History
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RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE
S/S FUNCHAL 1961
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The
Funchal was built in
1961 by the Elsinore Shipbuilding Company in Design
and Construction: She was
launched on the 10th
February 1961 and made her maiden arrival into her home She
accommodated 400
passengers in three classes. 80 First, 156 Tourist
A,
and 164 Tourist B. All her main public rooms are located on Promenade
Deck. Her
first class lounge is located forward, ahead of the reading and card
rooms,
which flank the main foyer, with the Smoke Room located just aft.
Amidships on
Promenade Deck, are eight first class cabins, which separate the first
class
from lounges from the tourist class A Main lounge and a Smoke Room
which are
just astern. On A Deck forward is the First
Class
Dinning Room, followed by the Galley and Tourist Class Dinning Room,
which was
partitioned with 160 seats each side. Tourist A
passengers
being located on the Port Side and B Starboard. Just aft again
is the
Main Lounge for Tourist B. Both First
Class and Tourist
A had single, two and three berth cabins, with First Class having
private facilities.
Tourist A accommodations had shared
facilities only.
In addition First class had four double bedded suites as well as two
single
suites. Tourist Class B cabins ranged from two to six berths, all with
shared
facilities. Insulana
Line era: She
entered service for
Empresa Insulana de Navegacao (Insulana Line) on the route from As
passenger numbers had
dropped considerably by the early seventies, it was decided to enter
the
Funchal into the cruise market. In 1973 Funchal was given an extensive
refit
and became an attractive one class cruise ship. Thankfully
her pleasing exterior
profile did not change much, as only her promenade deck was extended a
little
aft. She was painted all white with a blue ribbon added around her
hull. A blue
band was added to her yellow funnel. During the
refit, her steam
turbines were replaced by Werkspoor Diesel
Engines
developing 2 x 5,000 bhp, which saw
Funchal operate a
cruising speed of 16 knots. Her tonnage was then listed as 9,563 GRT. The
Cruising Years: In 1974
Funchal was
transferred to CTM (Companhia Portuguesa
de Transportes Maritimos),
and she became a popular cruise ship. Since then, she has travelled the
world.
British holiday makers make up the majority of her clientele, although
she has
been to She
continues to be a
popular and elegant cruise ship, so long may she continue to delight
passengers
for many years to come. |
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(c) Cruise Ship History Collection 2018 including www.thecunarders.co.uk A Edward Elliott |