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After following "FUNCHAL" for nearly a week it was my turn to step on board as a passenger for the short trip from Porto to Lisbon. This was an exciting moment for me, "FUNCHAL" has been for decades like a toy for me, one of the last original built Passenger Liners from the 60's, the last survivor of what was once a proud Portuguese Mercantile Fleet, she is today a unique ship, there are very few passenger ships like "FUNCHAL", she has rounded lines a streamlined profile with real wooden decks, two of them sheltered, the amount of outdoor space available for her passengers it's just amazing for a ship with barely just under 10.000 G.T., her interiors are full of charm and character. The last time I have sailed on her was back in 1987, she is today a completely different ship in terms of decor, hardly recognizable, what has not changed much throughout the years is her profile and the feeling of being at sea on a delightful ship, some of her decks were actually lengthened and the swimming-pool area completed modernized giving the ship even further additional space for passengers to savour those unique moments of being at sea. The return of "FUNCHAL" to cruising after three years laid-up in Lisbon has been followed all over the World with great interest relegating for second plan most of the new cruise ships. "FUNCHAL" cannot compete with brand new passenger ships, she is a unique ship with a specific market, the market constituted by passengers that love traveling on a real ocean liner and then cruising, to be back on this ship after all these years has been unforgettable for me, she has a special place in my heart and sincerely hope her precious cargo "passengers" will book on regular basis in order to keep this beautiful ship alive for many years to come. Recently I have created a group on Facebook that follows the ship everywhere she goes and brings back her prestigious past spanned for over five decades, to follow this FB group and eventually becoming a member, please click here. Photos taken 19.9.2013 and 20.9.2013

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