Travel agency CptnZeppos: travel the world by freighter
Ever considered traveling on a freighter? CptnZeppos pilots you aboard your own cabin on an ocean giant. "Along the way, you experience a sense of total freedom," says inspirer Joris Van Bree.
Fascinating trips to Antwerp - Finland, Rotterdam - Cuba or Bremerhaven - Iceland. These are just a few destinations you can reach by water thanks to CptnZeppos. That's a special travel organization created by Antwerp native Joris Van Bree in 2019. It focuses on the niche to travel aboard cargo ships.
"For trips between Antwerp and New York, we receive requests almost daily."
"We took off like a rocket in 2019 with a lot of registrations, but then the corona crisis came and our activities fell silent. We still haven't been able to resume all trips, also the sky-high container prices of recent years have played a role in this," says Joris, who combines his travel organization with a job as a boatman in Port of Antwerp-Bruges. "We hope to be fully back on track by 2024. Among other things, we are aiming to offer a trip between Antwerp and New York. We receive almost daily requests for such trips. Trips along the Panama and Suez Canal are also in great demand. At the moment, 90% of our business revolves around the ideal eight-day starter trip between Antwerp and Finland. For that, there are weekly departures from Kaai 1213 in the port of Antwerp."
Connecting with yourself
"I lean on the railing and slowly get the feeling of total freedom ..." The testimony of Ward Hulselmans - the screenwriter of such success series as Heterdaad, Stille Waters, Salamander and Witse about his first trip aboard a freighter - sums up the idea behind CptnZeppos well. With "Single Voyage Reality," he even wrote a book about it. "Those who have made their first voyage often return as ambassadors of CptnZeppos. On the ship, you have your own cabin with private bathroom, but you can enjoy the view of the ship's bridge day and night. Spending so long on the water allows you to connect with yourself and disconnect from the daily hustle and bustle and social media," says Joris.
Anuna De Wever
The one profile of the CptnZeppos traveler obviously does not exist, yet Joris notices that some motives often come into play. "For example, you have people who work in the port and thus see ships passing by every day, but have never sailed with them. Others have a nautical background themselves, but there are also travelers who have longed to sail at sea since childhood, but never saw that childhood dream come true due to circumstances."
The sustainability argument also plays a role. "Some people no longer want to fly for that reason. Just think of Anuna De Wever who traveled back home from a climate conference in South America aboard a freighter."
Monks of the sea
Joris testifies with great fervor about the special bond that develops during a trip between the travelers and the crew. "The captain and crew can be described a bit like the monks of the sea. They are always on the road, secluded from society and their families. Our travelers ask them curious questions, which expresses appreciation for their work. This creates a special chemistry between the passengers and the crew. With that argument, I also hope to convince more shipping companies to enter into cooperation."
And what about passengers who get seasick easily? "For years we have had a particularly good cooperation with a pharmacist at the Kiel in Antwerp. He has his own pills that were formulated by the previous pharmacist, who has now retired for several years. That man himself had 40 years of sailing experience and developed pills that produce no side effects."
With 82-year-old father
At the end of September, Joris himself has a special trip planned with his 82-year-old father. "Actually he is just too old to sail on a cargo ship, the age limit is on people younger than 82, but if I provide the shipping company with a certificate that he is medically fit, he will still be allowed to sail. It is something we both look forward to immensely, because it is my father who instilled in me the love of traveling on water. When we used to travel with our family, there was always a link to water and boats. It will definitely be an emotional trip for both of us."
For more information and bookings, visit the CptnZeppos website. Trips by freighter through CptnZeppos take between 6 and 119 days.
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