MS Marco Polo

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Marco Polo
Status: In Service
Entered Service: 1965 as Alexandr Pushkin; in 1983 as Marco Polo
Tonnage: 22,080 gross tons
Length: 578 feet
Beam: 77 feet
Draft: 27 feet
Cruising Speed: 19.5 kn
Decks: 8
Complement: 826 passengers; 350 crew
Registry: Bahamas

Marco Polo is a cruise ship operated by Orient Lines.

Marco Polo
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Marco Polo

Contents

[edit] History

The Marco Polo was constructed at V.E.B. Mathias-Thesen Werft Shipyard in East Germany and she entered service in 1965 with the Baltic Shipping Company to inaugurate their regular trans-Atlantic service between Montreal and Lenningrad. To navigate through broken ice, she was constructed with greater hull strength and stability than are usual in passenger ships of this size. Possible use as a troopship is credited as the reason behind her large provision and stores areas, which support a cruising range of over 10,000 nautical miles. She was rebuilt in 1991-1993, under the supervision of Knud Hansen, naval architects, and A&M Katzourakis, ship designer.[1] [1]

[edit] Vessel Class

Marco Polo is the only ship of this particular design.

[edit] Amenities

  • Swimming Pool, 3 Jacuzzis
  • Ambassador Lounge - Showroom with stage, piano, dance floor, full bar
  • Polo Lounge - Piano bar
  • The Charleston Club - Panoramic aft-deck lounge, dance floor, full bar, grand piano
  • Raffles - Bistro-style restaurant, double buffet, outdoor barbecue grill area
  • Seven Seas Restaurant - Main dining room
  • Palm Court - Airy, colonial-style enclave
  • Le Bar - Intimate lounge adjacent to casino with full bar
  • Library
  • Card Room
  • Aerobics Studio
  • Casino
  • Salon, Boutiques, Health Club, Internet Cafe
  • Helipad - located on the ship's top deck

[edit] Current Cruises

Marco Polo sails unique itineraries worldwide to ports that larger ships do not generally serve. She is well known for her yearly voyages to Antartica. Her two high-speed launches and eight inflatable Zodiac landing craft are uniquely suited for Marco Polo's destinations.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Carson, J: "Marco Polo: History.", Sealetter Cruise Magazine, 1997