Welcome in the Seafarers Home of Ghent

Star of the Sea refers to Mary as the protector of seamen.

The crew of Stella Maris, the staff and volunteers, are pleased that you are visiting the website of the Seafarers’ House.

The bar of the seafarers’ house is open to everyone. We are open every day from 5:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Dropping by the seafarers’ house is a welcome change for the seamen. On the ship, they often live for months at a time with the same people within a confined space. For weeks on end, they might see nothing but water. Here, they can have a chat and drink a pint, play a game of billiards or table tennis.

Outsiders sometimes have a negative image of seamen. Too quickly, it is thought that seamen are rough characters, but reality is different. Many have to work hard to earn a living for their family. The common thread in their existence is, besides working on board, communication with the home front. Seamen therefore make grateful use of the free Wi-Fi and the internet in our seafarers’ house. We also sell data cards at a reasonable price.