How to book a voyage:

 

1. Request: 
Please ask us for available cabins on the desired passage. We need the following information to make a detailed offer:

- one-way from port ... to port ... / or complete round voyage?
- Period of time?
- Number of persons and favourite cabin(s)?

 

2. Option: 
We can put a non-binding and temporary option (reservation) on the voyage you are interested in. The option has a number which you will need to book. Please note that this option will be cancelled automatically without further notice on its expiry date. Of course you can always cancel an option without any costs.

 

3. Booking & Payment: 
If you want to book your voyage please make sure you fill in our booking form and return it by fax or mail before the option expires. If you have received an option number you can fill in the form "Booking the Passage" at  http://www.zylmann.de/  instead (online booking is not possible for bookings at short notice).

Some shipping companies do only accept their own booking forms - if required for your voyage, we send you the additional form(s) with our option.

By sending our booking form you are confirming to book the voyage with all legal consequences, this means the full passage price is due. We will send you our invoice together with the terms & conditions of the shipping company immediately. The booking is only binding after we have received your payment. 
Payment is only possible by bank transfer, you will find full account and bank details on our invoice. We do not accept credit cards.

If you have to cancel a confirmed booking, a cancellation fee applies as provided in the terms & conditions of the shipping company plus our cancellation fee of  50,00 Euro per person.

 

What happens after we received your payment:

 

1. Confirmation: 
We will send the complete travel documents by e-mail or air mail (as requested) within a few days after we have received your payment. You will receive your contract ticket, a personalized checklist which informs you about all necessary formalities and of course further useful information about your voyage.

 

2. Documents: 
You have to return the signed copy of the contract ticket and a copy (scan/photo) of your passport. Please make sure that you hold a valid passport (ID cards are insufficient for all freighter voyages). 

From passengers over 65 years we need a medical certificate which was filled and signed by your family physician shortly before departure, a form will be sent with the travel documents. A few shipping companies request a medical certificate from all passengers no matter how old they are.

If visa or vaccinations are necessary for your voyage, we need a copy of the requested documents. Please read the “Checklist” - you receive it together with our confirmation - there you can find all relevant information regarding the requested documents.

 

3. Boarding: 
The embarkation date can change, also on very short notice. Therefore it is necessary to plan some extra days holiday before and after your voyage. If you have to travel to the embarkation port by train or plane please buy your ticket as late as possible in order to avoid additional costs for rebookings when the embarkation date changes.

We will provide you with information about your boarding time and the berthing terminal as soon as we get information about it, usually this will be one day before the departure.

In most foreign (= not German) ports you have to contact the cargo agent of the vessel some days before boarding, in that case you will find a list of cargo agents in your travel documents.

 

 

Important information for freighter voyages

 

Frachtschiff-Touristik Kapitän Zylmann GmbH is the travel agent (mediator) of the voyages described here, but is not responsible for the on-board management of the trips.

These voyages are individual trips, no package tours. The shipping companies are the carriers. Some voyage numbers are serviced by more than one ship, sometimes from different  shipping companies. We will of course provide the names of the ships and the shipping companies to all interested potential passengers.

We have to mention again that a voyage aboard a freighter vessel is not to be compared to a voyage on a passenger cruise ship. A freighter serves the express purpose of transporting cargo, and the body of statutes and particulars which regulate cargo transport must be followed.

On these ships, there is place for sometimes only one passenger or up to twelve passengers. This allows passengers to experience an merchant vessel first-hand, to see what seafaring is really like.

For all freighter voyages a valid passport is always required, ID-cards are insufficient. Depending on the voyage area the passport has to be valid up to six months after the end of the voyage.

The deviation insurance listed in the prices is a special insurance for the exceptional case that the ship has to deviate from the route or is delayed because of a passenger. The insurance covers charter loss and fuel costs of the shipping company.

The age limits are different for each voyage and are set by the shipping companies. Many shipping companies still take passengers up to the age of 78/79 years, but a few only up to the age of 70 or 75. You will find information on age limits in each travel description.

Passengers aged 65 and older are required to have an up-to-date medical certificate before the start of their voyage. Some shipping companies also require a medical certificate from younger passengers and/or before the booking, in this case you will find the information in the relevant passage description. There are no lifts on cargo ships, you must therefore be able to climb stairs over several floors.

Passengers aged 79 and older are required to provide a detailed medical certificate at the time of booking already, please ask us for the relevant form. If there are more than 6 weeks between booking and departure, a new medical certificate has to be issued before departure.

Working on board in order to reduce the passage price is not possible anymore. Please contact a seamen's employment office in your country if you are interested in a job on a ship.

Pets are not allowed on board of freighters.

All meals are included in the fare on all voyages. Only beverages are paid extra, but these are usually available at moderate supermarket prices. The passenger partakes of the normal on-board meals in the officer’s messroom. Special dietary food, as well as vegetarian or vegan meals are not available on board.

International health insurance with medical repatriation is required by all shipping companies. German and Austrian citizens have the option of booking appropriate travel cover online (also including travel cancellation and interruption insurance) via our website.

Bedclothes and towels are provided in the cabins. A hair dryer is not provided.

The berthing times in the ports vary greatly and always depend on the current cargo volume, so usual berthing times are not known in advance for individual voyages.

Unfortunately pregnant women may not sail with a freighter.

Delays and changes of departure dates/arrival dates are quite common.
To be on the safe side, you should therefore plan several spare days before and after your voyage and only book your train or plane ticket for arrival and departure at very short notice, or else purchase tickets that can be rebooked. For one-week-trips, deviations of up to three days must be accepted. Neither the shipping companies nor we will therefore cover any costs incurred as a result of changes to the departure and arrival dates (additional hotel accommodation, rebooking of train/airline tickets already booked, etc.). Such delays, which can also occur at very short notice, must always be expected when travelling by cargo ship.  The type of cargo, the working hours at the port of call, the working hours of the locks, and the weather are all deciding factors for the times of departure and arrival.

Variation in route may be necessary and always depend on the current cargo situation. The  shipping companies retain the right, in exceptional cases, to take on or discharge passengers in neighbouring countries. In such cases, neither the  shipping company nor the agent are responsible for additional costs to the passenger resulting from travelling to or/and from the port, hotel expenses, etc. Variations in the ships’ scheduled routes cannot always be avoided.

Charter contracts for cargo ships can be terminated or changed at short notice depending on the current cargo volume. Early bookings must therefore also expect rebooking or cancellation of a voyage.

The language on board off all vessels is English. Communication and safety briefings always take place in this language. Sufficient knowledge of English should be available for this purpose.

Filming and photography on board are permitted for private use only. Any publication - e.g., on social media or in print - requires prior approval of the shipping company.

Freight, car or motorcycle transport is only possible on a few trips with freight ferries. You will find the prices in the corresponding trip descriptions.
On normal container ships, international freight forwarders are responsible for vehicle transport.

Luggage: You can take up to 1/2 cubic metre of luggage with you, provided it is handily packed in travel bags or small suitcases and you can carry it yourself over the gangway on board.
Larger or bulky items as well as household goods (electrical appliances, furniture, etc.) have to be shipped in a container and through international forwarding agencies due to strict customs regulations.

Cargo ships do not have stabilisers.

On some ships, the presence of passengers on the bridge is limited while navigating narrow or shallow waters, and while entering a harbor. The presence of passengers on the bridge may be prohibited for safety reasons in rare cases. Of course you are welcome on the bridge again when the vessel is sailing on the open sea and when the difficult manoeuvres are over.

You have to know that - depending on the season and the shipping route - the weather may be bad with high seas and a heavy rolling and pitching vessel. Therefore passengers have to be healthy and fit for a freighter voyage.

Swimming pools on board may not always be available for use or may not be filled with water, due to cold weather or due to the rolling and pitching of the vessel.

Important for passengers to the USA: A visa for the USA (B1/B2 tourist visa) is obligatory for all passengers, only except of American or Canadian citizens. ESTA is insufficient.

Please pay attention to our information concerning necessary visas and vaccinations, shown in the  individual passage descriptions. It is absolutely necessary to get all vaccinations and procure all visas required for the countries the vessel will be calling, even if you do not plan to go ashore.

You have to contact the embassies or consulates in order to find out exactly what kind of visa you need as we are not able to provide reliable entry requirements for citizens of foreign countries. The  shipping companies do not accept delays or postponements in the ship’s schedule, and perhaps expenses, due to a passenger not having all necessary papers and vaccinations.

Along with your reservation documents, you will receive „Captain Zylmann’s Log Book“, which is an additional source of general information for passengers aboard freighter vessels. For example, you will find useful information concerning mealtimes on board, suitable clothing, and going ashore at your port of call. Generally, after reading our log book, all your questions should be answered.

Please note the General Conditions of Frachtschiff-Touristik Kapitän Zylmann GmbH on the back of the reservation form, and the carrier contracts of the shipping companies, which we will gladly send if you do not have them yet.