About freighter travel from IJmuiden, The Netherlands to Cleveland

IJmuiden is just north of Haarlem, less than 30 km from Amsterdam.

I've only been to IJmuiden to get fish and was singularly unimpressed. I saw absolutely nothing there besides docks and shacks. Perhaps I missed something. It is certainly nowhere I would want to spend 2 hours at, much less 2 weeks, or more if the boat is late. For your sake I hope it is early.

Many years ago I crossed the North Atlantic frequently, but that was by ocean liners. I've never tried it in a freighter.

Storms can happen any time, but are very much rarer in summer, unless you get an early tropical storm or hurricane.

I would expect the stability of the boat in heavy seas would vary considerably depending on the size and type of the freighter.

A bulk carrier will be a lot different than a container ship.

Are you ex-Navy or ex-merchant marine?

Thanks to both Nigel and Kent for their info. I'm not concerned about my time in IJmuiden, as I have a room in a small, family-run hotel and can do trips elsewhere by bus or other means when I get a departure date. I plan to explore the countryside by bike, as well. I may not encounter anyone who has made this sea passage, but thought it worth a try. I've spent some time sailing and am looking forward to the St. Lawrence / Welland experience and the passage to Cleveland. I'm traveling on a freighter that usually carries specialty steel or grain. I am no longer working as an editor/teacher and will have time to write.

Yes, a freighter to Cleveland. Well, I am not making this up and will be traveling on a Polsteam freighter that calls on Cleveland. It strikes me as something more interesting than 8+ hours on an airplane to Chicago O'Hare. I've already done that.

Sounds interesting. I just don't think anyone here has done this, so we're not going to be able to tell you anything you don't already know.
Best wishes on this.

Boy, how cool is that? When I was maybe 14 or 15 growing up in Cleveland, I had big plans to take a freighter to Japan to visit my cousins in Yokohama. Suffice to say life, mom,and factors beyond a 14 year old's control conspired against me. What an adventure! I wish I could offer information on the Amsterdam end, but I can only recommend our experience with Prinx Studio Apartments, and am unsure how that would work with your time and budget. Good luck! Keep us posted?

You can look at Cruise Critic to see if anyone there has more information; here's their Freighter And Other Non-Traditional Cruise Travel Forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=485

IJMuiden is a short bus or bike ride to the nearest station (Driehuis) from where you can take trains and travel around. There are some dunes to the south, some quite impressive ones indeed. To the North there is the IJ estuary/locks and a massive steel plant.

A Polish Ship to Cleveland? Is it going directly to Parma? Is it filled with Pink Flamingos and Chrome balls for people's front lawns? How about black shoes with White socks?

You would have had to grow up in Cleveland during the early 70's for any of this to make sense.