The Port of Funchal woke up today with yet another full house of cruise ships, beautifying the city that has made its maritime gateway one of its favorite attractions for several decades.
‘Mein Schiff 7’, ‘Marella Explorer 2’ and ‘Spirit of Adventure’ all arrived before sunrise, the first at 5:30 am from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the second at 6:30 am from Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) and the third at 7:00 am from Portsmouth (England).
None of them will stay overnight, with the first leaving at 2:00 PM for Santa Cruz de La Palma, the second at 6:00 PM for San Sebastian de La Gomera, and the third an hour earlier (5:00 PM) also for Santa Cruz de La Palma, all doing the Madeira – Canary Islands ‘circuit’.
The ‘Mein Schiff 7’ is the newest of the three, having been launched in 2024, and has been on this route for a few weeks. It has the capacity to carry up to 2,894 passengers, served by approximately 1,000 crew members. It is 316 meters long.
The ‘Marella Explorer 2’ is the oldest, celebrating 30 years at sea this year, and has also been sailing this route for several weeks. It can carry up to 2,177 passengers and approximately 780 crew members. It is 248 meters long.
Finally, the ‘Spirit of Adventure’ is also a recent ship (2021) and is the smallest of the three, with a capacity for 999 passengers and 505 crew members, and is 236 meters long. It is beginning a circuit that will take it from Madeira to five of the 7 Canary Islands and also to Cádiz, on the Spanish mainland, before returning to its base on December 7th.
Two of these ships (the ‘Mein Schiff 7’ and the ‘Spirit of Adventure’) will be among the 12 ships scheduled for the last night of the year 2025 in Funchal Bay.