The m.s. FUNCHAL has been in Lisbon for months undergoing a refit that would bring the ship a new lease of life for the years to come, the vessel is 50 years old this year and prospects are she will continue to fulfil the delights of all ships enthusiasts, she was strongly built and cheap to run and most importantly she is in good hands, I was recently in Lisbon and had the opportunity to take a few photos here included, in the meantime to marvel with what´s coming for this beautiful classic ship please visit Luis Miguel Correia´s blog

The M/S MARCO POLO was built in 1965 as the ALEXANDR PUSHKIN for the Soviet line BALTIC SHIPPING CO, between 1990 and 1993 she was laid-up and rebuilt as the MARCO POLO, since than she has been operated by ORIENT LINES and GLOBAL MARITIME, she is currently under charter to CRUISE AND MARITIME VOYAGES, company based in the UK. The ship has a GT of 22080 and a cruising speed of 19 knots and she is a frequent visitor to UK waters. Photo included shows the vessel in Barcelona in 2001