CMV Vasco da Gama-Nicko

The 1993-built Vasco da Gama cruise ship was launched as "MS Statendam" (for Holland America Line) and before CMV UK (Cruise and Maritime Voyages) was operated (as "Pacific Eden") by P&O Australia in the period 2015-2019. The sisterships are MS Ryndam (now Celestyal Journey) and Pacific Explorer (ex Dawn Princess).

For CMV, the vessel (IMO 8919245) was Bahamas-flagged (MMSI number 234890000) and registered in Nassau. For Nicko Cruises (fleet), Vasco da Gama was reflagged to Portugal/Madeira (MMSI 255806445) and registered in Funchal Madeira.

Currently, the ship is owned by Mystic Invest (via the subsidiary Mystic Cruises) and operated by Nicko Cruises (fleet) via Schiffsreisen GmbH.

History - construction and ownership

On March 7, 2018, the UK-based CMV announced the purchase of MS Pacific Eden from P&O Australia. The ship (renamed "Vasco da Gama") was operated by CMV via the subsidiary Transocean Tours (maiden voyage on April 23, 2019). The official christening ceremony was held in Port Bremerhaven Germany.

The vessel was CMV's largest. The name "MS Vasco da Gama" was announced on March 21, 2018. Among the proposed ship names were Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco da Gama, Pytheas, Henry Hudson. The short drydock refurbishment in Singapore (April 2019) included mainly livery change and rebranding. Then the boat was repositioned through Suez Canal for an Inaugural season in Northern Europe (May-October).

With its newest ship CMV targeted mainly the German and Australasian markets. During summer 2019 (May through October), the boat was operated by "TransOcean Kreuzfahrten" (CMV's German brand) and homeported in Bremerhaven and Kiel. During winter 2020 (December through March) the boat was operated by CMV and deployed in Australia (homeported in Fremantle-Perth and Adelaide).

On July 20, 2020, the CMV's parent company SQTL (South Quay Travel & Leisure Ltd) was placed into administration / filed for bankruptcy. The UK-based company traded as "Cruise and Maritime Voyages" (trademarked brand). In June, SQTL-CMV entered into emergency talks with potential investors and lenders. Unfortunately, the company's efforts to secure funding and stay afloat during the Coronavirus crisis failed.

All CMV ships were placed on the secondhand market and open for sale. In October was planned the vessels to be auctioned via the London UK-based company CW Kellock & Co Ltd (Ship Auctioneers, Brokers and Valuers). Biddings (deadline in brackets) opened for Vasco Da Gama (Oct 8), Columbus (Oct 12), Astor (Oct 15), Magellan (Oct 19) and Marco Polo (Oct 22).

• (October 8) The 27-year-old CMV Vasco Da Gama was sold to Mystic Invest Holding (Portugal) for USD 10,187 million.
• (October 12) The 31-year-old CMV Columbus was sold to Seajets Ferries Greece for USD 5,321 million.
• (October 15) The 33-year-old CMV Astor was sold to an undisclosed buyer (sales price USD 1,71 million) who intends to resell it for scrap metal.
• (October 19) The 35-year-old CMV Magellan was sold to Seajets Ferries Greece for USD 3,431 million.
• (October 22) The 55-year-old CMV Marco Polo was sold to an undisclosed buyer/private investors (sales price USD 2,77 million) who first offered the vessel for charter (cruiser or hotel ship) but in December sold it for scrap metal to Alang Shipbreaking India.

On November 21, 2020, CMV Vasco da Gama left London-Tilbury en route to Lisbon Portugal, where arrived and docked on November 25. In December-January, the ship remained docked at Port Setubal (Trem Naval docks).

In mid-January 2021, Vasco da Gama's new shipowner announced that the vessel will remain operational (used for passenger shipping under Mystic's brand "Nicko Cruises") to serve predominantly the British and German source markets.

Nicko's Vasco da Gama cruises were open for booking in January 2021.

Decks and Cabins

Vasco da Gama staterooms (a total of 630) are well-appointed, spacious and in 21 cabin categories - graded according to deck position and size. Cabin sizes range from 175 ft2 (16 m2) for a Standard Inside up to 1095 ft2 (102 m2) for a Royal Penthouse Suite. Staterooms' average size is 200 ft2 (19 m2).

The cruise ship has 120x Balcony Cabins (categories Superior and Premium) as well as 29x Deluxe Balcony Suites (including 1x Royal Penthouse). The majority of twin-bedded staterooms convert to double-bed cabins. A limited number of cabins (category 10) are with interconnecting doors and are suitable for families and groups, providing sleeping capacity for up to 7 people.

All passenger staterooms are air-conditioned and equipped with smart HDTV, radio, direct-dial phone, electronic safe box (in the closet), en-suite bathrooms.

The boat has 13 decks, of which 11 are passenger-accessible and 5 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Vasco da Gama has three MDRs/Main Dining Rooms - Waterfront Fusion/Eurasia, Waterfront Mediterranean, and Waterfront Restaurant. Onboard dining is flexible (without fixed sittings) allowing passengers to dine where and when they want. All meals are included in the cruise fare - breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, 5-course dinner, even late-night snacks.

The ship also has two specialty restaurants (at a fee per person) - Chef's Table, and The Grill. Another option is the casual Club Bistro (complimentary Lido Buffet restaurant).

Main courses range from seafood, rack of lamb, escalope of veal, beef medallions, chicken chasseur, Asian stir-fries, Italian pasta, traditional roasts - all available for guests to savor. Vegetarian meals are available to tantalize taste buds, featured on every menu together with health-conscious dishes. Light salads to refresh are offered before you finish meals - fresh fruits, international cheese platter, delicious desserts. Red and white wines are served with the meals at extra cost. In all bars is offered draught beer.

The Wine Bar (Cellar Door) is a boutique winery with a large selection of wines. Cellar Door offers daily wine tastings and classes, and premium wines available for purchasing and pre-ordering for dinner.

Follows the complete list of Vasco da Gama restaurants and food bars.

• MDRs (Waterfront Eurasia, Waterfront Mediterranean, and Waterfront Restaurant). The Waterfront Restaurant is the main dining room which operates with open-seating and a la carte menus (Your Choice Dining) for breakfast and lunch and offers a 4-course dinner menu. Part of the Waterfront Restaurant is the Wine Room. It serves the CMV's "Chef's Table" dinner package.
• The Grill
• Club Bistro (buffet).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The 3-deck Atrium is the ship's focal point houseing the Reception Desk, Shore Excursions Office, Cruise management Office, Shopping Galleria (duty-free shops and boutiques), Photo Gallery. Elsewhere onboard, guests will find a Casino/Sports Lounge, Auditorium/Cinema, Card Room, two Conference Rooms, Library, Neptune's Lounge (former Life Photo Studio), Gelato's (ice cream bar), Cappuccino's (specialty coffee shop).

At Hollywood's (2-tiered show lounge) guests may enjoy "big show" entertainment from the resident singers and dancers or one of the special guest acts.

The Dome, with its panoramic seascapes, is a relaxing venue to watch the sea or chat with fellow passengers. In the evenings, The Dome turns into a disco nightclub.

The Blue Room is the perfect venue to enjoy live musical entertainment.

In December 2022, Nicko Cruises officially inaugurated Neptune’s Lounge (deck 10 midship) replacing the old Life Photo Studio. The bar lounge is an indoor venue (positioned in the area between the Balcony Suites) and is exclusive, allowing access to Suite passengers only. The new venue has a large TV and offers a wide range of complimentary beverages (soft drinks, fresh juices, wine by the glass, brand teas and coffees), light snacks and gourmet delicacies (all at no cost for the Suite occupants) like fresh-baked croissants, sandwiches, desserts, fruits. Newspapers and magazines are also provided.

Vasco da Gama features extensive sundeck areas along with starboard and portside Promenades (wraparound). There are two swimming pools (Oasis Pool for adults/Deck 10, and Main Pool/Deck 11), with the Main Pool covered by a retractable glass roof. The spacious sundeck on Deck 11 features a large swimming pool, 1 Jacuzzi/whirlpool, 2 hot tubs, Giant Chessboard, tennis tables, sunbathing areas fitted with padded chaise lounges, deckchairs, daybeds. This is also the place for the open-air deck parties held in the evenings.

Two sports courts (Tennis and Basketball) are also available. The well-appointed Wellness Center includes modern Gym and Spa facilities, Barger Shop, Hair and Beauty Salon, Aerobics Studio (for classes), Day Spa (massage rooms), Thermal Suites (saunas, aromatic steam rooms, Jacuzzi, heated benches, changing rooms, warm air room, monsoon rain showers).

Onboard entertainment program is based on live shows (at the Theater), guest speakers and entertainers (magicians, stand-up comedians, musicians), arts-craft specialists, trivia games. A photographic expert assists passengers in improving their photo-video skills. Evening entertainment consists of stylish grand-scale productions, cabarets, classical concerts, guest acts. During sea days, the ship's entertainment team arranges activities like morning quizzes or afternoon dance classes.

Children under 16 years old travel for free when are accommodated in additional beds (upper bunk/Pullman bed of sofabed) and accompanied by two full-paying adults. A 50% discount is offered for children (under 16) traveling with one full-paying adult.

Single supplement (for a two-bed cabin booked with single occupancy/categories 15 and 16) is 15%.

Nicko Itineraries

For Mystic Invest, the 2020-acquired cruise ship is operated by the Holding's German subsidiary and travel brand Nicko Cruises.

Nicko's Vasco Da Gama inaugural cruise season 2021-2022 (September 2021 through October 2022) included a total of 32 departure dates and 17 different itineraries. Signature destinations included Northern Europe/Baltic, Mediterranean, Western Europe/Atlantic Coast, Canary Islands (Spain), Madeira and Azores Islands (Portugal), North Africa (Morocco), Cape Verde Islands.

Vasco da Gama's first Around the World Voyage for Nicko was a roundtrip from Lisbon. The 181-day global itinerary (October 10, 2023, through April 8, 2024) visited destinations in Africa (Morocco, Cape Verde, St Helena UK, Namibia, South Africa), the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka), East Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Philippines), the South Pacific Ocean (Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Cook Islands NZ, French Polynesia), as well as ports in Central America/Caribbean. You can see the itinerary in the ship's Wiki section.

CMV Itineraries

CMV Vasco da Gama cruise itinerary program started with the "inaugural cruise" from Singapore to Amsterdam Holland (April 23, 2019). The 46-day repositioning (via Suez Canal) visited ports in Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal. The repositioning cruise was also offered as a 45-day itinerary to Tilbury-London UK.

From Amsterdam and London, the new CMV ship offered a World Cruise (through Panama Canal) to ports in the Caribbean, Mexico, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Australia. On October 9, 2019, from London-Tilbury started the 53-day southbound repositioning cruise to Sydney NSW (arriving December 1). In Australia, the liner was homeported in Adelaide, Fremantle, Sydney, and also in Auckland NZ. From Singapore was offered the 14-day "Treasures of Southeast Asia" itinerary (to Borneo, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam) that was combinable into B2B (26-day "Tropical Escape" itinerary) out of Fremantle.

The 71-day World Cruise from Fremantle to London-Tilbury departed on February 12, 2020. In Europe, CMV Vasco da Gama was operated by shipowner's German brand "Transocean Kreuzfahrten" and homeported in Kiel and Bremerhaven.

Note: For more inaugural cruise itinerary details and the canceled 2020-2021 CMV Vasco da Gama program see at the ship's Wiki section.