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Executive Suite
₹2,100
/ night · seafarer
Spacious suite for senior officers and visiting captains. AC, attached bath, work desk.
Up to 3 guestsBook →
Club crest
Merchant Navy Club · Chennai · M.N.C
Established 1945 · Rajaji Salai, Chennai
Seafarers' Club, Chennai
Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600 001 — Opposite Reserve Bank of India
A seafarer welfare initiative under the aegis of the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India.
The Seafarers' Club, Chennai is a welfare house for the merchant marine, run by a registered charitable society under the Directorate General of Shipping. We are open to serving seafarers on production of a valid CDC, and to trainees on a valid INDOS with an institute recommendation.
Since
1945
Allotable units
95
Halls
2
Tariff from
₹200
Welfare mandate
Why a seafarers' welfare house exists.
MS Act · Indian Ports Act · ILO 1970 · MLC 2006
Seafarers spend months at sea in close, demanding quarters. Safe and decent shore-based rest, food and recreation are an inseparable part of any international port — not a luxury, but the basic plank on which the welfare of a merchant marine stands.
In India, welfare obligations for seafarers flow from the Merchant Shipping Act and the Indian Ports Act. Internationally, they are recognised in the ILO Seafarers' Welfare Recommendation, 1970 and given binding form in the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, to which India is party.
The Seafarers' Club, Chennai exists to discharge that obligation, in the country's principal east-coast port, in a calm and dignified house that the seafaring community can call its own.
Our history
From a wartime relief house to the present building on Rajaji Salai.
- 1945Constituted in the closing months of the war
Set up by the Joint War Charity Committee. The first premises at First Line Beach were opened by the Governor of Madras on 20 April 1945.
- 1956Land leased by the Government of Tamil Nadu
Land at Rajaji Salai was leased to the Society for a permanent welfare house for seafarers.
- 1960Foundation laid
Foundation stone laid on 13 January 1960 by Dr P. Subbaroyan, Union Minister for Transport and Communications.
- 1962Present building occupied
Constructed on reclaimed land by the Chennai Port Trust, the present building was occupied on 1 February 1962. Antiquities recovered during construction are held at the Fort Museum, Chennai.
Antiquities recovered during the 1960–62 construction are housed at the Fort Museum, Chennai.
Governance
Managed by a registered Charitable Society, in the custodianship of the DG Shipping.
The Club is run by the Seafarers' Club Charitable Society, Chennai — a registered body — under the custodianship of the Directorate General of Shipping. The Management Committee draws from the shipping community and includes serving seafarers.
Ex-officio Chairman
Principal Officer-cum-Joint Director General of Shipping (Tech), Mercantile Marine Department, Chennai
Ex-officio Secretary
Seamen's Welfare Officer, Government of India
Management Committee
Seafarers and stakeholders from the wider shipping community
Accommodation
See all room types →Rooms & berths
Six categories, from a study cabin at ₹300 to an Executive Suite at ₹2,100. The seafarer/member tariffs shown are taken from the club's own room chart; guest rates apply to external or sponsored guests and are confirmed by the desk at the time of allotment.
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Family Suite
₹1,575
/ night · seafarer
Comfortable family room with extra space — ideal for seafarers travelling with family.
Up to 4 guestsBook →
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Deluxe Room
₹999
/ night · seafarer
Well appointed AC twin/double rooms across the ground, first and second floors.
Up to 2 guestsBook →
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Single Room
₹750
/ night · seafarer
Quiet single rooms for officers and individual travellers, mostly on the first floor.
Up to 1 guestBook →
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Study Cabin
₹300
/ night · seafarer
Quiet study cabin for officers preparing for competency examinations. Long-stay friendly.
Up to 1 guestBook →
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AC Dormitory Bed
₹200
/ bed · seafarer
Per-bed allotment in the AC dormitories in the Dr Leo Barnes Wing and Second Floor.
Up to 1 guestBook →
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Canteen & Restaurant
Honest food, member rates, served all day.
A canteen-style restaurant run for residents and visiting seafarers. South Indian breakfast through late-night plates, with separate menus for members and guests.
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Seminar & Conference Halls
Two air-conditioned halls, open to outside organisations.
Two AV-equipped halls are routinely let out to maritime training institutes, unions and corporates, with hourly and daily tariffs.
Enquire about hall booking →Placeholder photograph — to be replaced by the club
Dormitories
Per-bed allotment in AC dormitories.
Bunks in the Dr Leo Barnes Wing and Second Floor are allotted per bed at ₹200. A locker is provided for each bed; bathrooms are shared.
Before you book
Eligibility & what to carry
- Serving seafarer: A valid Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), with the requisite sea service.
- Trainee (no CDC yet): A valid INDOS number, an institute recommendation letter and your passport.
- External guest: Sponsored or external guests are welcome at the guest tariff. Documents are verified at check-in.
Visit us
Rajaji Salai, opposite Reserve Bank of India
Chennai 600 001, Tamil Nadu, India
Bookings · +91 96770 01014 WhatsApp · +91 96770 01014 bookings.sfc@gmail.com
Reserve a roomReception 06:00 – 23:00 · House open 24 hours
Contact & booking
All the numbers you need at the front desk.
Address
- Rajaji Salai, opposite Reserve Bank of India
- Chennai 600 001, Tamil Nadu, India
Website
Reception hours
- Reception 06:00 – 23:00 · House open 24 hours