IMO No.9482XXX)
14. Daoda 17 (Panama – IMO No.9274XXX)
15. Msc Surabaya VIII (Cyprus – IMO No.9330XXX)
16. CMA CGM Ningbo (Malta – IMO No.9295XXX)
17. Msc Makoto II (Panama – IMO No.9236XXX)
18. Msc Colombo V (Panama – IMO No.8715XXX)
19. Leverkusen Express (Liberia – IMO No.9613XXX)
20. Princess Maya (Palau – IMO No.9394XXX) **
21. Morten Maersk (Denmark – IMO No.9632 XXX) *
22. Msc Vanessa (Liberia – IMO No.9251 XXX)
23. CMA CGM Cleveland (Malta – IMO No.9526 XXX)
24. Seaspan Osaka (Singapore – IMO No.9486 XXX)
25. Maersk Salalah (Hong Kong – IMO No.9352 XXX) *
26. OOCL Washington (Hong Kong – IMO No.9417 XXX) *
27. Msc Pegasus VIII (Liberia – IMO No.9267 XXX) *
28. Msc Elma (Portugal – IMO No.9735 XXX) *
29. Maersk Congo (Singapore – IMO No.9525 XXX) *
30. Ludwigshafen Express (German – IMO No.9613 XXX)
31. Msc Sindy (Panama – IMO No.9336 XXX)
32. Spirit of Bertram (Portugal – IMO No.9673 XXX)
33. OOCL Luxemburg (Hong Kong – IMO No.9417 XXX)
34. CMA CGM Pointe Percee (Malta – IMO No.9975 XXX)
35. Msc Ischia (Liberia – IMO No.9963 XXX)
36. Msc Tokyo (Liberia – IMO No.9318 XXX)
37. Megalopolis (Malta – IMO No.9477 XXX)
38. Maersk Seoul (Singapore – IMO No.9306 XXX) *
39. Msc Altamira (Liberia – IMO No.9619 XXX)
40. CMA CGM Shanghai (Malta – IMO No.9295 XXX) *
41. Msc Naomi (Portugal – IMO No.9704 XXX)
42. Clementine Maersk (Denmark – IMO No.9245 XXX) *
43. Jasmund (Liberia – IMO No.9696 XXX) ****
44. Hyundai Busan (Cyprus – IMO No.9305 XXX)
45. Margrethe Maersk (Denmark – IMO No.9632 XXX) *
46. Msc Sofia Celeste (Portugal – IMO No.9702 XXX)
47. RDO Fortune (Liberia – IMO No.9623 XXX)
48. CMA CGM Osmium (Malta – IMO No.9996 XXX)
49. Msc Aaya (Liberia – IMO No.9927 XXX)
50. Adonis (Marshall Islands – IMO No.9972 XXX) *
51. Msc Vittoria (Panama – IMO No.9299 XXX)
52. Majestic Maersk (Denmark – IMO No.9619 XXX)
53. Msc Tina (Liberia – IMO No.9762 XXX)
54. Cap San Sounio (Panama – IMO No.9633 XXX)
55. CMA CGM Nerval (Malta – IMO No.9406 XXX)
56. Themistocles (Singapore – IMO No.9682 XXX) **
57. Msc Virginia (Liberia – IMO No.9908059)
58. Msc Michele Cappellini (Liberia – IMO No.9929 XXX)
59. Msc Colombo V (Panama – IMO No.8715XXX)

The number of vessels represented in this list demonstrates the Centre’s continued engagement with an internationally diverse seafaring community. These visits also reinforce the importance of maintaining a welcoming and accessible facility where seafarers can find comfort and support during their time in Colombo.

The Breakdown

The monthly operational figures provide a useful overview of the work undertaken by the MtS Ship Welfare Visitor Team and the services delivered through the MtS Centre. Behind each figure are the time, effort, coordination, and personal commitment required to reach seafarers, respond to their needs, and provide practical support.

Ship Visits 158

Seafarers at the Centre 420

Pickup and drop-off 415

Cumulative Data: October 2022 – October 2026

These totals represent a sustained programme of engagement and practical assistance to seafarers over several years. Each ship visit creates an opportunity to make contact with crew members, identify welfare needs, and introduce the support available through MtS.

The figures therefore represent more than operational output. They reflect the ongoing effort to maintain a dependable welfare presence for seafarers and to provide support to an international workforce whose professional responsibilities often keep them away from home for extended periods.

Conclusion

As the year progresses, the focus remains on sustaining the quality of ship visiting, responding effectively to welfare concerns, strengthening collaboration with relevant partners, and ensuring that the MtS Centre continues to provide a warm and welcoming environment.

October’s achievements reflect the dedication and professionalism of the MtS Ship Welfare Visitor Team and all who support its mission. Through their continued efforts, MtS remains committed to ensuring that seafarers are recognised, supported, and cared for during their time in Colombo.