What is Christmas like in our ports?

From Baltimore to Busan, our ports around the world share how they bring Christmas joy to seafarers who cannot be home for the holidays.

Baltimore, USA

Christmas in Baltimore brings the entire community together. With support from congregations, port partners, and local industry groups, we provide gifts to over 1,500 seafarers. Each package contains a handmade knit hat, hand-warmers, snacks, and a local souvenir like a magnet or postcard that can be easily transported home. Each gift shows seafarers that they are seen and appreciated.

Costa Rica

For Christmas in Costa Rica, we will have a special program with the Seafarers. We will have a choir singing Christmas Carols, we provide gifts containing a range of items such as sweets and chocolate. We are also planning to let our local school children write a personal greeting card for the seafarers who will receive the gifts this year.

Humber Ports, UK

The Humber ship visiting teams are always welcomed on board the ships we visit. But we are even more welcome when we have a sack of gifts over our shoulders. As one crew member said, ‘this is very important work you are doing, but where is your beard?’ We have placed our first Christmas orders with many more to go.

Tuticorin, India

Usually, we distribute Christmas gifts to the seafarers on board. Each package contains a woolen hat, toiletries, perfume and some sweets. A few seafarers who received a package said: “Though it is small, it is valued more,” said the chief officer. “This was a soft touch that reminds us that there are always some people caring for us”, said another crewmember. “The wonder of it is that all from top to bottom we all receive the same gifts which teach us equity,” said the oiler.

Busan, South Korea

We know that when seafarers cannot be home at Christmas, they feel lonelier and miss their families more. On board, seafarers celebrate with special food or a party to cheer themselves up. Each year, we carefully select, prepare, and share Christmas gifts, and we invite seafarers and local people to a carol service and Christmas party at the Centre. In this way, we try to comfort seafarers at Christmas by showing that we are always by their side.