Comments on: How to Cross the Ocean on a Freighter Ship

By: dave

dave — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:06:00 +0000

You have killed my dream…. Hahaha Realistically I know understand that they are feeding you for several days maybe even weeks so to think you could hitch a ride for $20 in hindsight probably was ridiculous of me. Thanks for writing about a topic that is so hard to find information on.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 03:21:48 +0000

Hello Fellows…
Well I am gatecrashing, as a femme on this wonderful blog. I actually WOULD do this and was looking for a way to cross the Pacific instead of flying. Somehow, I have to add this of my list of things to do…since I was going to look at teaching abroad in China again, this might be the ticket I was looking to punch. A rather interesting way to travel. Definitely a story or two in this journey. I have to also consider that I have to still take that rail journey across Sibera yet…and climb Everest.

By: George

George — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:11:11 +0000

From December 2008 to April 2009 I was a passenger on the Rickmers Jakarta. It was a 126-day, round-the-world trip and a great experience. I’ve included the link to my blog at http://gklucsarits.blogspot.com
There are some other links to helpful resources, especially Dale Stenseth’s blog from the same ship.

Cheers,
George

By: Rory

Rory — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:15:28 +0000

I’m going to be in New Zealand next year whilst on my backpacking travels, and I am interested in possibly getting a freighter (or god knows what else) to Antarctica (Hey, why not?)
Anyone have any recommendations, seeing as I am a backpacker, and therefore money is not my strong point… I’d appreciate any MANLY help that anyone could give me.

p.s. If you say take a jumper, you suck. ;-)

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:53:42 +0000

Check this link http://www.seatravelltd.co.uk/j/index.php/freighter/choose-your-freighter
or email those people they are able to help with a reservation. I did 2 voyage with them Transatlantic there and back – easy.
Will definitely do it again.
Linda

By: Meliss

Meliss — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:37:50 +0000

I really appreciated your candor, Oakland CA is my home town and an ocean crossing is top of my list, your description helps immensely in my preparations. Now it looks like a crossing may be sooner rather then later. My husband has landed a job in Hong Kong, I’m sad to leave the Taco Trucks of Oakland but ya gotta go where the work is. I’d like to travel by cargo ship along with our cats. If anyone can recommend more reading and or information I’d be grateful.

By: asp

asp — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:36:48 +0000

I’ve been wondering how a vegetarian (like myself) would fare on a freighter. I’ve done the cheese sandwiches often enough on road trips, so I could deal with that. But I also found a comment on another site: “The type of food will vary with the nationality of the officers but the cooks will do their best to accommodate you. I was pleasantly surprised when clients (who hadn’t told me they were vegetarians) came home delighted with the dishes the cook prepared just for them.” http://www.tcpltd.com/freighter-voyages.html

That makes it sound like one could luck out and find a ship with a flexible cook!

By: dthe

dthe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:11:56 +0000

sounds like a good way to practice a second language. i hadn’t thought of it before

By: Soubriquet

Soubriquet — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:42:52 +0000

I did this, in 1980. Not for as far, or for so long, I travelled from England to Finland on a Finnish container-ship. I wanted to travel to Finland, not just clamber into a pressurised tube, and step out into an air terminal just like the one I’d left, a few hours ago.
Instead, I travelled, watching the coast of England dwindle behind me, feeling the deck vibrate beneath my feet. I watched oil rigs with their burning flare-stacks slide by, ………………………… eventually, I stood on deck as we weaved through the Finnish coastal archipelago, and the port of Helsinki crept closer.

The officer who welcomed me on-board gave me a brief list of do’s and dont’s.
I visited the bridge, engine-room and galley only when invited, I did not spend a lot of time in the officer’s ward-room, though I was told I was welcome to do so, I listened to other people’s stories, withoul inflicting mine upon the, though I tried to answer their questions when they asked. I spent a lot of time on deck, watching the sea go by, and I spent quite a few hours with hammer, chisel, and wire brush, chipping rust, for which I was rewarded in beer and backslaps.
I read, wrote, and enjoyed the solitude.
I would thoroughly recommend it.

I understand Senatorrosewater’s point of view, he seems to think passengers are one step below rats.
I’d point out that he gets paid to shift cargo, I paid to be cargo.
If he’s not happy with that, I suggest he takes it up with his employers.

By: Joseph Lenze

Joseph Lenze — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:08:23 +0000

To all the questions of “why” to do it, that varies greatly person to person. Really, why climb a mountain when it’s more comfortable to watch TV on a couch? For me personally, my goal was to circumnavigate the earth without getting into an airplane. A freighter ship was the only non-flight way I found to cross the Pacific.