What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Background in private security, police or armed forces; in Spain the Security Guard licence (Private Security Act 5/2014, Interior Ministry TIP card) is the shoreside reference, though on board the flag State regime applies (as a guide).
- ISPS designated security duties training: STCW Regulation VI/6 certificate (section A-VI/6-2) for seafarers with designated security duties.
Basic STCW
- STCW Basic Safety Training (A-VI/1).
- Crowd Management (A-V/2) according to the muster list (Regulation V/2, passenger ships).
- Seafarer with designated security duties (A-VI/6-2) — replacing and extending plain security awareness A-VI/6-1.
Specific courses
- X-ray scanner operation and baggage image interpretation (aviation/port-style training with periodic refreshers — as a guide).
- De-escalation and non-injurious physical control techniques per the cruise line's use-of-force policy (as a guide).
- CCTV operation and data protection for recordings (chain of custody).
- First aid (A-VI/4-1 valued) and initial response to incidents involving multiple people.
Indicative experience
As a guide: 2-5 years in private security, police or armed forces before the first contract; several lines systematically recruit ex-military (Gurkha teams are a tradition in part of the industry — as a guide). A clean criminal record is mandatory.
Observations
Typical route: Security Guard → Security Supervisor → Deputy Security Officer → Chief Security Officer / SSO (own card in this explorer; the SSO requires the Regulation VI/5 certificate). The ship operates under an approved Ship Security Plan per the ISPS Code with security levels 1-3; as the level rises, screening and controls intensify. There is no police authority on board: action is limited to containment, documented recording and handover to port State authorities (as a guide). Discretion matters: security on a holiday ship must be visible without being intimidating.
What this role does
On a ship with thousands of people, physical security is continuous: from embarkation screening to night patrols through technical decks. The role executes the ISPS Code on the ground — every access, bag and store passes through its hands or scanners — while also managing behaviour: disruptive passengers, alcohol, restricted areas. Firmness without escalation is the skill that sets a good screener apart.
Typical watches
- 24/7 watches: gangway, night patrols, scanners
Key responsibilities
- Control gangway access with X-ray scanners and metal-detector arches.
- Conduct night patrols and surveillance of restricted areas.
- Act as first response to security incidents on board.
- Apply the Ship Security Plan (SSP) measures for the security level in force (MARSEC 1-3).
- Log incidents, preserve CCTV footage and safeguard evidence for the Ship Security Officer (SSO).
Operational scope
- Gangway, decks, restricted areas, CCTV
- Baggage and stores screening points at embarkation and port calls
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.