Hi arsenearno,
Actually, my husband did something like this, but not as long a voyage
as you are describing. He caught a Canada Steamship Lines freighter in
Montreal, Quebec and travelled to Sarnia, Ontario as a guest of the
first mate (our son). Despite the fact that this company does not sell
cruise tickets my husband thoroughly enjoyed himself. He still raves
about the friendly men, the food, and the experience in general.
So with that in mind, I can imagine what a great experience it would
be for someone who has actually paid for his passage and is being
catered to as a paid guest. I found nothing but good things about it
as I researched your question.
Here's the latest news release from Canada Maritime, a North Atlantic
container shipping line.
"Accommodation for up to five passengers is available on four of the
company’s newest container ships operating between Montreal and four
Northern European ports, Thamesport, UK; Le Havre, France; Antwerp,
Belgium; and Hamburg, Germany." As you can see, both your destinations
of choice are listed.
New and Updates
http://www.canmar.com/news/2001/150301.htm
From here you can link to a website which offers background and
information about accommodations, food, amenities, and pricing. "On a
daily basis passenger freighters are a bargain. Per diems run in the
neighbourhood of US$100 to US$200 per day versus the US$175 to
US$250.00 daily rates prevalent aboard popular cruise ships."
The Cruise People, Ltd. - Cruise By Passenger Freighter
http://www.thecruisepeople.ca/tcp_frat.htm
This site offers examples of cruise itineraries, including length of
trip and approximate pricing. Note: The links in the menu to the left
of your screen appear to be inoperative. To access this site's pages,
use the text links at the bottom of the page.
A la Carte Freighter Travel
http://www.freighter-travel.com/travel-itineraries.htm
To read this magazine, you need to purchase a subscription. The
webmaster says:
"Read our friendly, commercial-free magazine. Take advantage of our
advice. Find the cruise that's perfect for you. And your membership
can quickly pay for itself because with each booking you receive a
discount bonus worth double the amount of an annual membership fee."
Maris Freighter Cruises
http://www.freightercruises.com/
"This web site addresses every aspect of travel by cargo ship. You can
locate an agent or shipping company that books freighter voyages,
learn about the cost of travel, and view pictures of over 2,000 ships,
from the engine room to the bridge."
Internet Guide to Freighter Travel
http://www.geocities.com/freighterman.geo/mainmenu.html
Research strategy:
"cargo ships taking passengers from Canada to Europe"
A similar search for "cargo ships taking passengers from United States
to Europe" yielded nothing of use. Links inevitably went to websites
about history, terrorism, security, etc. etc.
I think with all the contact information provided by the sites I've
listed, you should be able to quickly nail down a trip that meets your
needs. I'll happily work more on this if you need more once I've
received answers to the questions I posed in the clarification
request.
Regards,
revbrenda1st |
