The day of signing off from cruise ship is the most joyous, adrenaline-fueled, hectic, and emotional day for every crew member. The days leading up to sign-off consist of sleepless nights, relentless packing, and a constant state of euphoria! After all, only a seaman can understand the feeling of going home after a long and tedious stint at sea.

However, in the process, seafarers tend to overlook important things that are imperative to the signing off. Documents, money, and other such aspects become secondary in the rush to get home. The hectic workload at the port of sign-off until one's reliever is onboard makes that day even more intense.

To ensure that seafarers enjoy the sign-off process without jeopardizing what is essential, a few crucial points must not be forgotten:

1. Passport and CDC

The two most important documents for any seafarer – passport and CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate) – should be thoroughly checked when received from the Master. It is necessary to check their physical condition (for any damage) to avoid complications at the airport. The CDC should be reviewed for the stamp indicating the sea service. A seaman must never forget that without these two booklets, conducting any personal or professional work related to their sea career is impossible.

2. Other Important Documents

Other documents handed over to the Master at the time of joining, such as the yellow fever vaccination certificate, STCW certificates, etc., should be checked for and received. Similar to the Passport and CDC, these documents also form the foundation of a seafarer's essential paperwork and should be taken care of.

The travel tickets should be checked for accuracy. Verify the travel itinerary, including boarding, departure, and arrival timings, seating details, and all aspects of the travel. Ensure that your name on the ticket matches exactly as it appears on your passport. Write down your company's agent's number for any questions or help. Thoroughly check any paperwork regarding your exit visa and immigration process. Remember, you're signing off in a foreign country, so having all your documents in order is crucial to prevent unnecessary interrogation.

3. Sea Service Letters

Sea service letters and testimonials spanning your time of service for the ongoing contract should be obtained from the Master. Check the letters for appropriate signatures and stamps wherever required. Verify if the dates, COC number, and statement of conduct and sobriety are duly filled and accurate. In the haste during sign-off, many people forget to check such details, so it's best to sort this out one day before the sign-off.

4. Cash

Everyone wants to have money in hand while signing off. Any balance due or cash advance that has been requested should be counted and received (along with the pay slip). Having cash at the airport is always helpful for duty-free shopping or enjoying a good meal. Cross-check with the pay slip to ensure that all transactions are transparent and any payable amount has been cleared.

5. Official Packages

At times, the Master may hand over a package to be delivered to the company. In that case, exercise personal judgment. If you take the package, ensure it is handed over intact and in proper condition. Check the package for any signs of tampering to avoid being blamed later for inappropriate wear and tear. Onboard, it becomes evident on a day-to-day basis how important responsibility is when delegated.

6. Unofficial Packages

A crew member may ask you to deliver a package or an envelope to their family and friends. Again, personal discretion is of utmost importance here in terms of trustworthiness. Explain to the person (politely, of course) that there's always a chance that one could get interrogated for carrying something that doesn't belong to them. So keeping that in mind (if you still feel obligated to deliver it), open it and check the contents thoroughly. This does not mean disrespecting the person by reading his letter, but what it does mean is going through the contents in general, looking out for any contraband and other illegal substances.

7. Travel Preparation

To ensure that you don't have to flip through all your papers in case any authority (airport, customs, etc.) asks for a particular document, keep everything handy and ready in your hand baggage. Keep photocopies of all your documents because you never know when the necessity to have a copy arises.

Keep all your documents in your hand baggage; this is a common practice among all seafarers because there have been instances (very less probability) that the main luggage has been lost in transit. It might be paranoid thinking, but if your certificates are in your main luggage and it gets lost, you'll know how much of a pain (and how time-consuming) it'll get to obtain the originals again. Better safe than sorry!

Check your baggage weight onboard. The galley department has a weighing scale almost always, so ensure your baggage is within the permissible amount (it's generally 40 kilos for foreign travel, with the maximum on one bag capped at 23 kilos). However, every airline has its policy, so ask the agent for the permissible baggage limit.

8. Know the Local Laws

In all likeability, a seafarer signs off at a country he is not a citizen of. In that case, know the local laws and customs and respect them. For example, Singaporean authorities are very strict concerning pirated CDs (Your immigration document generally contains a warning against the carriage of these objects). Ensure that you are not carrying any of them. Some nations have a limit on the amount of cash you can take. Once again, ask the agent for any such information that may be important to your repatriation.

9. Handing Over the Report

All the above points have been aimed at safeguarding one's interest. This point emphasizes the need to ensure your reliever is aware of the situation concerning his duties.

Prepare the Handing Over Notes well in advance. For obvious reasons, there will be no time for last moment explanations to the reliever regarding his responsibilities and duties. So, prepare a comprehensive and informative document to facilitate a smooth transition and eliminate unnecessary confusion. It is an essential responsibility of every officer to make the on signer feel at ease with his duties. Acting selfish and engrossed in the sign-off sign-off process is obvious, but not at the cost of jeopardizing the ship's and its personnel's safety. Take time out and let the on-signer clear any doubts regarding the vessel or his duties. Take him around and show him what lockers he is in charge of, point out the maintenance that needs to be carried out, and acquaint him with the ways of the Master and the other personnel onboard.

10. Handing Over Your Cabin

You have lived in the cabin the way you've wanted to. And there is no doubt that it was a comfortable little abode of your own, your very own place of Zen, after a day's hard work. So why not leave it like that for the next person? Although it is the job of the Steward to arrange the cabins up to a mark, there is not much effort required to clear out the trash a day before signing off, arrange the bed a little, and maintain a general sense of order in the cabin. Also, make sure you have checked the cabin thoroughly to avoid forgetting any belongings.

This aspect is not crucial to any duty or responsibility. However, it is essential to the perception of the signer of you. A clean cabin being handed over automatically calls for a bit of respect, making the transition all the easier. It doesn't require much effort to clean up one's living space for the next person; in return, it makes the other person a lot better. However, a dump of a room gives a bad vibe to a person about to spend the next few months of his life in that little area.

To conclude, the sign-off day is the happiest in a seafarer's life and should be kept that way. As long as all your identifications, documentations, and other things are in order, you can be assured that your sign-off will be free of any worry. So adhere to a standard process and rejoice in anticipating reuniting with your friends and family. After all, you deserve to be back home and enjoy your hard-earned money in the things and with the people you love.