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Interesting topic, I have researched this myself over the years and always ended up frustrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjseliga
It basically comes down to time and money, and I guess a fear of flying?
Time and money yes, but with flying, not an issue with fear but with all the BS of security, long lines, and being packed into a confining space with a bunch of strangers. When I travel continentally my first choice is always Amtrak, it I can afford the longer travel time.
I've been to Australia a couple times and for the first trip I researched the possibility of getting there via ship, no matter how long it took. At the time, I found nothing. Air travel was the only option. I guess I was wanting to take the "old fashioned" route and go by boat to make the journey part of the experience, but it doesn't exist anymore.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,054,000 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by heavymind
Interesting topic, I have researched this myself over the years and always ended up frustrated.
...
I've been to Australia a couple times and for the first trip I researched the possibility of getting there via ship, no matter how long it took. ... ...go by boat to make the journey part of the experience, but it doesn't exist anymore.
here's 26 options by boat (Cruise) - including a 94 day loop (Most crossings to Oceania are ~30 day). My mom did several. Since the 1980's
Freighter, you need to have connections and shop around.
I'd be happy to use a freighter barge to do Europe Rivers for a summer.
For the relocation cruises to Oceania, you can just hide out and be a recluse. No one will know, nor care.
Just dine 'off-hours' and you may be the only person in the dining room (with a lot of excellent service).
Our last relocation we were often less than 10 people in the Dining Room (mid morning or mid day).
Sit in the hot tub (alone) while everyone is attending dinner or shows, Head to the bar for quiet reading between 6AM and noon. Sitting out on the bow in the evenings is pretty relaxing. (and lonely).
Since I prefer flying, I need to figure out how to get a ride on a FedEx 'Cast Away' Flight. Just met a guy who ferries air freighters, and does international charter. Never know where your headed. That would be a very interesting career. Full of suspense and boredom. (he was stuck for 6 weeks in PNW while his plane got 're-wired', but needed to remain 'on-call' in case it was fixed!)
Interesting topic, I have researched this myself over the years and always ended up frustrated.
Time and money yes, but with flying, not an issue with fear but with all the BS of security, long lines, and being packed into a confining space with a bunch of strangers. When I travel continentally my first choice is always Amtrak, it I can afford the longer travel time.
I've been to Australia a couple times and for the first trip I researched the possibility of getting there via ship, no matter how long it took. At the time, I found nothing. Air travel was the only option. I guess I was wanting to take the "old fashioned" route and go by boat to make the journey part of the experience, but it doesn't exist anymore.
I was thinking of taking the train from Portland to Houston. But, it's 63 hours. Maybe I could do it one-way, but, not both ways. I cannot leave my super senior cat that long (and do not want to).
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,054,000 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote
I was thinking of taking the train from Portland to Houston. But, it's 63 hours. Maybe I could do it one-way, but, not both ways. I cannot leave my super senior cat that long (and do not want to).
If Amtrak says 63 hrs... Double their estimate to be more accurate.
Take the cat as ESA, (only if cat likes to travel).
Our pets stay home to guard the place. When we arrived home from a yr away... The pets were a bit miffed that we were disrupting their new schedule and their new homes, and personal space.
I wanted to add another insight, when I worked down in Antarctica at Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula, all of our shipments would originate in Port Hueneme, CA (west of LA) and go to ValparaÃso, Chile (northwest of Santiago), then get trucked down to Punta Arenas, Chile through Argentina, then loaded onto one of our two ships and brought down to Palmer Station.
I always said, if you can do logisitcs in Antarctica, you can do it anywhere!
So Sand&Salt, I at least know some cargo ships definitely go from California to Chile, I'm just not sure about the reverse direction or where did the cargo ship go after it offloaded in Valpo, maybe through the Panama Canal and the US East Coast/Gulf Coast?
Regarding West coast cargo vessels, my guess is that it's cheaper/easier for many companies to cross the Gulf and come into FL rather than CA. CA handles a ton of Asian traffic and has stricter environmental laws, limited intermodal traffic, higher fuel tax, incentives for green shipping, etc. MarineCadastre.gov seems to support that hypothesis, but I haven't dug into the data.
COVID increased freight shipping but slaughtered passenger traffic, and I guess that extends to cargo passengers, too.
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