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Strand Voyages on Container Ships

Voyage…
the very word conjures up images of adventure and exploration. Let the “cruise” be for less intrepid travellers–a “voyage” is the real experience.

This is how we at Strand Voyages, and the majority of our customers, portray a journey by sea on a passenger carrying cargo vessel. It is truly something very different–a voyage of adventure.

At Strand we have been specialising in voyages on passenger carrying cargo vessels since 1987, and we are seen as leaders in this field, by customers and shipping lines alike. We have a dedicated team of specialists who really understand this form of travel and who have established strong connections with the world’s shipping lines.

So where can you go on a cargo ship?

You can sail to countries and ports that you never dreamed of visiting… The variety of ships and destinations is endless…

The answer is almost anywhere on earth! You can sail to countries and ports that you never dreamed of visiting, or you can simply cross the Atlantic in rather more comfort than in the back of a 747. The variety of ships and destinations is endless, and at the end of your voyage we can organise onward transportation, hotels and further sightseeing possibilities, as well as your return voyage.

You could find yourself on a container ship, a bulk carrier, a refrigerated ship, or a multi-purpose vessel. There are many different types, but all offer high standards of accommodation to only a small group of passengers, so that you can feel almost part of the crew!

When you have browsed through this website we hope that you will be excited enough to plan, with our help, your own voyage of exploration and adventure. Just pick up the phone and talk it through with an experienced member of our staff.

Ship Shape

Not all types of freighters carry passengers–for instance those which carry dangerous cargos, such as tankers do not. Those freighters that do carry passengers include the following.

Container Ships

The most usual way to send goods by sea these days is on a container ship or box ship. The containers themselves are manufactured to a worldwide standard of twenty foot and forty foot in length and eight foot in height, making them very quick and efficient to load and unload. This means that container ships tend to spend less time in port than traditional freighters. Container ship capacity is described in TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units)–thus a vessel capable of carrying 2,000 forty foot containers would be described as having a capacity of 4,000 TEUs. An infinite variety of goods is carried in containers.

Reefers

One type of general cargo ship is the Reefer, such as the banana boat (though the traditional carriers, Fyffes and Geest, no longer take passengers). Reefers carry perishable goods in specially ventilated holds to keep the cargo at an evenly cool temperature. Refrigerated containers which plug in to the electrical system on container ships are also known as reefers.

Multipurpose Vessels

As their name suggests, these ships combine the features of general cargo and container ships with rollonrolloff facilities.

RO-ROs

Roll-On Roll-Off ships are unlovely looking vessels (though comfortable inside) which are like giant car ferries, transporting thousands of vehicles which are loaded by being driven on board via a stern ramp.

Bulk Carriers

Carrying loose cargo, such as coal, phosphates, grain, and mineral ores, these ships tend to be employed in a “tramp” service, not having an established route, but following the delivery requirements of the cargo they are carrying.

Cabin Comforts

Many first time freighter travellers are pleasantly surprised at the generous size of their cabins, especially if they have travelled in the often rather compact accommodation of cruise ships.

Passenger accommodation is generally situated high up in the superstructure of the ship, usually on a level with that of the Master and senior officers, below the Bridge.

We are indebted to one of our regular voyagers, Mary Sketch, for permission to reproduce extracts from her journals.

As a rule, cabins are outside, that is to say they have portholes or windows. Depending on the design of the ship these may be obscured by containers–allowing in daylight, but not offering much of a view. Very occasionally there are inside cabins with no windows, but this will always be specified before booking.

All cabins on freighters are en-suite with their own private shower and toilet, sometimes even a bath.

All cabins on freighters are en-suite with their own private shower and toilet, sometimes even a bath.

On many vessels, the double cabins (and sometimes the singles) are suites, consisting of a separate bedroom, sitting room and shower and toilet. In standard double cabins, there may be a separate sitting area within the cabin.

Cabins are often referred to as “Owner’s”, “Supercargo”, “Purser”, etc.–this does not mean that you will be expected to share your accommodation, it refers to the original designation of the cabins which have been given over to passenger use.

Single travellers make up a large proportion of cargo ship passengers and on many ships there are purpose built single cabins offered at the same fare as doubles, thus avoiding the dreaded “single supplement”. On those ships where there are only double cabins, these are usually offered for sole use for a reasonable add-on of around 20% of the double fare.

The equipment in the cabins varies considerably from ship to ship, but towels, bed linen and soap are always supplied. There is usually plenty of drawer and wardrobe space, there may be a refrigerator, television (not satellite), video player, DVD, CD player, radio and internal telephone. Sometimes the cabin may be more basic and uncarpeted, but this is usually reflected in the fare.

www.strandtravelltd.co.uk

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voyages@strandtravelltd.co.uk

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020 7921 4340 or +44 (0)20 7921 4340 (if outside the UK)

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+44 (0)20 7921 4476