27 Passengers

 No vessel to which the Code applies should carry more than 12 passengers on a voyage or excursion. The following meanings apply:

• "Passenger" means any person carried in a ship except:

  • (a) a person employed or engaged in any capacity on board the ship on the business of the ship;

  • (b) a person on board the ship either in pursuance of the obligation laid upon the master to carry shipwrecked, distressed or other persons, or by reason of any circumstances that neither the master nor the owner nor the charterer (if any) could have prevented; and

  • (c) a child under one year of age; and

• "a person employed or engaged in any capacity on board the vessel on the business of the vessel" may reasonably include:

  • .1 bona-fide members of the crew over the minimum school leaving age (about 16 years) who are properly employed on the operation of the vessel;

  • .2 person(s) employed either by the owner or the charterer in connection with business interests and providing a service available to all passengers; and

  • .3 person(s) employed either by the owner or the charterer in relation to social activities on board and providing a service available to all passengers.

With reference to .2 and .3 above, such persons should be included in the crew list required for the vessel, should have received on board familiarisation training as required by STCW, and should not be assigned duties on the muster list.