# Travel by boat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 8, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955 "2002-06-08T07:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/1 "2002-06-08T07:41:58Z")
Can you still travel by ship? I don’t mean one of those vacation type “Carnival Cruises”. I’m talking about transportation, like from the USA to Japan? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/2 "2002-06-08T09:29:02Z")
You can travel by [freighter](http://www.travltips.com/). As far as passenger ships that make trips like you seem to be thinking of (such as the QE2), I don’t know that they exist anymore, but they may. I’m sure that someone will be along who knows that answer. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/3 "2002-06-08T13:14:34Z")
I hope this fits the OP partially **Peanuthead** because it is a “vacation type Carnival Cruise”. However: Princess, Holland America and the others do offer around the world cruises (one takes 1 year) and trans-Atlantic and -Pacific cruises. You can ask your travel Agent. So, you do “travel by boat” & could use it as basic Transportation but you do it in Titanic-like luxury, but they aren’t commuter lines i.e. one leaving every couple of days. One link: [http://www.crucon.com/trans.htm](http://www.crucon.com/trans.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ottto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e495f1/32.png) [@Ottto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottto)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/4 "2002-06-08T14:04:08Z")
It seems freighters are not an uncommon way to travel: [http://members.aol.com/CruiseAZ/freighters.htm](http://members.aol.com/CruiseAZ/freighters.htm) lists several different lines, and a cursory glance at their various homepages show e-booking, and fairly nice accomadations. No word on prices, though. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/5 "2002-06-09T05:27:25Z")
Well, looks like I’m SOL. I was hoping to find a way to get from the USA to the Philippines without flying. Did it last year and hated it. Never did like flying and since 9/11… ---
**Author:** ![USNSPARKS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9fc348/32.png) [@USNSPARKS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USNSPARKS)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/6 "2002-06-09T10:23:35Z")
posted by Peanuthead Well, looks like I’m SOL. I was hoping to find a way to get from the USA to the Philippines without flying. I’m surprised you can’t find some freighters going to the PI. I suppose you could join the US Navy and HOPE ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/7 "2002-06-10T05:56:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by USNSPARKS \* > I suppose you could join the US Navy and HOPE ! > > 🙂 Been there. Done that. (1968-1972) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-by-boat/112955/8 "2002-06-10T07:57:20Z")
It is possible to go on cargo vessels but it is very expensive. Why? Because they have to accomodate you for weeks, so all the hospitality adds up. Much more expensive than an air fare.