Practical information about your cargo ship voyage Working on board of a freighter is not possible. Therefore it is not possible to reduce the travel fare. Pets are generally not allowed on board of a freighter. Motorcycles or cars cannot be carried with you (only on the connection between Europe and Uruguay). Bicycles can be taken with you free of charge upon request. Age restrictions: apart from a few exceptions children under 6 years and adults over 79 years are not allowed on a freighter. Minors have to share a cabin with an adult. One adult must accompany each minor. WIFI is not accessible during freighter travel! On most of the ships you can write and receive simple text emails (no attachments). The official language on board is always English. Passengers have to be able to understand and follow safety instructions in English. Also, when contacting the port agent, English (and the national language) are spoken. Meals: full board is included. The chef prepares buffet style meals for passengers and crew alike and can only take very limited account of special dietary preferences. Non-alcoholic beverages are included during the meals. There is a bar for non-included alcoholic beverages. Beer and wine may be brought and consumed (in moderation) and can also be purchased on board. Unfortunately, we cannot provide details about the brands available. Vegetarian diet: Shipping companies must always be informed if a passenger is vegetarian so that provisions for the trip can be adjusted accordingly. However, it always depends on the chef in question whether they can and want to cater for a vegetarian diet. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of this, even if it has been requested in advance. It certainly helps to ask the chef again politely at the beginning and to give a tip. Sometimes, however, it simply comes down to leaving out everything that is not vegetarian. Unfortunately, vegan diets cannot be accommodated. Going ashore: Generally there should be enough time for excursions and sightseeing during shore leaves. The captain, the crew or the port agent are certainly happy to give recommendations. Before leaving the ship please check the information sheet for going ashore and talk with officer in charge. The lay times in port are usually between 8 to 12 hours. In some cases up to 2-3 days. But going ashore might not be possible in all cases. Transfer costs to / from the port of embarkation/ disembarkation and for shore leaves are not included and have to be paid in cash on the spot. There is no doctor on cargo ship voyages. Therefore, a health certificate must be issued by your doctor 3 weeks before departure at the earliest, which excludes existing conditions and possible risks. The board-shop provides snacks and beverages for the crew and passengers. Prices are similar to those in our supermarkets. Only cash is accepted in US-Dollar and in sometimes EURO. Cabins: Due to safety reasons only 2 passengers are allowed to travel in one cabin! Double Cabins can be booked for single occupancy. Depending on the routes booking in advance up to 1,5 years are possible and sometimes even recommended. Enquiries on short notice are always worth a try, because even on popular routes you may be lucky if a new ship gets into the service. Last-Minute fares are not available on freighter travel. Alteration of itineraries belong to the nature of freighter travel. In case of a considerable change or a cancellation, we will search for an appropriate alternative immediately. Alternatively you would have the option of cancelling your booking with no fees. Getting to the port, departure date, and departure time of the ship You will travel on a modern Containership. Please note that the freight on board has to be handled with first priority and therefore ports of call can be changed or cancelled in a few cases on short notice. A freighter navigates based on a fixed schedule, however there can always be changes. A delay of up to 3 days per week of travelling is possible and may have to be accepted. The exact time and place of embarkation you will get about 3-4 days prior departure. Therefore we ask you to contact the port agent in due time. Therefore we advise strongly to plan your arrival at the port of embarkation and the departure from the port of disembarkation flexible and to consider this as well when you book your tickets to or from the port. In rare cases even the cancellation of the trip is possible. In this case the cargo fare is refunded. Besides to your travel documents and passport, take as well all your filled-out documents with you on board. Please note that the freight on board has to be handled with priority and sometimes ports of call can be cancelled on short notice. 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. For further even more detailed information, please take a look as well at our General Information of Freighter Travel at full length. How do I book my cargo ship trip? Send us your Booking Enquiry witha) your preferred port of departure and arrivalb) your preferred date of departurec)number of traveller andd)name and age of each passenger You will receive our travel proposal including the booking forms You will get an option for one week for your selected journey and cabin Send us your Booking Forms (before the end of the option)a) Passenger Declaration and b) a copy of your Passport (valid at least six month counting from voyage commencement) On receipt of the Booking Confirmation / Invoicea) a deposit of 25% is payableb) the rest until 45 days prior departure Until 10 days prior departures we ask you to send us the following required documents:a) Medical Certificateb) Travel Health Insurancec) Yellow Fever Vaccination (depending on the route)d) a copy of your Visa and onward-Ticket (depending on your destination) After receiving all the required documents we will send the Travel Documents:a) Ticketb) Contact Details of thePort Agentc) Information sheet for going ashore Impressions from a cargo ship voyage across the Pacific We take care about your privacy. 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