Gdansk to Cartagena shipping route.

Ships leaving Gdansk for Cartagena head west and cover a sea distance of 5,446 nautical miles (10,085 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 9,337 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Pure steaming time is 16.2 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 18.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 12.6. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Gdansk and Cartagena to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,103 nm of the route, 20% of it, lies inside US Caribbean Sea ECA, North Sea ECA and Baltic Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Gdansk to Cartagena move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cartagena (COCTG) carriers give about 10 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Gdansk in this directory, Cartagena is the 23rd shortest. Closer destinations include Lagos (Apapa) (5,090 nm), Jeddah (4,852 nm) and Savannah (4,357 nm).