Oldest ship still sailing

Does anyone know what the oldest ship still sailing is??? Been curious about this for awhile now!

not sure most of the major lines get rid of them after 30 or so years and sell them off to smaller lines, I know RCCL has a couple built about 1990, look for ships without balconies almost all ships built after that have them.

You have to go much further back than the 1990's. I'm not sure if she is the oldest still actually sailing (there are some older ones being used as hotel ships) but the Azores now sailing for Portuscale Cruises dates from 1948. She was originally built as the Swedish America Line's Stockholm which infamously collided in July, 1956 with the Andrea Doria, the pride of the Italian Line. Portuscale Cruises also offers cruises on the Lisboa, originally built in 1955 and the Funchal of 1961.

You might find this site interesting. Most of the old ships discussed have already been dismantled but there are a few which have not. You'll have to read the descriptions.

You can also have a look here at the Portuscale Web site, in Portugese but translatable, in case you would like to book a cruise on one of these classics. I had the opportunity on the Valtur Prima which is now the Azores mentioned above. It was a great experience.

I've sailed on the Funchal.

The cover is blown; it's part of my CC user name.

The date was late June 1998.

It required a bit of thought and googling to come up with the date above.

The World Cup was being played and the Norway/Italy game was shown on the giant screen in the ship's lounge on June 27th. To the dismay of nearly everyone on board, Italy prevailed.

This was a cruise around the Norwegian fjords that left out of Gothenberg.

80% of the passengers on board were Swedish. The crew was mainly Portuguese and the captain was Greek. It was a small boat that held maybe a couple of hundered passengers, so I was able to engage in conversation with the captain.

The ship's bar had Sagres beer. Scandinavian sandwiches were served as snacks and there was a massive spread of really tasty salmon for lunch every day.

And the fjords were just fine too.

You have to go much further back than the 1990's. I'm not sure if she is the oldest still actually sailing (there are some older ones being used as hotel ships) but the Azores now sailing for Portuscale Cruises dates from 1948. She was originally built as the Swedish America Line's Stockholm which infamously collided in July, 1956 with the Andrea Doria, the pride of the Italian Line. Portuscale Cruises also offers cruises on the Lisboa, originally built in 1955 and the Funchal of 1961.

 

You might find this site interesting. Most of the old ships discussed have already been dismantled but there are a few which have not. You'll have to read the descriptions.

 

You can also have a look here at the Portuscale Web site, in Portugese but translatable, in case you would like to book a cruise on one of these classics. I had the opportunity on the Valtur Prima which is now the Azores mentioned above. It was a great experience.

Thanks for this info!

You ask about oldest ship "still sailing," so I feel no problem with offering up a possibility: SV Mandalay, a 236-foot triple-masted barquentine that has been offering sailing cruises since 1982.

But she was built in 1923 as private ship for EF Hutton, named Hussar. Later, she was a floating lab for Columbia University under the name Vema (many important deep-sea discoveries made with her, including the Vema Divide). In 1982, she joined the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises fleet, underwent major reno, was renamed SV Mandalay and sailed many a lively trip until 2007 when WBC went under.

Purchased by Fiddi Angemeyer (Angemeyer Cruises), she was renovated again and then sold to Sail Windjammer, which has been offering sailing cruises on SV Mandalay (60 passengers) since 2012 (sailwindjammer.com), out of Grenada. She was and still is gorgeous.

You ask about oldest ship "still sailing," so I feel no problem with offering up a possibility: SV Mandalay, a 236-foot triple-masted barquentine that has been offering sailing cruises since 1982.

 

But she was built in 1923 as private ship for EF Hutton, named Hussar. Later, she was a floating lab for Columbia University under the name Vema (many important deep-sea discoveries made with her, including the Vema Divide). In 1982, she joined the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises fleet, underwent major reno, was renamed SV Mandalay and sailed many a lively trip until 2007 when WBC went under.

 

Purchased by Fiddi Angemeyer (Angemeyer Cruises), she was renovated again and then sold to Sail Windjammer, which has been offering sailing cruises on SV Mandalay (60 passengers) since 2012 (sailwindjammer.com), out of Grenada. She was and still is gorgeous.

Wow! I don't know how I'd feel about sailing a nearly 100-year old ship! You'd have to be a real fan of history, I suppose.

Any idea about the oldest ship still sailing among the mass market lines (Carnival, RCCL, Norwegian)? Just curious. I haven't seen anything in recent searches dating back farther than 1991 or so.

Any idea about the oldest ship still sailing among the mass market lines (Carnival, RCCL, Norwegian)? Just curious. I haven't seen anything in recent searches dating back farther than 1991 or so.

Fred Olsens currently operates what remains of the Royal Viking fleet and they were built in 1972 and 1973 respectively, so, if we are talking mass market Lines, I believe that the Black Watch and the Boudicca must hold the record, presently.

Of course, they are both perfectly gorgeous old girls, and built to the very highest standards. Ships generally don't survive into their fourth decade unless their interiors have mellowed to a warm patina

You have to go much further back than the 1990's. I'm not sure if she is the oldest still actually sailing (there are some older ones being used as hotel ships) but the Azores now sailing for Portuscale Cruises dates from 1948. She was originally built as the Swedish America Line's Stockholm which infamously collided in July, 1956 with the Andrea Doria, the pride of the Italian Line. Portuscale Cruises also offers cruises on the Lisboa, originally built in 1955 and the Funchal of 1961.

 

You might find this site interesting. Most of the old ships discussed have already been dismantled but there are a few which have not. You'll have to read the descriptions.

 

You can also have a look here at the Portuscale Web site, in Portugese but translatable, in case you would like to book a cruise on one of these classics. I had the opportunity on the Valtur Prima which is now the Azores mentioned above. It was a great experience.

Great links!!

Thank you.

I actually follow Azores on my "ship finder" account. That old girl still cruises like she was built last year. I get more notifications of the ports she is visiting than any other ship ,that I watch , that are 50-60 years newer!!! LoL

Fred Olsens currently operates what remains of the Royal Viking fleet and they were built in 1972 and 1973 respectively, so, if we are talking mass market Lines, I believe that the Black Watch and the Boudicca must hold the record, presently.

 

Of course, they are both perfectly gorgeous old girls, and built to the very highest standards. Ships generally don't survive into their fourth decade unless their interiors have mellowed to a warm patina

I'll second that! NCL had one of these ships for a while back in 1992. A beautiful classy ship. I would take one of these over a huge overcrowded mega ship any day.

From the Celebrity Infinity, we saw the FO Black Watch last month tendering in Ushuaia and shadowing us around the Horn. I thought she would follow us to the Antarctic but she must have gone on to Chile or back to Buenos Aires.

The Star of India was launched in 1863 and is the oldest ship in the world that still maintains a regular sailing schedule. She is a unique and cherished community icon that has been welcoming visitors on the San Diego waterfront for more than 75 years.

Coolsten, I'm a longtime San Diegan, too.

And I love the Star of India, the last of the iron-hulled sailing ships.

But as far as a regular sailing schedule? I was neot aware that she sails any more than once a year. She's in the water dockside at SD Harbor, for tours and for some onboard training for youths, but as far as I knew, she only sails once a year, during the Festival of Sail. Now you've got me thinking...hmmmm. We're taking friends to the SD Maritime Museum tomorrow, which includes the Star of India, so we'll be sure to ask!