Container Seals

Refrigerated Ships

These vessels specialise in transporting fresh produce such as fruit, meat, fish and dairy products, all carried in refrigerated compartments. Usually painted white, they carry on the tradition of the "banana boats".

Roll-On-Roll Off Container Ships

As well as carrying containers, these vessels are built to carry vehicles and are known as "RO-ROs". They carry a specially constructed ramp at the aft end which enables them to load cars and trucks on board which are stored within the hull of the vessel.

Tramp Steamers

There are very few of these vessels in operation today. Tramp Steamers do not follow a regular route, as their itinerary depends on the demand of freight, therefore their destinations can change. Confirming a voyage is often only possible up to two weeks before the actual sailing date and therefore passengers need to be very flexible with their arrangements

Bulk Carriers

Built to carry non-packaged freight in solid or liquid bulk. This usually includes, for example, iron ore, coal, cereals, phosphates, salt, petrol, bitumen, kerosene, liquid gas and ammonia. Bulk Carriers tend to spend longer time in port because the bulk freight takes longer to load than containers. However, vessels which transport dangerous goods such as gas, petrol and chemical products do not carry passengers

Container Ships

Built to carry large metal cases which are all of the same length and height. These cases are known as containers and are all standardised on a worldwide scale. Whatever their respective country of origin they can be placed one on top of the other, thus making most efficient use of the cargo space available.These vessels are specially constructed to carry the containers to any destination required.

There are around 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo. The world fleet is registered in over 150 nations, and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.

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Safety and Regulation

Shipping is the safest and most environmentally benign form of commercial transport. Perhaps uniquely amongst industries involving physical risk, commitment to safety has long pervaded virtually all deep sea shipping operations. Shipping was amongst the very first industries to adopt widely implemented international safety standards.

Because of its inherently international nature, the safety of shipping is regulated by various United Nations agencies. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) in particular has developed a comprehensive framework of global maritime safety regulations, which are enforced on a worldwide basis.

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Shipping and the Environment

Shipping is the least environmentally damaging form of commercial transport and, compared with land based industry, is a comparatively minor contributor to marine pollution from human activities.