On 27th September the 20,216gt/1971 built Discovery, operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, departed from Avonmouth on her final cruise for CMV. In March 2013 CMV were the first company for 20 years to begin turnaround cruises from the port.

In 2015 the 16,144gt/1948 built traditional style cruise ship Azores will begin her programme from Bristol on 26th January replacing the Discovery. CMV has 11 cruise departures scheduled from Bristol plus additional cruises from Hull and Tilbury. The Discovery returned on 6th October and the remaining 2014 itineraries were operated by the 9,563gt/1961 built classic cruise ship Funchal with the second cruise ending in the Funchal’s homeport of Lisbon. After de-storing the Discovery bid farewell to Avonmouth on 9th October bound for Gibraltar with a call at Falmouth en route.

Reports suggest that she will then be handed over to a new owner. The required work on the ship made her unviable for CMV with the most likely options for her immediate future being either as a pilgrim ship (or similar) or destined for a scrap merchant. The former Island Princess served Princess Cruises for much of her life with her sister ship Pacific Princess being sent to Aliaga in Turkey for scrapping on 27th July 2013 as the Acif. Made famous by the “Love Boat” series, she had languished in Genoa as the Pacific for Quail Cruises for some time.