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Why is container ship cruising even considered


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We have cruised before but not in a while.  I remember hearing a while back that container ship cruising was a cheaper option but with cruise ship cruising so reasonable, it doesn’t seem like a cheaper option.  Why would someone want to take a container ship cruise?

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Not necessarily cheaper, although if you are on a trip that takes a couple of months, the only comparison might be a segment of a world cruise, which is usually fairly expensive.

The reason for taking a freighter might be for adventure, or a very different experience from cruising. There is no entertainment, no pools, no bingo, no shows.

We took a freighter when we migrated from US to Australia.  It took 42 days, and cost about the same as airfare.  That was back in 1969.  Our cabin was huge, compared to any we've had on cruises.  The three meals were nice (only one choice at dinner); no buffet or other snacks.

Since container ship schedules are dependent on the goods they're carrying, the schedules are not usually very precise.  We gave up our jobs in June, drove to NYC.....and finally sailed in August.

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6 hours ago, AnnieCt7 said:

We have cruised before but not in a while.  I remember hearing a while back that container ship cruising was a cheaper option but with cruise ship cruising so reasonable, it doesn’t seem like a cheaper option.  Why would someone want to take a container ship cruise?

 

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A freighter cruise is on my bucket list because I've never been on a working ship. While a cruise ship is a working ship, the workers are serving me (and the other passengers.)  

 

The advantages I see to a freighter / container ship: 

  • No schedule or entertainment. You are truly left to your own devices. 
  • Bridge access - in many cases, you are allowed on the bridge (this may have changed.) 
  • Random ports, not the standard cruise ports.
  • Lots of sea days. 

These "advantages" are, of course, in the eye of the beholder. 

 

I love cruise ships but they are more floating hotels than ships. I have been on a couple where you can forget that you are actually at sea. My hope is that a freighter journey would be a sailing trip.  

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On 10/9/2021 at 1:52 PM, AnnieCt7 said:

We have cruised before but not in a while.  I remember hearing a while back that container ship cruising was a cheaper option but with cruise ship cruising so reasonable, it doesn’t seem like a cheaper option.  Why would someone want to take a container ship cruise?

 

Freighter or cargo ship travel is for those that want to experience the real life at sea, not the floating gin palaces that are modern cruise ships.

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On 10/9/2021 at 5:52 PM, clo said:

Would that be the same as a container ship?

Yes - freight theses days is largely carried on container ships.  The notion of saving money on a great itinerary does not withstand the limitations involved.  Are you really interested in being one of no more than twelve passengers on a ship which only calls at inconvenient cargo handling facilities, with entertainment limited to DVD's and whatever board games you bring along,  while eating probably nourishing but unexciting factory-cafeteria type food?

 

If this sort of travel is really on your bucket list, you might talk with your local Navy recruiter to explore Navy Reserve options.

 

 

Edited by navybankerteacher
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On 10/16/2021 at 6:27 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Yes - freight theses days is largely carried on container ships.  The notion of saving money on a great itinerary does not withstand the limitations involved.  Are you really interested in being one of no more than twelve passengers on a ship which only calls at inconvenient cargo handling facilities, with entertainment limited to DVD's and whatever board games you bring along,  while eating probably nourishing but unexciting factory-cafeteria type food?

 

If this sort of travel is really on your bucket list, you might talk with your local Navy recruiter to explore Navy Reserve options.

 

 

What you described is what I would have guessed. No thanks.

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4 minutes ago, clo said:

What you described is what I would have guessed. No thanks.

Anyone with an understanding of what cargo ships are will be fairly selective in choosing their cruise itineraries. 

 

There seems to be a fair amount of ignorant discussion along the lines of "hopping a freighter", or saving money, or gaining experience, by sailing on a "working ship".

 

Very, very, very few of CC participants would be anything but appalled by the conditions on a working ship.

 

Come on, you guys - THINK -- GROW UP!

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FWIW, Here are some further recollections about my experience on a freighter, back in 1969.

We were originally scheduled to board in June.  It was August before we finally got the call to "be at the port in two hours".  

There were 12 passengers.  We had assigned seating at meals, each with an officer.  We dined with the Chief Engineer.  Our other tablemates were three women traveling on their own: one American, one German, one Australian.  The food was very good, but very limited in our choices.  At one point we all became so tired of fancy food that we asked for crew meals.  We got pea soup once, then back to the usual passenger menus.

We were not given an itinerary, just the assurance that we would be taken to Sydney, Australia.  In Kings Bay, Georgia, we took on our cargo:  a custom-built yacht, and 40 tons of dynamite, built into the hold one case at a time.  That took four days.  Then it was through the Panama Canal, then not another port until we arrived in Queensland, Australia.  Fortunately, we love sea days, and we hadn't entertained any fantasies of South Sea islands.  In our case, our goal was to get to Australia.  Oh, and we were able to take along the 18 pieces of baggage that carried some household goods as well as clothing, etc.

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If considering a passage on a container ship, be advised that forward-facing portholes may likely be blocked by containers.

 

You may have a better chance at getting a non-obscured view on a general purpose or 'breakbulk' freighter like the Rickmers Jakarta we took in 2017.

 

See our reporting on this board entitled Notes From a 25-day Voyage on the Rickmers Jakarta; Houston to Antwerp.

 

Don't forget that the priority in freighter cruising is the freight, not the passengers. You have to be very self-reliant and ambulatory -- no elevators on most ships.

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There are elevators (well, just one) in the accommodation (where the crew eat, sleep, steer the ship and hangout when not working).  Even if there wasn't the bigger problem is you need to walk up the long rickety accommodation ladder to get onto deck to embark and disembark.  If the crew are nice, they'll carry your bags up and down for you otherwise you have to do it yourself..

 

The other issue is what the ship may be carrying.  I've had a view all week of the ZIM Kingston.  Lost over 100 containers in rough seas and then the ones that didn't fall off completely caught fire (highly-toxic spontaneously-combustible chemicals for the mining industry).  Ship's o.k. and fire's now out (reportedly spread to some containers containing tyres) but if you were a passenger on it (or on any of the ships stuck off California due to lack of berths), you'll be paying by the day for being delayed in getting off.

 

I'd do another container ship voyage in a heart beat over a mega cruise ship, as long as the officers were French or Italian.

 

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On 10/29/2021 at 9:00 PM, cruising cockroach said:

..

 

I'd do another container ship voyage in a heart beat over a mega cruise ship, as long as the officers were French or Italian.

 

Generalizations can be risky: are you certain you would be happy on a ship serving the purposes of, and led by members of, the Sacra Corona Unita or the Union Corse? 

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Eastern European (and German) officered ships are dry.  French and Italian officers and you're guarantee wine for lunch and dinner.  The carriage contract, at least the French portion which was not translated into English, stated that passengers were to have 250 ml of wine/passenger at lunch and at dinner.  Unfortunately we ended up with a notvery-friendly-from-the-get-go Romanian crew.  Originally we supposed to have a British crew but the ships  "disappeared" into the Russian far east so we had too sail on a Romanian-officered ship. 

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I did Aranui for its unique itinerary. While there are cruises that stop in Nuku Hiva there aren't that do the whole Marquesas Archipelago. Aranui is more equipped for passengers than perhaps the average freighter ship but it is strip down in terms of entertainment and personally I'm good with that. I'm not into sea days so I would never to a round the world freighter but local freighters can be good for getting to places that aren't easily accessible like around the Torres Strait Islands which would be another freighter cruise I'd consider. 

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I worked on a break bulk/container ship that carried passengers, back in 1973.  The passengers signed on for the entire voyage, which was from New Orleans to the Med and back, and was supposed to last 3 months, but ended up with delays being nearly 6 months.  I believe they paid $400-500 per person, so that was less than $100/month.  Given inflation, that is $3500 for 6 months travel.  Passengers had several weeks in Israel to sightsee on their own.  Now, freight lines have seen the prices for cruises, and are not stupid, so the rates have gone up considerably, 

 

Those who are self-sufficient, and don't rely on others to entertain them, can do very well on freighter cruises, if you know in advance that the experience is not going to resemble a cruise ship in any way.  A freighter cruise is travel, not entertainment.

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When I worked on oil tankers the only “passengers” we carried were staff from the head office. Safety regs etc.

When I was with P&O we carried the odd passenger and I suspect that the fare was gratis as they were usually connected with government offices.

Officers often had their wife with them … for trips up to nine months. Having said that P&O had ships on a regular trading pattern between Australia / New Zealand and the Arabian Gulf / Indian Ocean. That was a specific 12 months contract. No TV, no internet .. in fact no computers 🙂 Snail mail only ✍🏻

The wives were not ‘passengers’ but were employed for a matter of pence per voyage … officially librarians or something else quite naff.

Like passengers they had to make their own entertainment, especially when hubby was working 4 hrs on 8hrs off … 7 days a week … or a minimum of 6 hrs on on 6 hrs off off in port. 

All of our ships were crewed by British officers, with either British or Indian ratings.

 

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