BootsnAll Travel Community

Yes, I too have fallen for the impossible dream. Wow, I thought, Why pay 500 dollars to return to the states or more on a two way ticket that I can't use the other half of (Budget for europe next year is FINISHED after a year in spain)

So, I thought, why not find a cruise ship that goes from USA to Europe and meet on the way back? One problem. All the sites shows that the American routes go to the carribean and the Americas, and the European routes go around the mediterranean.

So, short of poking around the port of rotterdam looking for a job washing the decks, or paying a lot of money on a freighter that does the America routes, I guess I'll have to gag.. choke, fly....

Any useful ideas?

If you can't afford to wait around, you're probably out of luck. Cruise lines want workers who'll work for a contractual period of time, not a single passage.

Your best bet would be to hang around somewhere with lots of yachts, and try to insinuate yourself into passage west, in exchange for work as a deck hand. If you don't have any experience with boats or cooking, that's very unlikely, but miracles do happen. I have a friend who managed to join a crew on a 105-foot yacht in Antibes, France. The French Riviera is probably the best place to run into these opportunities. Unfortunately, if you're on a budget, it's very hard to survive here. If you speak French, you can find shore work in the tourist industry to hold you over, but it's still hard to eke out a living like that.

don't know if this will help you or not but MSN had a little blub on travel secrets today and they also talked about 1 way cruises.

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=473391

quote:

don't know if this will help you or not but MSN had a little blub on travel secrets today and they also talked about 1 way cruises.

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=473391

"11. Watch out for the water

Flight attendants begin most flights serving bottled water, but if they turn to the plane's onboard tanks, there may be cause for concern. According to the most recent available EPA study, one out of every six planes had coliform bacteria in its water tanks. Since 2004, the agency has ordered 46 domestic airlines to regularly flush, disinfect, and test their water systems. At press time, results of the EPA’s follow-up tests were forthcoming, as were new water tank maintenance regulations. Whatever the latest tests show, Richard Naylor, the EPA’s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule manager, suggests that concerned passengers avoid drinking coffee or tea on board (water may not reach a cleansing boil). T+L tip: Also avoid using bathroom tap water (use wipes or mouthwash). For a long flight, Corey Caldwell, a spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants, in Washington, D.C., advises opting for canned drinks or stocking up on water after clearing security."

Is this for real?

My understanding has always been that water on the plane (from the bathroom faucet) is non-potable.

That said...I still use it to brush my teeth, which perhaps I shouldn't, now that I think about it. But I can't use any space in my liquids' Ziploc bag to put mouthwash

I usually buy a big thing of water when I get through security (even though it's a rip-off...I don't want to get dehydrated on the flight). And then will get water from a bottle or club soda on board (I try not to do caffeine, because it is dehydrating).

Off topic, I know!

Off topic, yes, but I use the water there for non-drinking purposes.