MV Vasco da Gama
ex Pacific Eden, Statendam
© Marcel & Ruud Coster (Ijmuiden, 26/05/2022)
Steel twin screw motor vessel (Statendam Class or ‘S’ Class) built in 1993 by Fincantieri-Cant. Nav. Italiani, Monfalcone, Italy. (Yard No 5881) as a Passenger (Cruise) ship for Holland America Line
Technical Data
- Length: 21 m (overall) 185.0 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth:30.80 m
- Depth: 19.20m
- Draught: 4.385m
- Tonnage: 55451 gross/26945 net/5000t deadweight
- Engines: Two Sulzer-Grandi 12ZAV40S, Three Sulzer-Grandi 8ZAL40S diesels.
- Power: 43250kW/58799 bHP
- Speed: 20 knots
- Passenger Decks: 9
- Capacity: 1613 passengers
- Call Sign: C6TV, PHSG, 2IYM9, C6EG8, CQEP2
- MMSI Number: 255806445
- IMO Number: 8919245
- Port of Registry: Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Rotterdam/Netherlands 🇳🇱, London/United Kingdom 🇬🇧, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Madeira/Portugal 🇵🇹
- Sister Ships: Maasdam (5882), Ryndam (5883), Veendam (5954)
Current AIS Location
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History
November 1989: Ordered
July 30th 1991: Keel struck.
April 3rd 1992: Launched.
January 7th 1993: Delivered to Nederlandsch Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Mij, (Holland America Line), Nassau, Bahamas.
January 25th 1993: Sea trials.
January 1993: Commenced cruising on American west coast – Alaska (summer) / Australia – New Zealand (winter).
© Brian Fisher (Tilbury, July 1993)
© John Wilson (Brisbane, 04/12/2007)
October 2015: Arrived at SembCorp Marine, Singapore for rebuilding/re-styling.
November 2015: Registered owner; Carnival Plc, Southampton, England. Management Carnival Australia. Renamed PACIFIC EDEN.
November 15th 2015: Maiden cruise for P&O Australia, from Fremantle.
© Tony Martin (Sydney Cove, 07/05/2018)
April 2019: Registered Manager; Global Cruise Lines Ltd (CMV).
June 2019: Sold to Mythic Cruise Ltd. Manager; Global Cruise Ltd and renamed VASCO DA GAMA.
© Robert J Smith (Tilbury, 07/06/2019)
© Carsten Dettmer (Riga, 25/07/2019) (Left) © Bob Scott (Tilbury, 09/10/2019) (Right)
June 9th 2019: Christened in Bremerhaven.
March 2020: Docked in Fremantle.
May 1st 2020: Arrived at Tilbury and laid up due to the suspension of sailings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 20th 2020: It was announced that Duff & Phelps Ltd. had been appointed Joint Administrators of CMV Holdings London Limited, Cruise & Maritime Voyages Limited, South Quay Travel & Leisure Limited, South Quay Transport Services Limited, Independent Coach Travel (Wholesaling) Limited and Viceroy Limited and that all companies had ceased trading with immediate effect.
September 9th 2020: It was announced that the ships of the now defunct Cruise & Maritime Voyages would be sold at auction.
Five former Cruise & Maritime Voyages ships have been put up for sale at auction following the demise of Britain’s largest independent cruise line in July.
The ships put up for auction are VASCO DA GAMA, COLUMBUS, ASTOR, MAGELLAN and MARCO POLO. The ships are currently laid up in London Tilbury and Bristol Avonmouth. ASTORIA is not part of the auction as plans were already in place for when she was due to leave the fleet in October 2020.
Deadlines of between October 8 and 22 have been set for bids to be lodged with the broker CW Kellock & Co. Each vessel will be sold separate, although no indication of values have been disclosed.
VASCO DA GAMA – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 8th October 2020
COLUMBUS – Bid deadline: Midday Monday 12th October 2020
MAGELLAN – Bid deadline: Midday Monday 19th October 2020
ASTOR – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 15th October 2020
MARCO POLO – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 22nd October 2020
Source: Cruise Capital
October 2020: Purchased at auction by Mystic Invest Holdings for $10,187,000, a Portuguese company.
November 21st 2020: Sailed from Tilbury showing destination as Lisbon.
© Paul Jolliffe (Left) and Nigel Scutt (Right) courtesy of Dover Strait Shipping
November 25th 2020: Arrived in Lisbon.
January 2021: Docked at Lisnave Shipyards in Portugal. During her stay the ship underwent extensive changes and design upgrades to the public spaces as well as the cabins and suites. In addition, the ship technology has been optimized.
July 12th 2021: Refit completed, and operating under the Nicko Cruises banner, she was expected in Kiel.
© Marcel & Ruud Coster (Ijmuiden, 08/07/2021)
July 13th 2021: Maiden voyage from Kiel to Denmark, Sweden and Tallinn.
September 27th 2021: Due at Dover. (Cancelled)
February 24th 2022: Her itinerary was cancelled, mid- voyage, owing to a large number of crew testing positive to COVID-19. “Because of the high number of crew members in quarantine and the isolation of their close contacts, the ship could offer only limited service in some areas” Nicko Cruises’ statement said.
March 2022: Resumed sailings.
© Marcel & Ruud Coster (Ijmuiden, 25 – 26/05/2022)
August 21st 2022: Called at Dover.
Dover, 21/08/2022 © as indicated courtesy of Dover Strait Shipping
July 1st 2024: Called at Dover.
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Marcel & Ruud Coster, Carsten Dettmer, Brian Fisher, Mike Jackson, Tony Martin, Nigel Scutt and Paul Jolliffe (Dover Strait Shipping), Fabian Vornholt and John Wilson for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
