Does anyone know of any cargo ships that are taking transatlantic passengers?

[Bryan the traveler]

Hello, 

Does anyone know where I can take a ship from Europe to the US ?

[Heidi13]

Check this link, as I included a few links to website for cargo ship voyages.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2642136-any-general-cargo-ships-left-from-north-america/#comment-57004475

 

[cruising cockroach]

Probably not.   Shipping lines have been weary of their crew getting infected and sick for the past 2 years.

 

This came out a few days ago

 

People Itching to Cruise by Cargo Ship Hope for Reversal of Covid-19 Bans - WSJ

 

Cargo ships used to carry up to 12 passengers on no-frills international voyages. Now, fans of the minimalist travel option are hoping it will start up again soon. (businessinsider.nl)

 

The revenue from passengers was a tiny bonus when freight rates were low but at current rates, they may be able to pay off a new ship with just one voyage from Asia (or specifically, China) so passengers aren't worth the risk.

[cruising cockroach]

Here's a another one

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/cargo-cruising-industry-too-small-to-survive-the-pandemic-2022-2

 

""

"The entire revenue of freighter travel cruising for the whole world is probably less than €5 million a year, and most shipping companies are making €30 million a day," Jameison said.

 

For mega firms like Maersk, the risk associated with carrying passengers is simply not worth the relatively meager profit. 

"

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

In preparation for our 25-day freighter passage from Houston to Antwerp on the Rickmers Jakarta in 2017, we saw an article in New Yorker Magazine by Patrica Marx (attached below) about her own passage on our sister ship, the Rickmers Seoul.  She contacted a corporate officer of the Rickmers company and asked why take on passengers at all.  The reply she got was that it was mainly for the entertainment of the crews.

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/02/03/a-tale-of-a-tub

[cruising cockroach]

5 hours ago, Oak Hill Cruisers said:

In preparation for our 25-day freighter passage from Houston to Antwerp on the Rickmers Jakarta in 2017, we saw an article in New Yorker Magazine by Patrica Marx (attached below) about her own passage on our sister ship, the Rickmers Seoul.  She contacted a corporate officer of the Rickmers company and asked why take on passengers at all.  The reply she got was that it was mainly for the entertainment of the crews.

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/02/03/a-tale-of-a-tub

 

The late Jacques Saade of CMA-CGM said something similar, but it was to civilise the crew or some such.  I could never find the link again.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

On 2/22/2022 at 11:57 AM, cruising cockroach said:

 

The late Jacques Saade of CMA-CGM said something similar, but it was to civilise the crew or some such.  I could never find the link again.

Saadé believes that his line should carry passengers to keep the officers nice and civil (or make them that way, or try to – I can’t find the quote right now) so some 75 ships (mainly those under direct ownership/control rather than under management or acquired through mergers) of the 400+ fleet are outfitted to carry passengers. Even so, fewer than 1,000 passengers sail fleetwide annually. So this is where we find ourselves as part of this small number, not even 1/4th or 1/5th of one single, large cruise ship’s weekly load out of Fort Lauderdale. The Line had a luxury small ship cruise line, Le Ponant, but that was sold to focus on cargo.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Oak Hill Cruisers

[cruising cockroach]

9 hours ago, Oak Hill Cruisers said:

Saadé believes that his line should carry passengers to keep the officers nice and civil (or make them that way, or try to – I can’t find the quote right now) so some 75 ships (mainly those under direct ownership/control rather than under management or acquired through mergers) of the 400+ fleet are outfitted to carry passengers. Even so, fewer than 1,000 passengers sail fleetwide annually. So this is where we find ourselves as part of this small number, not even 1/4th or 1/5th of one single, large cruise ship’s weekly load out of Fort Lauderdale. The Line had a luxury small ship cruise line, Le Ponant, but that was sold to focus on cargo.

 

The quote above is from a trip report I posted elsewhere on the 'net 6 years ago.  I (still) can't find the source where I originally read it unfortunately.  Things have a habit of disappearing.

 

My last cruise was on a Ponant ship (Le Soleal) and that segment costed less per day than my sole CGM-CMA sailing.

Edited February 24, 2022 by cruising cockroach

[cruising cockroach]

Looks like one line - Independent Container - is resuming TATL pax service in July on the weekly circuit of Anvers (Belgique), Southampton (Royaume-Uni), Cork (Irlande), Chester (USA), Wilmington (Caroline du Nord USA), Anvers (Belgique).  28 days round trip, with weekly service on 4 ships.  Rates about €140 pp pd.

 

ICL | Trans-Atlantic container shipping and logistics (icl-ltd.com)

 

though you won't find anything about pax service above.  A Paris-based TA or one in the U.K. will probably do 

[cant_remember]

On 3/18/2022 at 5:56 PM, cruising cockroach said:

Looks like one line - Independent Container - is resuming TATL pax service in July on the weekly circuit of Anvers (Belgique), Southampton (Royaume-Uni), Cork (Irlande), Chester (USA), Wilmington (Caroline du Nord USA), Anvers (Belgique).  28 days round trip, with weekly service on 4 ships.  Rates about €140 pp pd.

 

ICL | Trans-Atlantic container shipping and logistics (icl-ltd.com)

 

though you won't find anything about pax service above.  A Paris-based TA or one in the U.K. will probably do 

Do you know about specific TA's? The UK based "The People Cruises" seems to have gone out of business. Their website is gone and their email returns an "account disabled" undeliverable.