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{{For|the company sometimes referred to as "Orient Line"|Orient Steam Navigation Company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Orient Lines
| logo = Orient lines logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Subsidiary
| genre =
| foundation = {{start date|1991}}
| defunct = {{End date|2008}}
| founder = Gerry Herrod
| location_city =
| location_country =
| location =
| locations =
| area_served =
| key_people = Wayne Heller
| industry = [[Cruise line]]
| products =
| services =
| market cap =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent = [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] (1998–2000) [[Star Cruises]] (2000–2008) Origin Cruise Group (2008—present)
| divisions =
| subsid =
| footnotes =
| website = [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.orientlines.com/ orientlines.com]
| intl =
}}

'''Orient Lines''' was a [[cruise line]] specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993–2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, and was sold to [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] in 1998. It ceased operations in March 2008 and was sold to new owners in June 2008. Operations were planned to be restarted in April 2009; however, due to the [[Great Recession]] of 2008, the re-launch of the Orient Lines brand was put on hold and eventually cancelled.

==History==
The history of Orient Lines began in 1991 when Shipping & General Ltd, owned by Gerry Herrod, acquired the cruise ship [[MS Alexandr Pushkin|''Alexandr Pushkin'']] from [[Far Eastern Shipping Company]].<ref name="Cruisepage">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/ships/or_marco.asp|title=Ship Profile: MV ''Marco Polo''|work=Cruisepage.com|accessdate=11 December 2007}}</ref> During the next two and a half years the ''Alexandr Pushkin'' was almost entirely rebuilt and emerged in 1993 as the [[MS Marco Polo|''Marco Polo'']] for the new Orient Lines brand, embarking on a varied program with cruises all around the world.<ref name="Cruisepage" /><ref name="Sealetter">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sealetter.com/Feb-97/polohist.html|title=''Marco Polo'': History|last=Carson|first=Jay|work=Sealetter Cruise Magazine|accessdate=11 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723052149/http://www.sealetter.com/Feb-97/polohist.html|archive-date=23 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Simplon">{{Cite web|url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Orient_NCL.html |title=Orient Lines (1992–2008) |accessdate=11 December 2007 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |work=Simplon Postcards }}</ref>

In 1998, [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] (NCL) acquired the brand.<ref name="Ward">{{Cite book|title=Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2006|last=Ward|first=Douglas|publisher=Berlitz|year=2006|isbn=981-246-739-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/384 384]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/384}}</ref> In 1999, NCL itself was acquired by [[Star Cruises]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/norwegian_cruise_line.htm |title=Kloster Cruise / Norwegian Cruise Line |accessdate=11 December 2007 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |language=Swedish |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120729190522/http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/norwegian_cruise_line.htm |archivedate=29 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following this, NCL's ''Norwegian Crown'' joined the Orient Lines fleet in May 2000 under the name ''[[Crown Odyssey]]''.<ref name="Crown">{{Cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/crown_odyssey_1988.htm |title=M/S ''Crown Odyssey'' (1988) |accessdate=11 December 2007 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |language=Swedish |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120802003302/http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/crown_odyssey_1988.htm |archivedate=2 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In March 2001 Star Cruises announced that their ''[[SuperStar Aries]]'' would be joining the Orient Lines fleet in mid-2002 as the ''Ocean Voyager''. This plan was shelved however,<ref name="Simplon" /> and in 2003, the ''Crown Odyssey'' returned to the NCL fleet and Orient Lines reverted to operating with just one ship.<ref name="Simplon" /><ref name="Crown" />

On 4 June 2007, the ''Marco Polo'' was sold to the [[Greece]]-based Global Maritime, with a delivery date on 31 March 2008. Without its only ship sold and no other ships to replace it, the Orient Line brand ceased to operate.<ref name="Newman">{{Cite web|url=http://dougnewmanatsea.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/the-end-of-orient-lines/|title=The End of Orient Lines|last=Newman|first=Doug|date=31 March 2008|work=At Sea with Doug Newman|accessdate=1 April 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.orientlines.com/news/prhome.html |title=NCL Announces Farwell Season of ''Marco Polo'' |accessdate=11 December 2007 |work=Orient Lines press release |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318035134/http://www.orientlines.com/news/prhome.html |archive-date=18 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 27 June 2008, Star Cruises sold the Orient Line brand to Origin Cruise Group, owned by Wayne Heller.<ref name="CBR">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080627120422 |title=Orient Lines to reborn? |accessdate=27 June 2008 |date=27 June 2008 |work=Cruise Business Online |publisher=Cruise Media Oy Ltd }}</ref> The new owners stated they would be restarting operations with several second-hand ships with a capacity of 600 to 800 passengers.<ref name=CBR /> The first ship acquired by the "new" Orient Lines was {{SS|Maxim Gorkiy}}, which was purchased from [[Sovcomflot]] on 20 August 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080820140302 |title=Orient Lines buy ''Maxim Gorkiy'' |accessdate=20 August 2008 |date=20 August 2008 |work=Cruise Business Review |publisher=Cruise Media Oy Ltd |archive-date=8 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708211816/http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080820140302 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ''Maxim Gorkiy'' was due to enter service with Orient Lines in April 2009 as SS ''Marco Polo II''. On 19 November 2008 Wayne Heller stated that due to the [[Great Recession]] of 2008, the relaunch of the Orient Lines brand was delayed indefinitely.<ref name="CBR 2008-11-19">{{Cite web|url=http://cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20081119184840|title=Orient Lines delays launch|date=19 November 2008|work=Cruise Business Review|publisher=Cruise Media Oy Ltd|accessdate=20 November 2008}}</ref> The ''Maxim Gorkiy'' never was refitted and renamed ''Marco Polo II''. The ship was sold for scrap in January 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maritimematters.com/shipnews200901.html |title=Shipping news, Cruise ship news, Maritime Matters |accessdate=9 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208164223/http://maritimematters.com/shipnews200901.html |archivedate=8 December 2009 }}</ref> No further announcements have been made regarding the future of the Orient Lines, though the trademarks are still owned by Origin Cruise Group. In 2019, the abandoned website was taken down due to the domain expiring.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orientlines.com/ |title=Archived copy |website=www.orientlines.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019232925/http://www.orientlines.com/ |archive-date=19 October 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Former Ships==
{| class="wikitable"
! Ship || Built || In service for Orient Lines || Tonnage || Status as of 2023 || Image
|-
| {{MS|Marco Polo||2}} ||align="Center" | 1965 ||align="Center" | 1993–2008 ||align="Center" | {{GT|22,080}} || Scrapped in 2021 at [[Alang]], [[India]]<ref name="beached">{{cite news|last=Thakkar|first=Emrys|date=14 January 2021|title=MS Marco Polo Reaches the End and Beached in India|website=CruiseHive|url=https://www.cruisehive.com/ms-marco-polo-reaches-the-end-and-has-been-beached/45898|accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref>|| [[File:MS Marco Polo.jpg|200px]]
|-
| ''[[Crown Odyssey]]'' ||align="Center" | 1988 ||align="Center" | 2000–2003 ||align="Center" | {{GT|34,242}} || Since 2008 sailing as ''Balmoral'' for [[Fred. Olsen Cruise Line]] || [[File:Norwegian Crown IMO 8506294 P Kopenhagen 07-1996 (2).JPG|thumb]]
|-
| [[SS Maxim Gorkiy|''Marco Polo II'']] Never Officially Named ||align="Center" | 1969 ||align="Center" | Never entered service (Planned to enter service on 15 April 2009).<ref name="CBR 2008-11-19" /> ||align="Center" | {{GRT|24,981}} || Scrapped in [[Alang, India]] || [[File:Maxim Gorkiy Helsinki 2006.JPG|thumb]]
|-
| [[MS Saga Sapphire|''Ocean Voyager'']] Never Officially Named ||align="Center" | 1981 ||align="Center" | Never entered service (Planned to enter service in 2002). ||align="Center" | {{GRT|37,049}} || Since 2011 sailing as ''Saga Sapphire'' for [[Saga Cruises]]|| [[File:Bleu de France in Palermo (recropped).jpg|thumb]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090122012404/http://www.orientlines.com/ Archived official website]

{{Former Subsidiaries of Norwegian Cruise Line}}

[[Category:Transport companies established in 1991]]
[[Category:Transport companies disestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:Defunct cruise lines]]
[[Category:Norwegian Cruise Line]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments in Norway]]
[[Category:Norwegian companies established in 1991]]

Orient Lines - Revision history

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