Travel by container ships

Would be cool to give it a try. The price is right, that's for sure.
 
pilot_dude said:
Would be cool to give it a try. The price is right, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Well, the price in that story is misleading. If you research it a little further, it's more on the order of $2K for an ocean crossing - accommodations and meals for two weeks.
 
My Mother and Father-in-laws took a freighter to China once many, many, many years ago.
 
I went from Okinawa to Tahiti, and then to the Solomon and then Singapore on a freighter long ago. Back then, the price was negotiable. If they leave port, and the cabin is empty, that's it, no money. So, wait around and call a few hours before departure, and ask for a lower rate. I think I stayed on the boat for total of 12 days, and the complete price was $140 or something. Not sure if that's still the case, but you can ask. I had to pay the dockmaster a bribe of a few yen to get to the boat because I didn't have the right ID card, but it all worked out. Make sure the AC works in your cabin! lol
 
For $2k, you could take a full-on cruise with gourmet meals, pool, etc etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I don't have 26 days to spend at sea, I'd rather spend less for two airline tickets and be there in 20 hours. To me this is kinda like train travel in the U.S.(except the northeast). More for the experience than actually getting there.
 
dans2992 said:
For $2k, you could take a full-on cruise with gourmet meals, pool, etc etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Or you can also fly economy for even less. I think the people that would take such trips aren't motivated to be aboard floating lysteria mills. From what I understand, on many modern freighters and tankers*, the officers eat gourmet meals, if not the crew as well.

*disclaimer, I'm not Henning
 
Last edited:
Gucci Pilot said:
I don't have 26 days to spend at sea, I'd rather spend less for two airline tickets and be there in 20 hours. To me this is kinda like train travel in the U.S.(except the northeast). More for the experience than actually getting there.
Click to expand...

Actually I've taken Amtrak across country before on a couple occasions, and it isn't really that bad of an alternative. It costs about the same as a bus, takes about the same time and it's a lot more comfortable. I'm not saying it's anywhere as practical as the European train system, but if you happen to be going along it's route it's a decent deal.
 
EppyGA said:
My Mother and Father-in-laws took a freighter to China once many, many, many years ago.
Click to expand...

My parents did this on a freighter carrying bananas from Panama to the States in 1940. -Skip
 
My mother and step father did this about 15(?) years ago. If you're interested in the ports, this is NOT the way to travel. May not even be able to disembark, and you're often not in port during the day. If you want to catch up on your reading or writing, might be a good option!
 
Just don't pick a container ship that heads straight into a cat 4 hurricane...:sad::sad::sad:
 
I know a woman who did this recently ie 2 years ago. It was described as boring, possibly unsafe at times, not at all touristy (comforts were lacking, it ain't no cruise ship). It seemed to me she was at a place in her life where being trapped on a long boat ride was right for her to get her mind straight. The destinations were no great joy. If someone was on the ship whom you did not care for it was not easy to avoid running into them regularly.
(Honestly if I wanted time to get my mind right, at minimal cost, I think I'd just go camp in a remote part of the Rockies for a few weeks; at least have scenery and some comforts while at it.)
 
I had an aunt who used freighters to go back and forth in the 60s. She liked it and back then, it was considerably cheaper than airfares.

My dads brother was a merchant marine from the 50s into the 80s. He did many tours around africa and into the persian gulf. In later years, he was master on all kinds of oddball oil related vessels. Back before containerization, freighters would be in port a week at a time while the stevedores would manually load pallets and bags of kapok, coffee or exotic woods into the holds. A passenger traveling in the owners cabin had the opportunity to go on shore for a couple of days at each port and explore the country a bit.

There is nothing touristy about traveling on a modern container ship. The dwell times in port are very short and hectic for the crew. They may arrive and leave in the middle of the night, whenever the loading is done. Also, you dont arrive at the cruise-ship terminal, you are in the middle of the commercial port. You don't have a crew visa and you need to navigate the local mechanism to clear in and out of the country by yourself. If you run into some hangup with local officials, the ship won't wait for you.

I would consider doing a point-point atlantic crossing. Couple of books, no internet, no work.....
 
Damn this thread. I ended up reading massive amounts of information about the Panama Canal expansion and shipping rules for hours from following a link in the story.

I now know how many windshield wipers are needed and where they must be located for transiting the canal in rainy season. Damn it Internet.
 
weilke said:
I had an aunt who used freighters to go back and forth in the 60s. She liked it and back then, it was considerably cheaper than airfares.
Click to expand...
Back then it was a VERY different environment.

My first ship as a third mate out of college was originally launched as the SS American Mail built in the 60's. It was designed as a passenger/freighter originally for the American Mail line and later sailed for American President Lines as the President Cleveland. I came to know her as just the SS Cleveland hauling grain to Africa in the late 90s.

We had an entire deck for passengers including both state rooms and a couple of nice passenger lounges and many original furnishings. It was kind of like a museum taking you back to the days of exotic port visits as the ship would tramp around the Pacific. Very different from the modern container ships that go between industrial ports and spend literally hours rather than days in port to load/discharge.

It would take us two full weeks to completely load or discharge all seven holds of Cleveland.

A very different time.
 
denverpilot said:
I now know how many windshield wipers are needed and where they must be located for transiting the canal in rainy season. Damn it Internet.
Click to expand...
Anyone who thinks the FARs can be a pain, just look at the Panama Canal requirements - they can get downright ridiculous.
 
N801BH said:
Just don't pick a container ship that heads straight into a cat 4 hurricane...:sad::sad::sad:
Click to expand...
Minor quibble, but they didn't exactly head straight into a cat 4 hurricane.

Think of it more like someone trying to dart across a busy 4 lane highway in an old beater and the car stalls in the middle of the road, broadside to oncoming traffic......that's more like what happened.

Very sad situation. 5 of the officers (including the Master) were fellow Maine Maritime alums.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Minor quibble, but they didn't exactly head straight into a cat 4 hurricane.

Think of it more like someone trying to dart across a busy 4 lane highway in an old beater and the car stalls in the middle of the road, broadside to oncoming traffic......that's more like what happened.

Very sad situation. 5 of the officers (including the Master) were fellow Maine Maritime alums.
Click to expand...

The breadcrumb track shows the ship heading directly into the eye of a cat 2, that within hours grew to a cat 3.. Then the radio call saying they lost power /steering... That ship was on the bottom by the time the storm cooked into a 4... Probably broke into 2 pieces at the splice location where they added 70 feet to it a few years back... News is reporting it is laying in 15,000' deep water...

Hope they find the pinger before the batteries go dead...

Godspeed to those poor mariners...:sad::sad::sad:
 
Ships, even Navy ships, just don't look like ships anymore. Of course, I havn't been on one, except a cross channel ferry, for nearly 50 years (Aug. 66).
 
N801BH said:
The breadcrumb track shows the ship heading directly into the eye of a cat 2, that within hours grew to a cat 3.. Then the radio call saying they lost power /steering...
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, the bread crumb track includes the period after they went dead in the water which apparently happened earlier than originally reported.

They didn't drive into the storm. The storm overtook/sucked them in.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Keep in mind, the bread crumb track includes the period after they went dead in the water which apparently happened earlier than originally reported.

They didn't drive into the storm. The storm overtook/sucked them in.
Click to expand...

Ok.....:rolleyes:
 
Fearless Tower said:
We had an entire deck for passengers including both state rooms and a couple of nice passenger lounges and many original furnishings. It was kind of like a museum taking you back to the days of exotic port visits as the ship would tramp around the Pacific. Very different from the modern container ships that go between industrial ports and spend literally hours rather than days in port to load/discharge.
Click to expand...

I ship a couple of containers per year. When you track them, in the evening the ship comes up the Chesapeake, the next morning it is already heading out.

For someone in the industry, traveling from Baltimore to Rotterdam on a container carrier would probably the last thing they find interesting. For someone who has never experienced the high seas, it still could be a good experience. There are agencies that arrange for the trip and logistics. A handler picks you up at the dock and gets you through customs to leave the freeport area at your destination.
 
Last edited:
Many (relative term in today's world) offer accommodations on cargo ships for passengers. I have forgotten now what the International convention and U.S. Law limits are before the ship is considered a "passenger ship" under the law, but it's pretty Los, like 8-12 people. A lot of cargo ships have 3-6 passenger cabins on board. But you're at the mercy of their schedule...

I met a number of folks that used to do it, and I had the opportunity to see some of the ships & cabins years ago. Not usual "cruise ship" quality, but certainly the ability to get to know the crew a bit and see how cargo operates. May be more limited since 9/2001, but still should be doable.
 
wsuffa said:
Many (relative term in today's world) offer accommodations on cargo ships for passengers. I have forgotten now what the International convention and U.S. Law limits are before the ship is considered a "passenger ship" under the law, but it's pretty Los, like 8-12 people.
Click to expand...

I believe 12 pax is the magic number that requires a medical professional on board, so no matter how many extra cabins, they wont take more than 12.
 
weilke said:
I ship a couple of containers per year. When you track them, in the evening the ship comes up the Chesapeake, the next morning it is already heading out.
Click to expand...
When I was sailing as a cadet on a SeaLand ship, our longest stop was Long Beach (2 days). Most were 24 hrs or less.

I still was able to enjoy a little time ashore here and there, but you had to be very efficient with any sight-seeing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top