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You don't have to be a Robert Louis Stevenson character to have fun at sea. You don't even have to be a Baywatch character, although it certainly wouldn't hurt your chances of having fun. Anyone, fictional and non, can strike out for a rousing ocean-based adventure. All you have to do is book passage on a cargo ship.
Traveling by cargo ship is quite a controversial green issue. The argument for goes like this: The cargo ship primarily carries cargo. Although it reserves a few cabins for passengers, the ship's carbon footprint is going towards the transport of cargo. Therefore, human passengers would have a tiny carbon footprint because they are so light compared to all that cargo.
The argument against goes like this: Cargo ships pollute real bad and they disrupt ocean life.
Why Book Passage on a Cargo Ship
The best reason for hopping a freighter is that it does seem to produce less CO2 emissions than flying. According to the Stern Report, shipping only accounts for 1.75% of C02 emissions. Some people refuse to support the airline industry as it is currently run. This in alternative way to travel across oceans. It also looks really, really fun. And some cargo ships have started greening themselves a bit.
The Problems of Booking Passage on a Cargo Ship
Although cargo ships seem to have a relatively low carbon footprint, it seems cargo ships are responsible for 14% of the nitrogen emissions and often use the dirtiest and cheapest fuels available. One ship emits more pollutants than 2,000 diesel trucks. They disrupt ocean life and can cause biodiversity problems by introducing animals into foreign environments. It's also really expensive. You are charged anywhere from $80-$165 dollars a day. (There are some ships where you can earn your keep.)
Should You Book Passage?
The airline industry is more likely to accommodate the concerns of the individual passenger. As an individual, you have some power to influence the airlines. You are their customer. They are catering to you.
The cargo ship industry doesn't give a fig about you as a passenger. You're not really making them any money. You can get on board and ask them to green up their act, but they are going to do what pleases their clients and saves them money.
In summation, I feel you can justify taking a trip on a cargo ship to reduce CO2 emissions, despite their large other-pollutant footprint (and especially if you can find a green cargo ship). Those ships are going to be moving that cargo whether you are there or not.
However, riding around in cargo ships is kind of a cop out. You are avoiding the problem. Airplanes are still flying around, and now there is one less green voice telling them to change their ways. Of course, you could write the airlines a letter from the cargo ship. That's a pretty good compromise.
More on Eco-Friendly Travel
5 Waste-Reducing Devices You Should Pack for Your Trip
Top 10 Ways to Make Your Hotel Stay Greener
Join the Majority of Unknowingly Green Americans—Don't Take Vacations
Are New Hotels Greener Than Old Ones?
Take an Eco-Trip to the Grand Strand
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