USA by sea ?

[Manassas]

I should go back to the States this year to see family and take care of a few things there. I have been delaying primarily because I find that long 20+ hour plane trip unbearable. I have been wondering if there was a way to catch a cruise ship to anywhere on the US coast and then grab a short flight the rest of the way. I have surfed the internet and not really found anything practical. The prices are reasonable, but the routes don't really work. For example, I can fly to Australia and maybe catch a repositioning cruise ship. But that still requires a 10 hour flight to Australia I was hoping I could find something in Japan or Hong Kong, but so far nothing. Anybody else look into this as an option and found a sea route to the USA?

 

Cheers

[Coconut Kidd]

Punch in "freight or cargo cruises" and you should get a few things. Here is a good start though. Please let us know how it goes, it looks very interesting. Of course this might be way, way too long.

 

https://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/freighter-cruise-asia-to-west-coast-usa

 

Good luck

 

Kidd

Edited January 11, 2018 by Coconut Kidd

[gk10002000]

https://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/freighter-cruise-asia-to-west-coast-usa

[moe666]

Geez fly to Japan and spend a few says there before travelling on, or HongKong and or Taiwan. Shorter time than taking a ship but with a break

[toughlove]

Punch in "freight or cargo cruises" and you should get a few things. Here is a good start though. Please let us know how it goes, it looks very interesting. Of course this might be way, way too long.
 
https://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/freighter-cruise-asia-to-west-coast-usa
 
Good luck
 
Kidd

I bet he gets on his hands and knees and kisses the ground after 15 days [emoji16]

[Sunak]

3 hours ago, moe666 said:

Geez fly to Japan and spend a few says there before travelling on, or HongKong and or Taiwan. Shorter time than taking a ship but with a break

Korea also. Excellent airport.

Flight to Los Angeles is 11 hours.

 

8 hours ago, Manassas said:

I find that long 20+ hour plane trip unbearable.

Which is your final destination?

 

[sfokevin]

A while back my parents took a cruise from Los Angles to Hawaii then Hong Kong... where I met them and we flew bank here to Bangkok ... you could do the opposite...

Edited January 11, 2018 by sfokevin

[Manassas]

15 hours ago, sfokevin said:

A while back my parents took a cruise from Los Angles to Hawaii then Hong Kong... where I met them and we flew bank here to Bangkok ... you could do the opposite...

 

Sounds like a possibility. Do you recall what cruise line that was?

[sfokevin]

I asked my Mom... It was Holland America a few years ago... she also said they now have a nice itinerary that does Seattle - Alaska - Japan - Hong Kong that they would also like to do... 

Edited January 12, 2018 by sfokevin

[55Jay]

I don't know details but have watched a few Youtube vids on sailing with cargo/container ships.   You ever look into that angle?

 

When you fly, do you sit in Economy or Business class?   My last trip from here to Florida in Qatar Air business was great, I felt no "are we there yet?" or urgency to get off the plane.   I would have preferred to stay and finish the movie I was watching. 

[Manassas]

2 hours ago, 55Jay said:

I don't know details but have watched a few Youtube vids on sailing with cargo/container ships.   You ever look into that angle?

 

When you fly, do you sit in Economy or Business class?   My last trip from here to Florida in Qatar Air business was great, I felt no "are we there yet?" or urgency to get off the plane.   I would have preferred to stay and finish the movie I was watching. 

Flying business class is my Plan B, if I can find a ticket I can afford.

 

I'm heading to Pensacola but Atlanta would be the closest hub.

[gk10002000]

i found a few cargo ship type of bookings, but they were not cheap.  Apparently they upped the class and it is not just an adventure /cheapie but they do it to make money and charge a lot.  The days of the old tramp steamers don't seem to be regularly advertised.  I would still think that if you literally went down to the shipyards and asked around you might hook up with something, but I also think that due to tighter immigration and legal issues than in the olden days, I bet you will have trouble finding any legitimate totally above the board travel arrangments.

 

I did see several regular ship cruises but  all of them went Westward , going from Asia towards Europe.  I did see some cruises from the USA to Asia, but I didn't see any that went back the same general way.  They seem to want to keep going around the world.

 

  I did stumble upon some yachting adventures where you are part of the sailing crew and are expected to pitch in and do some duties, some more difficult than others.  But I don't think that is what you are looking for.

[Manassas]

16 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

i found a few cargo ship type of bookings, but they were not cheap.  Apparently they upped the class and it is not just an adventure /cheapie but they do it to make money and charge a lot.  The days of the old tramp steamers don't seem to be regularly advertised.  I would still think that if you literally went down to the shipyards and asked around you might hook up with something, but I also think that due to tighter immigration and legal issues than in the olden days, I bet you will have trouble finding any legitimate totally above the board travel arrangments.

 

I did see several regular ship cruises but  all of them went Westward , going from Asia towards Europe.  I did see some cruises from the USA to Asia, but I didn't see any that went back the same general way.  They seem to want to keep going around the world.

 

  I did stumble upon some yachting adventures where you are part of the sailing crew and are expected to pitch in and do some duties, some more difficult than others.  But I don't think that is what you are looking for.

I found the same sort of thing about cargo ships. Not cheap, slow and not many amenities. I'm hoping to find a repositioning cruise ship. If prices are comparable to air fare and the number of days is reasonable I'd just call it a vacation. Such cruises must be out there somewhere, but they're hard to find. Cruise websites are not set up for people primarily seeking one-way transportation.

[gk10002000]

1 minute ago, Manassas said:

I found the same sort of thing about cargo ships. Not cheap, slow and not many amenities. I'm hoping to find a repositioning cruise ship. If prices are comparable to air fare and the number of days is reasonable I'd just call it a vacation. Such cruises must be out there somewhere, but they're hard to find. Cruise websites are not set up for people primarily seeking one-way transportation.

Yep.  I have looked quite a bit over the years, as I don't mind an adventure.  I have done some sea duty from my military days, and I wouldn't mind a 10 day trip across the ocean from California to Asia somewhere. But damn if I could find anything .  One of my buddies who is a bit older than me and served in the Vietnam War did a walk about and literally did hop on a ship back in 75 and went across the ocean, rode camel caravans across parts of the silk road, spent 6 months on a kubutz in Isreal before settling in Germany for 5 years and hooking up with his now wife of many years.  He  had some photos and his old passports with most of the country names and stamps in there. 

 

  The only way that seemed feasible is literally applying for a job as a cook, dishwasher etc. getting hired on (seems unlikely) and then accompanying the ship/transport.  I can't see a company going to all that trouble to hire somebody.  Possibly there is some contract shop the ship carrier would use and the contract shop might hire you on.  But that is a stretch and I can imagine a bunk room with 2 or 3 other crew members, which might be a bit dicey.

[gk10002000]

http://www.freightercruises.com/voyages.php#anchor_menue

[lopburi3]

19 hours ago, Manassas said:

Flying business class is my Plan B, if I can find a ticket I can afford.

 

I'm heading to Pensacola but Atlanta would be the closest hub.

I have not flown for a decade but found EVA Elite (Premium Economy Class is also known as Elite Class) to be a very good alternative at about half the cost of Business Class.  Used on both SEA and LAX routes.  You did have to land in Taipei  but not a long wait.  Seating was very comfortable.  SEA is an easy place to spend an overnight as hotels just outside terminal and little traffic.  

Edited January 13, 2018 by lopburi3

[Speedo1968]

Not really relevant now but in the mid 70's my wife and I went from UK to Paraguay by road / ship, the intention to start farming and where we stayed for several years.

 

There used to be a catalogue called ABC Shipping Guide ( same as the ABC Flight Guide ) before computers that is.

The catalogue showed every conceivable ship / ferry journey world wide.   I had to go to London to buy the catalogue.

 

I had purchased a long wheel base Ford Transit with space over the cab, converted to cook / sleep in.

Drove from UK to southern Italy, starting Christmas Eve, got a small cargo / passenger boat ( 12 mostly elderly laid back people escaping the "winter !" ).    Various stops along the way where one could go ashore for a few days.

The transit was placed on board and a lovely easy cruise via Canary Islands, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina where the vehicle was offloaded, then a long drive to Paraguay.     The food on board was excellent with a chef, served meals at table,   The evening film was normally black and white via an old traditional projector.    Fishing was allowed off the boat.  Cabins / bunk beds were very comfortable.   Sea journey took about 6 - 8 weeks, if I remember correctly, cost about 200 Sterling.

 

Obviously not practical today, probably very expensive and too many complications with visas etc.   As 'gk10002000' posted earlier in days gone by, even in my generation ( over 70 ) it used to be possible to 'work ones way by boat', now I doubt it unfortunately.       

 

Good luck.

[super22k]

I went to a travel agent in London who specialises in cargo ship travel and he fixed me up with a one way trip to Singapore. 16 days non-stop.You eat with the ships officers and they take you on the bridge etc. Apart from that nothing much happens. The only thing that worries them are the pirates round Somalia etc.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Never been on a cruise, thinking about starting with Queen Mary II Southhampton-NYC

 

Has anyone experienced this ship? What cabin should we  book?

 

I avoided cruising my whole life as I always heard people are allowed to smoke. Should be OK for no-smokers by now.

 

 

[JAZZDOG]

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 3:00 PM, Manassas said:

Flying business class is my Plan B, if I can find a ticket I can afford.

 

I'm heading to Pensacola but Atlanta would be the closest hub.

First Class would be cheaper than the container which is minimum US$120/day

[sirineou]

Consider extending your couple of hours layover to a week and see another country, It breaks up the trip.

I hear you 20 Hrs is a lot, this is what we did.

Last September  me and the wife arranged a multi-country itinerary with Turkish air the difference was only a couple of hundred dollars more for the airfare.

NY to Istanbul about 10 hrs, caught a connecting flight to Greece only 1.5 hr, spend a fabulous week there,  then back to Istanbul  and from there to Thailand. and all for $200 more than if we had flown straight to Thailand. Qatar air had a similar attenuate. 

Edited January 30, 2018 by sirineou

[mogandave]

On 1/31/2018 at 2:17 AM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Never been on a cruise, thinking about starting with Queen Mary II Southhampton-NYC

 

Has anyone experienced this ship? What cabin should we  book?

 

I avoided cruising my whole life as I always heard people are allowed to smoke. Should be OK for no-smokers by now.

 

 

I've done  few cruises, not on the QM but what cabin you get will largely depend on what you want to spend.

 

On a budget, inside.

 

Don't mind spending more, book a suite. entertainment is generally the same for all cabin classes.

 

Food and