Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

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Balmoral

Braemar

Bolette

Borealis

Entertainment dated

Kusadasi

I chose this cruise because it was offering the three Fred’s in Funchal. The meeting of all three of Fred Olsens ships. I obtaienes a late solo traveller saver plus and was allocated a twin cabin for sole use on deck eight. Comfortable and spacious, well serviced but with an obscured view. Meals were taken in the Spey on deck ten. Good choice at breakfast, buffet or serviced. Ditto for the four course lunch. Dinner was more formal, with five courses. Well cooked and served with a good choice. The beef Wellington stood out. I also tried the Goan restaurant called Vasco. Food and service were superb and it’s pity that Vasco was not better patronised.

Entertainment varied. The comedian, Lloyd Davies was very funny and the singer, Kirsten Osborn was also good. The showtime group put on three energetic and popular shows.

Talks were rather too nature orientated for my taste but were informative. During the day there were the usual quiz shows culinary creations were always popular.

Chandra, the bar and restaurant manager was ever present and both hands on and efficient. Captain Val was also very much in evidence reassuring passengers when we hit bad weather. As a result we only visited two of the seven advertised ports. Funchal was great as was Lisbon. They are both very welcoming cities.

A stormy voyage

Portofino

For our first cruise, there were positive experiences, including the (expensive) onshore excursions to the stunning Norwegian scenery, the good choice of on board food and dining, the lovely flowers and gifts from Fred Olsen Cruises for our silver wedding anniversary, and the high standard of housekeeping in our room by our cabin stewardess. 

Unfortunately there were many negative experiences for us that including waiting up to 25 minutes for a drink in various bar areas around the ship, the overall amateur standard of entertainment (namely the live music and shows), dull on-board activities and talks, a charge for drinks room service (we just took our own drinks to our room), no free wi-fi, and a feeling that despite paying a premium for our cruise package (deck 10 suite with balcony), we did not have a premium holiday experience. Then on arrival home in our final bill we were charged a non refundable gratuities charge of £80 (barely mentioned that this had to be opted out by filling in a form while on board the ship). 

We asked ourselves would we book a cruise holiday again with Fred Olsen, or recommend them to friends and family, and the answer was no.

Highlights of the Norwegian Fjords

We only booked this cruise six weeks before sailing. This was our second cruise with Fred and it won’t be our last. Sailing from Rosyth was very easy, check in was quick, parking at the Dock makes it simple. Disembarking was just as easy.

We chose an Inside Cabin for the simple reason that going to the Midnight Sun was going to be 24 hours of daylight and we both like darkness to sleep in. Our cabin was spacious with plenty of storage, loads of clothes hangers, excellent shower. Our Cabin Assistant, Aimee, was always on hand and kept our cabin spotless throughout our cruise. We were blessed with fantastic weather, no rough seas, no disturbed nights.

We were on the late dinner sitting, 8.30pm, which initially we weren’t keen on but as it worked out, it suited us perfectly. It meant that we could enjoy the Sail Aways and the long hours of daylight.

Every meal we had was delicious, plenty of choices, excellent service from our waitresses, Jantty and Janie. We had breakfast in either the Avon or Spey which has table service and buffet, but not as busy as Ballindalloch. On occasions we also used the Palms buffet. The Bookmark Cafe served excellent coffee and the cakes were amazing. I must mention the Morning Light Pub, great for a pre-dinner drink and Pat the musician kept us entertained. We had booked both of the Speciality Restaurants before the cruise for £10pp. Both served excellent food but Vasco had the edge, for us, over Colours & Tastes. We didn’t have a Drinks Package and thought the prices of drinks were similar to pub prices, very reasonable and no service charge, unlike some cruise lines.

Orca, the Ocean Conservationist Charity, were on the cruise and spent many hours pointing out Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise. Richard and Leyla were enthusiastic and kept us interested, sharing their knowledge of the wildlife. They also did interesting talks.

As the ship docked into the town of every place that we visited, we didn’t go on any of the ships tours. We were happy to do our own thing whilst ashore, each place was great.

I also want to mention that we thought the cleanliness of the ship was excellent. Cleaning was being done all the time, handrails, door handles, all touch points. Windows cleaned, inside and out. Sanitizer at all Restaurants, staff to remind guests to use them!

Based on our experiences on Balmoral, we thoroughly recommend this ship.

Spitsbergen with The Midnight Sun

This was our first post-Covid holiday abroad and, after seeing chaos at airports over the last couple of years, we were delighted to find that we could sail from Rosyth, just over an hour's drive from home.  The itinerary took us up the coast of Norway before heading well into the Arctic Circle, to Svalbard. 

This was only our second cruise and our first with Fred Olsen but we had heard good reviews from friends who had travelled on the Balmoral and we were not disappointed. Our cabin was extremely comfortable with plenty of storage space to keep it uncluttered. The crew were friendly, professional and extremely helpful, nothing seemed too much trouble. The ship may be older than most but is beautifully maintained to a high standard and is kept very clean. We saw it being polished, washed, varnished and painted throughout the cruise and with respect to infection control, there were hand sanitisers at every entrance to public areas while doors, door handles and even walls were washed down at least once a day. Over the 15 days we dined in all areas: the main dining rooms (Ballindalloch for dinner, Spey and Avon for lunch), the buffet area (Palm's cafe) and the two speciality restaurants Vasco and Colours & Tastes. We enjoy eating out and thought that the food was excellent throughout - a wide range of dishes to choose from to suit all tastes, beautifully cooked and presented, available throughout the day. There was also afternoon tea available, an ice-cream cafe (Scoops) and, weather permitting, a BBQ on the promenade deck. There was even a supper club for those peckish after 11pm but we did not try any of these simply because we just could not fit in any more food.

This particular cruise attracted us because it had more sea days, a chance to really explore the ship and relax. There are numerous lounges, bars and cafe areas, all very comfortable and with large windows from which to enjoy the scenery. There is a wrap around promenade deck which is great for scenic cruising or a little bit of gentle exercise (4x round = 1 mile!) and plenty of places to sit in the fresh air. There are also 2 swimming pools each surrounded by sun loungers and with a bar, complete with attentive waiters, nearby. The Neptune Lounge on deck 7 provided a tiered theatre area for enrichment talks during the day (even a church service on each Sunday) and becoming a dance floor with show stage in the evening with all activities available to watch from the comfort of your cabin if you prefer not to go out.

This ship can cater for families but our fellow guests seemed to be older, the majority were of retiral age and upwards. There might not be some of the things such as water flumes or climbing walls found on more modern ships but we found plenty to do. All in all we had a wonderful time and would recommend most highly. We cannot wait to book again!

Magical midnight sun

My first time on a cruise and from the moment I stepped on to the ship was very pleased with the service provided my all of the staff.  Everyone of them from cabin stewardesses to entertainment staff are a credit to Fred Olsen with mention to my fantastic waiter – FORGE.

Cruising is certainly the way ahead for holidays.  Stopping at various locations in order to sample what they offer is a new way of holidaying for me and it was really nice to see the varying ports of call.  

Cruising past Gibraltar on one side and north Africa on the other was really nice.

It was lovely to hear the number of repeat guests that were on the boat and to speak to them hearing the continual praise of the boat and the service that was received.

Not a cruise for young children however as a lack of facilities for them however the older market was certainly well catered for and the entertainment was varied.

First timer

This was our fifth cruise with Fred Olsen - our first since the pandemic.

At the outset of the cruise were delayed by two hours while the ship underwent a "deep clean" as there had been a severe outbreak of Norovirus on the previous cruise.

Needless to say by day three of the cruise my husband and many other passengers were confined to cabin as the virus had once again taken hold.  By day five I also had contracted the virus and at that time there were a further 90 (ninety) passengers confined.  The action taken was passengers must remain isolated for two full days after their last bout of sickness or diarrhoea and we were contacted regularly by the medical team.   There were many announcements over the PA system about constant hand washing.

By the time we returned to the Port of Rosyth many of the passengers were heartily glad the cruise was over.

Now to the food - the quality of the bread was particularly noticeable it was totally tasteless and obviously brought on board pre-sliced from wherever it was produced.  The bread rolls were varied in shape and name and also totally tasteless.

The red meat was tough and although disguised by sauces etc also lacking in taste.

Chicken edible but could have been better,  well enough said!!!

Fish was peculiar, appearing regularly on the menu was "Catfish" and never having encountered this before we left it strictly alone.  There was actually very few fish varieties appearing on the menu that were even interesting.

Breakfasts were (believe it or not) GREAT!!

So I would summarise by saying that Fred Olsen have taken the cutbacks very much to heart and I for one will think very carefully before we sail with them again.

On arrival at Rosyth all  passengers were off the ship in order that another “deep clean” may take place – this one was planned to take a period of three hours as opposed to our two hours.  I only hope, for the sake of all the next group of passengers, that this was more successful than the one taken before our cruise

CUTBACKS IN FOOD and VIRUS OUTBREAK

We love the Balmoral because of the traditional raked stern that allows you to sit out on the balconies, either for lunch on Deck 10, or for drinks in the evening on Deck 8. You can then watch the landscape drift past, for example in the fjords or the Kiel Canal on this cruise.

This time we moved our Dining to the Avon restaurant on Deck 10 instead of being in the main Balindalloch. As it was mid-summer it was light till late and the Avon has floor to ceiling windows with a great view. The food was great as usual and a nice choice of wines for the drinks package.

We are not great ones for the entertainment as we prefer sitting outside with a brandy after dinner, but we make an exception for the magician. He was very good, though not quite the patter of the Japanese / East London man (Tenso I think) on last year.

Only problem was norovirus. We never caught it, but some did. There was a minor inconvenience of mostly having to use your cabin toilet and not being able to use the jacuzzies, but other than that it did not affect us. Still able to swim every day.

Another Fabulous Fred

Vigo

We chose this cruise for Havana, Antarctic and Iguazu falls. Havana was scheduled as an evening in port followed by a full day. It was cancelled at the last minute and a half day in Nassau substituted. Not a like for like change. The tendered port of Ushuaia was a shambles, overcrowded and long queues for tenders in torrential rain. Iguazu falls was cancelled at the airport in Rio due to technical issues that left us stranded at Rio airport all day. Chaotic organisation left vulnerable passengers without food or water all day. Cabin was creaking and groaning in rough seas. and kept us awake. To cap it all the on board restaurant service was slow without enough staff. Fred carno cruise line would be a better name. The Antarctic was great, the rest of it was forgettable!! Needless to say we won’t be cruising with Fred again. Apparently Fred Olsen himself was reported to be onboard for part of the cruise, not surprisingly he didn’t announce his presence !!

Fred Olsen aka Fred karon

This was not what we expected at all, and to say a disappointment, doesn't even come close.

I think we worked out that 9 trips were cancelled, and with the exception of a couple, the others we did do all had some issues/problems.

I believe 8 of the ports we stopped at were on a Sunday - this meant that most things were closed.

Many of the ports were commercial, so lots of loud container noise.

The food was beyond belief - in 70+ days I think only 2 bowls of soup were what I was consider "hot" - everything else really just warm or cold.  So many times we found that what we ordered was often not what we were given.  We tried sending the things back and we did have several words with the staff and the hotel manager, but it didn't improve the situation.  I spoke to many people on the ship who were equally as disappointed with the food as we were, some who had been on FO cruises before said it was not anywhere near the standards that they had had in the past.

The entertainment was, in our view, incredibly dated, although there were a few good entertainers.

The cabins were ok, but again very 80's.  The air-con was for us (and others we spoke to), dire - I cant remember how many times they tried to fix it.  The toilet blocked multiple times (8 or 9 I think), and the bathroom flooded twice.  Some of the draws would open by themselves in rough seas - we ended up buying tape to stick them closed.  The wardrobe doors (during the initial crossing, which was quite rough), we had to put chairs in front of them to stop them constantly banging.  The plug sockets were not next to the bed, but on the other side of the room, which was a bit frustrating, although a small thing really.

The staff were mostly really nice, although we found some of the management to be defensive - my partner actually got shouted at on one occasion, and she wasn't even talking to the person!?!?

The organisation on the ship seemed to be very poor, and whilst I appreciate that running a ship this size cant be easy they need to get someone in and review this trip, because it had so much potential and could have been amazing.

I could go on, a lady we met said she had three pages of issues and I can totally understand why.  What surprises us is that my parents loved FO, and always thought very highly of them, so we (and my parents), cant understand how things could have gone so wrong.

In the end we are left with a lot of broken dreams and heartache - I know this might seem a little over the top, but this was our life savings and last big holiday that we are ever likely to do.  There was so much we wanted to see :(

Heartbroken

We are seasoned cruisers and have been on 30 plus cruises over the past 15 -20 years, however this was our first experience of Fred Olsen. This is the only time I have felt the need, or rather obligation to go into print to warn others.

We fancied a Christmas market cruise and had previously done the Rhine/Danube etc and loved it so fancied going further afield. Olsen cruises advertised this cruise as a "Christmas market cruise" and the specific Scandinavian markets advertised looked appealing.

We had heard various reports on Olsen cruises some good, some not so good but nothing could have prepared us for what was to come. We went with an open mind as we like to judge for ourselves, and in fact are very loyal to those lines that do deliver what they sell.

Embarkation port was changed at the last minute from Portsmouth to Southampton. The lack of onshore planning and organisation involved to get people from one to the other should have been a warning in itself.

The ship itself looked more like a converted roll on roll off ferry. It was old, and much of the sanitation on board was hit and miss. e.g. Toilets in public areas not flushing properly. Excrement left in the pans. Indeed the running water in the rooms had to be switched off during the cruise for essential maintenance.

The food was mediocre to say the least, indeed the evening meal was often cold when served and more like minimised school dinners. Very little variety. 

The open areas were often cold, poorly serviced and chairs old. Much like a poorly serviced, cheap (but cold) alternative to a underfunded old people's home. 

The theatre layout was average, although with 2 rows of seating on the same level it was often difficult to see over a person sitting in front of you. On a positive note the external entertainment (i.e. those not employed on board) were quite good, although the comedian did seem to run out of material on his second showing. The on board (resident) production entertainment was more like a secondary school/teenager production with "home made" costumes to match. More akin to a village hall production than something you would see in London's theatre district. Many guests walked out during the "show."

To be totally frank and when comparing it to others we have cruised with Fred Olsen would rank as a 1-3star. (To get 3 star you need to book a suite as we did......and stay in it! -That said the balance of the product was 1-2 star)

When we arrived in Gothenburg, went onshore, looking forward to seeing what we had booked and gone to see, we discovered, as did all the other guests for the first time that nothing was open. Indeed all the attractions detailed in the pre-port presentation on the ship by their expert the day before i.e.  "must sees" when in Gothenburg were also closed!!!  No Christmas market, nothing. No planning, no responsibility taken for getting you there on a day when everything was closed. What a complete shambles. 

We wrote directly to the management of Fred Olsen, as required in the complaint procedure, and expressed our concerns; only to be informed that "nobody" had informed them before they got everybody there, so it was not their fault! Unbelievable.

If that doesn't tell you everything about the cruise line and their ability to accept and respond positively to criticism.....well it should. 

With respect to the customer service on board. Patronising, condescending and poorly informed sums it up. Firmly believe that none of the staff employed had worked for anyone else so they had no comprehension of how deplorable their attitude actually was. 

Ironically the staff members staff serving meals and cleaning rooms onboard (including our room cleaner) were pleasant and well presented.

The final insult, adding insult to injury came at Southampton. We had paid for a suite so expected priority disembarkation, as advertised, only to discover that priority was given to those in a party of over 100 who had all booked through a particular agent irrespective of what they had paid for. 

Do not be taken in by their marketing. If you are looking for a smaller ship that delivers, based on our experiences do not use Fred Olsen.

Bottom line then is that if you are easily pleased and have a low expectation of cruising i.e food and drink provided with a bed thrown in then this is the line for you; we would have quoted the old adage  "you pay for what you get"  but in this instance even when you pay at almost the highest level, the "product" you get (excluding the cabin) is the same as at the bottom level throughout the ship and they simply didn't deliver the itinerary as advertised.

You don't get what you pay for. Olsen...Never again.

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