6th February 2020 The Magellan arrived early in Bridgetown, mooring at 6:00 am. Fortunately, she secured the closest berth to the port terminal, meaning passengers from the two cruise ships that arrived later faced a much longer walk into town. Interesting fact: Chicken is by far the most popular meat on the island, with hens… Continue Reading

4th February 2020 You encounter all sorts of people on a cruise, and while the Magellan is by no means the largest ship sailing the world’s seas, it certainly has its fair share of eccentric passengers. It’s no surprise that any establishment offering unlimited food and drink 24 hours a day will naturally attract those… Continue Reading

2nd February 2020 Most passengers now seem to have settled into a ship’s routine based on their interests and preferences. Plenty is happening on board to entertain those who prefer not just to sunbathe, eat, listen to music in the bars, or simply wait for the next port to provide a fresh distraction. The more… Continue Reading

1st February 2020 The night before we were due to drop anchor off the port of Icoaraci, situated on the banks of the Pará River, Sue wasn’t feeling too well; she had cold shivers and a sore throat, so she wisely opted for a bowl of warming soup in the buffet before heading for an… Continue Reading

29th January 2020 The small community of Alter do Chão lies on the banks of the River Tapajós, around twenty miles upstream of Santarém. Until the 18th century, the village was inhabited mostly by the Borari people, who lived primarily by fishing. Today, its 1,298 residents still rely on fishing but have also embraced handicrafts… Continue Reading

28th January 2020 The ship arrived off the coast of the small town of Parintins, situated on the southern bank of the Amazon, just after breakfast. From November to January, the town becomes an island, accessible only by river. We anchored midstream, requiring a 20-minute tender boat ride to the town pier. Parintins is not… Continue Reading

26th January 2020 Our one overnight stay is here in Manaus, the gateway to the Amazon. It serves as the main base for most rainforest expeditions and, in a similar fashion, offers the widest range of tour opportunities for visiting cruise ships. Last night, we could have forgone our evening meal (perish the thought!) and… Continue Reading

26th January 2020 We woke this morning to discover that, in the Brazilian rainforest during the rainy season, it does indeed rain. Spoiled by good weather since entering the Amazon, we had begun to wonder whether my school geography books had got it wrong, or whether global warming was having an effect. As we had… Continue Reading

24th January 2020 We arrived at the tiny fishing village of Boca da Valeria at breakfast time. Situated at the confluence of the Rio da Valeria and the Amazon, midway between Parintins and Santarém, it is a remote and primitive settlement of around 75 souls, descended from intermarriage between Portuguese settlers and local Indigenous people.… Continue Reading

16th January 2020 Six days at sea, traversing the Atlantic from one continent to another, gave us ample time to settle into the ship’s routine: eat, entertain, eat, entertain, eat, entertain, eat, entertain, sleep. A slight adjustment was required on the days we crossed a date line; fortunately, in this direction, it meant gaining an… Continue Reading