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A freighter or cargo ship is defined as any kind of ship that carries goods from one point to another. The difference between a freighter and barge is in the hull, a freighter has a v-shaped hull that sinks deep into the water and is designed to maintain the stability of the ship. A barge has a flat bottom and floats on the surface of the water. Thus, a barge cannot maintain enough stability to travel in rough waters, but freighters do.

Cargo ships are quite often outfitted with special equipment designed to aid in loading and unloading cargo, such as cranes and huge pulleys. They are generally constructed from welded steel and have a life expectancy of 25 years before being cut up for scrap. Freighters are divided into four groups: general, tankers, dry-bulk, and multipurpose. General cargo ships carry packaged items like food, clothing, furniture, vehicles or machinery. Tankers are designed to carry liquid cargo such as oil. Dry-bulk carriers carry loose cargo such as coal or grain. Multipurpose freighters carry a variety of items from all of the previous three categories. Each ship in these four groups are categorized further by their scheduling: liner or tramp ship. A cargo liner will run on a fixed schedule, a tramp ships do not run on a schedule and are generally chartered to haul goods.

Since the first big ships hit ocean waters during the Middle Ages, there have been pirates. Obviously the days of Blackbeard are gone, but piracy still exists on the world's oceans. The difference between piracy during the 17th century and piracy now is the size of ships. There are no longer large six sailed ships stalking the seas with a huge crew of cut-throats waiting to pounce on any vessel they happen to meet. Now, pirates stay close to land and command smaller boats that could not possibly overtake the behemoth freighters frequenting shipping lanes today. The Caribbean Sea was notorious for piracy, especially during the Golden Age of Piracy from 1690 to 1730. Today it is the smaller private vessels that are targeted, not the cargo ships.

Why is a ship characterized as a female? There are a multitude of answers to this question. Linguists claim the root lies in the origins of the English language. Since English is an Indo-European language gender may have changed and evolved over time from animate and inanimate to male and female. Therefore animate may have become female and inanimate may have become male. Other theories claim 'she' refers to the curves of the original sailing ships and their similarity to the curves of a woman's body. Still another theory views the word 'vessel' as symbolic of 'womb' and therefore the ship is female. Wherever the origins lie, sailors have fostered a close relationship with their ships, perhaps because they are a maternal-like figure guiding them through the rough seas to the safety of land.

Now that we have looked at the different categories of freighters, the unlikely event of a visit from pirates and why a ship is characterized as a female, lets consider them as a form of vacation travel. Since freighters are constantly circling the globe, does it not seem an ideal way to see the world? The journey is slow and relaxed, the mood is casual and the experience is like no other. This is a small niche way to travel, unlike commercial cruise lines. Do not expect swimming pools and casinos, this form of travel is for the independent traveler seeking a unique experience. Most freighters can accommodate up to 12 passengers (in addition to a full crew), but some carry just four or five. Journeys are not based on tourism destinations, they are for the purpose of delivering cargo - you are just tagging along for the ride. Meals are provided, as are informal dining facilities, the opportunity to picnic on the ship's deck or spend your days lounging in the sun. Cabin service is provided, as is email service and electricity.

Choosing to see the world via freighter cruising is a wonderful experience, but it is not for the traveler looking to be entertained. Self-reliant and independent travelers are best suited to this form of travel. The benefits are being away from the commonality of the tourism industry, being immersed in the cultures of the places you visit and lifelong memories of an incredible experience.