Unlucky Van Gogh impounded

The woes of the Van Gogh continue. A week after the Van Gogh Cruise Line was refused Lloyds insurance bonding pending an appeal, it has been kept in Funchal as the result of a commercial dispute with the previous charter company, Travelscope, which went into liquidation last year.

Now hundreds of holidaymakers are stranded in Madeira and port authorities have said they are waiting for a court ruling before allowing the ship to return to the UK.

The holidaymakers booked the cruise through Travelscope but when the tour operator went into administration in December last year ABTA arranged for the trip to go ahead on the Dutch-owned MV Van Gogh. But the newly formed Van Gogh Cruise Line says that Travelscope's administrators are behind the detention. Lawyers are arguing for the release of the vessel.