Cruise and Maritime voyages newest fleet addition Magellan was in Port of Tyne on Saturday and of course, I had to go and see her.

She may not be the most attractive cruise ship in the world on the outside, but on the inside, she is a little beauty!

I boarded via Deck 5 which led directly into the lobby, home to the shore excursions desk and reception. From here I would start my tour, beginning with cabins on Deck 7 and 8.

I started with an inside cabin and what a surprise it was! Much bigger than I was expecting and the décor was rather pleasant too. The outside cabins were more or less the same size as the inside and there wasn’t much, if any, size variation per deck. The suites were a step up and I instantly liked what I was seeing. The colour scheme throughout was very tasteful, there were large flat-screen TV’s on the walls, the bathrooms were wide and tiled, with some offering full size Jacuzzi tubs, and balcony sizes were quite good too – it felt like a very modern ship, even though she is coming up to her 30^th birthday. There was bottled water and a few little nibbles in the cabins, but suite guests were also showered with champagne, fresh fruit and canapes. I also liked the light features that adorned the walls behind the beds in the suites, I bet they look very pretty in the evening with the lights turned off.

From the cabin decks I moved on to some of the public areas starting with the Main Pool on Deck 10. If the sun had been shining I imagine there would have been quite a few people relaxing in this area, but as it was not, it offered a chance to see the space sun lounger free – ahhh, those lovely wooden decks! There was also a poolside grill. Next it was on to Raffles Bistro, Magellan’s buffet option, which is directly behind the pool. It was very spacious with a nice central layout – plenty of space between stations! The food looked nice too, it had obviously just been put out and the calamari looked tempting. Raffles is right at the aft of the ship and also offers an al-fresco option – weather permitting – on the Lido Deck, which houses 2 Jacuzzi’s and a small round pool.

Continuing on with my tour I popped my head through just about every doorway that I came across. The spa was a decent size and well-equipped, as was the gym. Hampton’s Lounge was quite big and perfectly located right outside the Kensington Restaurant – perfect for pre and post-dinner cocktails! I have to say that I absolutely loved the Kensington Restaurant. The décor was a mix of dark wood and bright green carpet/ upholstery and it worked beautifully! Going on colour scheme alone it was my favourite area. If it were my main dining restaurant, I would be one very happy passenger.

The Show Lounge on Deck 9 was in use during my visit, passengers were watching a movie, so I couldn’t see it in full light but it was a massive space. Given the size of Magellan, I hadn’t quite expected her main lounge to be so vast. I “borrowed” an image from CMV to show you what it looks like with the lights on. This image was actually taken from where I was standing when I first walked in, which was on the deck above what you can see in the image and several rows deep with seating. Hopefully that gives you an idea of the size.

Sinatra’s Lounge, Scott’s Nightclub, Captain’s Lounge and the Waldorf Restaurant were my next haunts. The Waldorf was very similar in layout to the Kensington, but didn’t offer quite as an impressive colour scheme, it was quite bland in comparison to be honest. Sinatra’s Lounge oozed Rat Pack and vintage Hollywood glamour, and I loved it. You would definitely catch me in there for a pre-dinner drink (and maybe one for the road too).

One thing about Magellan that was instantly noticeable was the feeling of space! Not one single area felt cramped, even the cabin decks are super wide in comparison to a LOT of ships out there today – You could easily walk side-by-side from one end to the other and still have room to spare.Her public areas were exactly the same too. Picture Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music when the hills come alive in the opening scene – you could do that everywhere onboard Magellan and not touch another soul.

I chatted with a few passengers (whilst I cheekily waited for the shuttle bus) and they each said how nice Magellan was, how good her crew were and that they didn’t want to get off. There was also one couple I passed onboard who couldn’t say enough good things about their cabin stewardess, and you could see the girl was warmed by it. I guess that says it all really!

I left feeling like I should probably spend more than just an hour or two onboard, more like a week or two 😉