The British based company, Cruise & Maritime Voyages has recently acquired the ship Azores from Portuscale Cruises, a Portuguese based line. The Azores is due to replace another member of the Cruise & Maritime Voyages fleet, the MV Discovery. Due to renovations, repairs and other features that need to be added, the Azores will not be unveiled until early 2015.
The ship will be making its maiden voyage on the 26th of January of next year from Bristol Avonmouth. The Azores is a very intimate ship and will only carry 550 passengers, all of which will be adults. Passengers under the age of 16 years old will not be allowed onboard.
The first sailing will be a 31 day long itinerary to the West Indies which includes stops in Lisbon, Funchal and the Caribbean.
Other sailings include voyages from Hull and London Tilbury. One that should draw the crowds and it is suggested to book early is the Scottish themed Edinburgh Festival cruise which has a duration of 8 nights and departs on 8th of August 2015.
There are many other itineraries to look forward to including the Baltics, Norwegian Fjords and the British Isles. For those who would like to sample the ship at a low expense, the overnight mini cruise on the 17th of July next year offers a great opportunity to check out all the amenities. The ship’s entire calendar was unveiled at the beginning of this month in a preview brochure.
Watch the MV Azores Video
There are 277 cabins in total; more than 85 percent of those will have a view of the ocean. There are also nine luxurious suites with balconies that will offer fantastic views. All cabins will have a bathtub, television and a mini bar facility.
The ship’s maiden voyage took place in 1946 under the name of the Stockholm. In 1994, the ship, which was renamed the Azores was painstakingly restored at a cost of 90 million pounds. The ship kept its classical design with an enormous wooden promenade deck and with traditional elements hailing back to the glory days of the cruise industry.
Many new features will be added to the ‘new’ Azores including a huge and elaborate main show lounge, an auditorium, nightclub, disco and casino with all the latest and favourite gambling games.
A series of pubs and lounges plus two restaurants that offer casual and fine dining are sure to be popular with the mainly British travelers. The elegance begins in the enormous reception area which has a marble covering that gives an insight into the beauty of the ship.
“Azores is an excellent, upgraded addition to our cruise fleet and has been affectionately and very well maintained by her Owners. We are confident that Azores will prove to be a ‘real winner’ with our dedicated growing number of loyal customers and will also attract new clients seeking smaller ship alternatives and regional ex-UK no fly cruise options”, stated a spokesman for Cruise & Maritime.
Many people are excited about this new development and now is a good time to take advantage of this cruise lines special offers. Cruise & Maritime are offering a generous early booking discount offer that allows potential passengers to snatch up the cruise of their choice and the best placed cabins. This offer only lasts until the end of August so you will need to act fast to make the most of the savings available.
Written by Veronica Shine
