A Soviet troopship with a disco became a global cruise icon

Technology · Published 18 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The MS Marco Polo began its life as a rugged Soviet ocean liner designed for military utility. Built with reinforced hulls to navigate broken ice and massive storage for troop provisions, it underwent a radical transformation to become a luxury vessel, eventually navigating the world's most remote corners.

Originally constructed in 1965 at the Mathias-Thesen-Werft shipyard in East Germany, the ship was known as the Aleksandr Pushkin. As the second vessel of the Ivan Franko class, it was designed with significant structural differences from Western liners of the era. These included reinforced hull strength and stability specifically to navigate broken ice, as well as unusually large provision and storage areas intended for use as a troopship. These military-adjacent features allowed the vessel to achieve a cruising range of over 10,000 nautical miles.

The ship's transition from Soviet utility to Western luxury was marked by several major refits. In the 1970s, it was rebuilt to eliminate cargo facilities and extend the forward superstructure to create more public spaces. It notably became the first Soviet ship to feature an on-board discothèque. By 1991, after being sold to Orient Lines, it underwent a near-total reconstruction in Greece. This 2.5-year project, costing between US$20 million and $60 million, involved reconditioning engines, installing Denny Brown stabilizers, and completely redesigning the interior to meet modern IMO and SOLAS standards.

Throughout its long career, the Marco Polo served various roles, including transatlantic service between Montreal and Leningrad, and even charter work for the Soviet Navy in African interventions. It eventually became a staple of the cruise industry, known for visiting unusual destinations like Antarctica. Its service ended in 2021, when it was beached and scrapped in Alang, India, following a final decade of operation under various UK and German-based cruise brands.

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