I know there are current freighters with small passenger carrying loads , but im looking at a newer specialy made combine ships.

For example:150,000 ton freighters that carry maybe no more then 500 passengers.The passenger area can have basic layouts with light entertainment and comfortable suites.The cargo area would be midship and forward and the bulk of used for storage.The fares would be cheaper , you would see new citys and ports , and you get sea days were you can unwind and relax.

Though this would not be to everyones taste , but if it was a comfortable ship and the fares were well priced i would sail.I can live without rockclimbing ,3 or more choices on where to dine , video arcades ,daily craft lessons ect.

Oh Dear, I left out the Four Aces! Also worth mention is African Endeavor, I believe a fellow cruise talker sailed on her, or her sister- I don't remember all the details of the story exactly, but surely it may be worth adding to the topic if they'd like.

[ 08-02-2005: Message edited by: Commodore ]

The President Van Buren

[ 08-03-2005: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

However, the mix of cargo and passengers just did not work out, and Ivaran stopped carrying passengers some years ago. Part of the problem is, being a cargo ship, docking must be in a working port, with noise and cranes, no fancy air conditioned terminals and motorcoach areas which passengers expect.

Also, loading and unloading of cargo is not precise enough so that the ship can sail exactly on schedule. Passengers travelling on freighters have always had to be very flexible in their sailing plans, and perhaps this was another reason that the AMERICANA did not do well.

quote:

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
Does anyone remember the M/V AMERICANA of Ivaran Lines, in the 1980s? She was a large container ship, with accommodations for over 100 people in very deluxe accommodations. I visited the ship and was quite impressed.

However, the mix of cargo and passengers just did not work out, and Ivaran stopped carrying passengers some years ago. Part of the problem is, being a cargo ship, docking must be in a working port, with noise and cranes, no fancy air conditioned terminals and motorcoach areas which passengers expect.

Also, loading and unloading of cargo is not precise enough so that the ship can sail exactly on schedule. Passengers travelling on freighters have always had to be very flexible in their sailing plans, and perhaps this was another reason that the AMERICANA did not do well.

Rich

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I remeber the AMERICANA but sadly missed her. (Hopefully I will not miss Aranui or St. Helena)

quote:

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
Does anyone remember the M/V AMERICANA of Ivaran Lines, in the 1980s? She was a large container ship, with accommodations for over 100 people in very deluxe accommodations. I visited the ship and was quite impressed.

However, the mix of cargo and passengers just did not work out, and Ivaran stopped carrying passengers some years ago. Part of the problem is, being a cargo ship, docking must be in a working port, with noise and cranes, no fancy air conditioned terminals and motorcoach areas which passengers expect.

Also, loading and unloading of cargo is not precise enough so that the ship can sail exactly on schedule. Passengers travelling on freighters have always had to be very flexible in their sailing plans, and perhaps this was another reason that the AMERICANA did not do well.

Rich

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ocean Liners:

Ivaran Line had ordered from Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea to build a brand new freighter cruse ship Americana in the late 1980's.
She had 42 outside cabins and 12 inside cabins.

[ 01-16-2005: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

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quote:

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Originally posted by Linerrich:

Also, loading and unloading of cargo is not precise enough so that the ship can sail exactly on schedule. Passengers travelling on freighters have always had to be very flexible in their sailing plans, and perhaps this was another reason that the AMERICANA did not do well.

Rich

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that if a cargo ship carry's over a certain number of passengers, they have to carry a doctor on board,and this is one reason why a lot of the freighters only carry about 10 passengers.

quote:

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Linerrich wrote:
Also, loading and unloading of cargo is not precise enough so that the ship can sail exactly on schedule. Passengers travelling on freighters have always had to be very flexible in their sailing plans, and perhaps this was another reason that the AMERICANA did not do well.[B]

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and...

quote:

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Ernst wrote:
[B]Docking in a cargo port is very problematic and actually dangerous. Form my journeys with cargo ships I remember it being very adventurous (and interesting!) - but not really suitable for a bigger crowd of passengers.

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Yes, no big passenger lists here and flexibility with time is very important. If I were not married with young kids I would sail no problems. As Ernst said, you get to see many ports not visited by cruise ships. The biggest issue with this kind of travel is moving in and out of the commercial port and the distances one has to travel to reach town (civilization) or sometimes anything worthwhile to sightsee. Of course if you love the sea and are not too worried about the touristy things then freighter travel would definitely be your cup of tea.

******

quote:

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Originally posted by bmajor:
I had also heard.........

that if a cargo ship carry's over a certain number of passengers, they have to carry a doctor on board,and this is one reason why a lot of the freighters only carry about 10 passengers.

Is this true?
Can anyone enlighten us further on this?

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Yes, if a vessel carries more than 12 passengers, it's classified as a passenger vessel and must carry a full-time doctor. This is the reason that for decades, freighters have limited themselves to 12 pax., to avoid additonal costs of more personnel, facilities, etc.

Rich

[ 08-04-2005: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

quote:

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Originally posted by bmajor:
I had also heard.........

that if a cargo ship carry's over a certain number of passengers, they have to carry a doctor on board,and this is one reason why a lot of the freighters only carry about 10 passengers.

Is this true?
Can anyone enlighten us further on this?

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Grimaldi has many passenger freighters ro/ro,and it is one of my 'dreams' to go with one of them to WestAfrica.

However indeed, in former years, the Republicca di Amalfi/Genova etc, IIRC, could carry to 58 passengers, but now it is stated on the website, that the maximum passengers is 12...

One of my table companions on a 1977 westbound QE2 voyage was a recently-retired railway conductor from Montreal who had travelled "T" class to Europe on Tuhobic. He liked it so much that he had already booked a round trip in "A" class for 1978. He said the food was not spectacular but was nevertheless very good.

I am not sure how long this service lasted but it was still going in the mid-1980's

Other wice you cane experians the real life at sea, make more contact with the crew. And see the operation of a ship on the total diffrent site.

In the trans atlantic eara companys as HAL have such combi liners in there fleet. Among HAL more famous combi liners where the Noordam quartet a serie of 4 vessels frome 10.000 grt up to 12.000 grt. with a passenger load of 125 up to 160 one class passengers. Only 3 off the 4 actually sail fore HAL the m.s. Noordam 2 1938, m.s. Zaandam 2 1939 and the m.s. Westerdam 1 1946. The Zuiderdam well under construction suffer to much damage by sinking frome recistance actions and sinking by the Nazi's that she never was fitted out declared after the war a total los. The Zaandam sail only 1 year commercial she was torpedoed in 1942 with 135 death 3 months later there where recovered 3 more servivors floating on a raft.

quote:

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Originally posted by NAL:
Ben,
My grandmother sailed many times on the Westerdam between Rotterdam and NYC. I
remember once or twice she sailed on one
of the HAL freighters which must have had
space for a few pax. I remember its name,
the Eemdyk. Her favorite after the Westerdam
was Statendam ['57] She crossed on Statendam
at least 10 times.

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Hi Dirk.

Some HAL freighters carried a limited number of passengers. There where combi freighters wich carried up to 60 passengers as the Diemerdijk of 1950. here sister Dinteldijk was redesigned and became the tourist class passengerliner t.s.s. Rijndam 2 of 1951. The last HAL combi liner was the former Oranje Line m.s. Prinses Margriet she replace the m.s. Noordam of 1938. She was 1 of the 4 HAL vessels with a non traditional HAL name ending DAM ore DIJK/DYK.

[ 08-07-2005: Message edited by: Rex ]

"Ru Yang" "Oriental Queen" "Ling Yung" "Yeh Yung" were built in 1961, 1966 and 1968 respectively.

[ 08-07-2005: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rex:
Weren't there also several Dutch combo liners in the 60s or 70s named Prinses Irene and Prinses Margriet that actually went into the Great Lakes? I can't find anything on them online, but remember them being in a couple of out-of-print books.

[ 08-07-2005: Message edited by: Rex ]

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Hi Rex.

Yes indeed they sailed they great lakes actually the where the biggest deep sea vessels sail the lakes. They actually sailing fore the Rotterdam based company Oranje Line.

Here some link to the history of this line and there vessels.
Oranje Lijn

[ 08-08-2005: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

Would I sail on a 12-passenger freighter? Probably not. In 1977 when I investigated the possibility of sailing from New York to South Africa on one (the same company as my 1955 voyage was on), I was told that I would be wait-listed and that the waiting time was about a year and one had to go on the dates eventually offered or go to the back of the line.

Brian

[ 08-10-2005: Message edited by: Brian_O ]