Can I ride on a Great Lakes freighter?

In addition to their cargo load, these ships can also carry up to 12 people, which can include luckily travelers if there's space. You usually don't buy a ticket for these journeys. Rather, you need to either know someone in the crew or win a ticket in a raffle.



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Up to 14 Nights: The shortest freighter cruises typically run between 10 and 14 days. These include transatlantic crossings, Aranui 5's French Polynesian run and RMS St. Helena's sailings from Cape Town to the Atlantic islands of St. Helena and Ascension.

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Officers, crew members, family members, or shore staff visiting the ship is not allowed to bring alcohol or drugs on board ships. If required by the company policy, seafarers can be screened for alcohol and drug abuse during medical checkups prior to joining a ship.

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The average lifespan of a laker is 40-50 years. Most Lakers are subject to unique size constraints that allow them to travel from the Great Lakes waterway through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. The term 'Seawaymax' refers to the largest vessel size that can fit through the canal locks of the St.

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You must be under 77 or 80 and pay the passenger fares (depending on the shipping line) to do a cargo ship cruise. We cannot accept passengers once they turn 80 years of age. Passengers should be aware that container ships do not usually carry a doctor – only basic first aid treatment is available.

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Of course, the most famous Great Lakes shipwreck was that of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, with none of the 29 members of its crew surviving the waters of Lake Superior. And the most deadly event was the 1958 sinking of the Carl Bradley in Lake Michigan, claiming the lives of all but two of 35 shipmates onboard.

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September 8, 2010 marked the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the Lady Elgin. The worst tragedy ever seen on the Great Lakes, this event looms large in Winnetka and Lake Michigan history. Just before midnight on September 7, 1860, a palatial sidewheel steamboat named the Lady Elgin left Chicago bound for Milwaukee.

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But the hulls are often painted red to maintain a nautical tradition. Collins also points out that the red may help observers gauge the load of a ship's cargo. The more weight on board, the lower in the water it will be.

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