It is not possible to work your passage under any circumstances; as you would expect crew members are trained to a very high standard to ensure the safety of the vessel, cargo and passengers.

For Certain voyages are in high demand and do book up many months in advance. The further you are able to plan ahead the better your chances of securing a trip. When enquiring you need to have in mind your earliest and latest departure dates to give us the best chance of finding a suitable ship.

Being designed for a specific purpose; the ships do not have the same facilities as cruise ships. But then, that is the whole purpose of going on a cargo vessel. Cabins on cargo ships are comfortable spacious suites for 1-2 people. Passengers share the officers facilities (lounge and dining areas). Some ships may also have bar, swimming pool, gym and lift.

You can travel from just about any major port in the world to any other port. Some freighters also go to places you’ve never even heard of. Most lines have regular routes and transatlantic crossings. Americans cannot travel between one U.S. port and another. From South America to Asia, the ships cross all of the world’s oceans.

The average length of a freighter voyage is 40 to 50 days, though there are some shorter trips available last a couple of weeks. A roundtrip from the U.S. West Coast to Australia/New Zealand and return takes about 46 days. An around the world voyage lasts generally 80 to 100 days or more. Hong Kong China to Los Angeles USA, has an estimated average time between 18 to 20 days of transit port to port.

Travel by freighter, the average cost of a voyage is just about $100.00 US per day, for a single person traveling in a single cabin. It is always more expensive for a single to book a double cabin and always cheaper per person for double occupancy of a double cabin.

There is an additional charge of about $262.00 for deviation insurance and a $12.50 customs charge per person departing or entering the country. Keep in mind that more than one owner/charter may have vessels on a given route. The fare charged by different owners on the same route can vary considerably. Shop around.

An option is a period of time within which the pre-payment of a portion of the cost of a voyage must be made. Once your travel agent tenders your voyage, your agent will ask for payment of $500.00, to be paid within a couple of weeks, if you live in the US, to secure your cabin. Full payment is due usually 60 days before the ship’s departure.

If you live in Europe it is customary to be required to make a deposit equivalent to 25% of the cost of the voyage. One agent told me that it is customary in some European countries for the agent to expect payment in full once you have contracted for a voyage, even if you are required to cancel the trip.