Shore leave for seafarers is generally accepted as a custom, if not a right, essential for well-being and pressure relief from the responsibilities of life on board. However, it is clear that the ability of seafarers to take shore leave has been seriously eroded and may even be facing extinction. The combination of workload on board and limited time in port make it virtually impossible for seafarers to make time for shore leave. Commercial pressures have increased, and there is a serious risk that facilities available for seafarers will decline due to a lack of demand. The culprits are multiple. Without sufficient crew on board to cover the workload, companies fail to create schedules that allow for shore leave. Increasing numbers of inspections add to the burden. Port states can focus on security and efficient port operations without any compulsion to facilitate leave for foreign crew. The lack of easily accessible facilities and high transport costs dampen demand for shore leave, and seafarers themselves make the rational choice to stay on board. The fact that there is no single point of responsibility for the problem makes it challenging, but not impossible, to focus on effective solutions. The purpose of this research is to quantify the current levels of shore leave in terms of frequency and length of time spent ashore and to identify the barriers.