Mostue says many freighter passengers actually forge life-long friendships with crew members. Obviously, this will vary from ship to ship and crew to crew. Cruise lines tend to target ports that are favored tourist destinations. While this is not a bad thing, it can mean incredible congestion. Some relatively small port cities host several large luxury liners at the same time.
Freighter captains pull into ports to deliver cargo. The odds are slim that you will put into a small port congested with tourists.
Taking on a few paying passengers to create an added revenue stream is nice, but it is not priority one on a freighter cruise. For that reason alone, this is not a good option for many budget travelers. For example, if the crew decides for business reasons to bypass a port you have targeted, you will probably get a brief explanation and perhaps an apology. That's it. The cargo comes first. You must accept that before leaving port, and for many budget travelers, this is not acceptable.
Passenger cruise ships are engineered for comfort, and all but a few of the oldest ships have modern stabilizers that steady the ship in rougher seas. On a cargo ship, you might need your sea legs. So, if you are someone who is prone to motion sickness, think carefully about booking passage on a cargo ship. Check with the freighter line for an estimate of how stable the ship will be in the conditions of seas typical during your intended season of travel.
The odds of traveling with a qualified ship's doctor are smaller than what is found aboard a traditional cruise. Maximum and minimum ages are often part of the agreement. Delays can occur as shipments of freight are weighed, loaded, or unloaded. Also, if you want to dress up for dinner with the captain, attend lavish cocktail parties, and experience culinary pleasures like ice carvings, you will not get that and may be disappointed.
Special dietary needs may not also be accommodated. In short, if you require a lot of attention from the staff, freight cruising might not be a good choice. These trips are for people who have no qualms about landing in port, making their own local arrangements, and taking off for a day of exploring.
Prepaid shore excursions through the line are not an option. Accommodations differ from traditional luxury cruises, too. Although cabins might be bigger, beds probably will fall mostly in the twin and double categories. Furnishings will be pleasant and functional, but do not look for luxury. North Carolina. Puerto Rico. United States.
Top Cities View All Destinations. Buenos Aires. Dallas-Fort Worth. Mexico City. Trending Regions. Trending Cities. Our Trips. Travel Map. About Matador Careers Advertise. Article updated on Sunday, September 10th, Travel Trip Planning. What did you think of this story? Trending Now. At least one other company, Lykes Bros. Polish Ocean's Gulf service is not as regular as that on the Newark-Europe run, the cargo commitments being more variable, but another or so passengers a year do make the trip.
Polish Ocean's cabins on the Newark-Europe vessels have private toilet and shower, twin beds, a desk, a couch and two reclining chairs. The Gulf freighters have five cabins with twin beds and two cabins with single beds, all with private shower and toilet. Three meals a day are offered by chefs trained to prepare Continental-style cuisine like that served aboard the Stefan Batory, the liner operated between Montreal and Gdynia by the same company.
Because Polish Ocean, like most freighter lines, carries no physicians on its vessels, it imposes an age limit of 72 on its passengers, and those over 62 are required to provide a certificate from their family doctor stating that they are in good health. Why would a traveler choose to sail on a cargo vessel instead of a regular passenger ship? It used to be to save money, but that is hardly the case now. Round trips on both routes are double the one-way fare. On a round-trip basis the fares on the cargo vessels are not that much different from some fares on the QE2.
TIA for any info on this subject! Zoooma October 7, am. Its telling people to bring videotapes to watch and talked about the cost of film.
How many people use a film camera anymore, 1 out of a hundred? Who has videotapes lying around?!?! Max Hartshorne October 7, pm. Thank you, dear reader. Zoey December 29, pm. Selva Marroquin August 13, pm. I am hoping to travel from the Seattle area to Costa Rica on a cargo ship… can anybody tell me if the ports in Costa Rica are open now August and how can I travel in one of these ships?
Thank you for your help! Sarah Smith July 21, pm. I had no idea that from Europe to the US, shipments can take about 41 days. Since we just started offering an online shipping option, I wonder if we should look into a contract with a port agent to help us get our products shipped without too much delay between getting an order placed.
I would imagine it would be easiest to get a warehouse in the countries we will ship to and then fulfill orders from those warehouses. NV June 27, am. Max Hartshorne June 29, pm. Iana June 26, am. Hey R.
Ahern and fellow boaters! Thank you for the article I really enjoyed reading it and I did not know that you can travel on a cargo ship! Me and my husband have a world travel vlog called Dawn Hunters where we post our sailing adventures and also tips for travelers well, currently we are fixing our steel motorsailer, so there is much more boatyard adventures for now. They do NOT have cargo ships over there, but maybe not everyone here wants to go on one?
Anyways I thought that might be useful for some people! P Giordano June 21, pm. Wow, I never knew this! I wish I were not so prone to seasickness, this sounds incredible. I would definitely go for the experience, the opportunity to visit other countries and take in the sights and sounds, plus the operations of a cargo ship are seriously impressive. I am trying to get to Southeast Asia from Saudi Arabia. I am trying to leave in May. Is there anyway I can book on a cargo ship? Bruce Alan Wilson March 21, pm.
However, would it be possible to take a freighter to these places from a Mexican or Canadian port? JRusslett January 25, pm. Is it just for the experience? Max Hartshorne January 26, pm. Jensen June 2, pm. Jay December 22, pm. Risberg October 16, pm. Peter Torrano January 24, pm. If one must, one can always bring a satellite phone or a satellite modem. With a satellite phone you pay per minute.
With a satellite modem you pay for data. Both can be expensive so I highly suggest you not use, say, a satellite modem to watch YouTube videos or Netflix, but you can do email or chat or even place a phone call via GooglePhone or free VoIP Calls top actual phone numbers via TextNow.
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