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News & Blogs Travel the World on Cargo Ships

Joni

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http://online.wsj.com/news/articles...9339301040166302?mod=WSJ_article_EditorsPicks

Freighter ships offer passengers stops at unusual ports, plenty of quiet time and an unusual way to travel

By MATTHEW KRONSBERG
Jan. 30, 2014 10:55 a.m. ET
WHEN THE CARGO liner CMA CGM Figaro comes into New York Bay, she does so with shipping containers stacked high on her deck, like enormous Lego bricks. From shore, one can only guess at what she's carrying. Electronics from Yokohama? Maybe. Clothing from Hong Kong? Possibly. A swimming pool and a few paying passengers? Very likely.

The pool is pretty much where the similarities with a traditional cruise begin and end. A mega-liner like Royal Caribbean's RCL +3.76% Oasis of the Seas can carry more than 6,000 passengers; most freighters (if they take guests) top out at about 12. There is no rock wall. No spa. Cabins, though they tend to be spacious, are utilitarian (imagine yourself on the SS IKEA). Instead of a dozen restaurants operating around the clock, cargo ships have officers' dining rooms that serve meals at appointed times.

For some, the appeal of freighter travel is the prospect for a "Fantastic Voyage"-like journey through the arteries of global commerce. Others like the idea of seeing little-known destinations, like Pago Pago in American Samoa, or relish the opportunity to read and write in near isolation. (Internet connectivity, via satellite, is limited at best.) And unlike with a traditional cruise, it is often possible to arrange passage over just a segment of a ship's route—for instance, if you wanted to get to Europe without flying.

Even the shortest leg, however, requires both time and flexibility. A 20-day voyage might come in at 19 or 22, as commerce and weather dictate. Rates start at about $130 a day. Working with a specialist travel agent is not just advised, it's pretty much mandatory.

Cargo ships travel the world without consideration of tourist season or how sandy nearby beaches are; if there is a deep port there is probably a ship to get you there. Click the mapto view a few of the more compelling trips available.

map pic.... http://online.wsj.com/news/interactive/cargo0201?ref=SB10001424052702304632204579339301040166302
 
T

Tick Dickler

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i have always dreamed about this, but not quite in this fashion.
ive heard about people going from america to europe for like 20 bucks. the get to sleep in rooms that arent in use and shit. some people also pay by working on the ship. coocking and cleaning.
 

autumn

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i have always dreamed about this, but not quite in this fashion.
ive heard about people going from america to europe for like 20 bucks. the get to sleep in rooms that arent in use and shit. some people also pay by working on the ship. coocking and cleaning.

Yeah, that's an option. Anyone who pays $4000 to get across an ocean in 20 days is a fucking idiot or has way too much money to be traveling in shit cramped quarters with shit food.
 
T

Tick Dickler

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Yeah, that's an option. Anyone who pays $4000 to get across an ocean in 20 days is a fucking idiot or has way too much money to be traveling in shit cramped quarters with shit food.
yeah i dont get it either... ive never heard of people paying such big amounts of money for it. seems like a rip-off
 

travelin

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I looked into it very thoroughly as my wife was dying. thought maybe id go world cruising. incredibly expensive I thought.
 

Matt Derrick

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yeah, i've looked into this as well, and it seems that it's mostly marketed to older retirees that have a lot of money and don't want to fly for whatever reason. the quarters are usually pretty good if not 'fancy'.
 

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