Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Stef Katz. Stef Katz is a Travel Agent and the Founder of The Travel Superhero. She has helped clients enjoy convenience, access, personal attention, and ease in their travel planning for 6 years. Stef specializes in elevated social travel and finds ways to bring peace of mind to her travelers with open communication, genuine care, and professional support. She holds an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts from Miami Dade College and a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from the University of Florida, as well as numerous certifications with destinations, tour companies, and cruise lines in the travel industry.
This article has been viewed 240,541 times.
Transatlantic travel has changed drastically in the last fifty years. Dozens of airlines make the voyage from the United Kingdom to the United States on a daily basis. Yet, there are fewer ships offering this itinerary, and boats no longer offer room and board in exchange for passage. However, there are still a number of options, including cruise ships, positioning cruises and freighters. You will need to do research and be more flexible when you choose sea travel over plane travel. Learn how to travel from the UK to the US by boat.
Steps
Download Article
Calculate a travel budget. Travel across the Atlantic by boat is likely to cost around $1,000, but it can cost upwards of $4,000 per person, depending upon your cabin choice. Traveling between New York and major English cities is cheaper by plane.[1]
Book a cruise with Cunard. This cruise company makes trips between Southampton and New York harbors with the Queen Mary II. If you want to book a boat trip between the UK and the US in the summer, this will be your best option.[2]- Cruises are not available between January and March through cunard.com. If there is availability, booking last minute cruises will yield the cheapest stateroom prices.
- Book your cabin according to your budget. Inside staterooms without windows cost between $650 and $900 per person. Suites can cost up to $4,000 per person per 7-night voyage.
Advertisement
Reserve a seat on a positioning cruise. Every year, cruise lines relocate from Europe to the Caribbean. You can find a seat on one of these cruises.[3] Visit a website like cruises.com and look specifically for positioning cruises leaving from London or Southampton.- Positioning cruises offer some discounts on fares, since they do not stop at ports. Most travel agents and online travel websites will not list these cruises. You should look online or call the cruise ships directly to inquire about availability.
- Look for cruises that are approximately seven days long, or they may include travel to the Caribbean.
Research passage on a freighter. Freighters can carry up to twelve passengers without hiring a doctor. This means that you can occasionally find a ticket that costs approximately $50 to $100 per night for a cabin, food and access to facilities.[4]- Freighter tickets are not like cruise ship tickets. They do not provide on-board entertainment. Occasionally, passengers are offered to attend meals and cocktail events with the captain and ship employees.
- Visit A La Carte Freighter Travel, at freighter-travel.com, to look for freighter options. Passage can extend from 9 to 130 days, and you will pay per night.
- Freighters make delivery stops, since their main duty is to deliver cargo. These stops can take twelve hours to a few days. You must be flexible with your schedule in order to travel this way.
- Make sure to specify which amenities will be provided on the ship. Some freighters do not allow you to exit the boat in port, but they may not provide meals in port for these shorter trips.
Community Q&A
- QuestionI need to go to NJ but cannot fly. How else can I get there?
Community AnswerYou may take a trans-Atlantic crossing on a ship from the UK. - QuestionI'm an American living in England and I having been flying to North Carolina for 30 years. My arthritis in my knees and feet flares up during the night. Will I be more comfortable traveling by boat?
Community AnswerYou may be, as those flare-ups can be aggravated by the plane's altitude. - QuestionHow do I transport my converted double decker bus to America?Community AnswerYou can call a shipper to transport your vehicle. Keep in mind that it's very expensive to change the vehicle from EU to US standards, however, if you want to keep it in the country for more than a year.
Tips
- Make sure you have an up to date passport before you depart the UK. Depending upon your nationality, you may need travel visas for every port you enter.[5]Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Credit card
- Flexible schedule
- Passport
- $700 to $4,000
References
- ↑ https://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how-to-travel-by-cargo-ship/
- ↑ https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=1625
- ↑ https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=1625
- ↑ https://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how-to-travel-by-cargo-ship/
- ↑ https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html
- http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how-to-travel-by-cargo-ship/
- http://www.cruise.com/cruise-destinations/transatlantic-repositioning-cruise/index.aspx
About This Article
Reader Success Stories
"My family lives in USA and I want to join them, but don't want to fly again. Then I thought that all our stuff will have to be shipped so why can't Grandma (me) and the pets be shipped, too. I found you and now I have a gist of the cost and links."..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
