Slow boat to China

Seattle to Kaoshuing: US$2,541 (single) / 14 days ---- by freighter! An awesome way to get to the ROC, plus you are allowed 200 lbs. of luggage.

http://www.freighterworld.com/

I’ve done a couple of long ocean passages by freighter, PM me if you have any question about what the experience would be like. Or, contact Freighter World direct, they are great.

[quote=“mwalimu”]Seattle to Kaoshuing (Gaoxiong): US$2,541 (single) / 14 days ---- by freighter! An awesome way to get to the ROC, plus you are allowed 200 lbs. of luggage.

http://www.freighterworld.com/

I’ve done a couple of long ocean passages by freighter, PM me if you have any question about what the experience would be like. Or, contact Freighter World direct, they are great.[/quote]

Why we gotta pm? Two weeks on a boat seems like a good recipie for sea sickness, even if you’re not prone to it. And a freighter doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it as cruise ship. so . . . do tell? Please discribe the experience.

See some vids on youtube bout containerships in the open ocean with them huge monster waves before you sign on for one of those crossings.

I Would be scared .

Why P.M.? Because I’m not in the freighter cruise booking business. If someone was serious about doing a journey, I’d be happy to go into detail about my experience, but, otherwise, all i was trying to do was call the community’s attention to an interesting travel option.

The topic of freighter travel came up in the Daily Photos thread… quoting myself here:

"Generally speaking, passage on a freighter runs between $100 - $150 a day. The trip I took from Port of New York to Buenos Aires actually cost more like $85/day, but that was because we were delayed by a few days along the way (which is quite common in shipping). And for this price you get all meals, and my cabin was more like a stateroom than a standard cabin. It had a living room, small bedroom and private bath. It was high up in the superstructure of the ship - with great views, and lots of sunshine and privacy. My fridge was well stocked with beer, laid in by my personal orderly who cleaned my cabin a few times a week, too. Definitely not a sleeping in a hammock in the hold with the bananas kind of scenario. The downside is that you are on a working ship that has a tight schedule to keep - port calls are functional and sometimes there is not time to go ashore. Other times you might have ample time to nip into a city to have a look around. No cha-cha lessons on the Lido Deck, casino nights, or song and dance acts - this is a pretty zen experience, for those who are very good at self entertaining and who are not too antsy. It’s all about being at sea, and enjoying a unique insight into the world of working ships and harbors.

Taking a container ship would be a great way to get to/leave Taiwan. If you are of the right personality type and can get your mind around a sea passage - it’s a wonderful experience. The great thing about taking a container ship to Taiwan is that you have a 100kg luggage allowance, so it would be a great way to get yourself and a lot of gear on to/off the island. International container ships, typically, call at Kaoshuing (Gaoxiong)."

Sea sickness is not that hard to deal with, and certainly should not dissuade anyone from experiencing the beauty of the ocean.

Not a cruise ship? Exactly! A much cooler experience, in my opinion.

Look, big seas are a certainly a possibility - but, it’s part of the experience, and certainly the chances of sinking because of them is virtually nil. I’ve been through all kinds of storms at sea, with huge waves, on expedition ships, sail boats, container ships, and ferries – and it’s not that big a deal, and in my mind does not outweigh the many pleasures of being out on the Ocean.

Certainly the experience is not for everyone (don’t do it if you are the kind of person who is perpetually antsy), but for anyone looking for a novel way to get to Taiwan - you won’t be dissapointed.

Great stuff, mwalimu. I often plotted a similar move but never really had the time. I did take a ship from HK to Shanghai back in 1992, which despite running into one of the biggest typhoons seen in quite a few years and turning into a bobbing bucket of vomit, was indeed a fun way to travel.

I know you’ve always been able to do this, but the info about how to and with who has generally been fairly scarce. I wonder if this website is a sign of higher oil prices pushing shippers to more eagerly take extra money where they can.

HG

[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Great stuff, mwalimu. I often plotted a similar move but never really had the time. I did take a ship from HK to Shanghai back in 1992, which despite running into one of the biggest typhoons seen in quite a few years and turning into a bobbing bucket of vomit, was indeed a fun way to travel.

I know you’ve always been able to do this, but the info about how to and with who has generally been fairly scarce. I wonder if this website is a sign of higher oil prices pushing shippers to more eagerly take extra money where they can.

HG[/quote]

I, personally, can not get enough of the sea. Any excuse to get out on the water works for me. Even that ferry from Gaoshuing to Macau, and the overnight one from Hong Kong to Canton was great fun, despite being crowded. I regret that I never did the one from HK to Shanghai, lucky you HG.

Regarding the website, Freighter World has been in business for 20+ years, and their website up, in some form, since the early days of the Internet - replacing a newsletter, which I still get by snail mail, which kept the info, as you say, pretty obscure.

I saw some of your photos from your Buenos Aries trip. Pretty damn cool.

[quote=“mwalimu”]Seattle to Kaoshuing (Gaoxiong): US$2,541 (single) / 14 days ---- by freighter! An awesome way to get to the ROC, plus you are allowed 200 lbs. of luggage.

http://www.freighterworld.com/[/quote]

That’s a pity because one reason I might have for spending that much money would be the possibility of transporting my animals home with me.