Have a night out – on a ship

If the medieval merchant Marco Polo had stayed at home – whether that was in Venice or the Croatian port of Korcula which I visited on Sunday – he would never have opened trade routes between Europe and China and the world might be a different place today.
The cruise ship that bears his name is, however, making a success of selling ship visits and going nowhere.
A series of events on Marco Polo, planned for October 30 while it is docked at Tilbury, proved so popular that three more dates have been added for what is described as “sampler visits.”
It sounds an ideal way for people who have never cruised to take a look at what life is like on board, and help them decide whether a cruising holiday is for them.
Several options are available for the visits on November 30, and December 1 and 2.
For £39 guests can have a tour of the ship, sip a welcome cocktail and sit down to a five course lunch before watching a show in the ship’s theatre.
Option two is for an evening on board, a five-course dinner and a late-night cabaret show. All for £59, and with an escort to the gangway at midnight.
For an additional £20, guests can spend the night in a cabin on board and sit down to breakfast before departing the following morning.
Marketing Manager Mike Hall said “Our first sample event sold out in less than 48 hours. We hope this new opportunity will satisfy those who want to see what a traditional British style cruise ship looks like and what Cruise & Maritime in particular has to offer.”
It seems there’s no shortage of people prepared to spend a night in Tilbury docks – not the most glamorous location on the Thames. Perhaps some of them are hoping to stowaway on Marco Polo’s five-week Christmas voyage to the Caribbean which sails on December 6.
More details at www.cruiseandmaritime.com