Portugal's "funchal"

[Doc Vernon]

FUNCHAL_GEIR_6210607.jpg





According to many sources, she's the 2nd oldest passenger ship still in service, well partial service. She was built 56 years ago, in 1961, in Denmark. Named Funchal, she was the pride of Lisbon-based Empresa Insulana de Navegacao for their Lisbon-Madeira-Azores service. A fast ship that could make as much as 22 knots, but smallish (at 10,000 gross tons), she could carry up to 500 passengers, then divided in three classes.


But as the passenger ship business changed, she was made over in 1973 as a cruise ship, now carrying those 500 or so passengers all in very comfortable first class quarters.


Her owners changed several times over the years, but more recently (beginning in 2001), she sailed under the banner of Classic International Cruises, also Lisbon-headquartered. This changed in 2013 to another Portugese firm, Portuscale Cruises, and there was another major, life-extending refit. But Portuscale and any charters ended in early 2015; the Funchal was laid-up at Lisbon.


There has been scant news of her future since then. Last summer, it was rumored that she was headed for Hong Kong and use as a casino ship or, worse, going to Chinese breakers. Then there was a report last fall that she would be reactivated but for cruises to Cuba.


Well, nothing has happened. She's still the 2nd oldest, surpassed only by the Astoria, built in 1948 as Sweden's Stockholm. She's now 69 and still cruising!

[Captain Kong]

I sailed on the FUNCHAL in 2005.
I was in Perth and bumped into Joe Finnegan of Liverpool who I had not seen since 1956, , when I was on the old Franconia, 49 years ago, I was flying up to Singapore on the way home for a week,
Joe told me he was sailing back to Liverpool on the FUNCHAL,
We were flying to Singapore on the way home, when we were there I asked her why we were going home, she didn't know, so we booked another flight back to Perth and met Joe, We had been away for two and a half months then, so we went to the Travel shop and booked a cabin om FUNCHAL.

IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST CRUISE WE HAVE DONE.
Sailed back to Singapore, Phuket, Goa, and up the Red Sea to Safaga and Suez and a Trip to Cairo to see the Pyramids etc and the Ciro Museum , then to Athens and then Lisbon and into Liverpool , So we were away for nearly 5 months, a Fantastic trip.
She was like a yacht, great service and itinerie.
Half of Rockingham, Perth was on board all from Liverpool going home to see it for the last time.
Great memories.
Brian