Erik goes on cargo ship vacation: "There's nothing more beautiful"
"I have a captain's dinner every day," Erik Bielars laughs as he shows pictures of his last sea voyage in the Gulf of Bothnia. The Breda native loves ships and Scandinavia. For Erik, therefore, there is nothing better than going on vacation to his favorite vacation destination as a passenger on a cargo ship.
Detoxing on board
Last November, Erik boarded a ship for the fourth time for a trip to Finland. "Once you've experienced this once, you never want anything else. The sea, the destinations and the activities on board make it very special. Fortunately, I don't suffer from seasickness either."
In 2012, the Breda native's long-cherished wish came true for the first time. Through an intermediary agency in Antwerp, he was able to sign on a ship of a large Dutch shipping company. "I think you have to have something to do with shipping. Because you have to be aware that you are a guest at a workplace. You can't compare it to a cruise ship where everything revolves around the guests and everyone is always there for you."
"In addition to a private shower and toilet, I had a seat there and even a refrigerator."
According to Erik, the cabins on a freighter are "neat and functional" but do not compare to the luxury of a passenger boat. "On the last trip, the captain assigned me the cabin of the fourth engineer. I had a private shower and toilet there as well as a seat and even a refrigerator."
Large container ships in particular sometimes have room for up to 10 additional crew members. All sorts of documents must be filled out in order to sail with them. There are special travel agencies that specialize in this. For accommodation on board you pay an average of one hundred euros per night. Although in principle the destinations are known in advance, it may happen that a ship has to divert to another port.
"There is just hard work on a ship."
- Erik Bielars, passenger of CptnZeppos
"Outsiders often tend to romanticize sailor life but there is just hard work on a ship. I was always the only passenger on board during all the voyages so I held back. You are a guest in a mini society of twenty crew members who all depend on each other. So even as a passenger you have to adapt to life on board."
Erik was fortunate to have a "special click" with the Dutch captain during his last three trips. "That made it extra fun. I was given an extensive tour and explanation of the workings of the ship. Otherwise, during the day, I could almost always be found on the bridge. To me that was top entertainment that no wellness or casino could compete with. Moreover, I was also allowed to join the captain for the hot meal every day."
"I did, of course, book the cheapest cabin."
Until now, the Breda native has only made trips to Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Erik finds the old port city of Rauma in Finland one of the most beautiful places he visited. The monumental center with characteristic wooden houses is on the world heritage list of Unesco. Erik: "You normally never come to places like this there is also no mass tourism."
Despite his great passion for cargo ships, Erik is moving this fall: for a cruise from Los Angeles to Miami. "I wanted so badly to sail through the Panama Canal again and this is the only way to do it. Of course, I did book the cheapest cabin so the culture shock won't be too great."
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