We went on the Boudicca for a 12 day trip from Newcastle to Baltic ports, during September 2012. We booked last minute, direct with Fred Olsen, which was easy enough. However, when we later tried to get them to correct a misspelt surname, it turned out to be quite stressful. Firstly, I had to wait ages for them to answer the phone and then they wanted to charge me £100 to change 'ea' to 'ie' on the booking form. It was only when they had listened to the tapes and found that it was their error, that they agreed not to charge me. Take care to provide the right details or it will cost you!

We travelled to Newcastle by train from Merseyside. I wouldn't do it again, because the car park is right alongside the terminal. The train was delayed in both directions, causing us to miss connections. Also, the system of reserving seats on trains meant that there were empty seats and people arguing about where they should sit. Reserving seats should be stopped!

That wasn't Fred Olsen's fault though, so what about the ship? Read more