Marco Polo Magazine....

ROAMING THE WORLD ON THE MARCO POLO

Marco Polo would love sailing on the Marco Polo--the namesake ship of the famed world traveler. However, odds are he could never have imagined taking the ship all the way to Antarctica. From Antarctica to the Aegean, this well-loved old ship roams the world for Orient Lines and lots of repeat Marco Polo-wannabes.

The White Continent

Without doubt, taking a cruise to Antarctica is a notch in any traveler’s belt. “The White Continent” is a land of everything from small penguins of many species to giant icebergs that simply dwarf everything around them (including visiting ships).

The landscape and the wildlife wandering all around it, above and below the surface, provide two perfect reasons to head to Antarctica. The landscape features mountains, glaciers, icebergs and lots of unique flora not seen anywhere else in the world. Wildlife highlights typically include various species of penguins and seals, large numbers and species of whales, a wide variety of birds, and much more. If you’re wild about wildlife, Antarctica will be the trip of a lifetime.

Antarctica historical highlights include the race to the South Pole (Roald Amundsen won in 1911) and the survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew. Cruise travel has advanced much since the days of Shackleton, so modern-day explorers now number more than 20,000 annually.

Most Antarctica cruises typically include an overnight stay of one or two nights in either Buenos Aires, Argentina or Santiago, Chile. This is a nice way to recover from long flights and to await any luggage that might have been delayed.

Thanks to advice from Orient Lines, we had packed perfectly for both Buenos Aires (it’s “summer” there) and Antarctica. This included lightweight clothing for our pre-trip stay in Buenos Aires, as well as lots of layered ski-style clothing for our time on and around Antarctica. The ship provided a bright red parka, so we didn’t have to pack that cumbersome item. They did, however, recommend buying and bringing knee-high waterproof boots for keeping our feet dry and warm during landings.

From Buenos Aires, we flew down to Ushuaia--known as “El Fin de Mundo” (the end of the world), it’s Argentina’s southernmost city. This “outback” city is well worth exploring.  Outstanding  features include a number of excellent restaurants and the possibility of a visit to the nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Once aboard the Marco Polo, we sailed through Beagle Channel and into Drake’s Passage. We’d heard the seas could be rough, but the captain said we’d gotten lucky and would enjoy relatively calm waters.

After two days at sea, we visited South Georgia--an island where Shackleton eventually landed and would save his entire crew. Highlights here included several nature-watching cruises (the first of thousands of penguins) and an old whaling town with lots of historic buildings, an excellent museum, and the cemetery where Shackleton is buried. South Georgia isn’t on many Antarctica itineraries, but it’s highly recommended if it is.

After another day at sea, our next stop was supposed to be Coronation Island. High seas all around the island forced the captain to abort the landing for safety reasons. The weather and seas dictate the itinerary (inflatable landing craft cruising off Deception Island would be canceled later in the cruise).

The next morning, we found Marco Polo anchored earlier than scheduled along the Antarctic Peninsula in awe-inspiring Hope Bay. The ship was surrounded by shining blue icebergs and towering mountains, including glaciers weaving their way to the water's edge.

Once on the continent proper for the first time, we were greeted by hundreds of penguins--along with a ship's photographer who took a shot of us holding an American flag with the ship in the background. We’ve had many pictures taken during cruises, but this particular shot holds a special place in our hearts and our house.

After getting back on the ship, the captain announced a surprise for the passengers--a visit to an Argentinean research station. Esperanza, as it's called, is typically home to about 75 residents (including, Emilio Marcos de Palma, the first person ever to be born in Antarctica). Here, we received a friendly welcome and a tour that included the station’s church, community center, school, and museum. It ended with a reception of tea and coffee, as well as tasty Argentinean pastries of which they were rightfully proud.

Next, we cruised close enough to shore to admire the peninsula's stunning scenery before heading back into Drake's Passage and the return cruise toward Ushuaia. Any sadness we felt at leaving Antarctica was outweighed by the anticipation of rounding the turbulent waters of Cape Horn. Nature again intervened as calm seas awaited our crossing and our arrival at the tip of South America was somewhat anticlimatic.

The White Continent was truly the trip of a lifetime and the Marco Polo was the perfect ship for our trip. The ship proved to be an ideal base for Antarctica, as we’re sure it would be for anywhere else in the world.

Marco Polo, The Ship

Quite simply, this is a ship for those who love to travel. Ranging from 10 to 38 days, the ship’s itineraries tend to be longer than standard seven-day cruises offered on many ships. Many Marco Polo veterans often combine itineraries to create even longer cruises. In addition, “Cruisetour” packages often include pre- and post-cruise stays on land (often welcome after long flights).

Built in 1965 as the Russian ice-breaker Alexander Pushkin, Orient Lines purchased the 826-passenger ship in 1991 and spent $75 million to turn it into an art deco-styled world cruiser that visits more than 75 ports annually, including an annual return to Antarctica. Those prone to seasickness should note that Orient Lines also added stabilizers so the ship could comfortably ply the remotest of waters.

The classic ship is quite different from most larger liners being built today, where the emphasis is on balconies and other outdoor spaces. This 12-deck ship, which measures a sleek 578 feet, is generally port-intensive, with a frequent focus on the indoors while underway (though we did often enjoy the hot tub in the crisp Antarctic air).

Unlike many modern ships where you need a detailed map to learn your way around, the Marco Polo is quite manageable from the day you board. We quickly found that the cabins and public spaces (including lounges and restaurants) are all logically laid out and easily reached from anywhere on the ship within minutes.

Cuisine is important on any cruise and the Marco Polo definitely pleases on the food front. The classic-looking Seven Seas Restaurant generally serves open-seating breakfast and lunch, with assigned tables during the two-seating dinner service (our Antarctica voyage featured just one dinner seating, since the ship purposely sails only about half-full there to lessen visitor overload on the continent). Though the cuisine is quite creative and beautifully presented, the service of the Filipino staff is also a highlight.

For breakfast and lunch, Raffles provides a more informal option, where there’s large variety at buffet stations. Depending on the weather you can dine indoors or at tables around the swimming pool (a popular option during sunny days in Antarctica, as well as the Med and more). They also sometimes transform Raffles into an “alternative” dining option in the evening.

Afternoon tea (which is quite popular) is typically served daily in Raffles. The Belvedere Deck also features the Polo Lounge, Le Bar (an intimate bar adjacent to the small casino); and the three-tier Ambassador Lounge (the ship’s main showroom). The modest lobby, an impressive library, and a popular card room are also on the Belvedere Deck.

Elsewhere on the ship, highlights include: the Charleston Club (our favorite pre-dinner lounge); a decent-sized health club and beauty center/spa; a relatively new Internet Cafe that’s a big hit; and an often-bustling Promenade Deck for walkers and for those who want to watch the world go by.

Along with classic activities like deck games and aerobics classes, the Marco Polo may, depending on the sailing, feature cooking classes, wine tastings, bridge and board game tournaments, and the ubiquitous bingo. However, it’s the enrichment offerings (“Discovery Lecture Series” and more) that make it almost as fun to be onboard as ashore. This might include famed explorers (like we enjoyed in Antarctica), knowledgeable naturalists, scientists, authors, and more. The line emphasizes these offerings for good reason, and there’s rarely an hour where there isn’t something educational or cultural being offered.

Given all this, there’s hardly time for the ship’s cabins, which are relatively large and well-appointed. The average cabin on the Marco Polo is about 130 square feet and almost 70% of them are outside. All cabins feature: two lower beds; a dressing table; hair dryer; phone satellite television; lots of storage space; and a nice-sized bathroom with shower.

For the Antarctica cruise, we stayed in a somewhat larger cabin on the Sky Deck, where some views are partially obscured by the lifeboats. We thought the gained space was well worth the slightly diminished views and would comfortably book one of those cabins again.

Of course, Marco Polo would be amazed at the amenities of the cabins and the ease of life onboard his namesake ship. But you can bet that--like us--he’d be more than happy to sail the high seas aboard the Marco Polo.

Whether you choose Antarctica or another exotic itinerary, this ship is for those who love to travel--just like Marco Polo.

If You Go

Orient Lines
20-day Antarctica & The Falklands. Feb 5, 2006
Call (800) 333-7300 or visit www.orientlines.com.