Freighter voyage - Frachtschiffreise

Container ships

As Freighter voyage or Freighter trip will travel as a passenger on one Cargo ship designated. Corresponding possibilities are currently offered by around 50 shipping companies on around 150 to 200 ships in Germany. Some shipping companies have decades of tradition in this area. These trips are mostly brokered by specialized tourism companies or directly by the shipping companies. Estimates assume around 5,000 travelers per year for Germany, and the trend has been rising for several years.

Feeder ship Alexander B in the port of Helsingborg

background

Ro-ro ship TRANSTIMBER during loading and unloading in Oulu (FI)

Cooperation as before, according to the principle of "hand for bunk" within the scope of the usual activities on the ship, for partial or full payment of the costs is not possible for freighter voyages. Basically, on freighters the cargo and the interests of merchant shipping always take precedence and the instructions of the captain must be obeyed. Most ships operate according to a timetable, but the departure and arrival dates mentioned are to be regarded as a rough guide. B. depends on the weather and the duration of the work in the ports. Waiting times in front of locks are difficult to calculate. Route changes at very short notice are also possible. As a result, the framework conditions for a freighter voyage can vary in terms of travel duration, route planning, port lay times, etc. In contrast to air travel, a freighter voyage is hardly "harmful to the climate". The cargo ship is a necessary means of mass transportation. Whether there are a few passengers on board or not makes no difference, the freighter drives anyway.

Feeder ships on the Elbe near Cuxhaven

Ship types

Part of the regular services of the sea freight market Container ships, General cargo ships, RoRo ships and Reefers. A certain regularity in route and time planning is typical for line traffic.

Face it Bulk carrierassigned to demand traffic and also as Tramp ships are designated. Short-term changes in the course of the route and in the port idle times are characteristic here.

There will also be trips on Barges and Icebreakers offered.

Freighter voyages on Tankers are prohibited by law due to safety regulations.

Travel duration and destinations

Ice trip with icebreaker assistance
The bulbous bow plows through the ice

Short trips (from 5 days) to world trips over several months are offered. In terms of short trips, journeys on so-called dominate Feeder ships. These are smaller container ships that travel between the international ports (Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Rotterdam) and smaller ports, mainly in the North and Baltic Sea region, but also to Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, to the Canary Islands, and commute to the Mediterranean and serve as a feeder. On their voyages in the Baltic Sea, the feeder ships mostly pass through the Kiel Canal (formerly: Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, international: Kiel Canal) with its locks in Brunsbuettel and Kiel-Holtenau. A foretaste of a canal crossing offers a Video. The "ice rides" are particularly attractive in the winter months Gulf of Bothnia and after St. Petersburg out. Assistance from Icebreaker is not excluded and is often the highlight of such a trip. For more information see Web Links section. The ice conditions in the areas are updated daily in Internet retrievable.

The duration of a transatlantic trip, for example to North America or South America, is around four to six weeks. There will also be trips through the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal and after Oceania offered. There is also the option of only booking certain sections of the route, for example from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean, to South Africa, Asia, Australia, South or North America or in the opposite direction. Travel from the USA to Australia or South America is also possible. A simple crossing, e.g. B. from Europe to North America is quite possible. However, the effort involved in obtaining a visa should not be neglected. Due to the system, the duration of the trip cannot be compared with a flight. After all, the principle "The journey is the destination" (Confucius) almost always applies to freighter voyages.

variants

Aranui 5

Other variants of freighter voyages are:

  • Rides on Mail ships. These ships are primarily used to supply poorly accessible areas such as fjords, islands and the like. The most famous mail ship routes are the Hurtigruten. Although today's ships are almost comparable to modern cruise ships in terms of both appearance and comfort, they are still used for supply purposes.
  • This takes place in the South Seas Tahiti through the island world Polynesia through combined cargo / passenger supply ships. The Aranui 5 offers space for 254 passengers in partly luxurious suites up to 41 m² in size, but also shared bedrooms for 4 or 8 people. On its 2-week round trip, the Aranui 5 calls at 10 South Sea islands.
  • Travel to the Arctic and Antarctic Expedition ships and icebreakers offer unforgettable, albeit sometimes quite cost-intensive, impressions.
  • On a simple one Landing ship you can as a passenger from the island world Vancouver Island explore.
  • From Cape Town drove the RMS St. Helena as a mail ship to the British overseas territories in the South Atlantic. This traffic was discontinued after traffic to the new airport popped up St. Helena has been recorded. The RMS St. Helena then changed hands several times and was used for different purposes.

Accommodation and meals

Passenger cabin on the feeder ship Alexander B

Almost all ships are air-conditioned, but the air conditioning cannot always be individually regulated.

The tour operators have individual, detailed information for each ship, usually also floor plans (general plans) and photos of the cabins. Also in travel reports of former passengers (see Web links) there are lots of photos and valuable information.

Accommodation

Superstructures with passenger cabins, feeder ship Alexander B

Passengers on cargo ships are usually accommodated in unoccupied crew or officers quarters. As a rule, these are outside cabins ("chambers") with a narrow double bed. As standard accommodation, suite-like chambers with separate living room, bedroom and bathroom are often offered, which are much more spacious than standard rooms on cruise ships. The cabin equipment is often simple and often has the charm of a living room from 30 years ago. Wardrobe, refrigerator, sofa, armchair, table, chairs and desk are the basic equipment of the cabins, often also satellite TV with DVD and stereo radio with CD player.

For some years now, however, cargo ships with special passenger cabins have also been built, the equipment of which is then correspondingly comfortable. On large container ships, these suites can reach a size of 40 m². It is not usual for the ship's personnel to clean the cabins; it is the guest's responsibility to ensure that the accommodation is in perfect condition. Towels, bed linen and cleaning utensils are provided free of charge on board. The number of cabins available for passengers varies depending on the crew, depending on the duration and purpose of the journey.

Most of the cabins are located below the navigating bridge and below the captain's deck (rarely above), some also in the lower decks, have larger windows and portholes in the lower decks. Often, however, the view of the sea is through the cargo, the chimney or through a Lifeboat adjusted.

Catering

typical breakfast on a cargo ship

The supply corresponds to the catering for the crew. Passengers usually take their meals together with the officers in the officers' mess. In contrast to the cruise, there is one several times a day "Captain's Dinner". The crew has their own team mess. The meals often correspond to good home cooking. There is no on-site restaurant available to guests, and an à la carte menu cannot be prepared. Likewise, no special requests such as diabetic food or vegetarian food can be fulfilled. As a rule, the catering consists of three meals a day, a hearty breakfast, lunch (often with soup, main course and dessert) and an equally warm dinner. In addition, coffee and cake are often served in the afternoon. Drinks such as water, tea, coffee or even a glass of wine during meals are included in the price. Other drinks, alcoholic beverages or cigarettes can normally only be bought in the on-board shop (duty-free). Whether and which other small items of daily needs you can get there depends on the ship. You should always have a small supply of the things you need: the on-board shop is not manned in many ports, the entire crew is busy loading and unloading, in some ports the sale of untaxed goods is prohibited.

Panorama: You can scroll the picture horizontally.
Officers mess feeder ship Alexander B
Image: Officers mess feeder ship ALEXANDER B.jpg
Officers mess feeder ship Alexander B

Service and leisure offer

… on board
Passenger cabin, living space on the feeder ship Alexander B
MS Dornbusch in Stockholm-Frihamn on a cloudy summer day

In principle, the service and leisure facilities offered on a cargo ship are limited and cannot be compared with those on a cruise ship.

… on board

Some, especially younger, cargo ships have a small library of books and films, but most of them are in English or other languages. Recently, a swimming pool, fitness room or sauna can also be found on the ships. The facilities can also be closed for days. The swimming pool is usually filled with sea water, shared use by passengers is possible free of charge. When the sea is rough, the pool is emptied for safety reasons. Some of the crew's common rooms have a TV with DVD player and board games. Many ships now have automatic satellite receivers that enable television reception at sea. An on-board program or even animation is not offered on a cargo ship. Most of the time, the passengers are left to their own devices. You can always watch the crew doing their various maintenance work and also like to act as a "handyman".

Passengers are given extensive access to most areas of the ship. After consultation with the responsible ship personnel or inquiries with the captain or the technical officer (= chief), it is almost always possible to enter sensitive areas of the ship when accompanied bridge, the cargo hold or the engine room.

The relationship between the crew and the passengers is usually characterized by openness and friendliness. Locked doors can almost only be found when the port is idle.

… on land

MS Conmar Gulf in Kemi (Finland)

If you stay in a port for a longer period, it is also possible to go ashore, i.e. leave the ship temporarily, by arrangement. Various safety rules and regulations must be observed. Since the tightening of the ISPS codes the port facilities are often sealed off. The passenger has to take his passport (sometimes the identity card is enough) as well as a passenger list - issued by the chief officer (= chief mate) - with him ashore. He should also always be available on a mobile phone and have the ship's phone number with him.

Entering the all-weather terminal in Kokkola (Finland)

The way from the berth of the ship to the entrance gate of the port may not be covered on foot in most ports, the port operators usually provide a shuttle for this purpose (sometimes subject to a charge).

The ports used by cargo ships are often far from the city centers. The traveler should find out about possible transport connections before starting the trip, although the berths are not always known before the trip. The crew of the ship is usually happy to help with information, but you should not rely on it. Locals in the port (e.g. dock workers) are usually a safer source of information. Travel reports from other cargo ship passengers are helpful, and the websites of the ports can also help with site plans (print out and take with you). Also in the OpenStreetMap research on local transport is possible.

Costs and booking options

MS Dornbusch in the Brunsbüttel lock
Foredeck and deckhouse of a cargo ship

A freighter voyage is not a financial bargain, nor is it a cheap alternative to a cruise. The cost of a freighter voyage is usually between € 50 and € 130 per person per day. This price usually includes full boarding, with the exception of some trips on inland waterways. The journey to and from the airport must normally be organized by the passenger himself. Advice and booking in normal travel agencies is hardly possible, as they do not know either the ships or the ports that cargo ships call at. If you are interested, you are in better hands with agents who specialize in this type of travel. Often they have direct contact with the shipping companies, sometimes even with the crews of the ships, and above all know the locations in the ports. You can therefore usually also provide valuable assistance for the journey, e.g. B. Tips for parking your own car in the port area. Some agents also offer last-minute trips or short-term appointments for those who make quick decisions on their homepage.

But beware: With these booking options, the entry formalities, e.g. B. possibly necessary visas, are overlooked.

Here is an overview of the most famous agents:

IntermediaryHead officefounded
Cargo ship tourism captain ZylmannD - 24376 Kappeln1986
International freighter voyages PfeifferD - 42329 Wuppertal1982
Travel slowlyD - 12435 Berlin2010
Hamburg Süd travel agencyD - 20095 Hamburg1963
Freighter trips by Captain HoffmannD - 23683 Scharbeutz1986
Globoship ship travel worldwideCH - 3001 Bern2007

In some cases it is possible to book a freighter voyage directly with a shipping company. Apart from the slightly lower costs, you run the risk that - especially with long-term booking appointments - the charter contract for the booked ship will expire in the meantime and you will ultimately no longer have a lift. When booking through agents, they can often offer alternatives in such cases and arrange a trip on another ship.

Hints

Merete Maersk coming from Antwerp on the Scheldt

When entering other countries, passengers often have different / stricter visa regulations than those for air traffic and ferries. The USA, for example, generally requires one Tourist visa B1 / B2, one ESTA- Permission is only sufficient in very rare cases!

When traveling to the Baltic Sea region, especially to the Baltic States or Finland, it can happen that a short-term change of route also brings a port in Russia into play. This means that a corresponding visa must be obtained quickly. Russia generally requires a visa, even if you do not want to leave the ship. An electronic visa can be issued free of charge up to 4 days before entering St. Petersburg on-line be requested. These regulations also apply to Kaliningrad.

A valid (!) Passport is always required for a freighter voyage. This also applies if only EU countries are visited or passed through.

health

The number of passengers on a cargo ship is rarely more than ten, usually significantly less, since a ship with 13 passengers or more is considered a cruise ship. The shipping company would then have to meet other requirements with regard to the equipment and crew of the ship, such as the presence of a doctor on board.

For health reasons, some shipping companies have set an age limit of 75 to 79 years for passengers. A medical certificate is common from the age of 65, the mediators have appropriate forms ready. For legal reasons, the lower age limit is usually 14 to 18 years. Some trips allow you to take children aged six and over with you.

Special features on board

Impressions of a freighter voyage
Travel plan
  • The crew of the ships almost always consists of many different nationalities, even if it is a German shipping company. Therefore you should be able to speak at least a little English. On ships flying the German flag, at least the officers speak German.
  • The on-board currency is usually euros, sometimes also US dollars. Bank or credit cards are not accepted. Therefore, take a sufficient amount of the appropriate currency with you in smaller bills.
  • Mobile telephony or internet access (WiFi is only available in a few ports) is only possible near the port or land, the facilities of the bridge may only be used in emergencies. On large ships, internet access via satellite radio - usually quite expensive - can be used for a fee
  • The on-board voltage is 220V.
  • Every ship is equipped with washing machines and dryers, which you should mostly operate yourself for your own laundry.
  • Pets are not allowed.
  • The maximum weight of the luggage is not specified, you should only be able to carry it over the sometimes wobbly, steep and narrow gangway, even if you have to go up and down several times. Often, however, a crew member helps.
  • It is not customary to give tips, but a donation to the 'coffee cup' is welcome. Since people like to celebrate on board, you can also say thank you with a 'drink participation'. Tip: sailors love sweets!
  • There is no dress code on board. However, you should not appear half-dressed for meals. Sun protection is always important, even when the sky is overcast.

Insurance

External stairs on the feeder ship Alexander B
Decline in the engine room

The travel agents must make one for the passenger Deviation insurance from. This is mandatory and covers the additional costs for the shipping company if the ship has to be diverted due to an urgent illness of a passenger. In addition, proof of health insurance abroad is usually required, including repatriation service.

Accessible travel

Not barrier-freeNot barrier-free The ships are not barrier-free, and the traveler must bindingly declare before departure that there are no physical defects that could hinder the voyage and that they want to do without a doctor on board.

Elevators are only available on newer and larger ships. On all others, the individual decks (= floors) must be climbed using internal or external stairs. In the usual feeder ships used in the North and Baltic Seas, there are often six decks, i.e. around 80 steps from the officers' mess to the command bridge. The engine rooms are mostly very steep Decline with two side handrails, the holds can usually only be reached via vertical ladders.

Developments / research

The St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and the bitsfabrik are currently working on the “CargoRiders” project. A platform is being developed that will make it possible to book freight shipping trips between European ports similar to an AirBnB. The project entered a test phase in October 2019. The development of the final platform is current in progress. (Status: Jan. 2021)

additional hint wink  :

Make no Freighter voyage when

  • You fall into gasps without animation
  • You only like food in the company of hundreds
  • A port city can only be beautiful from the sightseeing bus
  • You only want to explore a ship once with a paid tour
  • Not everything depends on you on the ship
  • You never want to go on a ship anyway.

literature

  • Peer Schmidt-Walther: Freighter voyages. As a passenger on board. Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft, 2nd revised edition, Hamburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-7822-1016-4 .
  • Peter Biebig, Wolfgang Althof, Norbert Wagener: Maritime industry. Fourth edition. Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 3-48-658247-X .
  • Jörn W. Mundt: Freighter voyages. In: Fuchs, Mundt, Zollondz (Ed.): Lexicon tourism. Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-486-25069-5 , P. 275.
  • Otto Schüssler: Passenger shipping. A handbook for travel agents in training and practice. Second edition. DRV, Frankfurt / Main 2005, ISBN 3-92-983529-0 .
  • Hugo Verlomme: Travel by cargo ship. Umschau Buchverlag, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 2001, ISBN 3-82-956706-5 .
  • Lutz Woitas: The fascination of seafaring. Cargo Ship Travel Secrets of the Sea Ports., ISBN 978-1-4819-2803-8 .
  • Kay-Henrik Gödde: Understand freighter travel. The ship-the harbor-the sea. A guide for passengers and those interested in seafaring Publisher: Güterschiff-Touristik 2008, ISBN 978-3-0002-5568-7
  • Bernd Ellerbrock: On the move on cargo ships. Reports and features, also as e-books, publisher: epubli GmbH, Berlin. ISBN 978-3-7375-0600-7

Web links

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