How can I sail to Australia (return) without booking a cruise?

numan | 22:40 Sun 15th Aug 2010 | Travel

23 Answers

I'm trying to sail to Australia in January next year to see my family and don't want to fly - but I can't find a way of sailing there without booking a cruise, which will only take me there and back again! Obviously no good to me, as I want to spend at least a month with my family before I return.. I'm told I can go by cargo ship, but can find no websites that will cater for my needs - they all seem to want me to take my furniture and belongings with me and move in over there!!!

I'd be SO grateful if anyone knows of a way or a company that will accomodate me.

HELP!

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alavahalf

Try here ... http://www.seat61.com/Australia-overland.htm

mike11111

You need to be arraigned as a felon, be convicted and sentenced to death,hoping that the King will exercise his prerogative of mercy and respite the sentence to one of transportation. At least that's how it used to work.

Buenchico

The first thing you need to know is that it's going (including your stay in Oz) to take several months out of your life and to cost you a great deal of money.

For example, one cargo service goes from Tilbury to Brisbane via Rotterdam, Dunkerqu, Le Havre, New York, Savannah, Kingston, Manzanillo, the Panama Canal, Papeete, Lautoka and Noumea, taking 43 days. It then takes a further 2 days to get to Melbourne and another 2 before it arrives in Sydney. The fare is charged at €120 per day. So that makes the one-way fare to Sydney work out at €5640. The return leg (from Sydney) takes 38 days, costing €4560, making the total fare €10,200 (approximately £8,400):
http://www.freighterv...0Australia/BCM-01.htm

There are a very limited number of alternative freighter services
http://www.cruisepeople.co.uk/col.htm
but none of them will leave you that much change out of 10 grand. It would probably be cheaper to book two separate cruises and to just travel on the outbound journey of one and the return journey of another. Even so, there hardly any cruise ships that travel that far (because very few people can afford the time and expense involved in such journeys).

I assume that flying scares you. In reality your cheapest (and possibly only) option might be to book yourself onto this course
http://www.flyingwithoutfear.info/
and then to sit back and enjoy the flight to Oz.

Chris

numan

Question Author

Thanks for that Chris - no, I'm not a bit afraid of flying but find it incredibly BORING! The thought of sitting on an airliner for 20-odd hours with minimal movement is my idea of hell. On the other hand, I absolutely love the water and have been on many a cruise round the Med (in both directions) and there's plenty of room to wander around to my hearts content, but - they're all round trips, which are no good at all for my purpose this time. I've seen the websites for the freightliners I think you've mentioned here, as they seem to be just as drawn out and expensive. I just thought that someone may know of a way that was much more straightforward and a little cheaper or at least not want me to emigrate! I've also heard through the grapevine that you can get courier work that will pay a large chunk of your fare in exchange for carrying small cargo over for them, but of course, I can find no trace of such thing online!
Your idea of booking two cruises seems the best one, but as you said, just as expensive!
Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to fly and take a lot of sleeping pills to relieve the boredom!
Thanks again for all your advice and the kindest of regards
Lynda

Buenchico

Thanks for the reply, Lynda.

Who needs sleeping pills? When I flew to Oz (with Qantas) there was unlimited free booze all the way ;-)

jno

these people book you on cargo ships

http://www.strandtravelltd.co.uk/

to Sydney and back £9000+. Or you could go Antwerp-Auckland and back for £5000 and add in a couple of short, cheap flights at each end. It doesn't say if you can split the voyages in two, though.

numan

Question Author

Ah.. I don't drink Chris (except for the Baileys at Xmas, of course!). It's not that I don't like it, it just doesn't like me! I'd need the sick bag after me first miniature! lol
You may be interested to know that I've found a brilliant review on air couriers on dooyoo:
http://www.dooyoo.co....e/air-courier/385663/
Thought you may be interested in the article, even tho' it's me that's going and not you! You may be able to pass it on one day, you never know ;?} I'm gonna ring the guy mentioned tomorrow and see what's going. Might be a bit of a laugh, who knows?
Cheers again Chris and hope your day's gonna be good
Lynda

numan

Question Author

Cheers jno - but I think I'm gonna have to win the lottery for that one!

dzug2

Courier work really isn't available any more - too many companies like DHL and Fedex have just about killed it. Such companies as still exist will have their trusted regulars and are not going to entrust their precious package to a random stranger who found them on the internet. And it would be by plane anyway

I suppose one idea is to book the cruise, stay in Oz for a week or so and then fly to catch it up wherever it's got to. Depends on the schedules and how meandering a route it takes. But it won't be cheap

237SJ

If you`re looking a sea transport to Australia you`re considering paying quite a lot more than flying but not as much as the prices mentioned, then take the middle ground and book a business or first class flight to Australia. It`s less than the sea, but you`ll have more room to move around and won`t be so cramped. Seems like the happy medium to me.

numan

Question Author

Thank you all - but after seeing the hassle it'd take to go any other way, I've decided to bite the bullet and just take a regular, economy flight after all with the best airline .. Cathay Pacific. Not cheap, but I know they're the best and the roomiest.

Oh well, it was worth a try, but too difficult and too expensive any other way!

Thanks to you all again x

Davethedog

What about half and half, can you not fly to California then get a boat from there?

I'm with you about the flying it is boring.

numan

Question Author

I could find out I suppose - I'll do that and let you know. Cheers Dave, good thinking!

mike11111

Just wait till Mollykins' dad gets his boat. Problem solved!

ummmm

lol

LoftyLottie

You could perhaps join the Merchant Navy and get paid as well!!

jomifl

If you find 22hrs on a plane boring then you will probably jump overboard if you try to go by ship.

numan

Question Author

Ships are NOT boring! You can wander around to your hearts content, see all sorts of interesting places, watch the stars at night etc., etc., - I've been on many a cruise and don't ever want to leave the ship! If you find ship travel boring, then you must be sitting in your cabin for the duration!!

jomifl

I was thinking of a freighter rather than a cruise ship