Freight Expectations The Path To Happiness On Board A Cargo Ship Begins With Picking The Right Vessel

Like the 43 other passengers aboard the freighter, I’d never heard of Takapoto, our first port-of-call, until the captain dropped anchor in its tropical lagoon. One of a hundred or more gorgeous islets in the Tuamotu Archipelago, the coconut-shaded speck of sand basked like a contented whale in the dazzling sunshine some 300 miles east of the Society Islands.

With six hours to spare while the crew unloaded everything from ketchup to computers for the 500 residents, my fellow passengers and I picked our way down the ladder on the side of the ship, shuttled ashore in a whaleboat, strolled past tin-roofed homes in the fishing village, and boarded a canoe for a ride across a lagoon to an exquisite beach, home base for the morning. I walked its sugary shoreline, snorkeled in bathtub-warm waters, and picnicked under a palapa with the incessantly lapping wavelets as background music.

Just one day into my trip and I’d already frolicked on an island that’s almost impossible to reach except by freighter or private yacht. This was just the kind of Polynesian idyll I’d been hoping for and it set the discovery-oriented tone for the next 15 days on the freighter Aranui.

Like all passengers on freighters that ply the world’s oceans, I had no responsibilities except to be on board before we embarked for the next port. On this trip, I’d packed more books than shirts, and I read my way through seven of them as we made our way northeast from Tahiti, stopping for cargo at all six inhabited Marquesan islands as well as at Takapoto and Rangiroa in the Tuamotus.

I learned to weave a wide-brimmed hat from pandanus leaves, paid homage to Gauguin at his burial place on Hiva Oa, rode a horse from one end of Ua Huka to the other and hiked 10 miles across Fatu Hiva.

I also made sure I never missed a meal, since, with a French chef in the galley, the croissants and baguettes were sublime. And, in true continental style, wine was poured with lunch and dinner.

Without any doubt, there was a huge gap between my preconceptions and the reality of freighter travel. And how could it be otherwise, since travel agents have no information on them and there are no brochures or ads to tout the product? No wonder travel by freighter has always had an underground edge to it.

My Aranui voyage wasn’t standard freighter fare, however, as nearly all other trips last far longer.

“Even at a month, you’re cutting it short,” says Margi Mostue, president of the newsletter Freighter World Cruises. “Six weeks to four months is the average length.” Around-the-world voyages last 88 to 115 days. Voyages to the South Pacific are about 70 days from the East Coast, 45 days from the West Coast.

The Aranui voyage also stood out, since, of its l6 days, only two were at sea. All other days included at least one port where shore excursions were not only planned, but included in the fare.

On other freighters, far more days are spent in tandem with the swells of the open sea than exploring a voluptuous isle.

For example, on a 110-day Bank Line circumnavigation of the world, disembarkation times vary from one to four days at its 20 ports of call. With containerization, half-days in port are not unusual. They’re perfect for a morning of snorkeling in Takapoto, but don’t go far in Rio de Janeiro, say, or Dar es Salaam. On nearly all ships except the Aranui, shore excursions are arranged on arrival and paid for by passengers.

Fortunately, since day after day is spent at sea, freighter cabins are often more spacious than those of a cruise ship. All have private facilities and often a TV/VCR and desk. Common areas include a lounge and a small library, and there’s the possibility of a small indoor or deck swimming pool and an exercise room. Card games, puzzles, videos, socializing in the lounge, and mealtime with the officers can occupy many hours of a day.

Passengers come prepared with short-wave radios, hobbies and a stack of books.

“It takes a certain amount of independence,” admits Ranko Zunic, editor of Manis Freighter Cruises newsletter. “Although you’re being served in comfort, it’s unlike a cruise because it’s a working atmosphere and you’re in the middle of it.”

As with cruise ships, there are big differences in freighters, too. The 88-passenger M/V Americana is in a class by itself as a luxury passenger/ container ship, with a lounge, exercise room and library, and spacious staterooms with full bathrooms, color TV, VCR, refrigerator, mini-bar, safe and telephone.

“Columbus Line is also high quality,” says Mostue. The superior cabins in these German-owned ships are outside facing, with refrigerator, desk, sitting areas, rectangular windows and air conditioning.

Cost is one of the big pluses of freighter travel. Most freighters run about $100 a day per person, plus shore excursions, which works out to about a third of regular cruise rates. But because of the length of freighter voyages, the cost is still considerable.

My trip on the Aranui averaged out to $210 a day, but it included all shore excursions, some of which were elaborate luaus and all-day treks across islands. Depending on the season, there are deals that can bring the daily price down to $70 to $75 per person a day.

The surcharge for single cabins varies greatly. Mostue says that on some lines, single cabins are priced less than the per-person cost for a double cabin. The service staff is tipped.

Whereas the average age of cruise passengers has been decreasing, it’s still largely retirees on freighters’ dockets. Given the voyages’ length and cost, that’s no surprise. Most lines have a cutoff age of 79. A few lines accept passengers up to age 82. Some require a health certificate for those over age 65.

“Occasionally, we book people who aren’t retired,” says Mostue. “We’ve made arrangements for a British couple who rode a tandem bike around the world. It’s not all that unusual to have writers or professionals taking a few months in between a career change.”

First-time voyagers are often steered toward the shorter voyages, like the 16-day trip I experienced on the Aranui. “There’s not much choice on short trans-Atlantic crossings, and little to see,” says Zunic. “I recommend spring through fall from Miami to the Mediterranean. The 32-day voyage on the 12-passenger Contship is popular, with good accommodations and interesting ports of call.”

Still, freighter travel remains just a tiny segment of the cruise industry, as no more than 3,000 or so travelers book passage each year - just about the number that squeeze into one mega-cruise liner. But expectations are that as the numbers of retirees increases, freighter travel will increase in popularity.

For those thinking of hopping a freighter in the near future, there’s good availability, even just a month or so out. The exceptions are that Australia and New Zealand voyages are heavily booked during North American winter months.

“Right now, it’s a buyer’s market for freighter travel, with availability on most routes, particularly South America,” says Mostue.

If you go Freighter World Cruises, Inc., 180 South Lake Ave., #335, Pasadena, CA 91101; (800) 531-7774; www.freighterworld.com; e-mail, freighters@freighterworld.com. This travel agency specializes in freighter ships and publishes a bi-weekly Freighter Space Advisory newsletter. Manis Freighter Cruises offers a monthly newsletter compiled by a former ship’s captain; $18 annually; (800) 996-2747; fax, (203) 222-9191; www.CruiseMaris.com. TravLtips, P.O. Box 270, Northport, NY 11768; (800) 872-8584. This association publishes a bi-monthly freighter brochure. The 145-page Ford’s Freighter Travel Guide is published twice yearly; (818) 701-7414.