Lisbon at cruising speed
Evolution of the Portuguese package fleet to date
AFRICA
Years in service: 1916-1932
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 127.5 meters
Passengers: 326
QUELIMANE (ex-Kronprinz)
Years in service: 1916-1927
Shipowner: State Maritime Transport
: 125.3 meters
Passengers: 304
INDIA (formerly Vorwaertz)
Years in service: 1916-1929
Shipowner: State Maritime Transport
: 131 meters
passengers: na
ZAIRE (former Mormugão)
Years in service: 1916-1929
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 103.6 meters
Passengers: 250
LOANDA (ex-Saint Vincent)
Years in service: 1916-1938
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 122.6 meters
Passengers: 220
MOZAMBIQUE (formerly Brussels)
Years in service: 1916-1938
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 121.9 meters
Passengers: 702
LOURENÇO MARQUES (former Admiral)
Years in service: 1916-1950
Shipowner: State Maritime Transport
and National Shipping Company
: 121.9 meters
Passengers: 823
NYASSA (ex-Trás-os-Montes)
Years in service: 1916-1951
Shipowner: State Maritime Transport
and National Shipping Company
: 140.8 meters
Passengers: 800
LIMA (formerly Westerwald)
Years in service: 1916-1969
Shipowner: Island Navigation Company
: 111.6 meters
Passengers: 314
PEDRO GOMES (former Sindoro)
Years in service: 1922-1932
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 123.4 meters
Passengers: 440
NEW LISBON (ex-Angola)
Years in service: 1923-1950
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 133.8 meters
Passengers: 454
JOÃO BELO (ex-Windhuk)
Years in service: 1928-1950
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 130.2 meters
Passengers: 340
MOUZINHO (former Corcovado)
Years in service: 1929-1954
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 142.2 meters
Passengers: 691
COLONIAL (ex-Ypiranga)
Years in service: 1930-1950
Shipowner: Company Navigation Colonial
: 142.4 meters
Passengers: 638
QUANZA
Years in service: 1930-1968
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 133.5 meters
Passengers: 429
SERPA PINTO (former Princess Olga)
Years in service: 1940-1955
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 142.4 meters
Passengers: 704
HOMELAND
Years in service: 1947-1973
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 161.9 meters
Passengers: 798
EMPIRE
Years in service: 1948-1974
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 161.9 meters
Passengers: 799
ANGOLA
Years in service: 1948-1974
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 167.1 meters
Passengers: 741
MOZAMBIQUE
Years in service: 1949-1972
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 167 meters
Passengers: 749
INDIA
Years in service: 1951-1971
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 131.8 meters
Passengers: 387
TIMOR
Years in service: 1951-1974
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 131.4 meters
Passengers: 387
VERA CRUZ
Years in service: 1952-1973
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 185.8 meters
Passengers: 1242
HOLY MARY
Years in service: 1953-1973
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
: 185.6 meters
Passengers: 1182
UIGE
Years in service: 1954-1978
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
and Portuguese Maritime Transport Company since 1974
: 145.5 meters
Passengers: 571
NIASSA
Years in service: 1955-1979
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
and Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Marítimos since 1974
: 151.3 meters
Passengers: 322
PERFECT PRINCE
Years in service: 1961-1976
Shipowner: National Shipping Company
: 190.4 meters
Passengers: 1000
INFANTE DOM HENRIQUE
Years in service: 1961-1995
Shipowner: Colonial Shipping Company
and Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Marítimos.
In 1986 the shipowner George Potamianos, bought the ship,
who resurrected as Vasco da Gama in 1988
: 195.5 meters
Passengers: 1018
FUNCHAL
Years in service: 1961-2019
Shipowner: Island Navigation Company
and Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Marítimos since 1974.
In 1985 it was purchased by shipowner George Potamianos (CIC)
and in 2013 it was acquired by Portuscale Cruises
: 152.4 meters
Passengers: 402
AMÉLIA DE MELLO (ex-Zion)
Years in service: 1966-1972
Shipowner: General Society
: 152.8 meters
Passengers: 323
ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO (ex-Israel)
Years in service: 1966-1974
Shipowner: Empresa Insulana de Navegação and Companhia Nacional de Navegação from 1968
: 152.8 meters
Passengers: 323
LISBON (former Princess Danae)
Years in service: 1996-2015
Shipowner: Classic International Cruises
and Portuscale Cruises from 2013
: 162.3 meters
Passengers: 670
PORTO (former Arion)
Years in service: 1999-2018
Shipowner: Classic International Cruises
and Portuscale Cruises from 2013
: 116.8 meters
Passengers: 367
ASTORIA (ex-Athena, ex-Azores)
Years in service: 2005-2020
Shipowner: Classic International Cruises
and Portuscale Cruises from 2013
: 167 meters
Passengers: 566
WORLD EXPLORER
Construction year: 2019
Shipowner: Mário Ferreira / Mystical Cruises
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 200
WORLD TRAVELER
Construction year: 2020
Shipowner: Mário Ferreira / Mystical Cruises
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 200
VASCO DA GAMA
Construction year: 2020
Shipowner: Mario Ferreira / Mystical Ocean
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 1000
WORLD BROWSER
Construction year: 2021
Shipowner: Mário Ferreira / Atlas Ocean Voyages
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 200
WORLD TRAVELER
Construction year: 2022 (September)
Shipowner: Mário Ferreira / Atlas Ocean Voyages
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 200
WORLD SEARCH
Construction year: 2023
Shipowner: Mário Ferreira / Atlas Ocean Voyages
: 125.8 meters
Passengers: 200
The rebirth of the Portuguese fleet
At the age of 20, Mário Ferreira — a shareholder of Media Capital through the holding company Pluris Investments — embarked on the huge and luxurious “Vistafjord” package, where he worked for five years. In 1993 he created the company Ferreira & Rayford, thus starting his maritime tourism activity in the Douro. Buy the ferry “Castelo” from Transtejo and in honor of the Cunard ship where he had worked, he named it “Vistadouro”.
Due to the success and the growing demand, Douro Azul buys a new vessel. It was the beginning of a journey that gave rise to Mystic Invest Holding. In 2015, he bought Nicko Cruises, a German company four times bigger than Douro Azul.
Now, at the age of 54, the man he has since become has a fleet of 56 passenger ships: 22 in the Douro, 29 hotel ships operating on the main rivers such as the Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Nile, Yangtze and Mekong, in China, and five oceangoing ships. The latest World class ship will make its debut in the Portuguese capital in September. At the West Sea shipyards, in Viana do Castelo, three expedition ships are still being built.