Like Its Namesake, Marco Polo Is an Explorer

It was hard to tell who was enjoying the evening more, the Marco Polo’s passengers or the exuberant Zulu dance troupe from the Valley of the Thousand Hills in KwaZulu, which was brought on to entertain them.

One signature detail of the new Orient Lines is to present local folkloric performers in as many ports of call as possible. Passengers on this sailing also had the chance to applaud the National Folkloric Dancers of Zanzibar, a Kenyan dance troupe, and a dazzling company of Cape Town performers reminiscent of New Orleans parade bands--in gold and shocking pink satin with twirling umbrellas.

Orient is a brand-new cruise line founded by British entrepreneur Gerry Herrod, former chairman of Ocean Cruise Lines and Pearl Cruises. Herrod’s 800-passenger Marco Polo is a major make-over of the Alexandr Pushkin, built in Germany in 1965.

Following a series of spring sailings in Australia and New Zealand, the Marco Polo will cruise between Singapore and Hong Kong May 11 (and again Oct. 2), calling in Vietnam, Malaysia and China, with three nights in Bangkok and three nights in Hong Kong also included. China, Japan and the islands of Indonesia are among the ship’s summer destinations.

When we joined the ship in Durban last Dec. 2, five days before the end of the cruise, a lot of work remained on the outer decks, including laying new teak areas and making the spa tubs operational. Strikes in Greece had delayed the scheduled completion of the vessel and forced the cancellation of its original inaugural voyage, from Piraeus, Greece, to Mombasa, Kenya, planned for Oct. 30.

The passengers we joined had boarded in Mombasa Nov. 19 after a three-day safari in Kenya, and had already visited Tanzania, the Comoros, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Reunion and Mauritius.

But, for all of us, South Africa was the most-anticipated destination. With the lifting of international sanctions, the abolishment of apartheid, the recent adoption of a new constitution, and the upcoming “one man, one vote” April elections, it meant a chance to see a country on the brink of astonishing change.

Marco Polo the explorer journeyed to China in the 14th Century and returned to Italy with, among other things, pasta. Our cruise vessel Marco Polo was carrying two California cuisine signature dinners from famed Los Angeles chef Wolfgang Puck.

The ship’s public rooms are faintly Art Deco in design and quite chic, especially the black-and-white Casino Bar with its framed black-and-white photographs of Fred Astaire and Ingrid Bergman. The small casino provides roulette, blackjack and slot machines for passengers.

A splendid collection of Oriental art and antiques decorates the public areas. Outstanding is a stone Buddha at the entrance of the dining room on a glass-and-marble base.

The central meeting place is the handsome Polo Lounge, adorned with potted palms, antique art objects and leaf-patterned carpet and banquettes. Pianist David Perry alternates here with the Cafe Concerto, a classical Romanian string trio. In the main show lounge (sight lines are weak because the floor is nearly the same level as the stage), a company of singers and dancers which doubles as cruise staff perform musical revues and variety shows.

There’s also a special grill room dinner offered some evenings in the alternative Raffles restaurant. About 75 passengers with reservations, who pay a $5-per-person surcharge to tip the servers, can feast on Italian specialties from an Italian Guide Michelin one-star chef, Donatella Zampoli.

Our cabin was in the mid-range price D category, about $250 a day per person, double occupancy, including some air fare, with twin beds, a large single window, TV set with remote control, double dresser with eight drawers, and a handsome rose-colored carpet with matching bedspreads and curtains. Closet hanging space was generous.

Top accommodations are six suites, two of them deluxe and four called junior suites, that cost about $350 to $400 a day per person, double occupancy. All the suites have sitting areas and marble bathrooms.

There are 131 inside cabins and 288 outside, all spacious enough for comfort, beginning at $185 a day per person, double occupancy.

The Marco Polo returns to South Africa in November for a 20-day itinerary from Mombasa to Cape Town that includes a three-day safari in Kenya and two overnights in Cape Town with the ship as the hotel. The tour departs the United States Nov. 25 and returns from Cape Town Dec. 14; prices range from $3,995 to $10,500 per person, double occupancy, plus an air add-on of $895 from Los Angeles. The cruise-only credit for passengers wishing to provide their own air fare is $900.

To get a free brochure, contact a travel agent or call (800) 333-7300.