Freighter Travel

Experience a journey of a special kind: aboard a cargo ship, you will travel from Cape Town to the remote island of St. Helena, in the middle of the endless blue of the South Atlantic. This extraordinary sea voyage offers a rare opportunity to experience life on the high seas up close – far removed from classic cruises. Bookable as a round trip from and to Cape Town or as partial routes.

The mysterious island of St. Helena is of volcanic origin and belongs to the British Overseas Territory. It is located about 1,860 km off the west coast of Africa – a secluded jewel in the middle of the ocean. Rugged cliffs, lush landscapes, and the highest point on the island at 818 meters dominate the landscape. Around 4,700 inhabitants live here, shaped by traditions and fishing, which is still one of the most important industries.

Your ship will dock in the port of Rupert's Bay. Every fourth voyage also calls at the neighboring island of Ascension before returning to Cape Town via Walvis Bay and Lüderitz in Namibia.

The shipping company currently offers one departure per month. The departure period is between the 1st and 31st of each month, with the exact embarkation dates being determined about six weeks before departure. On the return journey, the ship anchors off Cape Town for about a week without the possibility of going ashore early, which offers additional time for relaxation on board.

Please note: Due to the modest size of the ship and the open sea, travelers should not be prone to seasickness– waves in the South Atlantic can be quite strong at any time of year!

Shore leave in Ascension and Walvis Bay is unfortunately not possible.

One "Owner Twin-bed Cabin" available for passengers: 
Single bed 90 x 200 cm, shower/WC, desk. Location: B deck, unobstructed view to the side.

To book your journey, please fill in the booking form:

• Booking Form
• Passport: Send us a copy of your passport valid at least six months counting from voyage commencement.

After receiving your booking forms, we will send you the booking confirmation and invoice whereupon a deposit of 25% is due. The balance is payable until 95 days prior departure. 
If you pay from outside the EURO-zone, paying by credit card might be the cheapest option. But still we have to charge a non-refundable credit card fee of 2.5%.

Further Documents required not later than 21 days prior departure:

• Medical Certificate (not earlier than 30 days prior departure): For Passengers of 65 years or older. Passengers from 70 years on will need as well a medical certificate at the time of booking. Age limit: 6/78 years old. Please present both pages of the certificate to the doctor who completes it, this is important for insurance reasons!
• Passage Contract/ Ticket: You receive it after the first payment. Please sign the first page, send it back immediately and take the printed version with you on board. This is your ticket and has to be shown upon request.
• Copy of your Visa and onward- or return ticket (depending on your destination).
• International health insurance: Please note that a travel health insurance with repatriation is mandatory for a cargo ship trip.
• Yellow Fever Vaccination. South Africa only requires seafarers to be vaccinated against yellow fever when entering the country (because it is feared that they may have traveled in yellow fever areas in the past). If you enter South Africa directly (by plane and demonstrably not via a yellow fever area), you do not need a vaccination to enter the country. And you can of course leave the country by any route without a yellow fever vaccination. If you dembark in Durban and travel home northbound, you will enter Cape Town by sea - and the authorities will then want to see a yellow fever vaccination.
• We recommend trip cancellation/ withdrawal insurance.
• You can apply for your Namibia Visa at this link.

Important embarkation and disembarkation info, please read carefully:

• The Passage Contract/ Ticket is your ticket and has to be shown on board upon request.
• Embarkation in South Africa.

For further details we refer to:

• Terms & Conditions of Carriage  MACS
• General Information for Freighter Travel
• Security certificate for package tours in accordance with Section 651r of the German Civil Code and translation

Without the full and proper documentation, the shipping company will not be able to issue your travel documents. Please take all completed forms with you on board.

You are traveling on a modern container ship. Please note that with this type of travel the cargo always has priority. For this reason, deadlines and port sequence are not always adhered to. Although a cargo ship operates according to a fixed schedule, there can be deviations. We therefore urge you to plan your transfers, i.e. your arrival or onward journey to or from the port of embarkation or disembarkation, as late and as flexible as possible, and to take this into account when booking the corresponding tickets.Up to 3 days postponement/delay per week of travel is acceptable. In rare cases, cancellation of the booked freighter voyage is possible. Charter contracts for cargo ships can be cancelled or changed at short notice depending on the current cargo volume. Early bookings may have to be rebooked or cancelled. The lay time in the ports usually takes about 8-12 hours, but may take up to 2 or 3 days in rare cases.

The lay time in the ports usually takes about 8-12 hours, but may take up to 2 or 3 days in rare cases.

Generally there should be enough time for excursions and sightseeing for going ashore during shore leaves. The captain, the crew or the port agent are certainly happy to give recommendations.

On the day of your arrival it will probably be very busy on board as there might be a crew change, caterers and employees of the shipping company and port agents or other authorities are visiting the ship. During this time it could happen, that the captain and officers cannot welcome you, show you around or even answer your questions. But when there is less hectic this will be done. We kindly ask for your understanding! You will see, once you have left the shore a routine on board will appear.

The Slowtravel Experience Terms & Conditions apply.

Cancellation fees upon receipt of the notice of withdrawal from the contract:
- up to 90 days before the expected departure date 25% of the passage price
- 89 up to 30 days before the expected departure date 50% of the passage price
- 29 up to 7 days before the expected departure date 75% of the passage price
- later withdrawal or no-show 95% of the passage price.

For cancellations and changes in the booking we charge a standardised processing fee of €130 per person.

Age restrictions: 6/78 years (Passengers aged 70 and over are required to provide a detailed medical certificate at the time of booking.)
You will need a yellow fever vaccination for this trip, and an ETA is required for Great Britain (St. Helena), even if you do not plan to go ashore. Furthermore, a valid onward or return ticket is required for entry into Namibia and South Africa.

Embarkation in Namibia is not possible.
On the return journey, the ship anchors off Cape Town for around a week without the possibility of going ashore.

Due to the type of ship, the length of stay in each port may be 1-2 days. As a result, the itinerary may be subject to change.
Smoking is not permitted in the cabins, but is permitted outside on deck and in the smoking area of the ship.

As cargo ships do not operate on a fixed schedule, we can only book the departure period within a month, which means that the departure date can be anywhere between the 1st and the 30th/31st of the month.
The closer the departure date gets, the more accurately the date can be calculated, and about six weeks before the start of the trip, we can determine the calendar week in which embarkation is expected to take place. Passengers must therefore be particularly flexible in terms of time for this trip.

General notes
Depending on the respective cargo, deviations as well as changes are possible, consequently the call of individual ports can not be guaranteed under certain circumstances. 

A passport with a validity of at least 6 months from the start of the journey is required. A medical certificate is obligatory for every traveler. You will receive the form from us. The minimum age for this trip is 6 years and the maximum age is 69 years. For passengers between 70 and 79 years of age, an additional certificate is required at the time of booking.

The agency LANGSAMREISEN/ Slowtravel Experience is not the operator of this trip, but acts as an intermediary agency. The passage conditions of the shipping company apply.

If you have any further questions regarding cargo ship travel, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email.

Changes, deviations as well as errors and typing errors are reserved.