Two classic small cruise ships in Øresund

Two classic smaller cruise ships - the MV Minerva and the MV Marco Polo - which today were going northward in the Sound, have an interesting history - both were originally ordered by Soviet shipping companies.  

However, for the Minerva (built in 1989) - which was ordered as Soviet research vessel Okean - the deal fell through, and in 1996 she was purchased by Swan Hellenic and named Minerva. Having sailed as Saga Pearl, Explorer II and Alexander von Humboldt with different owners, she returned to Swan Hellenic in 2007 and also got back her original name, Minerva. 

Last year the133 m x 20 m Minerva received a multi-million pound, 83-day refit.The ship's passenger capacity is 350, and it has a crew of 160. 

MV Minerva approaching Helsingør just after 8 PM. 

The MV Marco Polo, one of my personal classic cruise ship favorites, was built in 1965 in East Germany as Aleksander Pushkin for the Soviet Union's Baltic Shipping Company. After major alterations and additions, the ship has since 1993 sailed as MV Marco Polo, first with Orient Lines, and after 2008 with UK based Cruise & Maritime Voyages. The owner is Global Marine. The ship's passenger capacity is 800, and the number of crew is 356.

The 176 m x 23,55 m  MV Marco Polo passed Hittarp at about 09.30 PM.