To E-mail The Cruise People about a Cunard Line Voyage

(please send name, address and phone number for quickest reply)

North Atlantic Routes

Weekly (April/November only) - INDEPENDENT CONTAINER LINE (mv's INDEPENDENT ACCORD, CONCEPT and PURSUIT, 20,000 dwt tons, 2 passengers each, and INDEPENDENT VENTURE, 20,000 dwt tons, 6 passengers) - Between Antwerp,  Liverpool and Philadelphia and Wilmington NC (Note: Embarkation at either Antwerp or Liverpool, disembarkation at Antwerp only, where there are Eurostar connections to London Waterloo).

Twice Monthly (April/November only) - PZM POLISH STEAMSHIP COMPANY (mv's ISA, ISOLDA, ISADORA, IRYDA, IRMA, 35,600 dwt tons, 6 passengers each) - Amsterdam (IJmuiden) to Cleveland and Burns Harbor, IN (for Chicago). Round voyages also available.

Every 21 days - HAPAG LLOYD - EUROPE/CANADA ROUTE (mv VALENTINA, 22,200 dwt tons, 2 passengers) - Between Liverpool, Antwerp, Southampton, Le Havre and Montreal.  An account of a typical Trans-Atlantic voyage in a container ship on the Montreal run can be found at Samuel Smith's site Cruise on the CP Honour.  

Every 49 days - MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY  (mv MSC UGANDA, 63.500 dwt tons, 8 passengers) - Between Felixstowe, Bremerhaven and Le Havre and Charleston, Savannah, Freeport (Bahamas), Veracruz and Altamira (Mexico), then Houston, New Orleans, Freeport, Port Everglades, Savannah and Charleston and Antwerp and Felixstowe.  

Occasional Last Minute Sailings - RICKMERS LINIE - PEARL STRING ROUTE (Nine vessels, each 30,000 tons, 6 passengers) - Between Houston and Philadelphia and Antwerp and Hamburg, eastbound only and subject to space availability on the month of sailing only. Ports subject to change.

Mediterranean Routes

Every 28 days -  HAPAG-LLOYD - MEDITERRANEAN/CANADA ROUTE (mv BARMBEK, 15,950 dwt tons, 8 passengers) - Between Livorno, Cadiz, Lisbon and Montreal, return via Valencia to Livorno.

Every 42 days -  HAPAG-LLOYD - MEDITERRANEAN/GULF COAST ROUTE (mv TBN EXPRESS, 30,300 dwt tons, 4 passengers) - Between Genoa, Barcelona, Port Everglades, Vera Cruz, Altamira, Houston and New Orleans, return via Cagliari and Livorno to Genoa. Note: This particular ship has no age limit.

Every 42 days -  MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY (mv MSC TANZANIA, 63,645 dwt tons, 8 passengers) - Between Naples, La Spezia, Valencia, Sines (Portugal), Boston, New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Savannah and Charleston, return via Valencia to Naples.

Occasional Last Minute Sailings - Every 52 days -  ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING (mv ZIM ONTARIO and mv ZIM SAN FRANCISCO, 63,640 tons, 6 passengers) - From Haifa, Livorno, Genoa and Tarragona to Halifax, New York, Savannah, Los Angeles and Oakland and from Savannah, New York and Halifax to Tarragona and Haifa. East Coast sailings are bookable only three weeks in advance.

Caribbean Routes

Weekly -  CMA CGM THE FRENCH LINE - EUROPE/FRENCH ANTILLES ROUTE (mv's CMA CGM FORT ST GEORGES, FORT ST LOUIS, FORT ST PIERRE and FORT STE MARIE, 28,000 dwt tons, 12 passengers) - Between Dunkirk, Rouen, Le Havre and Montoir and Fort de France, Martinique, and Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, and return.

Every 10 days -  HORN LINE - EUROPE/CARIBBEAN ROUTE (mv's HORNBAY, HORNCAP and HORNCLIFF, 12,880 tons, 12 passengers) - Between Dover, Antwerp and Le Havre and Fort de France, Martinique, and Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, and return - also serving Cartagena, Colombia, and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Every 12 days -  CMA CGM THE FRENCH LINE - EUROPE/ST MARTIN/TRINIDAD ROUTE (mv's CMA CGM ARISTOTE, CMA CGM HERODOTE, CMA CGM HOMERE and CMA CGM PLATON, 21,250 dwt tons, 6 passengers) - Between Rotterdam, Tilbury, Rouen and Le Havre and St Martin, French West Indies, and Port of Spain, Trinidad, and return - also serving Cayenne and North Brazil ports.

Every 21 days -  NSB FREIGHTER CRUISES - EUROPE/CARIBBEAN ROUTE (mv CMA CGM ESPERANZA and m/v CMA CGM FORTUNA, 32,100 dwt tons, 2 passengers) - Between Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Tilbury and Le Havre and Kingston, Jamaica, and return - also serving Cartagena, Santo Tomas, Puerto Cortes and either Puerto Limon or Puerto Moin.

Note: Passage tickets are issued by shipowners, which may differ from the operator. Payments are accepted in Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars.

Important: Non-US & Canadian passengers entering the USA by freighter require a Valid US Visa.

1. How much will it cost me to cross the Atlantic?  Firstly, you shouldn't think of sea travel as a way to beat an air fare - it isn't. Unlike flying, it can be a richly rewarding experience. You should expect to pay a minimum of $1,450 to $1,500 per person each way, depending on the route and the cabin.  Sea travel is only cheaper than flying when you consider the many days you will spend on board (compared to a hotel stay ashore) with three full meals a day and a private cabin. And drinks on board cargo ships are not only tax and duty free, but also profit free (what we call bonded stock).

2. Can I take my pet or my vehicle with me?  Those wishing to take with them their pets can once again do so on board Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 between New York and Southampton. Shipment of vehicles needs to be arranged with an outside company as vehicles are not carried on Queen Mary 2 and container ships will not accept vehicles as accompanying baggage.  A company called TransGlobal Logistics, with depots in both Europe and North America, can arrange shipment of your vehicle to many destinations worldwide and at reasonable rates.  Please follow the link below to their web site:

3. Can I work on board to lower my fare?  Briefly, No. Thirty or forty years ago crews numbered 39 to 49 people but today, with automation, crew size is more like 21, so don't even think about asking if you can work your way over. There aren't enough jobs to go round for the real seamen.

4. What about single (and female) travellers?  Freighters have the great advantage of being inexpensive for single travellers, often with no single supplement for single cabins. And single women may travel without fear - the crews of these ships are accommodating and welcoming - most of them have wives and girlfriends at home. Single female travellers are among the more important groups who travel this way.

5. How quickly can I sail across the Atlantic?  Relax. You won't get there in just 5 days. Most Trans-Atlantic freighter voyages take 10 to 14 days and even Queen Mary 2 takes 6 days. The fastest Trans-Atlantic freighter passages are between 8 days and 10 days, but passages of 12 to 14 days are not uncommon.

6. How accurate are sailing schedules?  Dates for Queen Mary 2 and cruise ships are unlikely to change unless there is a realignment of schedules. Container ship sailings are usually year-round, but dates are subject to change due to cargo or weather. Take care to make flexible arrangements, eg. changeable flight tickets and allowing time for connections.  Tramp sailings depend on cargo and are less reliable than container ships.

To E-mail The Cruise People about a Transatlantic Voyage

Last Revised 15th May 2009