One of the oldest ships in an industry whose passengers tend to appreciate only the latest and greatest, Marco Polo was originally christened Alexandr Pushkin in 1965 and served as a Russian cruise liner until Orient Lines purchased her in 1991. Following two years of total rebuilding, she emerged as the one-of-a-kind Marco Polo. Some things couldn't be changed during her refit, such as the raised thresholds and slope of the decks; however, real structural positives are her ice-strengthened hull (important in Antarctica) and deep draft (for smooth sailing).