Passenger Freighters Are Great Value
Copyright 2008 by Worldwide Travel Auctions.com
There is a huge selection of cruise packages available today as more and more travelers discover the advantages of vacationing this way.
Cruise companies are quick to identify fresh market opportunities and new niches are being offered every day. Dedicated cruise clients are just as quick to tell you what great value for money this type of vacation delivers for them.
Comfortable accommodation, meals, entertainment, exotic ports of call, socializing and loads of other benefits all wrapped up in one attractive bundle without having to worry about the next connection or airport departure taxes, or checking in or checking out!
There’s no doubt about it – the cruising opportunity is here to stay and it’s getting better all the time. Bigger, more beautiful ships, luxurious on-board amenities and countless options of destinations all over the planet.
I came across a fascinating idea recently as I was going through the cruising brochures.
It was an idea that I heard about some years ago but had never followed up on.
This is what I call ‘alternative cruising’ because it is cruising but totally different in almost every other respect.
It is freighter cruising.
Now, if you switch-off at the thought of cruising on a tramp steamer forget it.
This is not what I’m talking about.
Let’s look at it a little closer and take some time to see what freighter cruises are, where they sail to and what type of ships they really are.
Most modern freighters today are large containerships sailing globally with international officers and crews.
The majority of these ships are either French or German owned. Modern general cargo ships tend to have slightly longer port stops because of the freight handling methods used.
These passenger-freighters can accommodate anywhere from four to twelve passengers in spacious accomodations.
Ports-of-call are extremely numerous depending on which service you choose. For example these ships offer Transatlantic, Transpacific, South Seas, Far Eastern, South African, Singaporean, Australian and New Zealand schedules just to name a few.
A huge range of stop-over ports are imbedded within those regions, many which would normally be by-passed by the traditional cruise-liners who are on extremely tight sailing schedules.
A great advantage with this type of cruising is that it is possible to construct a cruise that suits you. Some of the services are round trip which can run to 60 days and more while others may be just three or four days and anywhere in between.
This simply means that you can disembark at a port spend as much time as you need there and pick up the next service coming through.
Accomodation is more than comparable with what is normally on offer by the cruise lines.
The enthusiasm of a recent transatlantic passenger is obvious when he said his accommodation would have been the envy of many a passenger on a five star cruise ship.
Equipped as it was with fully carpeted and tastefully furnished bedroom with twin beds, a bathroom and sitting room.
The furnishings included two easy chairs, a sofa, coffee table, desk with a swivel chair a console of drawers and a liquor compartment. TV, video and DVD equipped to finish the whole thing off.
Many travelers enjoy their travel but have an intolerance to crowds.
Freighter cruising provides the alternative where you can design your own cruise, select the type of ship you are comfortable with, and know that you will avoid throngs of people and enjoy the company of a handful of like-minded passengers (or perhaps none), dine on excellent cuisine with the ships officers and the captain and just sail into the sunset! What could be better than that!
There is a service which sails regularly out of
Montreal and
New York which you can check out here:
http://www.worldwide-travel-auctions.com/alternativecruising
If cruising is on your mind, and you want peace and quiet during your voyage and the thought that one passenger expressed recently strikes a chord with you when she said - "it's like sailing on your own private yacht" - I suggest you check them out.
Happy Traveling
Konrad Carlson