If you’re tired of flying and not into cruise ships, try travel by CARGO ship

Freight ships can take up to 12 people on their voyages around the world
Cargo ships have their advantages: They can be cheaper, and no long buffet line or annoying teens or discos
They also have their disadvantages: They are slow and can make you more sea sick than cruise lines
Prices range on average from $65 to $100 per day, including cabin and three meals
Meals are taken with the ship’s crew

Kiri Blakeley For Dailymail.com

Published:
15:55 EST, 31 October 2015

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Updated:
06:03 EST, 1 November 2015

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Tired of long delays, aggravating security lines, and airports that confiscate your shampoo? Then you might want to try traveling by cargo ship.

Cargo ships can take a maximum of twelve people on board as travelers – and have more frequent and varied routes, according to WTOP.

Cargo travel can also be cheaper than cruise lines. But best of all? No line for the buffet, far less crowds, and no dress code. And absolutely nobody will nudge you to dance the Macarena on a stage by the pool.

Nor will anyone try to sign you up for on-land tours or drinking packages.

CMA CGM is one freight company that will take passengers to ports all over the world – it costs about $100 a day, and includes three meals and a cabin that’s comparable to a cruise ship cabin or even better

Freight passengers take meals with the ship’s crew – which can lead to much more interesting conversation than the usual

The MV Baltrum Trader (pictured) carries passengers – this one was also carrying nearly 2,000 containers filled with food, clothing and other goods

Also, you can take as much luggage as you can stuff into your cabin.

Most cabins have a refrigerator, but not necessarily a TV. Cabins are comparable, or even better than, a deluxe cabin on a cruise ship.

While there may not be a disco or casino (a plus or a minus, depending), you can still buy booze and cigarettes via the duty free.

Internet access is limited, but there are usually Ping-Pong tables, dartboards, a selection of CDs and DVDs, according to Bloomberg News.

It can also offer more interesting company – meals are taken with the ship’s crew.

Three meals a day are included in the price, which is usually ranges from $65 to $100 a day, according to GoNomad.com.

Passengers stay in a cabin, just like on a regular cruise line. But there’s very little housekeeping, as cabins are usually cleaned only once a week.

The downside? Freight ships are slow.

One 72-year-old retired farmer from Australia told Bloomberg News his personal record at sea is 110 days getting from Dunkirk, in northern France, to Singapore. But he told the outlet that he ‘likes the solitude.’

Freight ship passengers should like solitude, long days at sea, and chatting with ship’s crew

Margrit Rickmers cargo ships (above), based in Germany, accepts passengers in seven of its ships

The Panama Canal (above) offers freight travelers an easy way to get to many ports of call – CMA CGM offers an 83-day ‘world adventure’ to China and Europe via the canal

Andrew Horsman, who was the only passenger, along with his wife and the crew, aboard a MV Baltrum Trader for ten days, told Daily Mail Online: ‘You could be up on the bow looking out and it would be completely silent. There’s no sound. You can see flying fish and dolphins, and turtles and sea snakes and sharks.

‘It was like nothing I had ever imagined.’

The average length of a freighter trip is 40 to 50 days.

Passengers also need to book about a month in advance – and aren’t guaranteed a ride.

‘I get 10 to 20 e-mails a day, and three-quarters of them I can’t help,’ said Julie Richards, who books passengers for Freighter Expeditions, headquartered in Sydney.

The most popular routes are between China and Europe.

Shipping company CMA CGM says it has taken about 600 passengers across the sea since 2012.

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It offers an ‘around the world’ adventure in 83 days, from northern Europe to the U.S. and Australia via the Panama Canal.

Germany shipping company Rickmers Group accepts passengers on seven of its cargo ships. The ports visited include Hamburg, Singapore, Shanghai, New Orleans, Houston and Philadelphia.

Port stops aren’t long, usually between 18-24 hours, according to GoNomad.com.

A cargo ship docked in the Panama Canal – one of the most popular ports for freight travelers

Freight ships pulling up to the port of Singapore (above) – the city is a popular destination for cargo travelers

Those who do best on a freight trip like traveling at sea rather than exploring on land.

The age of passengers can be as young as five and as old as 79, but those over 65 may be required to present a certificate of health.

While someone on staff usually has some medical training, there is no physician required to be on board, so if you have health problems, this may not be your preferred mode of travel.

Additionally, freight ships do not have stabilizers, so if you’re prone to sea sickness, you may want to book that cruise ship or flight after all.