MV Funchal

MV Funchal is a Portuguese passenger and cruise liner. It is the last remaining ship and symbol of the once large fleet of Portuguese liners. Since the beginning of 2013, Funchal has been owned and operated by the Portuguese cruise company Portuscale Cruises.

Construction...

The ship was built in 1961, under the guidance of the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério d'Oliveira. Funchal is an ocean liner with a classic profile and interiors.

The ship's features include stabilisation, air-conditioning, three lifts, a main show lounge (Ilha Verde), piano bar (Porto Bar), club room, library, card room, lido bar, shop, photo shop, medical centre, excursion office, and reception with exchange facilities.

Service...

Funchal served as a Portuguese presidential yacht. The ship was once owned by one of the wealthiest families in the Azores.

International Cruises...

Funchal was the first vessel to join the Classic International Cruises fleet in 1984, and under that flag successfully served the British cruise market for over 20 years, carrying thousands of passengers.

Having undergone extensive work in 2010, to comply with SOLAS 2010, Funchal went back to a Lisbon Shipyard in February 2011 for a lengthy refit, which would include changes to its power plant as well as passenger and crew cabins and public lounges. The idea was to make the ship fit for service for at least another ten years. In November 2011, she completed 50 years of service, always under the same name. However, in 2012, work stopped towards April with only 20% of the required work completed. Following Classic International Cruises' liquidation, in December 2012, the ship faced the threat of being sold for scrap.

Portuscale Cruises...

In early 2013 a Portuguese entrepreneur Rui Alegre purchased Funchal - as well as Princess Danae, Arion and Athena—to serve the newly-formed Portuscale Cruises. During 2013, Funchal was extensively refurbished in Lisbon's Naval Rocha shipyards, being upgraded to a 4-star vessel, at a cost of about 10 million Euros. In the refurbishment, the ship's hull was re-painted black, its original colour.

On 1 August 2013, the refurbished Funchal was re-instated, in the presence of prime-minister Passos Coelho. In late August 2013, the ship left dry dock in Lisbon, Portugal and, on 27 August 2013, arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden, to restart its cruising career.

On 28 August 2013, the refurbished Funchal was not released from the harbour in Gothenburg. The cruiseship was fully loaded with passengers but was not allowed to leave. According to some Swedish press accounts, many security issues were found. In a press release, the Portuscale Cruise CEO denied the existence of security issues, saying that the issues were related to the malfunctioning of two watertight doors and one sprinkler station, issues that had already been detected by the crew, who had informed the Swedish Port State Control authorities.

On 2 September 2013, with the issues resolved, and all inspections made and certifications granted, Funchal left Gothenburg harbour and restarted its cruise, heading to Scotland.

Signature Living...
On 5 December 2018, after a period of being laid up in Lisbon, Funchal was sold at auction in Lisbon for €3.1 million. The buyers, Signature Living, is a UK-based hotel group who converted the ship to a party hotel to travel from Liverpool to the Mediterranean.