Fancy a trip on a cargo ship...

[j.sabourn]

#10.. would be like a busmans holiday. Old habits die hard and even today. Sleep patterns are haywire.My wife shows no inclination to go on a cruise the very few times she and the kids were on board and just crossing the Mersey she would be sick, so I always get on reminding her about it. The sea as a passenger holds no big thrills for me, saw too much of it at one time, and similar to you enough is enough of a good thing, staring into space at the horizon, is no comparison to standing over the bbq with a can of ale. If all the hours were added up to the years spent staring at horizons , the horizon would be taking legal action for being stalked for so long. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Brian.
Great post, if I was twenty years younger I would have jumped at it; containers or not. Cabins looked great, just like the ones that Haine's had I don't think, though a tanker; the Baron Kilmarnock I was on had lovely cabins, built for the Swedes but taken over by the Baron Boats.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Some years back one of the members went on one of these.
Booked with a London company who specializes in such, Russian ships if I recall correctly and you could at that time change ships in any port as long as you remained on a company ship.

[Lewis McColl]

Bank line for many years had ships that carried 12 passengers and this was long after the other major British shipping companies had stopped 12 passenger sailings. I believe if you wanted to book passage on one you needed to book about 2 years in advance. I am sure Brian could throw some light on this as one of the popular runs was down to Tahiti and Fiji ? Also Fyfees , Geest line.banana boat.jpg Must admit don't think much of the accommodation.

[Captain Kong]

In 1954 the single fare, on a Fyffes banana boat to Kingston was £80 one way. A fortune then.

[Trevor Bodiam]

IF i could afford it, i think this would be a very relaxing and pleasant way to experience the feel of deck under my feet again after so many years.
And to turn in at night and feel the ship moving gently or otherwise and my body shifting gently or otherwise in my bunk.
Nor would i be bored with watching the horizon or standing on the **** end watching the wake, looking for bird life or hoping to see an albatross, porpoises, dolphins or flying fish.
These are all the memories i miss very much.
Shame we can't just sign on and wash dishes, paint bulkheads or clean the engine room plates and get a free passage.[ NO cleaning scavengers though]
That would be perfect!!!!

[Keith Tindell]

If i ever took any type of cruise it would have to be something that spent a bit of time at sea, same as you Trevor, just to be back at sea again. There was a cruise i saw just recently, that sailed from Tilbury to Canada for the trees in the fall, visiting various areas and back to Tilbury, duration of the cruise was about a month. So 2 Atlantic crossings would have given some time at sea. I guess that would have put a lot of people off, because it was quite a reasonable price. i cannot remember which ship it was. I still get a fair bit of sea time in still, backwards and forwards on the Isle of Wight ferry, lol, kt

[j.sabourn]

#15. In 1966 the single fare on the Sunprincess was $100 US a day. The Sunprincess was a wartime built Liberty ship and bears no relation to more recent passenger vessels of the same name at a later date. They were 2 Berth cabins and if you were like Greta Garbo and wanted to be alone , you paid $200 a day , it was approx. a 6 week round trip Montreal and back to Montreal. Don’t know. What they may have charged for one of the horses stalls on deck , or in one of the chilled or frozen permanent cargo containers on deck. For those who may know the lay out of a liberty ship the old officers accomodation was built around the saloon . The masters accomodation behind the wheelhouse. The additions to this however was another housing added on the monkey island which was the passenger bar. Our Danish chief engineer used to order our own bond as had connections and we used to get at half the price of the ships prices. We had a Trinidadian crew who had been there for years as there was always a couple off during the 6 weeks we were away from Port of Spain. All the home comforts until you got some whinging passenger. Mostly women. The male ones only wanted to know where the nearest knocking shop was. Then the trouble started trying to get them back to the ship at sailing time. The sparks was the paymaster and paid everyone at the end of the month in US dollars and we lived like Lords down the BWI. Those were the days my friend ,thought they’d never end , but they did. JS

[Doc Vernon]

Well somewhere on the site ,in the past there was a similar Thread and like i said then how i would love to do a Trip on a Cargo or Tramper Ship. Yes there are a few that one cab still get passages at reasonable rates,but the thing is (as i have looked into it) you may Book a passage say for 3 Weeks at a certain ammount a Day,however Especially on a Tramper,you could land up with quite a hefty bill,as there is no guarantee that the Ship will only call at the Ports they say,it could well go on to various other Ports as I am sure most of you old Hands will know!

Yes as said one of our Ex Members did a few such trips as I recall,as he sent me Pics on Board and also at places he went.

This kind of time thing is one issue that stops me from doing such a trip,as I could not be wat from my dear Wife for too long,and besides someone has to look after the Pug,wash the Dishes,Cook the Food, LOL

But to get back to the start,it would be the trip of my dreams that's for sure ,as said here in some posts one could feel the Ship under your feet,get those old good Seamans legs again,stand at the Stern and watch the Dolphins doing their amazing things,the Stars at Night just glimmering with the Seabed a mirror,and the World your Oyster! Then up to the Bow too and watch those lovely Waves ,and the Ship cutting through them like a sharp Butchers Knife at work,when he cuts through that Tender Meat!

Oh where did life go,why did we not get more out of it when we could,Yes we were happy most times I know ,but could have done so much more!
If we left all that haphazard and free for all life ,no booze etc,i am sure many here would have been a lot happier and have more memories to keep locked away,like me I lost so much time through the Bottle and forgot so many things and places,what a waste!
Give me one more chance dear Lord and I promise I will be good! LOL
Dammit!!!

[Terry Sullivan]

Sounds great and you say it would perfect, as long as it wasn't on one of those floating shopping centres.
Terry Sullivan