Needless to say, when our best EVER cruise the Grand Round the World Cruise
became available we all spent a few moments in awe about some of the wonderful locations you’d get to see. After all, you can see plenty in 121 days and it has to be the best holiday ever right?!
We thought we’d take a closer look at our Magellan cruise to find out a little more about this wonderful adventure and if it does take your fancy if you book by the 30th November you will get a complimentary cabin upgrade – well worth it if you are spending nearly four months at sea!
Sailing from London Tilbury gives you plenty of time to explore your new home for the next few months and adjust to your surroundings before your first port of call looms – Amsterdam. After a stop in the Netherland’s capital you continue on your voyage towards warmer climes of Spain and the Atlantic. After 4 days at sea you’ll arrive in the mid-Atlantic Azores, before continuing on to the Caribbean.
On day 14 you’ll call at Bridgetown, a wonderful Barbadian resort, day 16 you’ll dock at Curacao’s capital city of Willemstad – also a world UNESCO heritage site. The next day you’ll discover Aruba with its wonderful tropical beaches and European-influenced houses. You’ll continue your journey on from the Caribbean along the Panama Canal, the famous body of water which separates North and South America.
The next stop on day 22 will be the Mexican town of Acapulco before you continue on with your voyage stopping at the breath-taking French Polynesia Islands on Day 32. On day 35 you stop at the most famous South Pacific Island – Tahiti, before continuing on to Bora Bora the following day. Day 38 allows you to explore Rarotonga of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
On day 43 you will cross the International Date Line before arriving in Auckland in New Zealand’s North Island. Having explored this famous city you’ll head to New Zealand capital Wellington for more sightseeing and free time.
On days 50 and 51 there is time to explore the wonderful city of Sydney, with an overnight stay before setting sail once again for the privately owned Hamilton Island – one of Captain Cook’s Whitsunday Islands. On day 55 you will visit a former gold town of Townsville with a chance to venture to Magnetic Island with its resident Koala bears.
Next stop on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure is Cairns with a visit to the famous Great Barrier Reef, before continuing on to Darwin, where you can join a shore excursion to Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site.
The next stop will be at the Indonesian Island before continuing on to Bali’ Benoa, the gateway to a welcoming island. Day 67 will take you to Java with the opportunity to visit the world’s biggest shrine Borobudur. On day 68 you will visit a former spice trade port of Jakarta which is now one of the most dynamic and ultra-modern cities.
A cruise through the sea of South China brings you to Brunei before you continue onwards to Kota Kinabalu, on day 74 you’ll discover the prosperous capital city of the Philippines built up from WWII. Next stop will be to Hong Kong with two days to explore this exciting city with various optional excursions available you’ll have a real chance to get a feel for the country. On day 79 you’ll cruise into Halong Bay and an optional shore excursion will take you to Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
On days 81-84 there is a chance to explore more of what Vietnam has to offer with a call at the port of Chan May and Ho Chi Minh City (better known as Saigon). Day 86-87 will give you time to explore Singapore and the remnants of its rich history.
The next port of call will be the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur, with its famous sky-piercing Petronas Towers. Day 89 includes a stop at the Malaysian town of Penang, before continuing on to the island paradise of Phuket. On the 94th day of your cruise you’ll arrive in Chennai before continuing on to the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.
Day 98 will be a stop in Male, the island capital of the Maldives, which is dominated by the Friday Mosque. With four more days at sea, the next stop will be Salalah, the perfume capital of Arabia and Oman’s second city. On day 107 you’ll stop at the Red Sea port of Safaga where a full-day optional excursion will take you to Luxor. The next day will offer the chance to visit the extraordinary sights of Petra before you venture along the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.
On day 110 you’ll have another extraordinary chance to visit Israel and the Holy Island, before the cruise continues to Greece with a call at bustling Athens. The next stop on day 114 is Malta, with its stunning natural Grand Harbour at Valletta. On day 117 you’ll call into Gibraltar which brings a real sense of being nearly home. The last stop on this epic journey is to Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon, before the Magellan heads for home arriving back in Tilbury on day 121.