Forget cruise ships -- travel by freighter.

[LiberalHeart]

This kind of vacation is news to me, but sounds way better than a cruise ship. Seems like it'd be ideal for a loner who loves the water, which pretty much describes me.

The downside: it's not cheap.

http://newsgrinder.blogspot.com/2007/04/forget-cruise-ships-travel-by-freighter.html

[tkmorris]

1. It seems a bit expensive, considering

Cruise lines often practically GIVE cruises away, they are so underbooked. I'd bet I could easily book a cruise tomorrow for less than the hundred a day the cargo ship cruises cost.

In spite of that, this sort of travel does suit me personally a bit better than most cruises do. Floating cocktail parties aint my style.

[LiberalHeart]

2. I'd pay the extra just to get away from that cocktail party atmosphere.

I wonder how many container ship passengers go missing at sea versus the ones on cruise ships.

[wtmusic]

4. "But...but...there's no casino on this ship

no floor show..."

Instead of hugging the shoreline and putting into port for bad weather, freighters plow right through it...the show is the 100ft+ swells breaking over the bow.

[Bluebear]

10. 'the show is the 100ft+ swells breaking over the bow.' - I'll take the casino. nt

[nosmokes]

3. you used to be able to do this on the cheap but word got out about 15

years or so back and the price skyrocketed, comparatively speaking. of course you need to have a flexible schedule because the ship could be in the middle of a leg and get a call to pick up a load somewhere 2000 miles out of the way and it changes course for the new destination. but the state rooms are usually fairly big and the food is excellent.

[SoCalDem]

5. In the '70's , many of my adventurous clients took freighter trips

they USED to be cheaper :) The only drawback was that sometimes you didn't end up where the manifest said you were going.. I had some clients who thought the were going to Central America, but a storm ruined the banana crop, so they ended up in Hong Kong..and got to transit the canal.. they were very pleased :)

There were only 6 staterooms on the freighter, and they made life-long friends on that elongated trip :)

[LiberalHeart]

8. That guy in the article who opted for freighters when traveling on business ....

...could have ended up missing a month of meetings if he went off course like that. I'm sensing there could be a novel in one of these trips, or a movie.

[pinniped]

6. Watch out for the pirates.

.

[Ayesha]

7. That might not be so bad

as long as there's rum!

[wakeme2008]

13. Sorry they look more like

This is from the pirate attack on the Seabourn Spirit in Nov 2006. The photographer is a Brit, Cruise Critic handle Norm2002. A couple more at this point in a thread from Cruise Critic

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=5081459&postcount=51

[pinniped]

24. The dude loading the RPG could be Johnny Depp.

Damm, that whole sequence of pics is scaaaaaaaary.:scared:

[kenny blankenship]

16. Hand over all your mascara, or you'll walk the plank ARRR!

[wakeme2008]

9. There are round the world freighter cruises.

Good place to start.

http://www.freighterworld.com/

But one thing to watch out for is the country the officers are from. There are some ships that the officers are from India and the food served is from India.

Until it stopped running, there was an 88 pass. freighter that did the US to South America run.

I have done 18 cruises, but the last two were on



200 passengers and the best service, but not cheap.

[SoCalDem]

11. Remember the Windjammer cruises from the 70's?

Some of them you had to (got to?) crew on them :)

[wakeme2008]

12. They are still around :)

Just not looking too good. The ship I was on in the first part of March was dock next to one at St Kitts, and the outside of it reminded me of the ship in the movie Captain Ron :scared: On the other hand, There is a nice small three ship company called Star Clipper and they have almost the same type experience.

This is from the Seabourn Pride next to the Royal Clipper from Nov... LOL now what island was this....

[TahitiNut]

19. Been there. Done that. And I got "paid" for doing it.

:evilgrin:

[ChickMagic]

26. Oh man! The Elissa?

I'm dyin' here.

[B Calm]

14. After 4 years in the Navy, I find it hard (regardless of what kind of ship)

to want to spend my hard earned money for a damn cruise!!!

[Thothmes]

15. damn cruise

I second your feelings about cruises. (30 years in the Navy)

[wakeme2008]

17. I on the other hand would spend all my time on cruises if I won the lottery

:)

Just talked to a lady that does 9 months a year on the upscale Seabourn Pride...

[TahitiNut]

18. Which suggests my primary reason for avoiding cruise ships: class pecking order.

I can think of no more class-focused 'vacation' than a cruise ship where people literally look DOWN on those in lower economic classes/accommodations. The age-old class hierarchy is obscene on cruise ships, imho.

That's why I love Club Med ... which is far better than I ever thought it would be.

[wakeme2008]

21. LOL there is no "pecking order" on Seabourn ships that I have found

I have posted on a number of forums over at Cruise Critic and the best group of people are on the Seabourn forum. While the price is not cheap, the passengers and crew "bond". For the most part it is like a group of old friends getting together.

[SiobhanClancy]

25. Seabourn is wonderful....

I've taken two cruises with them,on the Legend. These are also the only two I've ever taken,so I am probably spoiled for anything else except maybe Silverseas. I also met a woman on the British Isles cruise who spent most of the year on the ship,which I think is a wonderful idea:)The crew on the Legend was so delightful and attentive. I had a chocolate creme brulee on the second night and was very complimentary to the waiter about it...and on my last night on board the waiter brought me a special serving of that heavenly delight:)

[wakeme2008]

27. I just got off the Legend the first week of March...

Mrs. A was on until her transfer to the Pride. She may be the one you are talking about. She spends 9 months a year on the Pride/Legend.

Yes the service is tops. Besides special ordering a meal you can do Standing Orders. One lady I know loves her snails and has a standing order for them every night as an app.

Watch out for Silverseas, one of my worst cruises was last march 2006 on a short SS cruise...

[Katina]

20. I went on a cruise once

never again. The only purpose is to transport people by boat from one shopping strip to the next. UGH! I'd rather stay home.

[wakeme2008]

22. Very few shopping malls on my cruise

My next one

[Katina]

23. have fun

sounds interesting and I'd love to go to New Zealand, but It's like going on a tour bus for me. I'd rather plan my own agenda.