{"id":99631,"date":"2026-10-22T16:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/freight-ship-types-of-cargo-ships"},"modified":"2026-10-22T16:31:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:31:21","slug":"freight-ship-types-of-cargo-ships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/freight-ship-types-of-cargo-ships","title":{"rendered":"Che cos\u2019\u00e8 una nave da carico? Una guida alle tipologie di navi da carico"},"content":{"rendered":"<head><style>\n.ch-post{font-family:inherit;line-height:1.7;color:#1f2937;max-width:820px;margin:0 auto}\n.ch-post h2{font-size:1.6em;margin:1.8em 0 .6em;color:#0b2545;border-bottom:3px solid #f5a623;padding-bottom:.25em}\n.ch-post h3{font-size:1.15em;margin:1.4em 0 .3em;color:#0b2545}\n.ch-post p{margin:0 0 1em}\n.ch-post ul,.ch-post ol{margin:0 0 1.2em 1.3em}\n.ch-post li{margin:.35em 0}\n.ch-post .ch-updated{font-size:.9em;color:#6b7280;margin-bottom:1.2em}\n.ch-post .ch-table{overflow-x:auto;margin:1.2em 0 1.6em}\n.ch-post table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:.95em}\n.ch-post th{background:#0b2545;color:#fff;text-align:left;padding:.65em .8em}\n.ch-post td{padding:.6em .8em;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb;vertical-align:top}\n.ch-post tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#f6f8fb}\n.ch-post .ch-faq{background:#f6f8fb;border-radius:12px;padding:1em 1.4em;margin:1em 0 2em}\n.ch-post .ch-faq h3{margin-top:1em}\n.ch-post .ch-cta{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0b2545,#13315c);color:#fff;border-radius:14px;padding:1.6em 1.8em;margin:2.2em 0;text-align:center}\n.ch-post .ch-cta strong{display:block;font-size:1.35em;margin-bottom:.4em;color:#fff}\n.ch-post .ch-cta p{color:#dbe4f0;margin:.2em 0 1.1em}\n.ch-post .ch-btn{display:inline-block;background:#f5a623;color:#0b2545 !important;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:.8em 1.6em;border-radius:999px}\n.ch-post .ch-btn:hover{background:#ffbb45}\n.ch-post em{color:#4b5563}\n<\/style><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n            \"headline\": \"What Is a Freight Ship? Types of Cargo Ships Explained\",\n            \"description\": \"What is a freight ship? Learn the main types of cargo ships, from container ships and ro-ro vessels to bulk carriers and tankers, and which ones carry passengers.\",\n            \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/freight-ship-types-of-cargo-ships\",\n            \"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/AdobeStock_299033911-1024x575.jpeg\",\n            \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"inLanguage\": \"en-GB\",\n            \"author\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\"\n            },\n            \"publisher\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\",\n                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n            \"mainEntity\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is a freight ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"A ship designed to carry cargo rather than people, also called a cargo ship or freighter.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What are the main types of cargo ships?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Container ships, ro-ro ships and car carriers, general cargo ships, bulk carriers, tankers and reefer ships.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Can you travel on a freight ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Yes. Many container ships, and some ro-ro and general cargo ships, carry up to 12 paying passengers.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What does TEU mean?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard measure of container ship capacity based on a 20-foot container.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the biggest cargo ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"The largest container ships carry over 24,000 TEU and are about 400 metres long.\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script><\/head><div class=\"ch-post\"><p class=\"ch-updated\">Ultimo aggiornamento: 22 ottobre 2026<\/p><p><strong>A freight ship, also called a cargo ship or freighter, is any vessel built to carry goods rather than people.<\/strong> Around 80% of world trade by volume moves by sea, on ships designed for very different cargoes: boxes, cars, grain, oil and gas. Here are the main types of cargo ships, how they work, and which ones you can actually travel on as a passenger.<\/p><h2>Freight ship types at a glance<\/h2><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Ship type<\/th><th>What it carries<\/th><th>Passengers?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Container ship<\/td><td>Standard steel containers<\/td><td>Often, up to 12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ro-ro \/ car carrier<\/td><td>Cars, trucks, machinery<\/td><td>Sometimes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>General cargo \/ multipurpose<\/td><td>Mixed and project cargo<\/td><td>Occasionally<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bulk carrier<\/td><td>Grain, coal, ore<\/td><td>Rarely<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tanker<\/td><td>Oil, chemicals, gas<\/td><td>Almost never<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Reefer<\/td><td>Refrigerated food<\/td><td>Rarely<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><h2>Container ships<\/h2><p>Container ships carry standard boxes measured in TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). They run regular scheduled routes between major ports, which is why they are the most common choice for passenger cabins. The largest container ships now carry over 24,000 TEU and are around 400 metres long.<\/p><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_306854990-1024x682.jpeg\" alt=\"Aerial view of a ro-ro ship loading new cars at a port\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Aerial view of a ro-ro ship loading new cars at a port\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Ro-ro ships carry cars and vehicles that drive on and off via ramps.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Ro-ro ships and car carriers<\/h2><p>Ro-ro stands for roll-on, roll-off: vehicles drive on and off via ramps. Car carriers look like huge floating car parks. Some ro-ro and con-ro (container plus ro-ro) services carry passengers, and they are popular with travellers who want to ship a car or motorbike on the same voyage.<\/p><h2>General cargo and multipurpose ships<\/h2><p>These smaller ships carry everything from steel and timber to wind turbine blades. They often serve smaller ports, which makes for unusual itineraries, but their schedules are less predictable.<\/p><h2>Bulk carriers<\/h2><p>Bulk carriers transport loose cargo such as grain, coal and iron ore in large holds. They tend to sail on charter voyages with no fixed timetable, so passenger berths are rare.<\/p><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_251096093-1024x575.jpeg\" alt=\"Container ship being discharged by cranes at a container terminal\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Container ship being discharged by cranes at a container terminal\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Container terminals turn ships around in hours, which is why port stops can be short.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Tankers<\/h2><p>Tankers carry liquids: crude oil, refined products, chemicals and liquefied gas. Because of the safety rules for dangerous cargo, they almost never carry paying passengers.<\/p><h2>Reefer ships<\/h2><p>Reefers are refrigerated ships for fruit, meat and fish. Many have been replaced by refrigerated containers on container ships.<\/p><h2>Which freight ships can you travel on?<\/h2><p>For most travellers the answer is a <strong>container ship<\/strong>: regular routes, modern accommodation and predictable ports. Ro-ro and con-ro services are a good alternative if you are shipping a vehicle. If you are curious about a particular ship type or route, ask us and we will tell you what is currently available.<\/p><h2>Domande frequenti<\/h2><div class=\"ch-faq\"><h3>What is a freight ship?<\/h3><p>A ship designed to carry cargo rather than people, also called a cargo ship or freighter.<\/p><h3>What are the main types of cargo ships?<\/h3><p>Container ships, ro-ro ships and car carriers, general cargo ships, bulk carriers, tankers and reefer ships.<\/p><h3>Can you travel on a freight ship?<\/h3><p>Yes. Many container ships, and some ro-ro and general cargo ships, carry up to 12 paying passengers.<\/p><h3>What does TEU mean?<\/h3><p>Twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard measure of container ship capacity based on a 20-foot container.<\/p><h3>What is the biggest cargo ship?<\/h3><p>The largest container ships carry over 24,000 TEU and are about 400 metres long.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ch-cta\"><strong>Want to sail on a real freight ship?<\/strong><p>Tell us your route and we will match you with a container or ro-ro ship that carries passengers.<\/p><a class=\"ch-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/enquire-for-a-cargo-cruise\/\">Find a freighter voyage &rarr;<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Che cos\u2019\u00e8 una nave da carico? Scopri le principali tipologie di navi da carico, dalle navi portacontainer e ro-ro alle navi portarinfuse e alle petroliere, e quali di esse trasportano passeggeri.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single3.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[356,357,118],"tags":[1290,1294,1296,1473,1299,1474],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99631"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99632,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99631\/revisions\/99632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99631"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=99631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}