There are a segment of travelers who enjoy traveling the world in different and unique ways and one of these is by booking passage on a container or cargo ship.
This is not for everyone and can be very expensive with a bit of isolation involved but for those who have the time, money and are looking for a different experience then this may be for you. It is not luxury travel by any stretch of the imagination so if that is what you are looking for stop here and go no further as you will not want to attempt this type of travel.
Years ago it was a simple task to book passage on merchant ships, tramp steamers or other vessels plying the trade routes around the globe, however, this is not the case any longer. Our world has changed and for the most part those adventure days of sailing on a merchant ship or tramp steamer are a thing of the past.
Here is a brief overview of what you an expect and how this works.
There are major shipping companies which will send cargo from one point to another and with the modernization of these ships the requirements for crew has been decreased which means that there are or can be crew quarters available for booking passage on these ships. These ships will take a limited number of passengers which is usually no more than 12 persons because anything over a certain number of persons on these ships require the shipping companies to include a doctor as a crew member instead of just having a crew member who has some minimal medical skills.
The costs can be quite high on a daily basis but they do include meals and in a lot of cases a very large compartment. You are able to utilize all the on ship facilities such as exercise room if they have one, the entertainment room and most other facilities which the normal working crew would use on a daily basis.
You will pay a base daily fee, a diversion fee which means that if for some reason you become ill or injured to the extent that the ship must divert from its course this will cover those costs. There can also be other fees but on average the daily costs can be upward of 150 Euro per day however some companies will charge in British Pounds and some routes could also be charged in US dollars.
If at this point you are still interested in this, here is how you look and book.
It is not possible to just pop into the local port and book passage on these ships. In my investigations I discovered that there are a limited number of companies participating and as usual where there is money to be made then someone will find a way to make money out of the booking process.
Most companies doing the bookings are based in the United Kingdom. There are a number of different web sites promoting these sailings but I will present two specific ones. A la Carte Freighter Travel and Cargo Ship Voyages. These two web links can give and will provide you with a clear and basic view of costs, the potentials for routes, number of sailing days, start & end points and ports of call. When visiting these web sites I encourage you to view the entire web site for more detailed information.
You can also take this link to another web site which will provide a list of cargo/container ship booking agents. When you visit this web site to access the booking agent web site listed just click the blue number at the end of each line and it will take you directly to that specific web site if the link is still active.
Many of the web sites on the internet are a complicated process of selecting a route then sending an enquiry to the company and waiting for a reply while others are more straight forward therefore, it is suggested that you do the proper amount of research prior to making a final decision.
You can also take this link to another web site which will provide a list of cargo/container ship booking agents. When you visit this web site to access the booking agent web site listed just click the blue number at the end of each line and it will take you directly to that specific web site if the link is still active.
Many of the web sites on the internet are a complicated process of selecting a route then sending an enquiry to the company and waiting for a reply while others are more straight forward therefore, it is suggested that you do the proper amount of research prior to making a final decision.
This can be a very unique experience. One down side depending of the type of cargo and vessel is your movements on the ship can and will be limited with regards to where you will be allowed to go due to safety concerns.
In presenting this information I have must qualify the fact that I have not done this as it has not been a fit for my requirements but as a travel writer there is that part of me which will some day make the decision to personally do this and write about the experience in more detail.
If you are the type individual who is looking for that different experience, do not mind being isolated on a ship and can handle ocean travel then take a look, this might be just what you are looking for.
Travel Safe, Travel Happy