A glut .....

Well, from four months of no cruising, I now seem to have a glut! After booking Braemar, I was still looking for a short break to use up a week's worth of leave I have this year. The perfect cruise popped up in the form of Funchal. No- not the capital of Madeira, but the classic cruise liner now owned by Portuscale Cruises, but being chartered to Cruise & Maritime to replace Discovery. It is a nine-day cruise to the Canaries and Madeira, flying home from Lisbon - hmmm - my first fly cruise. Portuscale have been operating her now for a few months, since she was completely refurbished and brought up to current SOLAS regulations. Some friends week on a week's cruise to and from Falmouth but I haven't yet had any feedback. I do like to try these classic ships before they all end up as razorblades. She is small - only 10,000 grt (and we have to cross the Bay of Biscay in late October!) but built in the early 1960s as a liner plying the route between Lisbon and the Azores so should be a good seagoing vessel.

Lisboa and Porto

We saw her sister ships in Lisbon recently - Lisboa and Porto were laid up. The Azores, another of the fleet, is also being chartered by CMV and I will try and book a visit on her early next year - so lots to look forward to shipwise.