I've got an odd request.
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@Teaceratops Passangers on cargo ships are still a thing, I think, though unlikely to be the lap of luxury...
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops Are they in touch with the British embassy in Australia?
Maybe they live in Australia now
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops I had looked at cargo ship cabins at some point, and although it's slow and quite boring, there can be more options than cruise ships.
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@Teaceratops Passangers on cargo ships are still a thing, I think, though unlikely to be the lap of luxury...
That´s what I was thinking, it won't be anything swanky, but getting home on a cargo ship _will get you home_... I'd download a lot of books and maybe a few offline games or whatever...
Oh, and maybe choose something that's going via the Cape of Good Hope... the southern approaches to the Suez are gonna be _dicey_ for the foreseeable.
What you'll probably need to do is pick something that's going to Rotterdam or one of the German ports; there are things that go to Southampton or Liverpool or even London proper but RTM is far more popular... and from anywhere in Europe you can either take Eurostar or a ferry back to the UK proper...
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@Teaceratops Passangers on cargo ships are still a thing, I think, though unlikely to be the lap of luxury...
@DamonHD Yeah, this was the first place my head went to, too. I had tentatively suggested this to my husband (hell, I would do it), but he doesn't think they will go for it. I'm still going to take a look at routes just incase they do get stuck for months and just want to get home.
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops
A cargo ship is an option, but do they need health care on board?A cruise might be the best idea, especially if they can get on board health care covered by insurance.
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The worst part about all this. Is hubs didn't even know they were going on holiday, let alone a cruise to Australia. He's frustrated that of all the places they could be, they're in the one place in the world that is the furthest away from home they could possibly be.
Is 2026, do you know where your elderly parents are?
@Teaceratops Slightly ironically, my in-laws (my own parents aren't around anymore) are actually on a cruise right now ...
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@Teaceratops Are they in touch with the British embassy in Australia?
Maybe they live in Australia now
@krans I need to ask that, actually.
I know their medical bills are covered as the UK and Australia have an agreement about that. Thankfully. They're also in contact with Australian social services, so they have an apartment for them to stay in while they are there receiving treatment. Hubs sister flew over, so I will check with them to see if they've been in contact with the embassy.
But. In our own experience with British embassies in commonwealth countries - they are usually terrible and won't help you with things they are 100% actually supposed to help you with. They are entirely symbolic, unless you are well-known..
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@krans I need to ask that, actually.
I know their medical bills are covered as the UK and Australia have an agreement about that. Thankfully. They're also in contact with Australian social services, so they have an apartment for them to stay in while they are there receiving treatment. Hubs sister flew over, so I will check with them to see if they've been in contact with the embassy.
But. In our own experience with British embassies in commonwealth countries - they are usually terrible and won't help you with things they are 100% actually supposed to help you with. They are entirely symbolic, unless you are well-known..
@krans (personally. I think they should probably stay there
They are in a good part of Australia) -
@Teaceratops Slightly ironically, my in-laws (my own parents aren't around anymore) are actually on a cruise right now ...
@melindrea lol, if they were on one that turned around soon after it left, then may have some inside news for you
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops
Seat61.com hasn't got the answer, but will give you an idea of the complexity of the solution!I'd be looking at Freight ships that take passengers. ( One website is cargoshipvoyages.com but that's just from a random search)
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops
Can their travel insurance help in this situation? -
@melindrea lol, if they were on one that turned around soon after it left, then may have some inside news for you
@Teaceratops Nah, they've not been near Australia at all
I can't remember exactly where they are, though, because they spend a *lot* of times on cruises <.< I think at least partly in Europe, because we had one plan (that was changed due to various reasons) of them coming to visit after Christmas (me and spouse lives in Sweden, they live in the US). -
I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops Don't miss the cruise - it's an island. To my knowledge, there's no roads or underground tunnels from AU to any land, so the only way to get away from there is by plane or ship. Look for indirect cruises that may be able to leave earlier.
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That´s what I was thinking, it won't be anything swanky, but getting home on a cargo ship _will get you home_... I'd download a lot of books and maybe a few offline games or whatever...
Oh, and maybe choose something that's going via the Cape of Good Hope... the southern approaches to the Suez are gonna be _dicey_ for the foreseeable.
What you'll probably need to do is pick something that's going to Rotterdam or one of the German ports; there are things that go to Southampton or Liverpool or even London proper but RTM is far more popular... and from anywhere in Europe you can either take Eurostar or a ferry back to the UK proper...
@stonebear2 I was thinking Oz - Singapore - LA - train to Baltimore - Rotterdam
Multiple months though
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops@peoplemaking.games There's no easy way as far as I can tell, it would take many independent small trips from one port to the next.
https://www.aol.com/news/climate-researcher-fired-refusing-planes-072012145.html (Maybe @ggrimalda.bsky.social can help you)
I had looked into this a while ago and found this - https://www.cargoshipvoyages.com/ ; they don't have any "ready made" trips from Australia to the UK, but maybe they can help arrange something. -
I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
@Teaceratops @afewbugs Lots of cargo ships take on passengers. Perhaps this is an option?
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@Teaceratops @afewbugs Lots of cargo ships take on passengers. Perhaps this is an option?
@smilingheretic @Teaceratops I think as someone said in a different branch the concern would be what happened if they had a medical emergency on board, a friend of mine crossed from the UK to the US in a cargo ship cabin and from his description facilities are extremely basic
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I've got an odd request.
Does anyone have any idea how to get from Australia to the UK, without flying?
My in-laws are currently stuck on the east coast of Australia. One of them got very sick on a cruise. And long story short. They have been told they cannot fly ever again. It's too risky for what has happened, they're in the ICU - recovering, feeling better, but cannot fly ever again.
Hubs might have to go over there for a couple of months to help them out (his studio has a studio in the city they are in. This is the easy part).
They are looking at getting on another cruise ship, but the next one is in March, and if they miss that. They're stuck there even longer.
So, I am making a request to see if anyone knows if there is any other possible way to get them back to the UK without using planes.
The in-laws are in their late 70s, so there may be some limitations (they are obviously not going to be fit to help out on a catamaran or something).
Please share!
There is coseats.com which gets travellers linked up with people driving. Looks like it's just within Australia.
A bit like pre-arranged hitch-hiking with the passenger putting in some money for fuel. Accomodation and meals would need to be discussed.
I used Coseats to get a passenger on my way from Canberra to Perth, picking them up in Port Augusta, South Australia.
Worked well, too far to drive on my lonesome.
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@smilingheretic @Teaceratops I think as someone said in a different branch the concern would be what happened if they had a medical emergency on board, a friend of mine crossed from the UK to the US in a cargo ship cabin and from his description facilities are extremely basic
