anyone been on funchal?

[seabourndt]

yes i lovev trains. i worked for the railway for 25years before starting my current job security, still get my free travel with the. my thats a lot of travelling the distaces are immensenyou don't realise how. i did a bit of train travel when i went tio minyip a few years ago. overnight train sydney-melbourne on a very old rickity wooden coached a very uncomfdortable trip i remember. i was not well i remember. my cousin live theree as an old pere, not heard from her for many years. i was so ill i slept at the commerdore hotel in minyip instead of drinking at the very pub on flying doctors. i nearly missed the 1 bus there is per day. got a faster train back. i liked darwin when i was there but it was the start of therainy seaason, did the crocodile feding tour. bought a lovely hat there i still have. well have a great time and tell me all about it when you return and the funchal too!

as the trip from australia to liverpool was not advertised here have inquired aboiut it rather than the 3dayer i had booked. we'll se if i'm lucky. i'd love to go to australia again. never seen wester australia.

write again soon

david

[seabourndt]

still there are you?

hope so, i did mention about trying to get on the 36 dayer from australia, i really loved to have done it. but i don't thinks its to be as i can't get the money straight away an don't get paid until 4th feb, unless theres any cabins left by then it will be the 3dayer after all. it would hasve been great tomsee australia again but its bit short notice maybe later in the year.hope you have a great time and tell me all about the ship when you return

david

[seabourndt]

not left yet have you?

i hope not. well i guess you are getting excited about yopur trip on the funchal, get some pics if you can. i'll be thinking of you. wish i was there too, broome looks nice from pics i've seen. bali i went to was not overly impressed. does not look like i'll be doing the 36dayer unless therres a cabin left on 4th feb. it looked a really great cruise for th4e money, if i'd know i'd had tried it but not advertised in their brochure. well have a great time. i'm looking at something else to fill up before 30th april. the rhapsody is doing south africa to italy in april MSC CRUISES so hoping i can do that one.

talk soon

dave

[matilda]

Dave, I'm glad you like trains as well as ships. I will give you a report on the trains when we get back, as well as the Funchal. Really looking forward to it now. Not long to go and we have been packing today. Sorry your train trip between Sydney and Melbourne was so bad. Good luck with getting a cabin on the longer cruise. Will be in touch. Matilda

[seabourndt]

hope you get this before you go. have a great time and look forqward to any ibfo you get and hopefully my cabin when you get back. unfortunatly don't think i'll be doing the 36dayer shame, as its too soon and vcan't get the money together unless its still there on the 4th feb. iam now thinking of going on acean village prior to funchal leaving me problem of getting to liveropool from soton on the day hope it all works out

david

[bilby1]

My daughter and myself are cruising to Liverpool on the Funchal, Leaving Perth March 25th. Would like to here any feedback on this ship. It is our first cruise and I am a little anxious what to expect. They mention in the brochure 4 formal dinners, how formal is formal on a cruise ship? We hope to travel to London and Paris at the end of the cruise so don't want to have to much luggage.

[matilda]

Bilby1, nice to hear from you, and thanks for the good wishes Seabournt. We will try to have a good time!

Bilby1, my husband and I object to him packing reefer jacket or somesuch for formal nights, specially in the tropics. On this type of cruise he wears long sleeved shirt with a tie and maybe a nice pullover, but nothing more formal than that. I wear evening pants with dressy top, but NO sequins! For 4 formal nights I would take two pairs of evening pants with two tops for each. If I wanted to save luggage space even more, you would get away with daytime pants - anything goes really. I have a pair of flat heeled pewter coloured sandals which I wear every evening, and no evening bag. As you might have read, we leave on our holiday tomorrow, but will be definitely reporting back on the Funchal around 16th February, so watch this thread for more info.

[seabourndt]

roll on the 16th feb when you report back tell me all about the funchal and what i will expect. with hopefully pics ofd shiop and my cabin. was hoping about the australia cruise but i can't really afford it. so still going on the funchal trip on 30th april. then flying to vancover on 4th may to go on another short cruise on the oosterdam. have a verandah suite 563 sq feet, what a difference it will be compasree to the funchal.

[seabourndt]

well when yiou get back from the funchal cruise. tell me asll abou the ship

[matilda]

Dave and Bilby, We got back from our holiday a couple of days ago. Then we had computer trouble, and had to deal with 145 emails, but have cleared the decks now, and the computer is back to normal, so can give you a report on the Funchal cruise - in a word - great!

We discovered that the ship can take 500 or so passengers, but on our cruise there were 290 pax, so we were well looked after by lots of waiters etc., all very nice and with sense of humour. Our (inside) cabin was large, compared to others (no. 85, Madeira Deck). We did see one of the small ones and it was very tiny, especially the bathroom. We didn't get to see inside no. 24, Dave, but it is certainly in a good position, close to everything. The bathrooms look a little dated, but everything works fine. The lounge rooms and bars and dining rooms are nice decor. The swimming pool is a good size, and it was good to be able to sit in the shade near the pool, one deck up where the outdoor buffets were held.

The food was excellent. The breakfasts were buffet, but you can order porridge, fried eggs etc. A la carte lunch in the restaurant or buffet near the pool, and a la carte dinner in the restaurant.

The entertainment was really good, plenty of variety during the day - games, quizzez, bingo, all the usual stuff, even if only 4 or 5 turned up. The shows at night were also good - a magician, singer, and a troupe of 5 dancers from Paris, 4 girls 1 guy, the girls had pretty skimpy costumes, very elaborate.

Because the ship is smallish it did rock and roll a bit, but neither myself or my husband got sick. Apparently they hand out seasick tablets at the Purser's Desk if you need them.

Bilby, as I said, anything goes on the formal nights. My husband did his usual trick of wearing dark pants and long-sleeved shirt and tie, with no jacket, and it was fine.

Is there anything I have forgotten?

[Brandis]

Matilda,

 

thanks for the description. It brought back many memories. I was surprised to hear that the ship can hold 500 passenges. I guess it would be pretty crowded with that many aboard.

 

Did you take any photos of the ship?

 

Marc

[matilda]

Brandis, Nice to hear from you. No, didn't manage to get a good photo of the Funchal, for various reasons, so we bought a postcard to keep. I just read up on the brochure I have, which says capacity, twin share, is 482 passengers. I doubt it would ever get up to that though. I reckon they accommodate the entertainers in passenger cabins for one thing. Bilby will probably experience a full ship. We were told that the cruise from Australia to England leaving 25th March is fully booked.

[seabourndt]

Great To Hear That You Enjoyed Your Time On The Funchal.

What A Great Shame You Did'nt Get To See My Cabin Though Amnd Did'nt Get Any Phgotos Either. What About Excursions?

Intetresting To Hear The 25th Is Fully Bookeed I Was Still Thinking Of Doing That One Maybe Later In The Yeasr If I Enjoyu Thgis One. Will Lookk Forwqard To April Now. To Seee How She Handels The North And Irish Seas As It Can Be Verynbrough Heree Sometimes.

Ive Also Booked On A Cruise On The Oosterdam From Vancover To Seattle In Canada On 4th May The Day Aftrer I Get Off The Funchal.i Have A Corner Aft Suite Which Is Very Large It Certainly Will Be Difficult To The Funchal.

 

Whel Any Other Details Of Your Cruise I Look Forward To Hearing About.

 

Hoqw Was The Trains Trips In Australia>?

[matilda]

Dave, we did three excursions offered by Funchal. The first was a trip into the interior of Bali to see a volcano. Very good. We were taken to see a silversmith workshop and display, woodcarvers, a spice farm, a temple and lunch at a very nice restaurant looking out over the volcano. Out the rear windows of the restaurant was a lovely view down over the valley with all the tropical vegetation. Lots of hawkers around though, which you said you didn't like. We thought they were OK. In Lombok we did a tour of palaces, temples and a museum, and of course we got to see the look of the area and the people at the same time. Very good. In Broome we did the camel ride at sunset on Cable Beach - a well-known touristy thing to do, and very enjoyable.

Yes, we enjoyed the two long train trips very much. Comfortable two berth cabins with en suite, dining car with excellent meals, and lounge car with bar and souvenir shop. We were travelling through desert country most of the time, but found it interesting. Saw a few emus and kangaroos along the way.

The Ghan train stopped for four hours in Alice Springs and four hours in Katherine, and we did a helicopter ride over Katherine Gorge, mainly because we had been there before and done the boat ride.

Well, have to sit back now and plan the next cruise. Hope you enjoy the Funchal as much as we did. Bye.

[seabourndt]

WELCOLM BACK. GLAD THE EXCURSIONS WERE GOOD, DID NOT KNOW BALI HAD A VOLCANO. I DID AN EXCURSION THERE THE TEMPLES I THINK. THEN DI A WALK ROUND THAT WAS SPOILER BY HAWKERS I LIKE TO WALK AROUND WITH OUT BEING HASSLED. YOU ENJOYED THE CAMEL RIFDE, I DID IT TWICE AND KEPPT FEELING I WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. SHAME YOU DID NOT GET PICTURES I SHALL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL APRIL I GUESS.

WELL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH WHAT YOUR NEXT ONE IS

SEABOURNDT@AOL.COM

IS MY EAMAIL WRITE ANYTIME.

I GET INTO DUNDEE 3RD MAY FLY OUT ON 4TH TO VANCOVER AND BOARD THE OOSTERDAM TO SEATTLE FOR A FEW DAYS HAVE AN AFT SUITE MUCH DIFFERENT TO THE FUNCHAL. HOW SMALL WAS YOUR CABIN

?

[matilda]

Hope you enjoy the Oosterdam as well as the Funchal. An aft suite sounds pretty swish. Yes, we had a good-sized cabin on the Funchal. Plenty of room in the bedroom and the bathroom. Others did not do so well. If you study the plan in the brochure you can see the difference in size.

Well, we are off to stay with my mother at the beach for two weeks, so will be off-line a good bit. Cheers, Matilda

[seabourndt]

no more messages, or from anyone else either been or going on the funchAL.

i've just sentbthe blance for my cruise was not sure if i could still do it as i have booked to go on the OOOSTERDAM on 4th may the day after i get off. but think it will work out. what a shame you did not any pics of the ship at all even outside to see where my cabin is from the outside, maybe someone else has. have you seen the 35day cruise around australia in feb 2006 are you thinking about it?

i would'nt mind doing it myself.

you can send email to you when you get the time

david

 

seabourndt@aol.com

[phil_a]

Hi all- for those interested I have taken some photos of the ship in Fremantle, Western Australia

 

http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=1671

[seabourndt]

hope you got my meaage i cannot see yopur pics if you can send them to me diect that would be great.

to bilby have a great time on the trip from austral;ia dop you live there?

how will the ship handle in bad weather?

 

i am looking at the circumnavigation of australia in 2006 it looks good

might see you in liverpool when you gewt off if you could meet me in liverpooll befor i embark that would be great

[seabourndt]

hi all waiting for another ;ettre either from matilda,phil or bilby1. lwt5 me know if you can send your poics of the ship as i can't get them on cruiserver. and bilby1 where are you from? hope we can meet up in liverpool on day you get off before i get on on your trip. astill not heard anymore aboyut the 35dayer yet

david

[Druke I]

World Ocean and Cruise Liner Society's Bill Miller reported yesterday that Funchal, under charter, will be making a 35 day trip around Australia next February. No details of itinerary were submitted.

[matilda]

I'm back now from 2 weeks with my mother at the beach. Yes, we saw an ad in a Geelong newspaper for the 35 night Funchal round Australia cruise. The ship goes from Fremantle and takes in Exmouth WA, Broome WA, Dili, East Timor; Darwin NT, Thursday Island, Cooktown Q, Cairns Q, Whitsunday Islands Q, Brisbane Q, Sydney NSW, Melbourne V, Hobart Tas, Adelaide SA, Esperance WA, Bunbury WA, and back to Fremantle. Nice trip!

Matilda

[seabourndt]

yes i got the info on the 35day cruise. i must say i was interested until i heard the deposit was 700$ can't afford that at the moment. never mind. looking forward to the short cruise from liverpool in 6weeks time. shame you did not get any pics there was some from another but cannot get the ones on transerver. well keep in touch matilda. a see one was doing the onew from freemantle to liverpool but did not hear anymore from them. might meet up in liverpool.

[seabourndt]

thought i might have heard vfrom you before you left for the funchal, we couild have met in liverpool where you got therree to talk over your trip. hopefully you'll write before you leave

dave

[seabourndt]

WAS HOPING TOP HEAR FROM YOU BEFORE YOU LEFT FREEMANTLE NOTHING WAS HOPING TO SEE YOU IN LIVERPOOL.

 

WELL TIMES GETTING NEARER KNOW ITS ONLY A SHORT ONE BUT GET A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT I THINK OF HER.

Dave

 

funchal liverpool-dundee