I've got an odd request.

[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?

[walrus@toot.wales]

@lionelb @Teaceratops

Doesn't everyone?

[walrus@toot.wales]

@DamonHD @Teaceratops

Blue Funnel cargo ships used to have luxury staterooms for passengers*, but that was a very long time ago, and they went bust because of containers.

* They were great. Went from Liverpool to HK in 1963, it was the start of my foodie obsession...

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@Fran thank you, I appreciate it.

Yeah, I had thought about them doing trains instead, but ruled out Russia - they're British citizens, and that would be incredibly risky for them right now, especially getting into Europe from Russia.

But, I have thought of the possibility of them maybe getting a boat to Vancouver, taking the train from Vancouver to Montreal, staying with us for a little while, before getting on a boat from Montreal (or Nova Scotia or nearby) to somewhere in the UK. To break the journey up and not be stuck on a boat for months.

I'm going to try to get a few routes together, so they have some options and take the route they feel most comfortable with. Gosh, if they could get here for the summer, it would be a great time for them to visit, and possibly the last time they could realistically come here.

[serichards@mas.to]

@Teaceratops

A specialist operator that does medical transfers might be the one option if the medical insurance covers it?

https://skycare.uk/medical-repatriation/air-ambulance/

[teaceratops@peoplemaking.games]

@drew oh shit. Seriously!? I was trying last night. And I found a line between Brisbane and Sydney, but nothing came up to get to Perth! That's great news, thank you!

[timwardcam@c.im]

@Teaceratops @drew Traditionally one rode The Tea and Sugar over the Nullarbor (including the world's longest straight stretch of rail). I don't know what the service is like these days, if at all.

[mcduncanlab@mstdn.social]

@Teaceratops

It might make sense for them to just stay in Australia until they can get a relatively direct cruise route, if such a thing exists.

Late 70s and in poor health, does not sound like a good candidate for an extended and complicated journey.

[hedders@mas.to]

@Teaceratops This may be a very silly question, but have they talked to the British Consulate there? Repatriating stuck Brits is a large part of what the Consulate does.

[va2lam@mastodon.nz]

@krans @stonebear2 @DamonHD @Teaceratops sounds like it's no longer a thing especially for crossing the Pacific; there's a Reddit thread https://www.reddit.com/r/Shoestring/comments/1ab55ed/anyone_do_or_know_someone_who_has_done_travel/ as well as a reference to https://www.cargoshipvoyages.com/WhatToExpect/

[krans@mastodon.me.uk]

@va2lam In that case it's going to be very difficult indeed.

@stonebear2 @DamonHD @Teaceratops

[mikefromlfe@cupoftea.social]

@afewbugs @smilingheretic
But cruise ship medical facilities are •extremely• expensive - they are really only for emergency situations and are considered to be a profit centre!

[mikefromlfe@cupoftea.social]

@hedders @Teaceratops
My guess is that the consular will refer them back to their travel insurance company.
(They •do• have travel insurance don't they?)

[janet@weirder.earth]

@Teaceratops So the Indian Pacific Train to Perth is a no-go?

Apparently there are cruises Darwin-Singapore or Sydney-Singapore. But these wouldn’t be super helpful as land travel across Asia from there is extremely complex.

FWIW there seem to be a number of expensive AF cruise options to the UK from SE Australia https://hellocruise.co.uk/no-fly-cruises/to-australia/