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MARCO POLO -ex- ALEKSANDR PUSHKIN

21K views 48 replies 31 participants last post by  shiploversa 
#1 ·
MARCO POLO -ex- ALEKSANDR PUSHKIN
Built 1965 at Wismar 22,080tns seen here at Tallinn 2001.
I can remember watching her go up and down the Thames to Tilbury whilst doing my time at N.S.T.S. Gravesend as the ALEKSANDR PUSHKIN.
photo courtesy of P.W.Hobday.
 

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#7 · (Edited)
Patricia and I made an 8-day cruise on the Marco Polo last month, 10th - 18th of October. Barcelona-Marseille-Portofino-Civitavecchia (Rome)-Sorrento-day at sea-Santorini-Athens. The captain(Goran Blomqvist) and most of his officers are Swedish, virtually all the passenger-caring staff are Filipino and very nice, helpful and charming. In an unplanned encounter in the lounge the Captain told me that indeed the Marco Polo is of Russian origin, was laid up in Singapore in the 1980's, then refitted in the late 1990's and now sails for Orient Lines but is rented out to Norwegian Cruise Lines. Pat and I booked our cruise via NCL...
 
#11 ·
now sails for Orient Lines but is rented out to Norwegian Cruise Lines. Pat and I booked our cruise via NCL...
As far as I know, Orient Lines is owned by NCL.

I could visit the MARCO POLO when she was in Amsterdam on 30 August.
I have booked the repositioning cruise 17 - 29 June 2007, Barcelona - Dover.

Photos of my visit can be seen via my website.
 
#8 ·
I also was a passenger on the Marco Polo several years ago. On a far east voyage (I wanted to find out what being at sea was like from a passengers perspective) I can highly recommend the Marco Polo, very good accommodation, excellent food, service, entertainment.. infact everything.
Got good pictures of an active Krakatoa, we were in close enough that the ship got quite covered in ash.

Mike
 
#9 ·
Took a copy of the foregoing down to my Bowling Club to show three who have done cruises on Marco Polo,mainly to show she was a sister ship to Michail Lemontov.One had done two cruises & all said it was great value & when finances permit would go again.They reckoned it was really great. Kiwi
 
#12 · (Edited)
Ahoy,
You can also post them here, instead linking to your website,I suppose they should be more watched here with 9000+ members.
Btw you could also link SN at your site thread to maritime links, just a question of politeness.
 
#14 ·
I piloted MARCO POLO through the Great Barrier Reef quite a few times around 1998 - 2000. A very comfortable ship but she had one problem. When she was re-engined from steam turbine to diesel the same props were retained. Thus, at dead slow ahead both engines she would make 11 knots. You could use only one engine for 9 knots but you had to use 20 degrees of rudder to keep her moving on a steady course! Exciting and character building all in one go!
regards
reefpilot
 
#15 ·
I got a visit on board her when she made her maiden arrival in Durban in Dec 93 and there was still quite a lot of work being done on board at the time. She is a wonderful oldie and she had an amazing crew, I recall the chief engineer beaming with pride in his engine room. I would love to do a voyage on her but she only calls here passing through and is way out of mny price range. I did hear that NCL is looking at getting rid of the Orient Lines brand but wont sell off just the ship. I have some pics of her somewhere, maybe I will post a few while I am in the area.
 
#20 ·
Hi,

in 2008 Marco Polo will be chartered by the german Transoceoan tours (Astor and Astoria) until 2011. It is very interesting for me because they will offer cuises to the arctic and antarctic countries.

Does any one know are there two dinner sessions or can all passangers eat at the same time as I know it from maxim gorkiy?

Tina
 
#21 ·
Hi,


Does any one know are there two dinner sessions or can all passangers eat at the same time as I know it from maxim gorkiy?

Tina
Tina,

When Marco Polo is fully booked, there are two seatings.
First seating is at 18.00 hrs.
On the Arctic and/or Antarctic, when the ship is not full, they might combine into one seating.
 
#22 ·
Marco Polo ex Alexsandr Pushkin

A picture of the original vessel from the cover of the Deck Plan booklet. I travelled on her once overnight from Le Havre to Tilbury and a couple of times on the Mikhail Lermontov from Cobh to Tilbury when they were doing the trans-Atlantic crossings. Sailing under the Hammer & Sickle then of course and with an all-Soviet crew I seem to remember, which was quite interesting at the time.

Best wishes,
Glyn
 

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#24 ·
On board DFDS' England in August 1981, I remember we ran the four hours up to Oslo from Færder parallel with the Pushkin. She was a stylish Russian in those days. We arrived at 2 pm, she berthing under Akershus Castle and we round the corner at Vippetangen where the Copenhagen ferries are to be seen today. I saw her in her latest guise in Bergen last summer. A quality vessel!

Andrew
 
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