Magellan Review

3.5 / 5.0
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Magellan, time to retire you old girl

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Magellan
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YellowBellyResiders
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: May 2017

Chosen basically as it seemed a good offer of buy one get one free and it was for my 60th birthday celebration, travelling as a couple. This was only our second time of cruising, having previously travelled with Thomsons. The ship did have a feel of a 'ferry' about it more than a cruise ship. The cabins were tired and in need of a bit of tlc. We had cabin 4102 and although the beds were really comfortable and the shower had good pressure the cabin was overall very dated. The toilet seat was old and marked and we couldn't understand the siting of the toilet brush underneath the hand towel rail which didn't seem too hygienic. The cabin steward James was such a lovely man and looked after us well, nothing was too much trouble and although we tidied up after ourselves we came back to find the cabin clean, tidy and useful information left on our beds daily. The food was very good and presented well. We were on the late siting in the Waldorf Restaurant and our table of six only ever consisted of four but they were a lovely couple from Manchester and very easy to chat to. However, we did often eat at the buffet itself as there was more choice, especially as one of us was vegetarian. Curries in particular were very good, even though on a daily basis! The waiting staff did an excellent job and were very entertaining. Bar staff, some better than others and we did find a few really hard work but we think some of that was down to a cultural nature and their manner was quite brusque. The on-board lecturers were good and the topics interesting and relevant. The other entertainment we found quite amateurish although Toby tried his best! We did think they could have taken the opportunity to show films on a more regular basis especially for the days at sea but only a couple were offered throughout the whole voyage and then only whilst docked in St Petersburg and for those who stayed on board during the afternoons. The Jade Spa was lovely and I enjoyed the best reflexologies I've ever experienced at the hands of Melody. A lovely tranquil environment in which to spend time whilst at sea. All in all we did enjoy our cruise and the excursions and embarkation/disembarkations were well organised. It was a pity that the excursions in Helsinki had to be cancelled (as for us it was to be one of our highlights of the cruise) due to the ship having mechanical/technical problems in St Petersburg the previous night resulting in around a 4-5 hour delay in departure which had a knock on effect. To hear some of the passengers talk though you'd have thought it was the end of the world but it was what it was and these things happen. Talking of which you often hear about the way youngsters talk and their bad attitude these days well I'm afraid some of the more senior passengers should set a better example. The way they spoke to the staff/tour guides was appauling at times and it made us ashamed to be British and associated with them. The staff on the Reception/Excursions desks handled the numerous complaints and whinging admirably and should be congratulated for portraying a professional image at all times. Both my husband and I work in face-to-face positions with the public and know how difficult it can be dealing with the public at times. In conclusion, an enjoyable time, saw some amazing places, enjoyed the cultural differences of the countries we visited, ate and probably drank too many cocktails over the 12 days but think next time we will look towards booking a cruise on a more modern ship.

Cabin Review

Cabin Outside with picture window

As detailed above and....

Beds very comfortable. Linen needs an update as duvet cover was thin and threadbare with a couple of rips in it. Towels changed when we indicated but again needed updating. Cabin was of the size expected and no complaints there. Main issue was within the bathroom area. Cabin Steward James is a credit to the company.

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