Every time you travel especially from country to country, or continent to continent, you only have two basic choices of transportation: flying on an airplane or sailing on a ship. Both choices will get you to your destination. However, there is a pondering question at the top of our heads: which one is better?
When we look at it sailing on a ship has been around for hundreds of years whereas flying has only been around for decades. Now is there lesser between the two?
Travel time
The immediate and most significant difference you can find between a ship and a plane is the amount of time it takes to get you to your destination. Most commercial flights take only a couple of hours, and then perhaps the longest flights will only take a day. On the other hand, sailing on a ship will most likely, involve multiple days, if not a week or two, to reach other countries. Remember we are talking about long-distance travel. A flight from New York to London may take only about 11 to 12 hours. Freighter or cruise ships will average four to five days of travel time.
Cost of travel
In terms of cost, commercial sea travel such as freighters and cruise ships will cost you about two to three times more compared to flying. Although, if you are not in the hurry to reach your destination then you might as well spend a bit more on cruise ships to experience what they call “hotels of the sea”. But if you are in a bit of a rush, airplanes will be your best bet, and they will cost you less.
Safety
Both modes of transportation, flying, and sailing, are statistically considered safe methods of overseas travel. When talking about statistics, airplane accidents average one in 1.6 million flights per year. Cruise ships, however, have a much fewer number of accidents per year. The reason for this is that: when you are in a plane accident, there is very little that you can do to survive. If your ship is sinking, there are emergency and evacuation plans to follow.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A comparison between flying in an airplane or sailing on a ship. Both indeed have pros and cons. What you choose for your travel is your own choice. The only thing that you should note is that it is safe, fast, and reliable.