Freighter Travel

For booking your journey with the shipping company MACS, please send back the following documents filled-out and signed best by email or fax:

• Booking Form
• ID-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 2 months 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.
• 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.
• Covid-19 vaccination completed (incl. booster) is obligatory. Please send us a copy of your international vaccination QR-code.
• Copy of your Visa and onward- or return ticket (depending on your destination). 
• International health insurance: Send us a copy of your Travel Health Insurance (with your name and contract number) including the Insurance Declaration. Please note that a travel health insurance with repatriation is mandatory for a cargo ship trip.
• Let us know if you plan to bring your bike. Unfortunately E-bikes are not permitted aboard. 
• Yellow Fever Vaccination (obligatory in Latin America, Suez Canal, Namibia and South Africa): Consider, that the regulations of the shipping company and ports may vary from those of the WHO. In some cases a Yellow Fever Exemption due to medical reasons might be accepted (not in Latin America).
• We recomment trip cancellation/ withdrawal insurance.

Embarkation:

• At the time of embarkation you need to show a negative covid antigen test, which is not older than 24 hours.
• The Passage Contract/ Ticket is your ticket and has to be shown on board upon request.

For further details we refer to:

• Terms & Conditions of Carriage
• Antwerp Immigration Rules: In case of embarking or disembarking in Antwerp, consider their immigration rules
• Port Map Hamburg
• Further information for embarkation in Europe and South Africa.
• General Information for Freighter Travel
• Layout of the vessels Green Mountain, Golden Karoo, Blue Master II & Bright Sky

Covid-19

• Shore excursions may not be possible due to restrictions caused by the corona virus. It is imperative to follow the instructions of the ship's management in this regard.
• Full vaccination against COVID-19 is required, and a current antigen test (PCR test for some shipping companies) from a testing station must also be presented upon embarkation.
• No embarkation possible with cold symptoms!

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. In rare cases, a cancellation of the booked cargo ship trip is within the realm of possibility.

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.