4 ms·

Considering that you can ship a container from China to USA for about $3-4K, the quoted prices seem quite high at $125 per day. Sure, food is included, but giv

Considering that you can ship a container from China to USA for about $3-4K, the quoted prices seem quite high at $125 per day. Sure, food is included, but given that the ship no doubt purchases food in bulk, as well as resupplies itself at the cheapest ports, it would seem that $50 or less per day (perhaps double occupancy) would be a lot more reasonable.

TriinT 17y ago
I speculate that the price is that high because they can afford to charge that much. A cargo ship can take only 12 passengers at most... and there seem to be a few 1000s of people who are really into this kind of traveling. Suppy & demand is the most likely explanation for such high prices. For example, the following company charges $2,500 for a 20-day voyage from Long Beach to Shanghai: http://www.freighterworld.com/places/fareast.html#LaeiszCAX http://www.freighterworld.com/places/fareast.html#LaeiszCAX If the flight ticket is approx. $1,000 and 20 days of rent in LA are at least $500, then one is paying a $1,000 premium for the experience, which does not sound too much if one does it only once. Travel by cargo ship on a regular basis would be unaffordable, though.
- mechanical_fish 17y ago
  Note that two years ago there were a lot more cargo ships putting around, because the economy was moving that much faster. Meanwhile, air travel had higher demand for the same reason. Presumably travel by cargo ship was less costly then, and that's when many of the people who enjoy this got into it.
- gamble 17y ago
  I believe the main reason they offer passenger service is that there are some shipments that need a human handler. (Horses, for example) There's definitely demand for passenger berths, albeit not for tourists.
algorias 17y ago
Have you ever been on board a containership? It's insanely optimized for cargo capacity. It's not like they could just make a little room for passengers.
- TriinT 17y ago
  Well, if cargo ships have cabins for passengers, then it's not that optimized, right? It's not about making room for passengers, but about using unused room.

TriinT 17y ago

I speculate that the price is that high because they can afford to charge that much. A cargo ship can take only 12 passengers at most... and there seem to be a few 1000s of people who are really into this kind of traveling. Suppy & demand is the most likely explanation for such high prices. For example, the following company charges $2,500 for a 20-day voyage from Long Beach to Shanghai: http://www.freighterworld.com/places/fareast.html#LaeiszCAX http://www.freighterworld.com/places/fareast.html#LaeiszCAX If the flight ticket is approx. $1,000 and 20 days of rent in LA are at least $500, then one is paying a $1,000 premium for the experience, which does not sound too much if one does it only once. Travel by cargo ship on a regular basis would be unaffordable, though.

mechanical_fish 17y ago
Note that two years ago there were a lot more cargo ships putting around, because the economy was moving that much faster. Meanwhile, air travel had higher demand for the same reason. Presumably travel by cargo ship was less costly then, and that's when many of the people who enjoy this got into it.
gamble 17y ago
I believe the main reason they offer passenger service is that there are some shipments that need a human handler. (Horses, for example) There's definitely demand for passenger berths, albeit not for tourists.

algorias 17y ago

Have you ever been on board a containership? It's insanely optimized for cargo capacity. It's not like they could just make a little room for passengers.

TriinT 17y ago
Well, if cargo ships have cabins for passengers, then it's not that optimized, right? It's not about making room for passengers, but about using unused room.