Here is a ship option cruise without the glamour. If you have a bit of time and don’t mind not being entertained an d not having a wealth of food options available round the clock, cargo ships are another way to journey on the high seas. According to this article I came across, for the people who’ve found this mode of travel, they’re hooked.
The slow pace and lack of distractions gives one time to catch up on reading material or sleep. There’s no late night buffet to get to or ship event that calls you out of your cabin. There’s just cargo and crew who have work to do. The one downside I can see is that, in general, you don’t stop at a port for more than an hour or so. This means few jaunts to shore. That could keep costs down though. No port trips. No shopping.
The average costs of a cargo trip are $100 per day (or less) and a trip can take anywhere from 10 days to 120, if your aim is to make it around the world.
If you go to Maris Freighter & Specialty Cruises website, you’ll find sample itineraries of various trips this shipping company makes. Trips go all over the globe. It’s fun to look at the itinerary and dream. Another cargo line the article mentions is Freighter World Cruises, Inc. It also has itineraries and prices.