The History of the Marco Polo

[@TheSimfixer]

My daughter broke a world record when she was the youngest person to ski on all 7 continents when we disembarked the Marco Polo at Half Moon island Antarctica on her 10th Birthday Christmas of 2007. The old ship was our first cruise and just amazing. We got a tour of the engine room while under way and a tour of the bridge in port at Purto Madrin Argentina. By the way, the news report stated the ship was only 288 feet long. It was twice as long as that. The crossing back that Christmas day from Antarctica to Ushuaia Argentina was as the captain stated "a bit of a heavy swell". I remember all the doors were locked and the waves kept breaking over the top of the ship! Even the crew were all sea sick! Great memories...

[@lindaboston1638]

My husband and I were on a cruise on the Marco Polo, just a month before Covid-19 caused the CMV fleet to be recalled to port. We had previously sailed on the Magellan three times, but we both agreed that the Marco Polo excursion was our best-ever cruise. She was a Grande Dame of the high seas, and she will be sadly missed.

[@Whatever8197V]

I was on the pushkin about 1983 had a ball ,watched sunrise sailing into Sydney harbour it was fabulous...thanks for the memories..I cherished that time in my life....

[@adrianalexander9185]

Thank you for your video. I sailed on her when we returned from Canada in November 1979. She was operated as the Alexander Pushkin by the Baltic Shipping Company. The voyage was from Montreal to Tilbury and should have taken 9 days, however we hit a huge hurricane in the North Atlantic with a 20m+ swell, yes that's right a 20m+ swell. This added a further 5 days to our journey. The ship, I was informed by the crew was built initially as a Russian Arctic research vessel so came with a highly strengthened hull. During the hurricane the passengers were not allowed on deck due to the 140mph+ winds, and she sustained some cosmetic damage as we were hit by several rogue waves but coped well with the conditions. Since then I have been fortunate to sail on a great number of other cruise ships but none as tough as her I have to say, considering her age was built like a floating battle tank. I was hoping after the pandemic to travel on her again but was saddened to hear that CMV had gone into liquidation and she is now to be scrapped.

[@frankmayer7960]

I think my mom was on that same trip.I though it was 77 but I think you're right 1979. She mentioned that storm for so many years, saying she would never go back on a cruise ship because of the seasickness she had to endure. I remember her boarding the ship in Montreal.

[@adrianalexander9185]

@@frankmayer7960 Thanks for that, Yes I was only 10 years old myself but the voyage as a child was a utter adventure and is etched in my memory and will never be forgotten. However for the majority of adults onboard no doubt a completely different experience.

[@alexshe7586]

My dad used to work as a doctor on this ship. Somewhere around 1979 :)

[@adrianalexander9185]

@@alexshe7586 Thanks for that, no doubt your dad was particularly busy during our voyage.

[@nielskjr5432]

Wonderful story, thank you. 👍⚓🥀

[@andrewplantagenet5811]

Wonderful film! Thank you for making this in her honor!

[@PillSharks]

My mother and father did some big trips on the Polo, they had a great time on the old girl... when she left Bristol I had a word with the pilot and asked him to ask the captain if they could get invited up onto the bridge when sailing, my father also knew the pilot before he retired, the captain was a lovely man and told my father that he could come up at anytime on the voyage and stay as long as he wanted! She was laid up in Avonmouth before leaving for Dubai to become a hotel ship, this came from the Pilot who took her out for her final sailing from Bristol, unfortunately, as you said, this never happened!

[@serhioYa]

I worked as a second officer on the passenger ship Marco Polo from 2009 to 2012, the ship belonged to the company Cruise & Maritime Voyages, it was very hard to see how it was sold for scrap

[@timcalle]

I sailed on her as the Alexandr Pushkin quite a number of times. Great video but must correct you that she travelled her entire life on her original Sulzer diesel engines. They show them being serviced in the “Mighty Cruise Ships” documentary.

[@cfajohnson5207]

I sailed from London to Montreal on the Pushkin in October 1967; I was 18yo. It's the only time I've sailed, all other transatlantic crossings have been by plane, the first in 1962.

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

I remember sailing on the Marco Polo in 2011. She was my favorite cruise liner and still love her.

[@desmondlocker7343]

My family and I went on the Marco Polo in December 1994. We were originally going to go on the Achille Lauro but that ship sank a month before we were supposed to go on it. So we ended up getting first class tickets on the MP. I was 10yo at the time. She was a beautiful ship and I was saddened to hear whats come of her.

[@dennisapodaca2530]

I sailed on the Marco Polo in Dec. of 2001. Great experience. Great sized ship. It was 15 nights on the Amazon River, Recife, Brazil, Uraguay, and Argentina. Met so many nice people. It was one of my best vacations ever. I will forever love the Marco Polo and its crew.

[@OceanChannelProductions]

i remamber thay made a mighy ships film on this

[@kennethbaigent5367]

I sailed on the alexander puskin in 1967 from england to canada..i was only 9 ...im 64 now..it was a great adventure

[@rosannebennett3588]

My mother and I sailed on the Marco Polo, approximately 1972. Was a trip to New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji. We hit a freak wave heading to NZ and the singer (I think Christine Howard) fell through a plate glass window or door. Was thinking about travelling on the ship once vivid calmed down. We'll, that's not going to happen now. Never knew she was made in Russia.

[@kormic46]

She was made in East Germany !

[@markt9805]

One of my regrets was never sailing on this iconic ship. I had made a reservation to sail on her but my friends were going on a Holland America cruise and I canceled and joined them. Shortly after I returned from that cruise Covid broke out and of course the rest is history. I was always intrigued by the Marco Polo and the few people I know who sailed on her said she was a very special ship.

[@keithhulks7049]

I sailed on the Marco Polo on two occasions. The most recent was a cruise to the Baltic. Very sad ending to a Grand Old Lady of the Oceans.

[@kormic46]

There were 3 build in East Germany : Ivan Franko's class... Alexander Pushkin and Taras Shevchenko ! ( There were 2 more sister ships ordered by Morflot) Been on both in Odessa! They were only "Intourist " service at the time !😎😎😎

[@robinwade2547]

I sailed to Canada on the Alexander why I was young boy I remember swimming in the pool in the big waves, we sailed from London Tilbury to France then onto Montreal

[@philippeleblond2167]

I was 7 in 1974 when we took the Pushkin from Leningrad to Montreal. Once on the North Atlantic all the men in the family got terribly seasick. We did a tour of the ship, I got as far as the bridge and promptly barfed on the captain's shoes. End of tour for me. They forgot to empty the pool on a rough day, it sloshed the shallow end empty. We had the time of our life in there, in retrospect... a miracle non of us kids drowned. It was a Russian crew, they seemed to adore and watched out for the kids. Mom spoke Russian fairly well and has some story of befriending a KGB agent who later came to her in tears about her mission. She had to seduce some guy to get pillow talk from him (spying isn't pretty) however, she wasn't inclined to do so with this guy.

[@SeaTravelr123]

She was a wonderful ship.. Did an Orient Line Voyage, BCN to PIR in 2007.. .So beautiful. great in rough seas.. .the renovation of her aft decks was inspired by the Sagafjord and Vistafjord.

[@shipspiros3766]

Alexander Pushkin (1965-1985) Black Sea Shipping Alexander Pushkin (1985-1991) CTC Cruises Marco Polo (1991-2008) Orient Lines Marco Polo (2008-2010) Transocean Tours Marco Polo (2010-2020) Cruise Maritime Voyages

[@AlexK-o6f]

1965-1985гг Балтийское морское пароходство СССР 1985-1991гг Дальневосточное морское пароходство СССР. Так будет точнее.

[@bukasb]

I wish she was saved. One of my favorite all-time ocean liners. But it's a bit late to save her now of course. Her legacy will live on with those who sailed on her. But her design and era are now long forgotten.

[@RailPreserver2K]

Think you could do something regarding the doulos phos a ship which was built in 1914 and retired in 2009, its since become a hotel ship

[@AlfredoOlmo]

In the year 2000 up to 2001 im olmo jr..im a joiner of marco polo. Im a ship carpenter.

[@OceanChannelProductions]

can you do one on the monarch or pullmantur

[@jacksonclavierproductions]

I plan on making both of those at a later time.

[@bernardoavendano4867]

So sad but thank you marco polo for the golden memories be coz i'am one of the crew of marco polo early 1999 worldwide cruise ship🇵🇭👍

[@nielskjr5432]

Astor and Marco Polo should have been saved. They were the jewels of the CMV fleet. I'm not sure the bankruptcy lawyers worked hard enough to save them. 😪

[@jamesdoerr3005]

OK man I got you set LOL

[@ruscador1]

so old and so ugly now it needs scrapping the hull plating is getting bad , would cost many millions to put it right