xr-stu

for a laugh me and my mate want to hitch hike across america this year, and were thinking of trying to get a free ride on a cruise or frieght ship between southampton and new york, wash the dishes in exchange for a lift type thing.

just been trying to find out on google if theres a specific way to do this, an agency or or whatever that can put you onto such oportunities but i cant find anything. just wonder if anyone had ever done such a thing or knew how to go about doing it, who to ask etc.

Kamike

Dont have any usefull info but good luck to you fella. I would love to do somthing along those lines.

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

It is possible, when i worked for HMRC and rummaged the cargo ships... A lot of them had "extra crew" that would do tasks to pay for their trip across various oceans.

Be prepared

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

Your going to ask a sailor if you can hitch aboard his ship in exchange for a few favours?

Brave man

Matt Evans

I spy a new name change....

"Roger" the cabin boy.









Never heard of this sort of stuff going on before (ie free travel), but best of luck with it

alan12112

you might have to get a "mercher's mariner document" mate

http://boards.bootsnall.com/trans-at...pe-t12287.html

But if not this site should be some help

http://www.geocities.com/freighterman.geo/mainmenu.html

Good luck pal - i'm slightly envious that you've got the oppertunity to do this

-beefy-

iTrader: (6)

dunno about cargo ships stu ,

but isnt there such a thing as , delivery people for the airlines ???

know a lad who got a amost free flight simply for taking a package on as carry on and then deliving it in the city he flew into


beef

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Double fuck that! I hate boats and crossing the atlantic on a cargo ship is not something i'd willingly choose to do! How long does it take?!

sm

so he was a drug mule

xr-stu

takes 10 days or so to cross the atlantic by boat.

going off the links posted by alan it seemd standard fares are $100 a day or there abouts, and according to the 2nd link you cant get a free ride for working on the ship or whatever. so itd be cheaper to fly!

im not to bad on boats, been fine every time ive done dover calais but once got very ill on an overnight fishing trip in real rough sea! ona fuck off great container though it should be to bad.

i would imagine they dont advertise the fact if you can get a free trip for working onboard. so just a case of finding the right place to look.

Smiggy

Phone Cunard in Southampton and ask if they use agencies. I used to work for them direct and know they use agency bar staff etc, but most are tied to a term contract.

We used to do Southampton to New York in 5 days on the QE2

TBH I doubt if they'd let you with all the terrorism stuff etc.

-beefy-

iTrader: (6)

umm come to think about it , he said the guy at the agency was called pablo???????

xr-stu

will give them a try. theres no way they could do anything if i got off and new york and fucked off is there? my mates worried for some reason

Mr S1

iTrader: (2)

Yeah...they're called asylum seekers - more commonly known as freeloaders and ponces

collierm

Don't bother, its a lot of hassle and because of terrorism laws and everything else, you need to be registered with an agency, pay the fees, have the medical bollocks and you can be fucked off the day before your due to sail. Carnival (who own Cunard amongst others) really tightened up on this when they took over P&O Princess Cruises a couple of years ago. Try other methods, but agency work is not the way to go (you'll work like a dog and it won't be no fun either)

xr-stu

what other methods mate?

st3v3

Yep this is true,but sometimes they expect you to come back with a delivery

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Then you find out your delivering to some dodgy ghetto that taxis dont serve. You get kidnapped, gang raped by 10 big "homies" just out of Chino, then your corpse is found 5 days later, no teeth, degloved fingers, bullet in back of head (to blow off face with exit wound ) and with severe anal "trauma"

st3v3

where do i sign up ?

xr-stu

to be fair, i'd only need a one way flight, so can just dump the parcel in the bin on the way out the airport

weve been talking more earlier today and unsure whether to do this whole hitch hike thing, or get two cheapo return flights to the east coast, go to my parents (theyre moving to boston shortly) and stay there a couple of days while we get a car sorted. then road trip it down to florida, across the south into texas and then into california from there. stopping en route to get pissed, meet the locals (didling ding ding ding ding diiiiiing) meet some fit country birds (aint never seen no english guuuuuys raaand here befo') and generally arse about. if we get a 1/2 decent sized car we can both just kip in the car if need be. gives us a bit more freedom, and reduces the risk of being picked up by a weirdo plus! we can go to cali, spend a few weeks there with my family and friends there, then drive back across to boston, sell the car and hopefully not lose much, then fly back.

just imagining chatting up some FIT daisy duke look-a-like in some bar in the middle of nowhere!

Micky

xr stu,Ive done a 4000 mile road trip in America a few yrs ago.Starting and finishing in LA.Never stayed in big cities/towns (except Vegas + Collage Station) so I could meet real local yanks.And to tell you the truth,youre idea of meeting Daisy Dukes is good,but tinted with watching too much tv/Hollywood movies.For example,I stayed in towns with a population of 8,000-10,000,and there were no bars!!!This happened in Texas and Oklahoma.Now considering these were in farming area's where it was over 100 F all day,I expected the place to be full of thirsty farmworkers quenching their thirst,but not 1 pub to be found!!But you could get a 6 pack in the local garage/DVD rental shop/launderette!!In other hick towns I stayed at and did find a bar,98% of the drinkers were men over 50.Found them easy to talk too,but thats because I know a good bit about America/NASCAR and like C&W!!The fact I came from Ireland ment nothing to them,most had never left their state,never mind knew where Ireland was!!I stayed in Collage Station one Wednesday night,home of Texas A&M Uni,48,000 students,and the bars were empty.Asked the barman where everyone was,and he siad in bed,they only drink on Fri and Sat!!!!So if you want to meet Daisy Dukes,stay in big city's and dont expect them out drinking during the week.One last thing I found.Hotels generally are just off the highway,so are often 1-2 miles outside the towns,so a walk is required,no taxi's exist,and I never drank and drove,lots more cops in USA than Britian or Ireland. Regards,Micky

xr-stu

yeah my only experience of the usa is in southern california, a world appart from small towns. could still be a good laugh though i recon!