MSC Cruises has introduced stricter rules for crew members who choose to resign and leave a ship before completing their contract, according to an internal policy document shared with Crew Center.

The rules set out how much of the repatriation expenses a crew member must cover depending on how quickly they leave the ship after submitting their resignation.

Under the policy:

• Crew departing within 10 days of resigning must cover 100% of their repatriation expenses.
• Crew departing 11 to 19 days after resigning must cover 66.6%.
• Crew departing 20 to 29 days after resigning must cover 33.3%.
• When departure takes place after 30 days, the company will cover the repatriation expenses.

The document also introduces additional restrictions during what MSC describes as designated "blackout periods."

If a resignation results in a crew member leaving the ship during these periods, the crew member will be responsible for 100% of the repatriation expenses regardless of how much notice was provided.

The listed blackout periods include December 15 to January 15, Carnival week, major holiday periods, and July 15 to August 31.

Voluntary Resignation Could Mean No Return to MSC

Perhaps the most significant part of the policy is Section 4.3.5.

According to the document, crew members who voluntarily resign from their employment will be classified as former employees and will not be eligible for future employment opportunities with the company.

In practical terms, the rule appears to mean that requesting an early sign-off through voluntary resignation could have consequences beyond simply paying for the flight home. A crew member could also lose the opportunity to return to work for MSC in the future.

The resignation itself must go through the onboard HR Officer/Director, with a "Change in Contract Period" request completed and approved by the Head of Department and Master. The Crew Purser then sends the documentation to the relevant Crew HR Coordinator and starts the disembarkation procedure.

The policy represents a significant issue for crew who may be considering ending their contracts early for personal reasons. However, the document shown to Crew Center does not explain whether exceptions to the future-employment restriction may apply in cases involving medical emergencies, serious family situations, compassionate reasons, or other justified circumstances.

MSC's public crew welfare information says the company has a separate compassionate leave procedure for immediate-family situations, including paid travel home, two weeks of unpaid leave and an option for crew members to remain home until they are ready to return.

International maritime standards also recognize that there can be justified reasons for a seafarer to terminate an employment agreement. The Maritime Labour Convention framework specifically says consideration should be given to allowing termination without penalty and with shorter or no notice for compassionate or other urgent reasons.

For MSC crew, the biggest takeaway from the new rules is therefore clear: requesting an early sign-off should no longer be viewed simply as ending the current contract early. Under the policy shown to Crew Center, a voluntary resignation may also affect whether the crew member can work for MSC again.