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Orient Lines

MV Marco Polo

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Frank Gradwell
# previous cruises: 7
Date of Trip: September 18, 2005
Itinerary: Repositioning

This was the autumn re-positioning from the Baltic to the Med. We have sailed this class in 1976 when they were CTC - a shorty last year - so now it was a chance, forced on us at three weeks notice, by MSC's failure to run the Monterey's last 2005 cruise, to do the whole deal.

The Marco's advantages are that she is both a forty year old classic - looks like and behaves like a ship - and she sails itineraries - not repeating bus tours like so many cruises these days.

The public rooms are largely on one deck. The show lounge up in the bow, the Polo Lounge amidships where the ship splits port and starboard. To port is the greedy casino - don't stay there for long, and the games room. To starboard is a small lounge and bar and the library. Astern is Raffles the buffet restaurant and then out on to the fantail and pool area.

Above the fantail is Dazzles nightclub, and above that the gym. On Sky deck - overlooking the wake are the jacuzzis - a favourite haunt - and only a short walk from our cabin - a guarantee booking bonus!

All the accommodation is adequate if not splendid. The ship is well kept and whilst it isn't the Ritz its very acceptable.

We don't do shows - so can't comment - but who chooses these lecturers??? I could do better on old motors, steam train excursions or even cruising! A lecture on ancient civilisations as last delivered to undergrads a generation ago, whilst the lecturer gripped a sick bag - and used it! didn't encourage me to stay.

The Seven Seas is a pleasant room - The food service is good and the choice plentiful and well prepared. I am a twelve month type 2 diabetic so I wondered how compliance with doctors orders would go. It was no problem! All I need now is the ability to get a cruise on prescription! My sugar levels were low throughout.

Raffles is a nice airy room with splendid views and we used it both for buffet breakfast and for special sailings like from Amsterdam along the canal to the North Sea and after leaving Cadiz. Buffet food can never match silver service, but - no complaints!

A nice touch was the ability to hold a bottle of wine over to the next evening if you were feeling frugal - not a habit of ours - but useful on occasion.

We were a guarantee booking but we ended up on Sky deck, one category short of a suite. It was a pleasant airy room with splendid visibility. It has to be said however that it was nothing special.

We came on board after three nights in a better calibre travelodge in London. Except for the fridge, and a bed you could have gone for a walk in, there was little to choose in facilities or standard.

Our steward was everything you could want, efficient, friendly and utterly discreet. He was always there when you wanted him, but was invisible if you didn't - superb

Last year we had an outside on B deck and there was a noticeable shudder as if a bearing was "running" That was just as apparent up on Sky deck this year. As the ship was proceeding to dry dock and refit - lets hope they have sorted that out.

Shows - not our thing

Lectures - please can the cruise director industry find someone with panache and topics of interest - on almost any cruise line

Crap - err - Art auctions?!? We found the cupboard where they keep this rubbish by the jacuzzis. We could have done the world a favour by binning it overboard. Is anyone really taken in by this?

Officers and Cruise Staff - friendly welcoming - the right people for the job. Finding the skipper in civvies topping up his wine cellar at La Rochelle would have endeared him to anyone.

Stewards - friendly - efficient and non pushy - keep a doylie with you and put it on your table and you son't be asked again

Any ship that serves Boddingtons and Grolsch can't be that wrong.

As usual we bought nothing from the shore desk. If you are an agoraphobic octogenarian there may be a reason for buying their overpriced products - but if you have a semblance of imagination and originality - do your own thing. We did - as usual.

Amsterdam - love that place - alive- alive oh! Especially the hidden gem - the first class restaurant at the station.

Le Havre - grey, concrete, square Corbusier. No-one home - no life. We were there overnight but arrived too late to do anything worthwhile on day one and left too early on day two to leave the town. It had a purpose in providing the long distance runners with a coach tour to Paris but they all stayed in bed after their early evening arrival and early morning departure.

Brest - a pleasant Breton town that laid on free buses - and then closed. If you can tell me a good reason to admit us to the castle museum at ten thirty and then chuck us out at eleven thirty so they could lock up for two hours then please tell me. We weren't thrilled - in spades!

At least we had found Leff beer in a bikers bar in Le Havre - so we found some in Brest and chilled.

At La Rochelle we thought were back in Langton Dock - utterly industrial surroundings and a fifteen euro taxi ride to town. The ships comedian - a lad from the midlands told us not to miss this one - so off we went. He was quite right - a lovely little medieval French ville with pavement cafes and seafood a plenty. Listen - if its French and I like it - it must be good.

We then rolled our way gently around the Bay of Biscay to Oporto tailing Classic Cruises International's Arion - all 6,000 tons of her.

When we arrived we were told that it had been like Fawlty Towers on her run down from Tilbury. Headstands down the stairs, crockery smashing. I'll bet it wasn't much fun.

If you go to Oporto - don't go on a Sunday - its closed! Also make sure you have a fist full of euro change for the tram ticket machine. When in the centre head for the Douro river and find the open top Routemaster. Do the gorge - do the vintage trams - do the port warehouses - excellent

Lisbon - loved it - trams, open top tours, a splendid mix of old and new. Culture and even MUFC v Benfice if you had wanted it. Get yourself a freedom of the city's public transport at Commerce Square or from the visit Lisbon kiosks and away you go.

Cadiz - hot - hot - hot! and a six hour siesta. I'm no good at temperatures so this convinced me that its spring and autumn in the med for me. The open top Leyland Atlantean tour was a good way to get around. The city reminded us strongly of Havana, but with more money and less music

The clientele was typical Marco - drawn from all over the world. There were a lot of "spoilt Americans" this time - hence why we did a runner for the first time ever from our table.

Thank goodness there were also plenty of well travelled sociable colonial cousins who made up for their compatriots. Hello Lesley, Marsha and Betty-Ann. And to George - the dance host who was invited to our table every night - keep on running - you did a splendid job.

Final impressions - well twenty thousand Sulzer horses romping over the ocean could make quite an impression with their throaty roar astern. Other than that this was a smooth well executed cruise and one that I would be happy to repeat.

To the cruisers amongst you - once the steamers have gone - don't miss this one - there aren't many like her left.