I've got an odd request.

[stonebear2@hachyderm.io]

@DamonHD @Teaceratops

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...

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@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.

[ami@mastodon.world]

@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.

[melindrea@beige.party]

@Teaceratops Slightly ironically, my in-laws (my own parents aren't around anymore) are actually on a cruise right now ...

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@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..

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@krans (personally. I think they should probably stay there ;) They are in a good part of Australia)

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@melindrea lol, if they were on one that turned around soon after it left, then may have some inside news for you 🤣

[mikefromlfe@cupoftea.social]

@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)

[mikefromlfe@cupoftea.social]

@Teaceratops
Can their travel insurance help in this situation?

[melindrea@beige.party]

@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).

[surillya@social.surillya.com]

@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.

[krans@mastodon.me.uk]

@stonebear2 I was thinking Oz - Singapore - LA - train to Baltimore - Rotterdam

Multiple months though

@DamonHD @Teaceratops

[mzedp@plasmatrap.com]

@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.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03496-3

[smilingheretic@mas.to]

@Teaceratops @afewbugs Lots of cargo ships take on passengers. Perhaps this is an option?

[afewbugs@social.coop]

@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

[skua@mastodon.social]

@Teaceratops

There is coseats.com which gets travellers linked up with people driving. Looks like ut's just within Australia.

A bit like pre-arranged hitch-hiking with the passenger putting in some money for fuel. Accomidation 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.

#CoSeats

[smilingheretic@mas.to]

@afewbugs Good point. But that would narrow the options down to zero. Do cruise ships have better med facilities? Having never been on one, I have no idea.

[fran@pipou.academy]

@Teaceratops I made some similar plan for this to go back to New Zealand at some point in my life without flying
You can go from Paris to Moscow in train, then to Vladivostok, east Russia in a week of train with the trans Siberian railway
From there, you can reach japan with a boat line
The main issue with this part is that I don't think I'd be safe in Russia currently, but it may differ for your family.

I didn't look past that point, since I got basic sailing training that could help me get on a crew so sails around the ocean
I have heard it should be possible but uncomfortable, and possibly quite expensive to get on cargo boat. I never checked in details, but their should be lots of traffic across this part of the world

I would double check with your embassy on the path to avoid dangerous place/pirate and see if they have advice for you

[afewbugs@social.coop]

@smilingheretic I've never been on one myself, but I think they do have more medical facilities on board and are used to catering to a demographic who may have more health issues than, say, the kind of young reasonably fit person who is more likely to crew a cargo ship. Plus they stop off in various ports with medical facilities along the way whereas cargo ships go point to point

[lionelb@expressional.social]

@Teaceratops

Have you drawn a blank with the Foreign Office?