16 April 2024
What can I say? There are truly not enough superlatives to describe the amazing experience we had onboard Lucy Mary during our recent cruise. From start to finish, the treatment we received from the crew was first class. The booking process was a dream, with the lovely Emma steering us through the whole thing very professionally, answering all our pre-cruise questions promptly and setting our minds at rest. Once we arrived in Oban, we were greeted on board with champagne and cake (my favourite combo!) and from then on, things just got better and better. Abby, the steward, was attentive, warm, funny and made everyone feel comfortable and cared for at all times. Bella, the wildlife guide was great fun and extremely knowledgable and fantastic at finding us interesting wildlife to observe and learn about - we were lucky enough to see hordes of different species, including minke whales, loads of porpoise, seal, birds galore including sea eagles and my favourite gannets and shearwaters and of course otters! Our chef Carleton was a delight - interesting and funny as well as being the most incredible chef. I think I put on about 3kg during the cruise - my fault entirely, I just couldn't resist anything that came out of his kitchen and had to have second helpings of it all. The cod with a crispy crab crust was just a phenomenon. And of course, can't forget our wonderful skipper James. He gently steered us to all the best spots in weather that wasn't always the easiest to navigate but he made the cruise comfortable and enjoyable at all times. His lifelong love affair with the Hebridean area and with being at sea shines through and you can't help but be caught up in his enthusiasm for boat life and for the incredible surroundings we were in. If you haven't visited this area before, there are no words to describe how breathtaking and magical it is. When you're on a boat (even at anchor) the scenery is shifting all the time plus the Scottish weather is constantly changing meaning that at every moment, there are new views to take your breath away (not to mention jumping in the icy sea at dawn each day - that takes you breath away too in quite a different way!) This truly was the trip of a lifetime for me and I can't recommend the whole experience enough. I have walked away full of amazing memories plus, due to the warm and friendly atmosphere the crew generate, we also made friends for life with the other guests and crew members on board. Thank you James, Emma and Rob for what you have created - you deserve all the awards you win and more.
Nicki Wordsworth
Fabulous cruise with first class crew. Jake our Captain got us safely to each destination, amending the itinerary as weather conditions changed. We nevertheless got everywhere we’d been promised and got to enjoy the wildlife to the max. Charlie, our cook supreme, fed us incredibly well and Jasmin, our steward, ensured we were so well looked after we didn’t want the cruise to finish. They also managed a birthday surprise for me, which was wonderful. Special mention to Lynsey, our guide, who managed to spot two humpback whales from a good few miles away, one of which hadn’t previously been seen in Scottish waters. We were able to spend a good while with them without ever feeling we were disturbing them. We also saw Harbour porpoise, common dolphins, seals, White-tailed eagles, an otter, a minke whale, a cuckoo, sea-birds galore (gannets, puffins, guillemots, razor-bills, fulmars to name a few) and heard the allusive Corn crake. The scenery was also fantastic. Incredibly dramatic as you’d expect and again Lynsey with her geology background was able to give further information. I had a great time with the other cruise guests who all helped make the cruise such an enjoyable holiday experience. My favourite moment was watching a pod of common dolphins speed towards the Emma Jane; swimming, jumping, tail slapping alongside and interacting with us before heading off. It was chucking with rain, but nobody cared, it was absolutely magical.
Jackie Phelpstead: 21 June 2025Skye, the Small Isles and the Shiants