Marco Polo – still going strong at 50

On Monday I was given the opportunity to spend a night sailing from Tilbury to Amsterdam on the Cruise & Martitime ship MS Marco Polo. The ship was setting sail for her 42 night voyage to the Amazon and West Indies and was full to capacity.

I didn’t know to much about this ship other than she is a bit older than most of the mainstream cruise ships.

MS Marco Polo is celebrating 50 years in operation and still has plenty of more life in her yet and has quite a history behind her originally offering passage across the Atlantic back when she was owned by the Baltic Shipping Company.

Now for the nitty gritty and why you would or wouldn’t choose a ship like MS Marco Polo.

As an older ship, she is small, just taking a maximum of 820 passengers with a tonnage of 22,000. This gives her the advantage of cruising in more unique areas such as the Amazon which she has done year after year. You receive a more personal service and don’t feel like you are spending half your time on board getting from one part of the ship to another. However, because of her age she is not mobility friendly. Wheelchairs cannot be used on-board due to the large steps in the cabin and also because of the stairwells and floor lips. Those on-board that I noticed with walking difficulties and using an aide did seem fine, but Cruise & Maritime do advise that you should have someone with you for assistance for certain areas.

The cabins are spacious for a ship of her age and although the decor was very dated (think 1970’s) they was extremely comfortable. TV and en-suite as standard with large wardrobes and plenty of drawer space. We was in an ocean view on deck 7 and had a picture window. The bathroom would be a challenge if you do have mobility issues as there is a large step into the bathroom, but the shower was very good and complimentary toiletries provided. My one issue was the hairdryer, although the cabin has one it is very dated and I would recommend to take your own as you could be there for a week waiting for your hair to be dried!

She has two main areas to dine, the Waldorf Restaurant for set dining in the evenings but is open for both breakfast and lunch. Then Marco’s Bistro which is the buffet dining again for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was fantastic with plenty of choice for the main dining and breakfast was an array of choice also with omelettes prepared for you by the one and only ‘lovely jubbly’ and really tasty sausages.

There are 5 bars on-board, Scott’s bar which has live entertainment in the evening after the show if you fancy a boogie and a late drink. Columbus Lounge, Captain’s Club , pool bar and also Marco Polo Lounge where the evening shows are held. All these areas surprised me with how stylish they seemed compared to the cabin interior. But as regular cruisers know, you don’t spend that much time in your cabin anyway.

We experienced a taster of what the entertainment has to offer and they do offer a great variety of shows that us Brits will love from show girls to ABBA and live singing.

There is just one swimming pool, although not massive it is big enough to have a swim and is very deep. On the upper deck you have 3 whirlpools which are open even in the winter and although to cold for me to try on our taster cruise, the water was like a warm bath.

There is a small library on board, spa and well equipped gym, an internet area and plenty of outdoor space to sit and lounge.

I was really impressed and surprised how much I actually like her and I would quiet happily sail on her again.

The great thing about the itineraries Cruise & Maritime offer, is that they can be quite unique. They know the market they are attracting and have a lot of repeat guests. They also sail from various UK ports giving lots of options and although they have acquired older ships, these ships are built to last and sail across oceans. They visit some more unusual ports of call and can offer great value for money. My main bonus is they also offer that ‘true’ cruise feel.

So if you want to experience one of the Cruise & Maritime ships and itineraries, then contact me for more information.

Dawn

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