Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2012 by Peter Knego
MARCO POLO at Tilbury.
The 22,080 gross ton MV MARCO POLO departed Tilbury, UK on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 with a full complement of passengers for a special Maritime Heritage Cruise that traced a portion of RMS TITANIC’s initial route in addition to commemorating the RMS LUSITANIA’s sinking with a special wreath-laying ceremony.
Richard Bastow, Director of CMV, confers with MARCO POLO's PSD, Morgan Van Selman in preparation for a week of maritime-infused highlights.
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All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2012 unless otherwise noted.
View from the bridge wing as MARCO POLO enters the English Channel.
One of the last active vintage passenger ships, the still very spruce and elegant MARCO POLO, built in 1965 for Black Sea Shipping Company as the ALEXANDR PUSHKIN, is enjoying a new career under the banner of Dartford, Kent-based Cruise and Maritime Voyages.
MARCO POLO versus TITANIC at Cherbourg.
After spending Wednesday, April 11, at Cherbourg, France, where TITANIC boarded a complement of 281 passengers on the first stop of her maiden and only voyage, the MARCO POLO departed for Cobh, Ireland.
Jonathan Quayle recounts the LUSITANIA's final moments as the wreath is readied aboard MARCO POLO. Photo by Mike Masino 2012.
At 12:15 PM Thursday, April 12, off the Old Head Of Kinsale, Ireland, over the precise spot where the RMS LUSITANIA was torpedoed, a special ceremony was held in memory of the 1,198 people who died when the ship foundered in only eighteen minutes on May 7, 1915. British ship historian Jonathan Quayle held a vigil at the fantail of the MARCO POLO as hundreds of passengers looked on from the ship’s terraced afterdecks. Two floral wreaths were dropped into the sea and a moment of silence was observed before the ceremony concluded.
MARCO POLO passengers offer a moment of silence in memory of the RMS LUSITANIA tragedy.
The Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland.
MARCO POLO then continued on her route to Cobh, where she was met with an enthusiastic greeting from the locals. The ship will overnight in Cobh, offering special excursions in memory of the mostly steerage class passengers who boarded the ship in the port formerly known as Queenstown.
Cobh waterfront from approaching MARCO POLO.
While the TITANIC eventually headed west into the Atlantic to meet her fate, the MARCO POLO will be sailing on a northerly course to Belfast, where the TITANIC was built. Excursions to the Harland and Wolff shipyard that built the ill-fated White Star liner and her two sisters, OLYMPIC and BRITANNIC (as well as dozens of other noteworthy vessels, including Shaw Savill’s SOUTHERN CROSS and P&O’s CANBERRA) and the new Titanic Belfast Experience will be offered. After that, MARCO POLO continues onward to Liverpool where excursions will include a visit to the former White Star Line offices. On the final day at sea, there will be a number of maritime lectures in addition to displays of White Star and Cunard Line memorabilia. Throughout the trip, special menus from a number of lamented British liners such as Royal Mail’s ANDES, Orient Line’s ORCADES and Cunard’s LUSITANIA will also be featured.
Cobh raindrops.
Stay tuned for further reports and images as well as a full Sea Treks and Decked! series of blog posts from this memorable voyage.
Numbers65 in Ohio
April 12, 2012 at 8:42 am
Marco Polo is one beautiful ship. Reminds me of my favorite ships. Gotta love that aft pool are and the walkways next to the life boats.
Miss those shippy ships. Todays ships and ammenities are nice but I like shippy ships of yesterday better than ships of today built to maximize occupancy and profits.
Shawn Dake
April 12, 2012 at 11:35 am
What a great report on a full and fascinating itinerary! At this time of year it is good to pause a moment to remember the tragic loss of the LUSITANIA as well as TITANIC. I am looking forward to reading your impressions of the new Titanic Belfast Experience at Harland & Wolff.
Mage Bailey
April 12, 2012 at 11:54 am
I’m eagerly awaiting more photos of both the ship and the voyage.
John Cant
April 12, 2012 at 4:55 pm
I was invited to stay aboard the ALEXANDR PUSHKIN while she was docked in Montreal during EXPO 67, as I was working for US Lines in Canada at the time. We had dinner in their dining room and I noticed that the floor slanted towards both sides. I wondered if they thought that the water would run away if it got into the room!! The crew put on a great show for the invited guests. Luckily we got a cabin with shower and toilet. Quite a setup, the bathroom was narrow, with a tall toilet (you couldn’t touch the floor) at one end and the shower at the other. You stood on raised boards so the water would run away, and if someone was using the toilet, they would also get a shower, as there wasn’t any shower curtain!! The next morning we had breakfast in the dining room. They served powdered eggs and fatty bacon, cut from a greasy side of bacon. A large female Maitre D’ stood in the doorway and yelled, breakfast finished, everybody go!! We quickly left, not wishing to create an incident between Russia and Canada!!. As this was their first year in service between Canada and Europe, I am sure that their service improved over the years. Glad to see that she is still sailing, may she have many more years.
Elvis Barrett
April 13, 2012 at 2:43 am
I watched the Marco Polo cruise past whilst drinkig tea outside my house at courtmacsherry , a beautiful Ship.
Kenneth Eden
April 13, 2012 at 5:51 am
Peter
You are holding us captive, waiting for the pictures, and the great review that you will offfer of this voyage. The MARCO POLO is a classic ship, as we all know. Just can’t wait for the pix!!
The only ship it so seems that was sailing on this anniversary cruise, at least according to the press here, was the BALMORAL, which has been mispronounced, and had to abort its calling at the TITANICS sinking site, due to weather. Waves, 30 feet, illness, heart attacks et al have been repeatedly aired on tv, sad but true(?), all negatives, as usual.
I guess for most of us, the rerelease of the epic TITANIC, now redone in 3-D will have to suffice, with its blend of fictional and nonfictional characters. The movie is doing very well in the States, in I-MAX as well, talk about a three eyed headache!
Happy sailing,
Ken
Ian Gill
April 13, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Having just left Marco Polo after the Easter Cruise it is good to see that efforts are being made to link in to past and current cruisers.
The remembrance of Lusitania and Titanic are admirable even though I dont personally have a link.
Martin Sims
April 14, 2012 at 2:30 am
why is it there is a small minority who did not remove hats during the minutes silence ? Have they no respect ?
Brian Kelly
April 18, 2012 at 12:13 pm
I was present at that wreath laying ceremony on board, and you could hear a pin drop, for the silence. It was truly memorable. Yours, Brian Kelly.
Elaine Bennett
April 23, 2012 at 11:57 am
This was a beautifully scheduled cruise and both the wreath laying service for the ‘Lusitania’ and the midnight service for the ‘Titanic’ were very well thought out.
The crew were, as ever, very helpful,the food was extremely good and the ‘Marco Polo’ herself a delight to cruise on again.
I hope that the M.D. of CMV enjoyed himself aboard ‘Marco Polo’ as much as we did and experienced why she enjoys such a good following!
Barbara Cumming
April 28, 2012 at 9:49 pm
We were also on board for this memorable cruise (our 3rd on the Marco Polo). Apart from the pleasure of being aboard this ship again, we felt that the itinerary, lectures, themed meals, excursions and displays were very well done. The wreath laying at the wreck site of the Lusitania and the memorial services for those lost on the Titanic were very moving. An excellent tribute to all those involved in both tragedies. Well done C&M.