Author Topic: Freighter Cruise as low cost alternative to flying - SUGGESTIONS?  (Read 1735 times)

Malaysia41

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Freighter Cruise as low cost alternative to flying - SUGGESTIONS?
« on: September 02, 2014, 04:11:55 PM »
We just retired in Malaysia, but I'm eager to travel to the US at least 1x a year, maybe 2x.  The airfares add up - even with doing miles plans, and so, I'm scouring for alternatives.  Since we are less time-bound now, I'm considering freighter cruises like this: https://www.freightercruises.com/.

Wow they are more expensive than I'd expected.  90 euro per person per day. 

If the trip from Shanghai to Seattle is 10 days, that is 1800 euro or $2365 USD.  And that is assuming they don't charge us for our 8 yr old son (he would bunk with us in the double bed).  Plus we have to pay to get from Malaysia to Shanghai, that'll be about $1k roundtrip.  So total is $3365.  That's on par with flying whole way.

But then, I find this:  http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Freighter-Travel.html.  She says the voyage is 26 days!!!

26*90*2*1.31 = $6230!!! WTF?  I would think bunking with cargo would cost less!

Any advice on traveling by boat from SE asia to west coast USA for cheap?

greenmimama

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Re: Freighter Cruise as low cost alternative to flying - SUGGESTIONS?
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2014, 04:44:39 PM »
Hmmm, I have neve reheard of them but that website is awful, very hard to know what you are getting, they do seem quite expensive.

Have you ever heard of a repositioning  cruise? where say a Carnival boat is in Malaysia and it is going to now be stationed in Seattle, they sell tickets fairly cheap because it is a one way trip and they have to take the vessel anyways, so they try and fill it up with people, these are usually much longer cruises than normal.