anyone been on funchal?

[seabourndt]

planning to do the mini cruise april 2005 and part world cruise oct 2005

[cruisenfreak]

Yes, we did the NCL Dream transatlantic crusie Sept/Oct this year and one of our ports was Funchal, Madiera. We loved it! We even did the "down the mountain" toboggan ride.

 

Funchal is a beautiful island, but like so many port stops - not enough time to really enjoy it. Would love to go back.

 

MJ

[Druke I]

We visited Funchal Madeira on the Royal Princess, Mar 98, when she repositioned from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Barcelona, Spain.

 

Very pretty island, and the street toboggan ride was a hoot!!! Like to try that again some time.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Folks, I think seabourndt is asking about the ship FUNCHAL here, not the city.

[snaebyllej]

Oops, never mind.

[Brandis]

Did a baltic cruise on Funchal 3 years ago. The ship had been chartered by an english company (Voyages of Discovery). Food and Service was very good. We had booked the least expensive inside cabin but were upgraded to an outside. The cabins are rather pretty small and storage room is limited. On the other hand, the bathroom was quite big (about half the size of the bedroom).

 

The ship is quite old and the lower decks are only accessible by steep stairs (almost ladder-type). There is only one small bar and a small showlounge. Entertainment was rather poor.

 

There is an outside pool.

 

I probably wouldn't recommend the ship for voyages with lots of sea days, as things to do are limited. But for our port-intensive itinerary, it was OK.

 

I would go on this ship again if it went on an itinerary not offered by other ships but would otherwise probably look for newer ships.

 

Feel free to contact me if you have questions! brandis.at.gmx.ch

 

Marc

[seabourndt]

see you4 email is blocked. yes i was looking at the mini cruise next april. i did email them but never got a rreeply maybe better luck this time. its going from liverpool,oban,kirkwall,dundee. quite an interesting one. have asked about a single outside. any pics of the cabins would be great.

 

MS DISKO 1985 GREENLAND

QE2 1987 SOUTHAMPTON

CROWN DYNASTY 1994 ALASKA

GOLDEN PRINCESS HAWAII 1995

COSTA VICTORIA 1996 ATLANTIC.

SONG OF AMERICA 1997 PANAMA.

SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS AMSTERDAM.

ALBATROS 1998 ZEEBRUGGE.

SEABOURN SUN 1999 SOUTHAMPTON

CORONIA 1999. HAMBURG.

NIEUW AMSTERDAM 1999 ASIA

LEGEND OF THE SEAS 2001 AUSTRALIA

THE WORLD 2002 ICELAND.

NORWEGIAN DAWN 2002 ATLANTIC.

ADONIA 2003 SOUTHAMPTON.

SUN BAY 1 2003 BALTIC.

RADISSON VOYAGER 2003 MEDITERANEAN

MINERVA 2 2003 MINI CRUISE

QM2 2004 MINI CRUISE

BLACK PRINCE 2004 MINI CRUISE

PRIDE OF ALOHA 2004 HAWAII

COSTA VICTORIA 2004 MEDITERANEAN.

QE2 2004 TRIP WAS CANCELLED 24HRS BEFORE DUE TO OVERBOOKING!!

BLACK WATCH 2004 MINI CRUISE

ARCADIA 2005 MINI CRUISE

QE2 2005 NORWAY AND ICELAND.

SEABOURN PRIDE CARRIBEAN.

 

I THINK I MAY HAVE MISSED A FEW!

[seabourndt]

I REPLIED BUT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS BLOCKED. WRITE TO ME SEABOURNDT@AOL.COM

IF YOU HAVE ANY PICS ON THE SHIP WOULD BE GREATFUL, ARE THE SINGLE CABINS VERY SMALL?

[seabourndt]

well i've bookedv 24 on azores deckj. any info on coimbra rest what is itbusee for?

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[Brandis]

The smaller dining room was used for the suite guests I think, but there was no difference in the menu...

 

Our cabin was all the way in the front on second to lowest deck. The only noise we had there was when the ship docked. Then there was a pretty bad vibration which almost threw us out of bed. But it never lasted long, so it didn't disturb us much.

 

Marc

[seabourndt]

What Deck Was That Madeira?

2nd From Lowest Is Algarve But Only Cabins Are At Te Aft End. So I Guess It Is Madeira Mine Is Front Of Azores. I Was Trying To Work Out Where My Cabin Was From The Outside. All Have Windows I Think. What Was The Food Like,good Choice?

Just Been On Fred Olson Where I Thought The Choice Of Food Quite Pooer. After The Cruise From Hell!!! In April On Black Prince Where We Had Delays And Force 10 Windows Anythingnhad Tio Be Better.

Apart From The Fact That The Coach On Excursion Left Without Me I Guess I Went Quite Well.

Anythging Else You Can Tell Me About Te Ship Grreatly Appreciated

David

[matilda]

I have just discovered this thread, and very timely, as we are cruising on the Funchal on 30th January, and was very interested in the information given on size of cabins, show lounge etc. Thanks. We are cruising from Perth, Western Australia and back to Perth via Bali, Lombok and Broome (Aus.), 12 nights. Have taken note about not many activities arranged for sea days. As we will have quite a few, will visit the library before leaving home and bring plenty of reading matter. I think the outside pool will be handy, too, as the weather is bound to be hot. We have booked an inside, and will hope for an upgrade to an outside too! Seabourndt, we will be able to give updated info after we arrive home on 16th Feb if that is any help.

[Brandis]

I really can't remember the name of the decks. I thought that our cabin was all the way in the front, it is quite possible though it was in the back. Especially considering the vibration we had when the ship docked. So maybe we were directly above the propellers...

 

The food and choice was quite good, even though geared to english taste (the ship was chartered by an english company) but the dining room and kitchen staff came with the ship and most were portugese. So this may have helped with the quality... :-)

 

The cruise staff and entertainment were provided by the charter company, so here the quality may vary depending on who chartered the ship for your cruise... But the show lounge has a small band stand and a little dance floor in front of it, so you shouldn't expect any elaborate stage production shows.

 

Marc

[Brandis]

Just found a deckplan on http://www.3xtravel.co.uk/funchal.htm

 

It looks as we were on Algarve deck, either in cabin 240 or 230. This is the lowest deck. (I thought it was second to lowest as the cabin numbers started with 2)

 

Marc

[seabourndt]

YES I SEE BRANDIS THAT YOU WERE ON ALGARVE DECK. IAM ON AZORES QUITE HIGH UP. I WAS TRYING TO WORK OUT FROM THE OUTSIDE WHICH MY CABIN WAS. I SEE THE NO 11 WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD RIGHT OVRER THE BOW NEVER MIND 24 LOOKKS GOOD.

 

THANKS MATILDA FOR GIVING ME AN INSIGHT WHEN YOU RETURN ON 16TH FEB WAS IT?

IS IT CHARTERED AT THE MOMENT?? OR CLASSIC INTL CRUISES WHICH IS THE COPMPANY AT THE MOMENT. Have not got their winter brochure if they have one? i have the summer one. will be interesting to hear what sort of conditions you get as she is not a large ship. i was looking at the work cruiose end of the year but not definatly yet. i love australia did legend of the seas, singapore,bali,darwib,brisbane,carns,sydney in 2001. always wanted to do nz sometime.

 

well matilda have a great time on funcjhal what deck arew you on?

let me know when you get back. if u get a chance to see my cabin 24 would be eternally greatfull.

david

[matilda]

Seabourndt, our cruise tickets arrived in the mail today, so counting down. We are in cabin 85 on Madeira deck, it looks to be one of the larger cabins, but is an inside (no upgrade for us). We will see what we can find out about cabin 24. Creative Cruising in Sydney have chartered the ship for the summer, and she is doing cruises around the coast of Australia and to Bali, as I said. Nice of you to say kind things about your visit to Australia, but of course you missed the best part, Melbourne!

from Matilda (waltzing the doc dance!)

 

Atlantic Clipper Cairns to Cape York 1990

Sky Princess to Alaska 1998

Marco Polo to Mediterranean 2000

Norwegian Wind Vancouver to Beijing 2001

Marco Polo Baltic Capitals 2002

Tahitian Princess Polynesia 2003

Pacific Sky Vanuatu and New Caledonia 2004

Funchal Bali and Broome 2005

[seabourndt]

yes i see she stays in australia until march when i gueess she returns to england. yes i did miss melbourne, you live there then?

i have been therew but m=not on cruise. i went to see ramsey street from "neighbours" and minyip"flying doctors" i love doing movie sets?

i was not very well that time i remember my nephew is old pere in australia but we don't know wherrew. she tookmme to japanese rest under syndey harbour bridge. never been to perth though. did bali of couse too many dollar vedors i'm afraid.

thanks for trying to get so,me info on my cabin, much abliched.

a friend of mine is going onthe pacific princess to ne caledonia i thimnk. he wanted to go to nz but wanted to share.

david

[matilda]

David, yes I live in Melbourne, but nowhere near "Ramsay Street". We live close to Melbourne airport, which is handy for travelling. Interesting that you do movie sets. Our son is a script writer and director, mainly for children's television. He once wrote a script for Flying Doctors, but they axed the show before filming his script! "Round the Twist" could be one children's show that you would see over there, that he has written and directed for. Great locations down the Great Ocean Road on our south coast. The family in the story live in a lighthouse. Your friend should like New Caledonia and the Pacific Princess is a lovely ship, twin to the Tahitian Princess which we went on. By the way, we love London. How far out and in which direction is Acton?

Matilda

[seabourndt]

acton is west london, not far from heathrow. hounslow whhere i work.

other places close to acton are chiswick and ealing.thanks for all your writing about melbourne not heard of round the twist but will lookk out for it.

today i went to the p&o roadshow in nottingham. nearly lost my digital camera on the taxi, lucky to find it. ended up in stn wheee train pass thru but don;t syop?

waited for an hour for a train. the roadshow was good, nice presenta=tion of their new ship "arcadia" looks a good one. mini cruise is in june. talking to a couple doing the aurora 45nights buenos aires to singapopre what a trip.

keep wreiting

seabourndt@aol.com

is my email if youi like.

david

[matilda]

Seabourndt, thanks for information and chat. I'll certainly get back to you when we have been on Funchal and tell you what she is like these days. Cheers.

[seabourndt]

lok forward to hearing when you return. do you have anitinarary of your cruise. also is the ship then going to europe before my cruisde will check their website to see if its there. the arcadia comes in the 30th the same day as i go on the funchal.

write soon

david

[seabourndt]

lokking foreqward to your next post?

[matilda]

Seabourndt, the itinerary is roughly this - leaving Fremantle (Perth) 30/1, then 12 nights including Bali, Lombok (Indonesia), Broome (Aus) and back to Fremantle, arriving 11/2. Then we arrive home on 15/2. Our trip is getting close now, as we leave home on 22/1 and are going to Perth via Adelaide and Darwin (by train). According to my brochure (the itineraries have been altered a bit since) the Funchal leaves Fremantle after several more cruises on 19/3 and heads back to Liverpool via Singapore, India, Egypt Athens and Lisbon, arriving 24/4. Keeps busy, doesn't she!

Matilda

[seabourndt]

for a smallish ship she certainly goes to a lot of places. that cruise fromfreemantle is a great one. would love to do it, and join my other cruise in liverpool. have a great time keep writing in the mean time, or email me it will be nice. hopefully i'll get to australia again, soon

david

[matilda]

David, are you interested in trains at all. We are tacking quite a bit of train travel on to each end of our Funchal cruise, and are looking forward to that too. We leave Melbourne on Saturday night 22/1 by train and travel overnight to Adelaide, arriving at 8am 23/1. We then spend the day in Adelaide and at 5pm catch the Ghan train from Adelaide to Darwin ( the Alice Springs to Darwin section is only 1 year old). We sleep on that train two nights and arrive in Darwin 4pm 25/1. Then we have 4 days sightseeing in Darwin, catch a plane Darwin to Perth, one night in Perth, then the 12 night cruise. When we get back to Perth we spend two nights and then catch the Indian Pacific train from Perth to Sydney (3 nights) and then fly from Sydney to Melbourne. arriving home on 16/2. We have all our tickets etc now and are getting excited about all this crisscrossing the country that we will be doing.

Cheers, Matilda