Since last November, the port of Lisbon hosts the World Explorer, World Voyager ships, built at the Viana do Castelo shipyard, and Vasco da Gama, a ship launched in 1993, which recently joined the fleet of Mystic Cruises, the only Portuguese oceanic cruise ship operator.
The shipowner chose the port of Lisbon for the layup of cruise ships while waits for the resuming of cruise activity, working on the planning of the next season 2021, with an uncertain start yet.
After a brief stay in Lisbon, the cruise ship Vasco da Gama went to the Lisnave Shipyards, in Setúbal, where she will be refurbished and modernized to meet the requirements of the Mystic Cruises Operator. Like the other vessels in the fleet, this one will also sail under the Portuguese flag, and will be the largest cruise ship in the Portuguese flag register, with 219 meters in length, 600 cabins, and capacity for approximately 1,000 passengers and 550 crew members. Since 2018, the ship was owned by Cruise & Maritime Voyages Operator who baptized her with the current name, in a clear reference to the Portuguese navigator.
The layup of these ships in national ports represents an important contribution to our economy, especially when several activities related to the Economy of the Sea are articulated, such as shipbuilding and repair in Portuguese shipyards, ship services, various supplies, services provided by the Port Authority, other port authorities and companies operating in the port's business sector.