Freighter Cruises - sail the world on a shoestring budget
Written: Dec 27 '99 (Updated Dec 27 '99)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Sail the world at a leisurely pace on a shoestring budget
Cons: Okay - so there is no ballroom or casino on-board
|
|
|
| Rob.'s Full Review: Cruises |
You want to travel the world by ship, walk the decks and watch fabulous sunsets over the vast expansive oceans of the world... Thoughts of sailing away from all your cares for two or three weeks, of entering harbors and mooring to the pier of some far distant port. But of course these types of cruises are for the incredibly wealthy, the high-flyers and debonair...
But fear not, the solution is at hand, it might sound a little crazy - but the option to sail away into the sunset on a FREIGHTER SHIP is available. Sounds a little crazy doesn't it, but hold on... with the advent of modern technology - freighter ships need less crew than ever before, and this means vacant cabins.
Now the types of cabins available suitable for paying passengers are typically those formerly used by officers. They are quite spacious and very affordable.
Typical prices compare very favorably with conventional passenger cruises - typically freighter rates are 1/2 or even 1/3 of the price for the conventional passenger ship.
Imagine just simply being able to relax in the informal atmosphere, no bustling crowds, no mad rush for deck chairs, friendly companionship of other knowledgeable travelers and crew. You get to know everybody onboard and you get to see the world at a leisurely pace. Obviously there are not really any luxurious 'midnight balls' or casinos onboard...
There are direct connections and cruises involving several ports of call. Here are the most useful places to start looking for the best Freighter Cruises:
TravLtips: (yes - that is the correct spelling)
Based in New York, free trial membership
Full membership is $20.00 in US and $27.00 Canadian dollars
Membership gets you a bi-monthly newsletter, a private reservation service, travel voucher (worth $25.00 US dollars redeemable against your trips, and the 15th (yes - fifteenth) edition of the book 'Roam The World by Freighter'
Here is their website address:
http://www.travltips.com/
Freighter World Cruises, Inc.
FWC - founded in 1975, is one of the longest established Freighter Cruise companies that I have found.
Based in Pasadena California, this is the largest Travel Agency in the world dedicated to Freighter Travel!
They list destinations from Africa to New Zealand. This website gives you some great ideas and shows some pictures of the vessels! They also have a subscription newsletter.
Here is the website:
http://www.freighterworld.com
Maris Freighter-Cruises is another useful company
Based out of New York, they were founded by a Captain Ranko Zunic in 1993.
As well as standard Freighter Cruises, this company also offers 'Tramp Voyages' (these tramp steamers work from one contract to the next - not on a fixed schedule, they carry a variety of goods and their schedules change by the contract)
They also sell a newsletter, and their website details their Itineraries.
Here is their website:
http://freighter-cruises.com
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Rob.
|
|
Member: Robert Martindale
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 140 members
About Me:
An original member - alive and kicking again...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.