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With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author

Presenting

“Classic Ocean Voyages” ®

Page One

I have received countless enquiries in regard classic ships and ex liners that are still operating as cruise ships. We are indeed fortunate that it is still possible to go and sail on a genuine classic passenger ship. However, we should note that many ships have gone due to the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations which comes into effect in 2010. However, there are some immaculately maintained and fully upgraded ships that will continue to serve and this special feature will cover a number of these ships. All ships listed on the feature will have additional available on ssMaritime for their history, as well as on Cruise-Australia where you can discover more them in their current guise.

Thus, as they are still sailing, why not go and book a “Classic Ocean Voyage”® and surround yourself with an atmosphere that only an ex Classic Liner can provide! All the unique qualities that these ships are able to offer may be forever in the years ahead, however, I do know that some of the ships in this feature are scheduled to sail in 2012!

Each of the ships listed on “Classic Ocean Voyages”® are well worth taking a cruise on and should you require further details or booking information, I have contact details listed with each ship.

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MV Athena

NEW – Passenger reviews located below this item

I will commence with the famed ex Swedish liner MS Stockholm built in 1948, that later became the East German cruise ship MS Volkerfreundshaft and was rebuilt in to a superb Italian cruise ship in 1994, the luxury MV Italia Prima.

Swedish America Line MS Stockholm seen as built

From the author’s private collection

The sleek and elegant MV Athena seen at sea

Provided by “Classic International Cruises” Australia

Today she is the “Classic International Cruises” (CIC) flagship MV Athena, and although she is as modern as tomorrow you will still find many fine classic features onboard. CIC may not offer four or five star super luxury cruise ships, but they certainly do offer a unique and a quality cruise experience at an affordable price. I continue to receive superb reviews regarding CIC cruise ships continually from both from my home country, Australia, and from around the world. It is obvious that CIC not only has a vast following worldwide, and a massive repeat clientele, all because of their excellent product, which I believe is simply based on excellent value for money, for CIC is famed for their superb service, fine cuisine and great entertainment and their ships are all inclusive. As we all know the modern cruise ships of today have extras everywhere. But on CIC except for shore excursions, drinks and the usual extras, such as hairdressing, photographs and the spa’s, etc., you certainly will never find an optional dinning venue or some “private” or lounge deck where you have to pay an additional fee, CIC has everything is included and that is what a genuine Classic Cruise is all about!

Please Note: I sailed on the MV Athena on March 6, 2011 from Australia to the United Kingdom and I loved it so much that I am going again in April 2012 sailing from Fremantle to Portsmouth, but this time we sail not via the Suez Canal, but via South Africa with a superb itinerary. Although I did do a similar voyage in 2008 on P&O’s MV Oriana and I do a half world cruise annually, but I have to be honest, I enjoyed my time on the Athena much better than on any previous ship no matter if they had a higher Star rating for the service on board could not be faulted, neither could the food or the entertainment everything was simply sublime. I found that the Athena was the friendliest ship I have ever sailed on!

What I did feel was so impressive was that you will not find any marketing on board, for thankfully there are no art galleries & auctions, no optional pay more money restaurants, no tipping needed, and no taxes or port charges required, in other word NO EXTRAS! Everything is included in your fare, just like it used to be in the old days. The only thing extra is the usual things, ships photographs, drinks and shore excursions, and that is it! In addition, these ships are maintained simply beyond belief, the cleanliness on board is supreme, you will not find any dirt or rust anywhere, not around the louvers near the funnel, around the decks, inside, for the ship is simply spotless. Each ship is constantly refurbished. The Athena is receiving yet another refit in Italy late in 2011 before she heads for Australia for an extended summer season, which will see her interiors refreshed with new carpets and furnishings, new cabin soft furnishings and many other improvements. All CIC ships have the very latest in navigational and safety equipment and some of the finest Captains and officers you will ever find. A link to my cruise review is located below.

Will I see some of you on board the Athena in April 2012? Email me … info@cruise-australia.com.

Photo Album

Below is a series of photographs taken aboard this delightful ship and I am sure that you will discover that she has many excellent features. However just below the photographs you will find two links, one will take you to her feature on cruise-australia.net, and this page has many more photographs and it shows many of her superb cabins. There is also a link to her history page on ssmaritime.com.

The main Lobby and mini Atrium

Photograph provided by & © Classic International Cruises

Sirene’s Lounge and Bar

Photograph provided by & © Classic International Cruises

Muses Night Club and Bar

Photograph by & © Andrew Mackinnon

Calypso Show Lounge and Bar

Provided by “Classic International Cruises” Australia

The spacious Cyclopes Cinema and Auditorium

Provided by “Classic International Cruises” Australia

The Captains Club Bar

Photograph by & © Andrew Mackinnon

Athena has a full walk around deck, missing on so many of the modern cruise ships today!

Photograph by & © Andrew Mackinnon

Looking forward over the ships Pool

Photograph by & © Andrew Mackinnon

Swimming pool and aft decks

Provided by “Classic International Cruises” Australia

The sleek lines of Classic International Cruises MV Athena in Sydney Australia

Photograph by & © Kosta Specis

Please Note: MV Athena is tends to accommodate around 550 passengers when in a twin bedded configuration, which is most of the time. However during school holidays and upper berths are in use this can increase up to a maximum of 600. The Athena fully complies with all the current SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) and IMO (International Maritime Organization) Regulations and importantly also the MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and she follows all the latest IMO Resolutions relevant to passenger vessels. The ship and her management company are ISM Code (International Safety Management Code) certified, whilst her officers and crew certificates are according to the STCW convention or “International Convention of Standards of Training Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers.” Lifesaving equipment comprises of eight lifeboats accommodating 612 persons, as well as twenty life rafts for up to 500 persons. For interest the Athena is to undergo a multi-million dollar refit in Italy.

Whilst the MV Athena is based in Europe you may locate her schedules via the CIC Cruises - UK website!

Reuben Goossens.

Visit the following pages on … Cruise-Australia.net

1 … MV Athena Cruise Review – The author sailed from Fremantle to Portsmouth England on March 6, 2011.

2 … Athena Cruise Reviews - Read what MV Athena past passengers said about their on board experiences.

3 … MS Stockholm - Read all about the MV Athena’s long and interesting history. (Located on the authors ssmaritime.com site).

Visit the “Classic International Cruises” websites

In Australia:

www.classicintcruises.com/index.htm

For MV Athena, Funchal, Princess Daphne/Danae& Arion schedules in Europe visit: CIC Cruises - UK

For Information and Reservations in Australia email Corie:

info@cruisespecialists.com.au

Please name the ship you are enquiring about as well as dates and number of passenger wishing to sail

In Australia Phone - Toll Free

--1800-427-847--

www.cruisespecialists.com.au

(Please NAME the SHIP you are enquiring about)

For other agencies or for International visitors

There is a listing of recommended Australian, New Zealand & International Cruise’n’Travel Agents

ENTER HERE

View the MV Athena E-Brochure

Click the image below

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MV Funchal

This superb ship was built as a Portuguese Trans Atlantic Liner and even served as the countries Presidential Yacht. However amazingly Funchal has continued over the years very much unchanged, as only her aft decks have been extended further aft and she has been painted all white when she became a cruise ship!

Steam ship (SS) Funchal seen as built and before she became a motor ship (MS/MV)

Photograph by © Bert Lammers

MV Funchal is a gem of a ship and certainly one of my all time favourites, the delightful Portuguese ex Trans Atlantic Liner SS Funchal, which was built in 1961 especially for the Lisbon-Azores-Madeira service. Originally she had a black hull with a yellow and black funnel. However, in 1973 she not only received a heart transplant but was made ready to become one of the most attractive all white yacht like cruise ship.

Funchal seen after her SOLAS 2010 refit in Europe, which saw her forward veranda deck opened up to her passengers for the first time

… as her derricks had been removed. Funchal like all of CIC ships have the very latest navigational and safety equipment and these are as up to date as a ship built yesterday!

There is no doubt that it was the Funchal that made the “Classic International Cruises” name, for she is indeed, as I said “A Gem of a Ship! A true classic and she carries her original name and except for her aft decks being extended, she has had little rebuilding work done. Funchal is as close as to being original, but her interiors are sheer delight!

GREAT MV Funchal NEWS:

Refits that make the Funchal the Ever Enduring Ship!

2010 Refit: During this year the Funchal was given an extensive refit, which saw some new cabins installed that replaced older ones, also there were cabin removals on Promenade Deck and a new Club lounge was added, as well as relocating the library and internet and Card rooms. Down one deck they removed the old Club Lounge down and placed cabins in that space. Already at an barrier date the forward derricks and hold had been removed and the deck space is now open to passengers and is called Veranda Deck, and is accessible from the forward lounge.

2011/12 Refit: In addition to comply with the stringent SOLAS regulations, the MV Funchal is currently in Lisbon undergoing one of the most extensive twelce month 12/14 million Euro internal rebuilding program and refit and she returns to cruise duties in March 2012. Work undertaken means that the vast majority of cabins, except for those already replaced earlier in 2010, and all crew cabins will be completely rebuilt, all cabins will have flat screen TV’s and every possible facility and that include all crew cabins which will have every possible luxury including private, or a share bathroom between two cabins. Lounges will see changes with the bar removed in the forward Gama lounge making it more spacious, the ship will be lighter as much of its darker timber work will sadly have to be removed due to the stringent fire regulations, but the company will ensure that her beloved classic feel will remain as this is one of her features, yet now she will feel brighter and thankfully will be able to sail on long into the future! It is also said that she may have her hull painted black again, thus she could look like as she was originally built. Although I do have an artist impression of her in this new guise, we decided against showing it, as I have been advised by the Managing Director that it has not as yet been decided upon at this stage. In addition to all the above, new engine work is being undertaken, thus this is one of the most major works under taken on a classic ship and thus the delightful Funchal that sailed from Australian waters from 2004 to 2008, becoming one of the most popular cruise ships ever to sail from our shores she will be with us for many years in the future!

Photo Album

As with the Athena, this is another series of photographs taken aboard this delightful ship and I am sure that you will discover that she also has many excellent features. Below this album there are two links, one will take you to her feature on cruise-australia.net, featuring further details and photographs as well as some of her cabins. There is also a link to her history page on ssmaritime.com.