Portuscale Cruises

[Neil]

The ex ' Athena ' which had been laid up at the port of Marseilles since September 2012, after the financial problems of her previous owners, sailed from the port early this morning.

Her new owners ' Portuscale Cruises ' have refurbished the ship and named her ' Azores '.

She is heading to Lisbon at 15 knots and due to arrive there about 08.00hrs on the 7th February 2014.

She is now the oldest cruise ship still in service having entered service in 1948 !

She is due to start a German charter next month which runs through until November 2014.
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[Neil]

Having sailed from Marseilles the Portuscale Cruises ship ' Azores ' , which previously sailed as ' mv Athena ' , has arrived in Lisbon where she is being made ready for her first charter cruise which departs next month.
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[Neil]

Having sailed from Marseilles the Portuscale Cruises ship ' Azores ' , which previously sailed as ' mv Athena ' , has arrived in Lisbon where she is being made ready for her first charter cruise which departs next month.

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[Neil]

Latest news on Portuscale Cruises is that their 1961 built four star classed cruise ship ' Funchal ' which recently had a Euros 9 million upgrade will be heading back to Australia to start a series of cruises at the end of the year.

Line voyages to and from Australia will be operated including a special Anzac return voyage to Europe.

It looks as if the line voyages of the CMV chartered cruise ship ' Astor ' will have some competition !

 

[Neil]

Cruise and Maritime Voyages have chartered the Portugese operated Portuscale Cruises classic cruise ship ' Azores ' to replace the ' Discovery ' !

The ' Azores ' will make her first cruise on the UK cruising market on the 26th January 2015

The ' Discovery ' is reported as sold and has to be handed over earlier than expected so her final two UK cruises will be undertaken by the chartered Portugese owned Portuscale Cruises classic cruise ship ' Funchal ' with the second cruise changed to a fly cruise, rather than the planned round voyage cruise back to the UK, and now terminating in Lisbon after visiting Maderia and the Canary Islands..

I have heard that the buyers of the ' Discovery ' want a five year survey report carried out on the lifeboats and their gear which sounds as if they plan to operate her for some years.

No names of the buyer as yet but earlier this year a picture of her did feature in a Chinese cruising report about her smaller sister ship, the original ' Sun Princess ' , which now sails as ' Ocean Dream ' on weekend cruises from Thailand so she could be heading out east !
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[Sailbad the Sinner]

I enjoyed a cruise on mv Funchal, in October 2014. It was replacing a cruise dropped by Discovery. CMV chartered it from Portuscale. 6 ports listed 5 missed, "bad weather" !. I hear that about half the pax accepted offer of refund before the delayed start from Liverpool.. Spacious ship, with less than half occupancy. Rolled a lot. Food quite good, every day a "Portuguese" dish. I (mis)understood from the crew that the ship had no cruises in the near future. Saw Azores in "dry?" dock (Conde de Rocha ?) in Lisbon, being refurbished I'd guess.

 

[Neil]

The 'Azores ' will start a reported five year charter with CMV Cruises in 2015 as a replacement for the ' MV Discovery '.

The ' Funchal ' is due to operate some UK cruises for her owners in 2015.