Ocean Victory Heads Into Layup in Madeira’s Funchal Port

SunStone Ships’ expedition vessel, Ocean Victory, has entered an extended layup at the Port of Funchal on Madeira Island, Portugal, where it is expected to remain for several weeks before redeployment.

The 8,000-ton cruise ship arrived in Funchal on July 3, 2025, as reported by JM Madeira, which cited information from the local Clube de Entusiastas de Navios. This marks the first time such a layup operation has taken place on Madeira Island, the publication noted.

The Ocean Victory has been inactive since the recent shutdown of Alma Cruceros, and Madeira will serve as its temporary berth until its next scheduled operations begin.

According to current deployment plans, the vessel is expected to return to service later in the year with Albatros Expeditions, offering Antarctic and South Georgia voyages departing from Ushuaia, Argentina.

Part of SunStone’s Infinity-class series, the Ocean Victory was built in China and made its debut in 2021. The ship was designed for luxury expedition cruising and initially operated under charter to both Albatros Expeditions and American Queen Voyages (AQV).

After AQV exited the market, the ship was then leased to Alma Cruceros for summer sailings beginning in 2025. However, Alma managed to operate only two voyages before suspending operations and placing the vessel in layup.

Following its short debut for Alma in late April, the 186-guest ship was detained in Málaga, then later moved to Gibraltar before heading to its current layup in Madeira.

Originally, Ocean Victory’s itineraries under Alma were meant to include luxury coastal cruises around Spain, sailing from Málaga, Tarragona, and Barcelona, along with international stops in Corsica and Sardinia.