CMV Marco Polo Ship Review

marco polo cruise ship

One of the oldest cruise ships in the world has been designated to be scrapped. A storied history of more than 55 years sailing the world’s oceans comes to a sad end as the former Cruise and Maritime Voyages liner MS Marco Polo sets a course to the shipbreaking yard in Alang, India. Her fully enclosed promenade was greatly appreciated by her passengers on the always stormy North Atlantic. She divided her time between cruising out of Europe in spring time, then North Atlantic liner service and starting late summer, cruising from Canada, and in the Caribbean before returning to Europe. In 1975 already, Alexandr Pushkin was refitted quite extensively, with the accent being to make her more suitable for cruising.

Marco Polo A wide range of facilities

Now, there were cabins for all passengers, as before she could carry 500 passengers without cabins. Inside cabins were added and her superstructure  was extended forward so more public spaces could be created, most important her main lounge was extended forward and now featured a balcony, thus becoming a “grand ballroom’. For CMV Marco Polo cruise passengers with disabilities, there are only 2 accessible cabins equipped for passengers with mobility limitations plus their travel companions. Both staterooms are on Amundsen Deck 9 (numbers 655-aft and 631-forward). Founded in 2009, the cruise line has already carried more than 80,000 passengers and built its reputation with an emphasis on child-free cruising for older travelers, friendly service, good value, and a traditional British ambience.

Decks and Cabins

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Roundtrip airport transfers are included when air is purchased with a cruise or cruisetour package; if air is not purchased from Viking, transfers may be purchased separately. All transfers must be in conjunction with a Viking-purchased cruise, cruisetour, land extension or extra hotel nights. Viking reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. The cruise ship fuel surcharge is additional revenue to Viking Cruises, as are any additional charges relating to currency fluctuation other than for fully paid cruise fares and full fares, which fluctuations are beyond our control.

Service as Aleksandr Pushkin

More modest cabins have either a twin or double bed, mirrored dressing table in honey-colored wood, closet, shower, and hair dryer. The water from the taps in all cabins is chlorinated but nonpotable, and bottled water is available in rooms or from any of the ship’s bars at extra cost. All cabins have both 110v and 220v current and have electrical sockets to allow small appliances such as electric shavers and curling irons. L Bring a European two-pin adapter to use your dual-voltage appliances.

marco polo cruise ship

There was plenty of seating, and usually someone playing piano whilst you relaxed and watched the ocean go by. For a ship of her size we were pleasantly surprised how many bars and lounges the MS Marco Polo had to offer. The cabin was set up with two single beds with a chest of draws in between. The third bed was a wall mounted pullman bed on the righthand side of the cabin.

Why Viking

Subsequently, in June of last year, reports surfaced that the company could not repatriate crew members, pay salaries, and pay bills. The company went into administration on July 20, 2020, and cruise ships went up for auction. In all the ship undertook nearly 40 such voyages between 1967 and 1971.

Ships

Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. The swimming pool is located on the main lido deck outside the buffet. Unfortunately the pool was closed for our sailing, I asked several staff members why but no-one was able to say. When walking onto most modern cruise ships you end up thinking “Wow, this is insane”, with the Marco Polo we ended up thinking “Wow, this is what a working boat feels like”.

Single cabins

MS Marco Polo has a classic profile, traditional dark hull and teak decks. Marco Polo refits have kept accommodation, public rooms, guests' facilities, and navigational technology up to date. The compact size of the vessel helps access smaller ports, in which bigger vessels do not venture. In 2008 Marco Polo was sold to Global Maritime who immediately chartered her out to German Transocean Tours. This lasted only for two years, as from 2010 onwards she  was chartered  to CMV Cruises who planned to operate her for five years, but she has proven to be so popular that she has been retained in the CMV fleet ever since. She is targeted to budget-minded well-travelled people being in their fifties and older, and she is an adult only ship.

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Photos of CMV Marco Polo

Marco Polo stands out being on of the few ships that do not carry thousands of passengers and her intimate atmosphere attract a loyal following. It is unbelievable, but she is still sailing with her original Sulzer machinery and she has covered an incredible distance with them. Her cabins were fitted with  a third tap, a seawater tap, besides the ones for hot and cold water, a feature that has long been abandoned in modern passenger ships. Alexandr Pushkin’s career as flagship of the Baltic Shipping Company started with some cruises before she switched to North Atlantic liner service. This would usually include Leningrad (her homeport), Helsinki, , Copenhagen, Tilbury, Le Havre and Montreal.

If getting onboard pronto is important to you, consider an upgrade to a Junior Suite. You'll get priority embarkation at departure ports, plus 'At Your Leisure' disembarkation. It's a great idea for an extra-special trip, as you'll also receive a welcome bottle of Champagne, along with fresh flowers on arrival. Hair dryers are provided in the cabins, but some passengers prefer to have their own high-powered dryers or hair straighteners.

At the time of booking we secured a three person outside view cabin for £59 per person, for the one night. MS Marco Polo is a truly unique boat amongst the modern mega-ships that cruise the oceans today, but can she keep up with what guests expect in 2019? MS Marco Polo single cabins are staterooms that can be booked with single-occupancy rates (no single supplement required).

Orient lines was later bought by NCL who in turn were bought by Star Cruises. The three hot tubs were a welcome addition, they’re two decks up from the main lido deck. These were very crowded during our sailing, I imagine partly because the main pool was closed.

Marco Polo was refurbished in November 2014 at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (shipyard in Vlissingen Holland). The work was done by Damen (ship-repair and vessel conversion company). Drydock 2014 featured an extensive survey and regular maintenance works - hull washing-painting, lifeboats maintenance-recertification, valves overhaul, gangway platforms repair. There was hope she would sail for Offshore Solutions Unlimited but sadly since been removed from their web site and beached. Four other former CMV vessels were also put up for auction and have now been sold to another line or for scrap. Usually, in these cases, a ship that’s set to be scrapped will remain just off the coast for up to several days to prepare for a safe beaching.

The around the world voyage on Marco Polo was a 110-night itinerary roundtrip from Bristol. Early booking prices started from GBP 12,000 per person (double occupancy rates). Fun fact is that this vessel has a namesake - the 2012-launched "CMA CGM Marco Polo". The vessel is among the world's largest container ships (capacity 16,020 containers) and operated by CMA-CGM Line.

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