I'm back from the bottom of the world

Antarctica was much more than I expected. No pictures can convey
the experience of being there.

It will be a while before I get around to writing my full review
of the cruise but I have notes that I wrote along the way so I won't
be working from fading memories. Right now, I will just give you an
overview.

My opinion of the cruise is generally positive primarily because
of the outstanding performance of the expedition team. Everything
related to the landings, adventures ashore, and Zodiac (motorized
inflatable rubber boats) excursions was handled superbly. The whole
expedition team had a great deal of experience in Antarctica and
provided extensive background information to those passengers who were
interested.

The ship is very old and not designed for the cruising style of the
first decade of the twenty-first century. But, it can easily navigate
the rough waters of the Drake Passage and with its ice hardened hull it
can get closer to icebergs than any modern luxury ship can go.

The best I can say about my cabin is that it was functional, had good
lighting, and would have been considered average accommodations in the
1960s. I can't think of much good to say about my bathroom except that
all of the fixtures worked and there was plenty of hot water. I think
there were times when the shower got more water on the floor than on me.
Keep in mind that I had a "deluxe ocean view stateroom."

The food in the dining room was usually good, sometimes mediocre,
occasionally excellent. The food on the buffet was a step down in
quality from the dining room.

The entertainment was good for a ship of the size of the Marco
Polo but could not compare to the Princess full scale production shows.
The cruise staff did an excellent job.

The cabin service and dining room service were good, not excellent. I
think the service in the bars should have been better; I often had to
flag down a waitress to get a drink.

The purser's staff was friendly and efficient. But the policies of
Orient Lines seemed to be designed more for the convenience of the line
than passengers.

I chose Orient Lines for my cruise to Antarctica because I wanted to
experience nature but bring civilization with me. If I had chosen a
small expedition ship, I might have been allowed to spend more time
ashore. With 550 passengers on the Marco Polo and only allow 100 people
allowed ashore at a time, each passenger was limited to no more than an
hour on land at each stop. On a small ship, they might have allowed up
to eight hours. But, I would not have had a full service spa,
professional entertainment, room service, and facilities offered on a
larger ship. I know that I chose the right Antarctica cruise for my
tastes.

If the Marco Polo were doing standard Caribbean cruises out of Miami, I
would not give it a very high rating. Those itineraries are for new
ships where the ship itself is the destination and the ports only
secondary. But for cruises to exotic and remote locations where the
ports are the destination, the Marco Polo will be one of the first
ships I consider.

Welcome home and thanks for the mini-review. I look forward to reading
the rest.

Becca