The Deutsche Seemannsmission (DSM) SEAFARERS‘ LOUNGE Hamburg gGmbH is a non-profit company. The gGmbH was founded by DSM Altona e.V. and DSM Hamburg-Harburg e.V. especially to support crew members on cruise ships.

The SEAFARERS‘ LOUNGE is located at all cruise centers in Hamburg. The offer for the crew members is largely comparable, but varies depending on the size of the location.

More than 26,000 crew members find a safe port with us every year – and the trend is rising. Here they can contact their families and friends free of charge, find phone cards for their smartphones at low prices, exchange foreign currency to euros, and there is a large, mostly international selection of chips, sweets, personal hygiene and much more. Many crew members have very little time to provide themselves with basic needs or to take care of financial affairs that are often urgent for their families. The proximity of the SEAFARERS‘ LOUNGE to the cruise center is a blessing. The crew members are advised and supported on all problems, including pastoral care.

In addition to the three full-time employees who are responsible for the SEAFARERS‘ LOUNGE, our work is supported by a team of committed volunteers and federal volunteers.

The LOUNGES are usually open while the cruise ships are in port, so we also work closely together with the DSM Altona seamen’s club and the DUCKDALBEN international seamen’s club in Waltershof. The crew likes to visit these facilities, especially when cruise ships dock in Hamburg for a long time. In addition, it can happen that crew members have go to the hospital and stay behind alone in Hamburg. In these cases we visit and accompany the crew members in the hospital, where we work closely together with the ship welfare visitors from DSM in the port of Hamburg.

According to our motto: support of seafarers‘ dignity we try to give crew members a temporary home in our SEAFARERS‘ LOUNGE. Crew members work seven days a week and are often far away from home for months, outside their usual cultural environment and language, away from their families and friends. Day in and day out, on the oceans. The chips from all over the world or instant soups and chocolate that we offer in the LOUNGES help fight homesickness. But the most important thing is the direct contact back home, which is quick and free of charge with us via WIFI. In addition to this, pragmatic, quick assistance or solutions or a person to talk to are required.