USA – News reaches us of an upsurge in a new version of the old “working your passage” break that was so common for hundreds of years. There was a time that an intrepid traveller, wanting pastures new, would sign on as crew just to get from port to port.
Then came the fashion for stowage transit, taking a spare cabin on a freight carrier, normally a grim, lonely voyage by all accounts. Kept separate from crew you paid your money, lived in (normally cramped) dour surroundings and walked the decks by day, generally trying to stay out of the way.
It seems the fashion has returned, one can now access websites such as Freighter Cruises and Freighter World and open up a whole new world of scenic travel. Gaze at the majesty of oil terminals in the Middle East! Gasp at the vista of the Somali Coast with its quaint local figures in their rubber attack craft! In all seriousness if its adventure you’re after, in comparative comfort, this may be for you.
Smaller freight lines (and some not so small) are looking to improve their income by offering a decent standard of travel at a reasonable cost. You generally eat with the crew (could prove interesting) but certainly won’t have to endure the entertainment.
If you have any comments on this type of travel it will appear as a blog item shortly so please post your comments there.
