Food and beverages, cabin and accommodation stores, laundry and cleaning supplies, slop chest items and bonded stores: everything the crew uses to live on board.
Provision and crew stores cover the full side of a ship that is about people, not machinery. Beyond food, a crew needs clean linen, towels, toiletries, cleaning products, galley equipment, work clothing and the personal items sold from the slop chest. Alpha Ship Supplies supplies the complete range of provision and crew stores to vessels at U.S. ports, quoted by our Houston team on one document so the chief cook, chief steward and master can approve it together.
Houston HQ | Galley · Cabin · Laundry · Slop Chest | One Quote for Crew Welfare
Food, beverages and galley items
Linen, towels and cleaning
Personal items for the crew
Prioritized by your vessel ETD
A well-fed, comfortable crew works safer and stays longer. Maritime Labour Convention standards expect food and drinking water of suitable quality and quantity, and decent accommodation. Most of that depends on what comes aboard at each port call. When provisions, cabin stores and slop chest items are ordered from different suppliers, something is usually missed, and it is usually the crew who notice.
Masters and chief stewards order provision and crew stores from Alpha Ship Supplies because:
Good crew stores also help with retention. Seafarers remember the ships where the food was good and the cabins were comfortable, and owners notice when crews want to return.
Send the galley list, cabin and laundry needs, and slop chest items together. We quote them as one order.
Our provision and crew stores range covers everything the crew eats, drinks and uses in daily life on board:
Common first aid consumables such as plasters, bandages and over-the-counter items can be added to the crew stores order, with medical chest items sourced to your flag list and expiry dates shown on the delivery note.
Small welfare items, such as gym consumables, board games or books, can be sourced on request to support crew morale on long voyages.
Ships calling at U.S. ports often carry crews from the Philippines, India, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Ukraine, Turkey, Greece and many other countries. Provision and crew stores should reflect that. We suggest staples suited to each group, such as jasmine rice, noodles and soy sauce, atta flour, lentils and spices, or bread, dairy, olive oil and coffee, and can include halal meat and vegetarian options where available. Slop chest items can also be chosen with the crew in mind, from favorite snacks to phone cards and toiletries brands they know.
Quotations are laid out by store group, in clear English with units and prices in U.S. dollars, so chief stewards and purchasing teams abroad can check them quickly. Religious fasting periods, such as Ramadan, can be reflected in quantities and timing when you let us know.
Each group is packed and labeled separately so it goes straight to the right store room.
Produce, meat, poultry, seafood and dairy sourced near the delivery port and packed by temperature. See ship provision supply USA.
Rice, flour, pasta, canned goods, oils, sauces, spices, water, juices, coffee and tea by case or unit.
Pots, pans, knives, utensils, containers, kitchen cloths and food-safe consumables for the galley team.
Linen, towels, blankets, pillows, mattress protectors and curtains in standard marine sizes.
Detergents, disinfectants, cleaning tools and paper goods for accommodation and galley hygiene.
Snacks, toiletries and personal items for crew purchase, plus bonded spirits and tobacco where available.
Crew stores mix food with chemicals and textiles, so packing and handling matter.
Provisions are packed separately from cleaning chemicals and detergents, and transported so that nothing contaminates food during handling.
Fresh, chilled, frozen and dry items each have their own packing, so the cook can stow quickly and nothing warms up on deck.
Cartons are labeled for the vegetable room, meat room, dry store, linen locker or slop chest, cutting stowage time on short calls.
The delivery note lists every line and quantity. The steward or cook can check the order before signing, and any shortfall is recorded on the spot.
Where bonded stores are supplied, they arrive sealed with the required paperwork for the bond locker, coordinated with your agent.
Use-by dates on chilled and frozen items, and storage notes for fresh produce, are shown on the delivery note, helping the cook rotate stock and meet onboard food safety checks.
A crew change often means new linen, towels and a fresh slop chest. Add them to the provision order so everything arrives together.
A freezer breakdown, a delayed sailing or a crew change at short notice can leave the galley and accommodation short. Mark the order URGENT, include the port, berth and ETD, and we will tell you quickly which items can be sourced and delivered before sailing. Requisitions can be sent any time; urgent ones are prioritized by sailing time.
On urgent orders we prioritize drinking water, staples and perishables first, then cabin and slop chest items that can still make the slot.
Provision and crew stores are coordinated from our Houston headquarters and delivered to vessels at ports including Houston, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Savannah, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Perishables are bought near the port of delivery. Linen, galley equipment and slop chest items can be sourced wherever availability and price are best, then consolidated with the food order for one drop at the berth or by launch at anchor.
Vessels that call at U.S. ports every few weeks can keep a standard crew stores list on file. Each new order then needs only quantity changes, which speeds up approval and keeps product choices consistent for the crew.
For vessels at anchor, crew stores travel by launch arranged through your agent, packed in manageable cartons that can be lifted aboard safely by the crew.
A little planning before arrival keeps the crew comfortable and the budget under control.
Ask the cook and steward to count remaining stock. Ordering against actual stock avoids duplicates and waste.
Multiply crew number by days to the next reliable provisioning port and add a margin for delays.
Replace linen and towels on a regular cycle, and add extra sets ahead of a crew change.
A short list of requested items from the crew makes the slop chest useful and reduces unsold stock.
Several days before ETA gives the best choice of fresh produce and time to source specific items.
Ask for the slop chest and bonded items to be listed separately on the invoice, which makes onboard accounting and crew charges easier to manage.
Vessel name, IMO, berth or terminal, ETA/ETD, agent details and the item list with quantities. For spares add maker, model and part number.
Every line priced, substitutes and long-lead items flagged, and delivery or launch charges confirmed up front.
Approve by email or purchase order. Suppliers and transport are booked the same day.
Stores arrive in the agreed slot at your berth at any U.S. port we serve with a delivery note matching your requisition.
Invoice and supporting documents for your accounts, audits and vessel records.
Sending crew number, nationalities and days to next port helps us check quantities before quoting. Every order is checked against the requisition before dispatch, and any substitution is shown on the delivery note before the master signs.
Provision and crew stores are the food, beverages, galley items, cabin and laundry supplies, toiletries, slop chest goods and bonded stores a crew needs to live and work on board.
The slop chest is the ship’s small store of personal items, such as snacks, toiletries, clothing and work gloves, that crew members can buy on board.
Cabin stores are accommodation supplies such as bed linen, blankets, pillows, towels, curtains and cleaning items used in cabins and public rooms.
Yes. Provisions, galley, cabin, laundry and slop chest items are quoted together and delivered on the same drop, packed separately by group.
Yes. Tell us the crew mix and we suggest suitable staples, including halal and vegetarian options where available.
Where available, bonded spirits and tobacco for foreign-going vessels are arranged through licensed bonded suppliers with your agent.
Major Gulf, East Coast and West Coast ports, including Houston, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Savannah, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
They are packed and transported separately so cleaning products never contaminate food.
Several days before ETA where possible. Fresh produce choice is best with early orders; urgent requests are prioritized by ETD.
Vessel name, port, ETA, crew number and nationalities, days to next port, separate galley, cabin and slop chest lists, and dietary requirements.
Send the vessel name, port, ETA, crew details and lists. You will get one quotation for galley, cabin, laundry and slop chest items.