MTS
Marco Polo, then Aquamarine, Odysseus & Lucky Star
Click the
logo above to reach the ssMaritime FrontPage for News Updates
& “Ship of the Month”
The
delightful MTS Odysseus, which had served in
Photograph by &
© Chris Taylor
Page
Two
The Aquamarine
They took her to Perama where she was comprehensively refitted, which included the extension of her aft superstructure up to the stern, as well as brand new cabins being added between the radar mast and the funnel.
Her interiors were greatly modernised with her décor being designed by the famed and a man who was considered as being a genius Mr. Arminio Lozzi. Her accommodation was slightly increased to 454 passengers based on a twin bedded basis or 496 using all berths. Her cabins where delightfully modern, bright and airy and well furnished offering every possible comfort of a modern cruise ship. Upon completion, she was officially listed as 12,000 GRT (Gross Registered Tons). She passengers were looked after by an able crew of 200.
---------------------------------
Left:
the Main Lounge - Right: the Restaurant
---------------------------------
Typical
twin bedded cabins
---------------------------------
Left:
the Swimming Pool - Right: One of the many Cocktail Bars
The Aft
Decks of the Odysseus taken during a cruise in August to
Photograph
by & © Don Ravey
He visited ports such as; Athens, Suez Canal,
Post Said, Seychelles, Male, Fregate, Praslin, Aldabra Atoll,
Comoros, Grand Comore, Anjouan, Madagascar, Nosy Be, Mozambique,
Maputo & South Africa’s, Durban.
MTS
Odysseus seen in 1995
Photograph by &
© Mike Godden
On December 1, 1995, a merger took place
between Epirotiki and Sun Line, giving birth to a new company
named Royal Olympic Cruises (ROC), and the Odysseus was
considered within the high range in the new overall fleet, and
thus the Odysseus became the flagship of ROC. Her exteriors once
again took on a new look as her hull and funnel were painted dark
blue. She returned to her previous cruise program. Later she
undertook a number of
After the Epirotiki and Sun Line merger, Odysseus hull was painted in the new Royal Olympic livery
MTS Odysseus with her new dark blue hull certainly looked very attractive indeed as it seemed to give her a more balanced profile showing off her classic lines. Her passengers loved her vast deck spaces, be it under cover or open air for the sun lovers. She had two spacious teak-decked Promenades, ideal as walking areas, which includes a covered jogging track below the promenade.
A warm and pleasing Mediterranean décor is featured throughout the ship. In addition Odysseus also features an excellent collection of art. Most lounges are located on Promenade Deck. Two decks down the popular Marine Club and covered deck is located just aft of the Dinning Room.
This is the
very large Main Lounge and at night the Showroom and one of the
dance venues
Photograph by &
© Michael Hipler
This is the
delightful Naiades Cocktail Lounge
Photograph by & © Michael Hipler
The Library
was very cosy indeed
The elegant
Restaurant
Looking
along the starboard side of Apollo Deck to aft
Photographer unknown – *Please read the Photo notes at the bottom of the page!
Odysseus was a delightful smaller cruise ship that offered a traditional environment. The minute passengers stepped onboard her, they knew that they had arrived in a unique world that only a true ocean-going liner could provide, for she simply oozed a maritime atmosphere, with her covered promenades and those delightful interiors. But sadly the days of ships such as this are being lost and replaced by huge hideous square boxes that look more like building and Condo’s (Apartments bocks) that ships! Inside they are more like hotels or Island Resorts, or huge shopping malls, simply hideous, but all that is so very American, they love all that rubbish! They do not have our history of traditional shipping, except for a few ships of note!
The ever
reliable and beautiful MTS Odysseus
However, Royal Olympic Cruises was forced to change their name by the Olympic Council and they became ‘Royal Olympia Cruises,’ but soon enough due to a woeful management, they were heading for financial troubles. The Odysseus that was still mint, she as well as several other ships of the Epirotiki fleet were all laid up in 2003. Then, MTS Odysseus re-entered service for a short time, but she was soon laid up again. In 2004 the company was wound up and went into liquidation.
The
Odysseus is seen laid up at
She was sold by auction and was purchased once
again very cheaply by Mantovana Holdings Ltd, a V-Ships
subsidiary company, and was leased to Everis Capital
Holdings to be operated as a casino cruise ship to operate
out of Singapore. Below is a photograph of her, which was taken
during her refit into a casino ship in
MS Lucky
Star being refitted as a Casino cruise ship in
Photograph used with thanks - www.faktaomfartyg.com
At completion, she headed for
For me personally, it is always so sad to see such a delightful cruise ship to end up as a lousy casino ship, for the truth is that frequently casino ships are generally poorly maintained and managed. However, many feel that her days were numbered and that she would be sold to be broken up in the near future!
Why did I and other maritime experts think this? Mainly because of the new SOLAS regulations that were due to come in, but personally I felt that she would go even sooner. Well, that is I felt at the time, unless someone decided to obtain her and use her as a hotel ship, but of course this never happened! But all too soon she was laid up at anchor and was on the market.
The Lucky
Star still looking beautiful, is seen in lay-up and for sale
Photographer unknown - *Please read the Photo notes at the bottom of the page!
In April 2008 the sad news arrived that the Lucky Star had been sold to Indian Breakers and that she had already arrived in India and been beached at Alang. Apparently for her final voyage to Alang she was renamed “Lucky,” being a strange name for a ship that was doomed!
Regardless of her various guises, one of the most poplar versions will always be as the MTS Marco Polo 1969 to 1978.
Wonderful
Memories of the MTS Marco Polo seen in 1977
INDEX:
Page One …
Princesa Isabel - Later: MTS Marco Polo, Aquamarine & Lucky
Star.
Page Two …
Odysseus - Later: Lucky Star & Lucky.
Page Three …
Odysseus Photo Page & Deck Plan.
Page Four …
Princesa Leopoldina. Later: MV Coral Princess & Millennium
Queen & Millennium.
**************************************
“Blue
Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them
die.”
Where
you will discover over 700 Classic Passenger &
Passenger-Cargo Liners!
Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos
Story