Cargo Ships Used to Allow Tourists Onboard.. Why Has This Experience Become a Rare Pleasure?

- Some cargo ships are considered the only link to the outside world for various remote areas around the globe. Cargo ships still hold that position, but only a few of them transport tourists to distant ports.

Arne Judy, owner of the German company "Langsamreisen" which organizes trips on cargo ships in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and South Pacific, says: "Almost no trips (for tourists) have been available since the COVID pandemic." "Langsamreisen" is one of the few remaining companies in this specialized sector of the travel industry, which had about six major companies before the pandemic.

Most of those companies ceased operations, as they fell victim to health and safety challenges associated with the COVID pandemic, along with heightened security requirements on board ships at a time when the high seas became more dangerous due to wars and piracy, in addition to the additional burdens of serving civilians alongside the basic operational tasks of the ships. The famous Danish company "Maersk Line," which owns one of the largest fleets of container ships in the world, is among the shipping companies that stopped transporting passengers since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Company spokesperson Chelsea Pavona Gardner says: "Transporting people who are not crew members on board the ship requires more safety measures and operational support.. since our ships are dedicated to cargo operations, passenger travel is not a service we provide."]

The golden age of travel on cargo ships has long transported passengers for many centuries, but the golden age of maritime cargo travel was in the first half of the twentieth century, before long-distance air travel became common. For some, cargo ships were simply the most convenient (and often cheapest) means of getting from one place to another.

These trips were not always characterized by luxury. For example, Julia Clerc, who grew up in the Caribbean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean with her parents on a banana transport ship that accommodated 12 passengers to visit relatives in England.

She recalls that during that trip, "we enjoyed playing shuffleboard, reading books, and basking in the sun. We would visit the captain in the wheelhouse and talk a lot with the other passengers."

The return trip to the Caribbean was particularly unforgettable, explaining: "Since the ship had already unloaded its cargo of bananas in England, its balance was not entirely stable during the return journey... The waves were rough, and I suffered from seasickness to the extent that I couldn't get out of bed."

New Zealander Ben Mack spoke about his experience aboard the cargo ship "Amerigo Vespucci" before the COVID-19 pandemic, which he was on for an eight-day journey between the port of Klang in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Mack reported: "The experience was very comfortable and inspiring for me at the same time."

He added: "The total cost of the entire trip did not exceed two thousand US dollars... This experience remains one of my favorite adventures."

Traveling on modern cargo ships: What remains of this experience after the pandemic? Some short-distance cargo ferries still carry passengers, such as the "MV Bella Desgagnés" which passes through small communities along the "Côte-Nord" region in the Canadian province of Quebec.

There is also a cargo ship that departs once a month from Cape Town in South Africa to serve two ports on the Namibian coast, before sailing towards the islands of "Saint Helena" and "Ascension" in the South Atlantic. Meanwhile, the company "Langsamreisen" currently offers trips on cargo ships between the Belgian city of Antwerp and Finland, and between the Dutch city of Rotterdam and Iceland.

The future of travel on cargo ships: While large fleets of cargo ships still refrain from carrying civilians, one new shipping company has decided that passengers are an integral part of its services. The "Neoliner Origin" ship, based in Saint-Nazaire in western France, embarked on its first transatlantic voyage in October 2025.

Company spokesperson Gabriella Poulet states that the nine founders, all of whom have extensive experience in commercial navigation, chose to rely on solar sail power as part of a broader goal to make maritime shipping operations more sustainable and environmentally friendly, in response to the challenges of climate change. Poulet explains: "The idea of transporting passengers on the ship has been part of the project from the beginning," noting that the demand for passenger transport services has been enormous.

She confirmed: "The ship has been fully booked on every trip. In fact, we receive a lot of emails and inquiries from passengers who wish to cross the Atlantic with their cars."

The "Neoliner Origin" ship includes six passenger cabins, a library, a piano, and a dining hall that allows passengers to have their meals alone or interact with crew members. The company is considering adding more solar-powered and sail-powered ships to its fleet.

Boulit says: "We will wait a little to ensure the commercial success of the model and the efficiency of the maritime route design, etc., but we are definitely thinking about adding another ship."