- Wednesday 17 October 2018
The spacious yet intimate MS Magellan recently docked at Cobh. Several members of the Shandon Travel team went for a look around- continue reading for Raya's blog about the day:
"On Saturday the 6th of October myself, Jackie and Rose boarded the Magellan at the cruise terminal in Cobh. We arrived at 9am in the sunshine to plenty of happy smiling faces disembarking the ship and making their way into the beautiful township of Cobh.
The ship itself looks very unassuming and for a minute when I saw the size I did wonder if perhaps I had gotten the wrong day and the cruise ship had already left. Fortunately my doubts soon vanished once we were quickly whisked through the security and on board.
The ship feels airy and open despite how it looks from the outside. It was spacious, clean and every staff member we came across went out of their way to interact with us. The level of service felt very similar to the Disney Cruise Ship service in terms of friendliness and attention.
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We began with coffee and tea in Sinatra’s Lounge, before heading on a tour of the ship that took us to an inside cabin, an outside cabin and a suite. I would be happy to stay in any of these- they were spotless and the staff had all left their personal individual touch on the room with towels in the shapes of various animals.
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We also went through the Livingstone Library, Casino Royale, the Nansen Card and Bridge Room, internet café, arts and craft room and show lounge. We were shown the Shopping Galleria, the beautiful Jade Wellness Centre and the gym, as well as taken through the multiple food outlets and bars both inside and outside the ship.
On the decks there are plenty of viewing areas- especially important when on a cruise taking in the Fjords. As well as this, there are numerous sun-bathing areas, pools, spas and outside dining options. The ship was easy to navigate and you could easily book shore excursions or your next trip at the reception.
We ended our tour in the table service Kensington Restaurant, where the food was sublime. There was a wide selection of cuisine. I had a beetroot carpaccio, chicken Caesar salad, salmon and tiramisu to finish. Among the food ordered at our table were vegetarian options, Indian foods and steak- and it was all plated and cooked to the same standard you would get on the higher-rated cruise companies.
This ship from Cruise & Maritime Voyages accommodates about 1250 guests over nine passenger decks. It's fully stablised and air conditioned, and serviced by 8 lifts. Guests on board a Cruise & Maritime ship enjoy delicious full-board cuisine, self service tea & coffee from 6am to midnight, entertainment (including cabarets & classical interludes), daytime activities programmes, guest speakers, afternoon teas & late night snacks. On cruises of 6 nights or more, guests are also invited to the welcome & farewell Captain's cocktail parties.
The Magellan is probably best suited for the over 50s and not great for kids, but I was blown away with the rooms, amenities, service, food and activities. It is great value especially when you don’t have to worry about flights and can sail directly from Cobh or Dublin. The ship's crew will even porter your luggage from the pier to your cabin. I'll definitely recommend this ship to my cruise clients as an easy, relaxing and great value holiday option."
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