At 339 meters long, the cruise ship ‘Independence of the Seas’ is one of the giants of the seas that, when docked in Funchal, stands out for its grandeur. In this case, it occupies practically the entire pier 3 of the port, the second largest but the one with the greatest depth and, it must be said, the best view.
The ship arrived today at 6:30 am, before the city was even awake, carrying thousands of people, including passengers and crew, and at maximum capacity it can carry 4,370 tourists and 1,360 workers.
At pier 3, which is 347 meters long and has a depth (ZH level) of 11 meters, the ‘Independence of the Seas’ will remain throughout the day, with no information from APRAM available about the time it will depart and where it will go.
However, we know it will depart today, having come from Lisbon and is bound for the port of Nassau in the Bahamas, before departing for Miami, USA. In other words, it is on a repositioning voyage after the summer season in Europe, specifically in the Mediterranean.
Interestingly, this was an unscheduled port of call, with the Port of Funchal chosen as an alternative to the port of Ponta Delgada, where they were expected to arrive today at 7:00 am. Since a storm was on its way, and to minimize inconvenience, they opted for a safer port and a calmer route across the Atlantic.
The Royal Caribbean ship was launched in 2008 and cost 830 million dollars (714 million euros at current exchange rates).