Orient Lines Returns with New Ship, New Owner, and New Itineraries

Orient Lines (www.orientlines.com) is back from the dead.

Founded by British shipping magnate Gerry Herrod in 1993, the line made its rep offering far-flung land-sea itineraries with a cultural, educational, and glitz-free focus. In 1998 Herrod sold Orient to Norwegian Cruise Line, which ran it in a quiet, hands-off fashion until mid-2007, when it announced plans to sell the company's only ship -- the venerable Marco Polo -- to Greek shipping company Global Maritime, effective March 2008. When the transfer happened, Orient quietly ceased to exist, bereft of a vessel, crew, and staff.

Enter Wayne Heller, founder of Orlando-based CruisesOnly, the nation's largest cruise seller. In early July, Heller announced that he'd bought the Orient Lines brand from NCL parent company Star Cruises Limited, and intended to find an appropriate ship, hire a crew (preferably with many of the same people who'd served aboard Marco Polo), and relaunch the line just as it had been.

Americans just love a comeback story.

The Origins of Orient

Orient Lines' history goes back to 1991 when Gerry Herrod, who had founded Ocean Cruise Lines and then sold the venture to French company Paquet Lines, acquired the East German–built, 1965-vintage Alexandr Pushkin from Russia's Far Eastern Shipping Company. Over the next two and a half years she was gutted and completely rebuilt, from her diesel engines and ice-strengthened hull on up, and emerged in 1993 as Marco Polo, a sturdy and graceful cruise liner mixing modern and traditional style, with the ability to sail itineraries from Europe to Antarctica.

The line built an intensely loyal clientele by offering a classic cruise experience that combined fair pricing, fantastic service, better-than-average dining, and itineraries that concentrated on less-visited ports in the Far East, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Pre- and post-cruise stays available with all itineraries allowed easy creation of a longer sea-land vacation.

Out With the Pushkin, in With the Gorky

Loyal Orient Lines passengers bemoaned the loss of Marco Polo (which is currently sailing under charter to German cruise operator Transocean Tours), but in announcing his acquisition Wayne Heller made it clear that he wanted to find a ship that was as close as possible to the line's original. He wanted a vessel "rich in history and character ... that can carry 600 to 800 passengers in great comfort and safety to all seven continents."

Mission accomplished: In late August, Heller acquired the old Maxim Gorky from Russian maritime company Sovkomflot and announced plans to refurbish her to current international safety standards and set her off on an inaugural season of European sailings beginning in April 2009.

The 24,981-ton, 650-passenger Maxim Gorky (which will be renamed Marco Polo II) was launched in 1969 as the SS Hamburg of the German Atlantic Line, intended for mixed transatlantic and cruising service. In 1975 she was sold to the Soviet Union's Black Sea Shipping Company, which renamed her Maxim Gorky after the beloved Russian writer. She received substantial refurbishments in 1988 and 1995, but many of her interiors remain consistent with their original design. In addition to her classic good looks, Marco Polo II boasts an ice-hardened hull that will allow for exploratory voyages. Interestingly, she also operates on steam turbine power, whose relative inefficiency compared with diesel has caused it to call fall out of favor over the past 30+ years.

After the vessel completes her current charter to the Germany-based Phoenix Seereisen tour company in November, Orient plans to send her for a major dry dock that will bring her into compliance with new International Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards that go into effect in 2010.

The 10-deck vessel will offer one main restaurant and a standard buffet restaurant (both serving all three meals), plus two alternative dinner venues: the French/Italian brasserie Maxim's and the Marco Polo Grill, concentrating on meats, poultry, and seafood dishes. Reservations are suggested for each, but there's no cover charge.

Public rooms will include a traditional grand salon that spans the full width of the vessel, a forward-facing observation deck, an intimate bar inspired by Harry's in Venice, a high-deck tiki lounge, a two-story cinema, a casino, and the Explorer's Club -- where, in 1989, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev met to discuss the changes that would soon lead to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. How's that for some history?

To port and starboard, traditional enclosed promenades -- a feature standard to old-time, cold-weather Atlantic liners but entirely missing on modern cruise ships -- allow passengers to lounge and take in the scenery through floor-to-ceiling windows, even in the coldest climates.

Cabins are old-school, with most having portholes instead of larger view windows. None have private balconies.

Marco Polo II's Inaugural Season

Between April and December 2009, Marco Polo II will sail itineraries of between 11 and 37 days, visiting ports in the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, Egypt, the Black Sea, Croatia, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, and the British Isles. Some cruises begin or end with an included hotel stay in Berlin, and/or include overnight stays aboard ship in ports such as Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Lisbon, and Port Said (Egypt). Lesser-known ports included on various itineraries include Szczecin (Poland), Villagarcia and Bilbao (Spain), Bordeaux and Hornfleur (France), Murmansk (Russia), Sarande (Albania), and Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria, England).

Prices for Marco Polo's 2009 voyages start at $2,399 per person, double occupancy, including air from select North American gateway cities.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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