My cruise on Marco Polo

I recently cruised on the Marco Polo which is now part of the Cruise & Maritime fleet.
This was my 3rd cruise on this ship but my previous cruises were a long time ago when it was part of Orient Lines.
This was a Christmas conference cruise and most of cruise.co.uk attended. We are very lucky to have a mini cruise every year and as most of us are homeworkers it’s a great opportunity to meet up with our work colleagues and let our hair down for a few days.
This time the cruise was from Bristol Avonmouth for 3 nights and the ship stayed in port overnight in Dublin. Cruiseco were very generous in organising a private party for us in a bar in Temple Bar and even provided drinks vouchers so a great night was had by all.

Unfortunately the 2 nights spent on board were very rough seas and this is a small ship so I spent both nights in bed. It seems half of us were fine and out partying while the other half were suffering with sea sickness in our cabins.
The Marco Polo is a nice ship and our cabin was very comfortable. We did have a premium outside cabin though which was very spacious but the standard insides and outsides are small.

There are lots of high steps everywhere on this ship and I was surprised by how big the step into the bathroom was so people with mobility issues may find this difficult. Our cabin steward was very friendly and efficient.
I did however find some of the bar and restaurant staff a little abrupt compared to other cruise lines.
The food was nice and there was a good menu choice in the evenings. We had the premium drinks package which included a wide range of drinks including spirits, cocktails and even shots but only 1 choice of draught beer. Bottled beer was charged extra at a discounted rate.
I do like the atmosphere on small ships , it seems much more friendly and the public areas seem busier because everyone meets in the same places.

I wouldn’t take my children on the Marco Polo but I would go again for a short break cruise but maybe not in the Irish sea in December !!