Tanker with tug boat pushing into its position in the dock.

Carrying no more than 550 passengers, Funchal is a classic cruise liner with an elegant profile and charming interiors. It has a fascinating and proud maritime heritage, having served as a Portuguese presidential yacht for state visits. Funchal was also once owned by one of the wealthiest families in the Azores. The ship provides a relaxing and informal style of cruising suited to discerning clients looking for good old-fashioned service standards and a more traditional maritime experience.Funchal is a small to medium sized cruise ship by today's standards but has a wide selection of well-appointed public lounges and comfortable cabin accommodation spanning six passenger decks.

Launched in 2001, Sea Cloud II is a stunning vessel, built along traditional lines, but offering deluxe accommodation. Built to accommodate 96 passengers in five star luxury, she offers a range of beautifully appointed suites and cabins which are furnished with great style. All accommodations have outside views and the bathrooms, in light marble, are unusually spacious and extremely comfortable. The finest, carefully chosen fabrics, combined with leather, rattan and other materials, brass and gold, precious woods and marble together create an impressive ensemble.

Clipper Adventurer is a small handsome ship that has an ice strengthened hull with stabilisers and features a warm decor with lots of wood and brass. The public areas are limited with one main lounge for lectures.  Clipper Adventurer passengers tend to be 40+ and mainly American. When all cabins have double occupancy, the ship provides a space ratio of 47.1 tons per passenger and a crew to passenger ratio of one for every 1.5 passengers. At full capacity the space ratio is 47.1 tons per passenger and the crew ratio is one to 1.5 passengers.

It's extraordinary to think this elegant ship slid into the dark waters of the Tyne at her launch from Swan Hunter's Wallsend yard more than 30 years ago. Built for Norwegian America Line as Vistafjord in 1973, the sister-ship to French-constructed Sagafjord, she kept her name through ownership changes until 1999, when Cunard transformed her into Caronia. She changed hands, and name, last year when Saga bought her and embarked on a £17million refit, completed this spring, before she set sail as Saga Ruby to share the holiday company's cruising itineraries with her sibling: Saga also owns the Sagafjord, now Saga Rose.

Launched in 2001, Sea Cloud II is a stunning vessel, built along traditional lines, but offering deluxe accommodation. Built to accommodate 96 passengers in five star luxury, she offers a range of beautifully appointed suites and cabins which are furnished with great style. All accommodations have outside views and the bathrooms, in light marble, are unusually spacious and extremely comfortable. The finest, carefully chosen fabrics, combined with leather, rattan and other materials, brass and gold, precious woods and marble together create an impressive ensemble.