Where can I get information on freighter travel?
I want to go from New York City to any destination in Europe on a freighter. The only place I've found information for doing this requires a round trip. I don't want to go round trip. I want to spend some months in Europe and I don't care where in Europe I start.
Best Answer
There are several agents selling freighter journeys. Some of them do advertise one-way crossings but even if they don't you can always ask. In any case, you need to contact them, explain your needs and see if they can find a ship for you. When you are ready to book, they will require a payment and some paperwork (typically a medical form). It's not like a cruise ship with a fixed schedule or a flight which you can book online in a few minutes.
Here are a few of these agents:
- Maris Freighter Cruise is based in the US. I did not see any USA-Europe one-way cruise on their website but I am sure they could arrange one for you.
- Kapitän Zylmann is based in Germany and lists a ship in which you can book a cabin from New York to Bremerhaven or Rotterdam.
- Langsamreisen.de is also based in Germany and offers trips from New York to Spain or Italy.
- The Cruise People is based in the UK and offers something I haven't seen in other agents' brochures/websites: Tramp travel on a bulker (the other trips are on container ships). “Tramp travel” means that you just know the ship will bring you to somewhere in Europe or North Africa but you won't know the exact destination until shortly before departure. You book a cabin and know it will leave from the Great Lakes region for Europe and that's it.
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How do you book passage on a container ship?
You will have to book through an agent that specializes in freighter cruises or directly through the ship's agent/manager. Remember that there may be voyages available that the travel agent is not advertising on the Internet or elsewhere. If you want to go on a particular voyage, ask the agent what they have available.Can you passenger on a freighter?
Only around 1% of the world's freighter ships accept passengers, according to travel agents. Those that do tend to accommodate only up to 12 people at a time, the maximum allowed without a doctor on board.How do you travel on a freighter?
The Golden Rules of Cargo Ship TravelCan you buy passage on a cargo ship?
Shipping companies have certain lines covering specific routes, and many of them will allow you to buy a ticket for one of these lines and disembark and board as you please if there is a ship leaving on your chosen day.Cargo Ship Travel | Everything You Need To Know
More answers regarding where can I get information on freighter travel?
Answer 2
I'm afraid I don't know any companies that organise this as such. I have heard from a few travellers on the road that your best best is often just to go to the port and talk to the one in charge there. They tend the know exactly what boats are in their harbour and which ones will take passengers. I do know a lot of freighters these days have special, really nice cabins for leisure travel, they're not cheap though. Sometimes you can get free passage in exchange for doing some work on board during the trip. Good luck!
Answer 3
Here are some links I have collected over the past decade.
Agencies:
Books:
- Letters from the Pacific: 49 Days on a Cargo Ship
- Time Zones, Containers And Three Square Meals A Day
Some articles:
My upcoming 26-day trip aboard a cargo ship from Japan to Peru (2014)
How to: travel by cargo ship (2008)
Other:
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Images: Anete Lusina, Helena Lopes, Erik Mclean, Fred