It costs over a thousand USD to take some ocean liners.
What are alternative ways that are cheaper, and how would one go about it?
(No planes)
For context, I know someone who went from China to California by freight ship in the 1990s by bribing the captain with beer and their cooking skills.
Join the US Navy. They’ll pay you to cross an ocean on a ship and pay for your college tuition.
I don’t know why anyone would down vote this. It does answer OP’s question. Now whether you would enjoy
servingliving in a tin can with 200-5k of your closest coworkers is an entirely different question.