Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ (CMV) ship Vasco da Gama is due to arrive in London Tilbury today at 07.00hrs at the end of her return voyage to the UK with no passengers on board.

The ship was sailing on a Northbound Voyage to the UK, which sailed from Fremantle, Australia on 12 February when CMV announced the suspension of cruise operations on 13 March due to the global outbreak of Covid-19.

Vasco da Gama sailed from Phuket, Thailand, on 18 March to repatriate 798 Australian passengers and 108 New Zealand passengers, to Fremantle, Australia, before sailing on a 6,098 nautical mile voyage back to the UK on 30 March.

CMV has recorded no Covid-19 coronavirus cases among passengers or crew on board Vasco da Gama or any other ship within the CMV fleet.

There are 552 crew members on board, eight of whom are British. The voyage included a technical call for fuel Cape Town, South Africa on 13 April before sailing to the London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury.

CMV crew who are not the eight British nationals will remain on board while quarantine measures remain in place.

CEO at Cruise & Maritime Voyages, Christian Verhounig, said: “We are tremendously proud of our onboard and shoreside teams for their fantastic job with the repatriation voyages and the return of Vasco da Gama to the UK.

“On behalf of the directors, staff and especially our hard-working crew, CMV would like to thank all of our passengers for their support, patience and understanding at this time.”

Vasco da Gama is the final CMV ship to return to her home port.

CMV’s Columbus ship arrived back in London Tilbury on 14 April following a month-long repatriation voyage from Phuket, Thailand, on 18 March.

Visit cruiseandmaritime.com for more information.