What it's like to sail aboard a container ship, where travelers trade the amenities of a cruise ship for solitude

Brittany Chang,Dominick ReuterMar 6, 2022, 19:36 IST

A Grimaldi freighter leaves port.Tal Oran

Leisure cruising aboard a freighter vessel is a beloved but niche form of travel.
Unlike a cruise ship, there are no nightclubs, water slides, and crowds of people aboard a freighter.

Imagine two weeks out at sea aboard a behemoth ship.

A freighter heads out to sea.Tal Oran

No, not on a cruise ship with bars, pools, water slides, and hospitality — we're talking about a freighter vessel used to transport cargo between ports.

A freighter sits at port.Tal Oran

Sailing on a freighter doesn't have the same frills of taking a cruise with Royal Caribbean or Carnival: There's no WiFi, no nightclubs, and no plush bars.

Looking down a passageway.Tal Oran

And for the most part, you could be stuck on these ships for two to three weeks at a time.

Two ships pass one another on the open ocean.Tal Oran

To some leisure travelers, this form of travel may seem hellish. After all, aren't you vacationing for a relaxing, pampering getaway?

A Grimaldi Lines ship loads up at port.Tal Oran

But to a niche set of travelers, sailing aboard a cargo cruise — just you, a handful of other travelers, and the crew — is a dreamy way to unplug from the excess luxuries of the world.

Tal Oren makes a self portrait on deck.Tal Oran

But to a niche set of travelers, sailing aboard a cargo cruise — just you, a handful of other travelers, and the crew — is a dreamy way to unplug from the excess luxuries of the world.

And travelers are willing to pay $100 to $150 a day to cruise on a cargo ship.

Trying on the survival suits in order to get familiar with the process.Tal Oran

"It's got a unique smell of pitch, sea salt, food, and stale bodies. It gets in your blood," Hamish Jamieson, founder of New Zealand-based Freighter Travel, told Insider. "It's a wee bit like going to your favorite cabin in the middle of autumn."

Tidying up in the laundry room.Tal Oran

"It's got a unique smell of pitch, sea salt, food, and stale bodies. It gets in your blood," Hamish Jamieson, founder of New Zealand-based Freighter Travel, told Insider. "It's a wee bit like going to your favorite cabin in the middle of autumn."

You won't find the typical cruise sights of sunburning tourists, nighttime shows, and children swimming in pools on a freighter ship.

Testing out the workout equipment.Tal Oran

Instead, imagine a quieter, more meditative form of travel.

Lifting weights in the gym.Tal Oran

"The limited activities you can do onboard helps you calm down," Arne Gudde, founder of Berlin-based Slowtravel, told Insider.

The port of Chiwan, China.Ben Mack/Insider

Travelers still get their own hotel room-like cabin filled with furnishings like a bathroom, bed, closet, couch, desk, and power outlets.

Two beds in a cabin on the Amerigo Vespucci's F deck.Ben Mack/Insider

And there are some onboard amenities reminiscent of that of a cruise ship, like a communal library, and gym.

The library on the Amerigo Vespucci.Ben Mack/Insider

Like a typical cruise, passengers still get three meals a day, including occasionally luxurious feasts like steak, coq au vin, and salmon.

The dining room on the Amerigo Vespucci.Ben Mack/Insider

But unlike a Royal Caribbean cruise where tours of "behind the scenes" sections of the ship come at an extra cost, travelers on a freighter ship are free to explore the engine room and visit the bridge, the vessel's command center.

A view in the engine room.Tal Oran

But unlike a Royal Caribbean cruise where tours of "behind the scenes" sections of the ship come at an extra cost, travelers on a freighter ship are free to explore the engine room and visit the bridge, the vessel's command center.

And the crew aren't there to provide travelers with on-call hospitality, comfort, and service, although they're often eager to chat about the ins and outs of a freighter and life at sea.

A crew member describes the engine room controls.Tal Oran

And the crew aren't there to provide travelers with on-call hospitality, comfort, and service, although they're often eager to chat about the ins and outs of a freighter and life at sea.

Gudde suggests bringing a book, watching a movie, or exploring the nooks and crannies of the ship.

A member of the crew on the Amerigo Vespucci.Ben Mack/Insider

Just make sure you pack efficiently — Freighter Travel allows about 221 pounds worth of luggage per person, and about 55-pounds per bag, Jamieson said.

Crew members in the bridge on the Amerigo Vespucci.Ben Mack/Insider

But most importantly, bring your patience. You’ll need lots of it while managing the superfluity of time to yourself at sea and dealing with the logistics of cargo transport.

Instruments in the Amerigo Vespucci's bridge.Ben Mack/Insider

But most importantly, bring your patience. You’ll need lots of it while managing the superfluity of time to yourself at sea and dealing with the logistics of cargo transport.

Travelers looking to cruise on a freighter are still subject to the unpredictability of the ship’s schedule: It’s not there for the purpose of bringing you from one destination to another.

A gantry crane loads the MSC Carouge with containers.Tal Oran

Travelers looking to cruise on a freighter are still subject to the unpredictability of the ship’s schedule: It’s not there for the purpose of bringing you from one destination to another.

"Flexibility is the key," Jamieson said. "But it's also half the fun."

A Grimaldi freighter sets sail.Tal Oran

If this has piqued your interest in freighter travel, unfortunately, you'll have to be patient.

The MSC Kim container ship heads out to sea.Tal Oran

Cargo cruises are still stalled amid COVID-19, creating wait lists as long as hundreds, maybe thousands of people, Gudde said.

The MSC Kim container ship heads out to sea.Tal Oran

Fans of this much-beloved form of "slow travel" are patiently hoping for a return later this year or in 2023.

Outside the Amerigo Vespucci at sea.Ben Mack/Insider

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What it's like to sail aboard a container ship, where travelers trade the amenities of a cruise ship for solitude

Imagine two weeks out at sea aboard a behemoth ship.

No, not on a cruise ship with bars, pools, water slides, and hospitality — we're talking about a freighter vessel used to transport cargo between ports.

Sailing on a freighter doesn't have the same frills of taking a cruise with Royal Caribbean or Carnival: There's no WiFi, no nightclubs, and no plush bars.

And for the most part, you could be stuck on these ships for two to three weeks at a time.

To some leisure travelers, this form of travel may seem hellish. After all, aren't you vacationing for a relaxing, pampering getaway?

But to a niche set of travelers, sailing aboard a cargo cruise — just you, a handful of other travelers, and the crew — is a dreamy way to unplug from the excess luxuries of the world.

And travelers are willing to pay $100 to $150 a day to cruise on a cargo ship.

"It's got a unique smell of pitch, sea salt, food, and stale bodies. It gets in your blood," Hamish Jamieson, founder of New Zealand-based Freighter Travel, told Insider. "It's a wee bit like going to your favorite cabin in the middle of autumn."

You won't find the typical cruise sights of sunburning tourists, nighttime shows, and children swimming in pools on a freighter ship.

Instead, imagine a quieter, more meditative form of travel.

"The limited activities you can do onboard helps you calm down," Arne Gudde, founder of Berlin-based Slowtravel, told Insider.

Travelers still get their own hotel room-like cabin filled with furnishings like a bathroom, bed, closet, couch, desk, and power outlets.

And there are some onboard amenities reminiscent of that of a cruise ship, like a communal library, and gym.

Like a typical cruise, passengers still get three meals a day, including occasionally luxurious feasts like steak, coq au vin, and salmon.

But unlike a Royal Caribbean cruise where tours of "behind the scenes" sections of the ship come at an extra cost, travelers on a freighter ship are free to explore the engine room and visit the bridge, the vessel's command center.

And the crew aren't there to provide travelers with on-call hospitality, comfort, and service, although they're often eager to chat about the ins and outs of a freighter and life at sea.

Gudde suggests bringing a book, watching a movie, or exploring the nooks and crannies of the ship.

Just make sure you pack efficiently — Freighter Travel allows about 221 pounds worth of luggage per person, and about 55-pounds per bag, Jamieson said.

But most importantly, bring your patience. You’ll need lots of it while managing the superfluity of time to yourself at sea and dealing with the logistics of cargo transport.

Travelers looking to cruise on a freighter are still subject to the unpredictability of the ship’s schedule: It’s not there for the purpose of bringing you from one destination to another.

"Flexibility is the key," Jamieson said. "But it's also half the fun."

If this has piqued your interest in freighter travel, unfortunately, you'll have to be patient.

Cargo cruises are still stalled amid COVID-19, creating wait lists as long as hundreds, maybe thousands of people, Gudde said.

Fans of this much-beloved form of "slow travel" are patiently hoping for a return later this year or in 2023.