Travel on a freighter ship

His is going to sound a little crazy to a lot of people. But to some, it might just be the adventure you’ve been searching for.

Who knew? Those mesmerising 2, 000 foot long freight carriers that stack 20 ton shipping containers like a game of Tetris and navigate the furthest corners of the earth delivering cargo– they carry passengers … paying guests; tourists.

Except this isn’t exactly tourism as we know it. Going on a freight cruise is probably the most little-known, secret and off-beat form of travel there is today.

On any cargo ship voyage, there will rarely be more than ten other paying travellers on board (the maximum they can afford to accommodate); on average there might be about four or five you, but very often, you can be the only one. There are around 30, 000 large oceangoing ships in the world but only about 1% of those carry both cargo and passengers. That 1% will either be a freighter or a mail/ supply ship, the latter usually doing routes to isolated coastal communities and distant islands.

When you arrive at port, there will be no gaudy tourism, no tour bus carrying thirty people and a lady waving her umbrella in the air to show you the sights and souvenir shops. If you like to be led, go on a cruise ship, but if you’re a self-reliant soul that likes to explore, a cargo ship could be your own giant 2, 000 foot private yacht. Port cities are generally off-grid locations compared to your average tourist stops and often, you’ll discover exotic and unspoiled attractions exist a short distance away. The average port time is one day which gives a freight cruise passenger longer to explore than on a typical cruise ship. But of course there’s always the mesmerising loading and unloading of various cargo, a fascinating ritual that’s likely to borrow a little of your time at each port.