Who Bought Marco Polo Cruise Ship?

By Michael Ferguson

The Marco Polo cruise ship is one of the most iconic vessels in the world, and its ownership has changed hands several times over the years. The original ship was built in 1965 and has been through a variety of owners since then.

The first owner of the Marco Polo was a British shipping company called Orient Line. They purchased the vessel in 1965 and ran it for six years, during which time it sailed to Australia as part of its regular routes.

In 1971, the Marco Polo was sold to a Norwegian shipping line called Klosters Rederi, who operated it until 1979. During this time period, the Marco Polo sailed around Europe, visiting countries such as Norway, France, and Portugal.

In 1979, yet another company called Norwegian Caribbean Line took ownership of the vessel and used it for cruises in the Caribbean Sea. It was during this period that some of its most iconic destinations were visited: Jamaica, Barbados, and St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

The Marco Polo continued to be owned by Norwegian Caribbean Line until 1991 when they sold it off to Transocean Tours from Germany. This company ran cruises around Europe for two years before selling it off again in 1993 to a company called Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV).

CMV used the vessel on Mediterranean cruises until 2007 when they finally sold it off to Cruise & Maritime Services (CMS). CMS used the vessel on cruises around Europe and Asia until 2018 when they decided to decommission it due to its age and lack of modern amenities.

Today, the Marco Polo still exists but is no longer used as a cruise ship. It is currently being used as a floating hotel at Longyearbyen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.

So who bought Marco Polo cruise ship throughout its long history? Orient Line was its first owner back in 1965 followed by Klosters Rederi from 1971-1979; Norwegian Caribbean Line from 1979-1991; Transocean Tours from 1991-1993; Cruise & Maritime Voyages from 1993-2007; and finally Cruise & Maritime Services from 2007-2018 when it was decommissioned due to age and lack of modern amenities. Today, The Marco Polo is being used as a floating hotel at Longyearbyen.

Conclusion: The iconic Marco Polo cruise ship has changed hands many times over its long history with various companies such as Orient Line, Klosters Rederi, Norwegian Caribbean Line, Transocean Tours, Cruise & Maritime Voyages and Cruise & Maritime Services all owning it at different points throughout its life span. Today however The Marco Polo is no longer being used as a cruise ship but rather as a floating hotel at Longyearbyen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.