Desperate to get to the USA - by sea

[belairebel]

Hi, everyone. I have no idea if anybody out there can help me but I'm getting desperate, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

I want to get to the USA to meet family I have only just discovered I have (I'm a GI baby!) but as I'm acutely claustrophobic, plane travel is out of the question. I have been searching for weeks now for a way to get to either New York or Chicago, by sea. I can get a train to St.Louis from either and my family will meet me there.

 

But I don't want a cruise! I just want passage. Does anyone know of such a service? I have no interest, at this point, in being entertained or any of the other stuff offered, all I want is a cabin to sleep in and food.

 

I am 64 and acutely arthritic, so signing on as crew of a Trans-Atlantic yacht is out! I can find no other way.

 

Please, any help would be better than no help at all.

[writer100]

Hi, everyone. I have no idea if anybody out there can help me but I'm getting desperate, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

I want to get to the USA to meet family I have only just discovered I have (I'm a GI baby!) but as I'm acutely claustrophobic, plane travel is out of the question. I have been searching for weeks now for a way to get to either New York or Chicago, by sea. I can get a train to St.Louis from either and my family will meet me there.

 

But I don't want a cruise! I just want passage. Does anyone know of such a service? I have no interest, at this point, in being entertained or any of the other stuff offered, all I want is a cabin to sleep in and food.

belairebel, Cunard runs liners from Southhampton to New York. Many of them have classes of travel, so the lower cost (and class) might be affordable. If you check on-line or even in the London phone book you should find freighter lines that will go from London (Southhampton) to New York. Look for container ships--how does Jaguar get its cars here?--that always carry a few passengers.

You should be aware that freighter travel can be tough for someone who isn't very mobile. But it is certainly worth looking at.

Hope you find something that works for you.

[uppitycats]

Hi, everyone. I have no idea if anybody out there can help me but I'm getting desperate, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

I want to get to the USA to meet family I have only just discovered I have (I'm a GI baby!) but as I'm acutely claustrophobic, plane travel is out of the question. I have been searching for weeks now for a way to get to either New York or Chicago, by sea. I can get a train to St.Louis from either and my family will meet me there.

 

But I don't want a cruise! I just want passage. Does anyone know of such a service? I have no interest, at this point, in being entertained or any of the other stuff offered, all I want is a cabin to sleep in and food.

 

I am 64 and acutely arthritic, so signing on as crew of a Trans-Atlantic yacht is out! I can find no other way.

 

Please, any help would be better than no help at all.

 

Right now, many transatlantic crossings are very inexpensive. You don't have to do anything on board a cruise ship..don't have to go to the entertainment, don't have to participate in any of the activities, don't have to go to the gym, or pool, don't have to get off the ship anywhere (and of course on a trans atlantic, you wouldn't do that anyway!) or any of it..stay in your cabin and go to meals, or even just call room service and have them delivered (room service is part of your cruise passage), or find a quiet corner on deck (and they do occur, even on the most "partiest" of ships.

 

Given your age and physical condition, I don't think freighter travel will suit. And the higher end cruise lines, while offering comfortable accommodations, also have at least some entertainment, but again, you don't have to do it.

 

Have you talked to a travel agent? They can direct you to the more sedate lines, where entertainment isn't thrust at you 24/7....

[Passin Thru]

maybe this will answer all your questions.

http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0011/miniguide_freighter_voyage.html

[grammymummy]

thank you for the link, rekindling an old passion ....

[crayphish]

Hi, everyone. I have no idea if anybody out there can help me but I'm getting desperate, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

I want to get to the USA to meet family I have only just discovered I have (I'm a GI baby!) but as I'm acutely claustrophobic, plane travel is out of the question. I have been searching for weeks now for a way to get to either New York or Chicago, by sea. I can get a train to St.Louis from either and my family will meet me there.

 

But I don't want a cruise! I just want passage. Does anyone know of such a service? I have no interest, at this point, in being entertained or any of the other stuff offered, all I want is a cabin to sleep in and food.

 

I am 64 and acutely arthritic, so signing on as crew of a Trans-Atlantic yacht is out! I can find no other way.

 

Please, any help would be better than no help at all.

 

From looking at that freight ship website, the costs are pretty close to a regular cruise which would have elevators and room service. :rolleyes:

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

Passage on the Cunard Line during the off season would be most advisable. It is nearly the same cost as passage by freighter... you don't have to do anything, but everything you need will be on board, not to mention a full fledged medical center... I really do not recommend 'hitching' a ride on a freighter, especially in the condition you describe yourself as being in.

 

The Cunard Line, among other reasons, provides transatlantic passage for people who do not want to fly. Although akin to a cruise ship, technically, the RMS Queen Mary 2 is an ocean liner designed to take people from Great Britain to the USA.

 

You do not even need to leave your cabin when you board.

 

Of course, Cunard does market it as an 'experience', and it is- yet many people still utilize it as their preferred method of traveled between the old world and the new.

 

http://www.cunard.co.uk/Destinations/Transatlantic-Crossings/

[jpver]

Cunard is indeed the best option, certainly out of UK. Have done the transatlantic in 2001 on the Queen Elizabeth 2, who unfortunately is now sold to Dubai as an hotel. It takes 6 days, mostly leaving Southampton around 17 h and arriving the last day in the morning. That view you really have to enjoy.

On this moment it is the Queen Mary 2 who took the place of QE2.

These vessels are designed to scope with North Atlantic. Even with rough weather the vessel was absolute stabilized.

I am not interested in shows on board of cruise ships, so I prefered a movie in my cabin or a drink in one of the bars.

:):)

[Toto2Kansas]

There are lots of choices to get to New York by ship, but it will be a long train or bus ride getting to St. Louis from there I am afraid, if you don't fly. It will take you days to get to St. Louis once you reach NYC, probably many days. Good Luck, I hope you are able to make the trip.

[captainmcd]

There are lots of choices to get to New York by ship, but it will be a long train or bus ride getting to St. Louis from there I am afraid, if you don't fly. It will take you days to get to St. Louis once you reach NYC, probably many days. Good Luck, I hope you are able to make the trip.

Getting from New York to Saint Louis by rail (Amtrak.Com) is no problem. A coach seat costs $178, sleeping cars are available at extra cost. You leave New York daily at 3:45, change trains in Chicago the next day (a 4 hr. connection) and arrive in Saint Louis that evening at 7:21 P.M., a total time of 28 hours enroute. I recommend a roomette on the Lakeshore Limited trip from New York to Chicago.

[Texascruiser47]

Hi, everyone. I have no idea if anybody out there can help me but I'm getting desperate, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

I want to get to the USA to meet family I have only just discovered I have (I'm a GI baby!) but as I'm acutely claustrophobic, plane travel is out of the question. I have been searching for weeks now for a way to get to either New York or Chicago, by sea. I can get a train to St.Louis from either and my family will meet me there.

 

But I don't want a cruise! I just want passage. Does anyone know of such a service? I have no interest, at this point, in being entertained or any of the other stuff offered, all I want is a cabin to sleep in and food.

 

I am 64 and acutely arthritic, so signing on as crew of a Trans-Atlantic yacht is out! I can find no other way.

 

Please, any help would be better than no help at all.

 

Hello Belairbel,

Since you say you are claustrophobic, I was just curious, have you ever compared the interior of a jumbo jet to that of a standard ship cabin? Not to mention the time difference that would be spent in either for your travel goal? Sea travel is great but if you are just trying to get from A to B, it's something to think about. I'm not claustrophobic but ship cabins are S-M-A-L-L unless you get a suite on a cruise ship.

Good Luck either way!

[All aboard??]

Can a person scream illegal immigrant......

[jcrandle]

Can a person scream illegal immigrant......

 

A person could, but that same person might be wrong. Consider John Madden, the NFL commentator who arranged to take ground transport because he refused to fly.