This would have been an awkward cruise anyway - with reduced passenger numbers due to covid precautions and with half of the original destinations - most of those on the strength of which we'd originally booked this holiday - cancelled, plus an unfortunate breakdown and delay at Belfast further complicating schedules. What turned awkwardness into, at times, full-throated disaster was the ship's ...
We sailed with Fred Olsen on the Braemar. We are not usual Olsen guests, probably slightly too young in our early fifties! we prefer more modern vessels.
There are a number of issues; The ship is tired, built in 1968 she shows her age, no amount of tinkering or refits will hide this. Loyal customers talk about how friendly it is, how they love the smaller ships, but they don't have the ...
30th anniversary .spoilt by inferior cabin.not reaching Jamaica.there was unrest but the captain said Ochoa Rios safe but weather was poor this was not the case ,we then had 3 days at sea doing nothing. Santiago unsafe and polluted,
Tortola devastated should not of gone very upsetting .
Continually being disturbed by captain announcements whilst resting(unimportant announcements.just like ...
I chose this cruise for the Caribbean itinerary and also because I expected to experience the fine dining boasted about in the brochures and on the internet.
The public spaces and our cabin were immaculately clean.
With one or two rather surly exceptions, members of staff were pleasant, friendly, approachable and helpful.
Excursions and transfers were very efficiently organised. The ...
Overall a good cruise, good ports of call. Not to many sea days. Excellent crew, very good choice of food. The minus points, the first two weeks no port talks, very few activities or lectures on sea days, the Neptune show lounge has too many loose chairs placed in it, you are packed in the lounge unable to view the show because of peoples heads and pillar obstructions, to get better seats you ...
Back again after 2 years attracted by intinerary which included Panama and Colombia. First mistake was not to book cruise only and fly out BA. The Monarch charter was poor to say the least even in the premium cabin. Old, scruffy planes, poor food, no movies ...... no surprise that they are retiring the A330s and focussing on short haul. Cabin ok although a/c was tempremental. Probably the oldest ...
As on all previous reviews Immigration at Miami airport was chaos,once cleared you have to then reclaim your bags and transport them to the bus yourselves,which some of Fred Olsens older cruisers struggled with. Embarkation on to the ship was OK and we where shown to our Cabin 1021.We where on Highland deck in a full suite, large and clean, the bathroom is a little tired looking but fine,ladies ...
We had a good Thomson flight from Gatwick to Miami but after 10 hrs the hard seats were uncomfortable. Immigration at Miami was an experience to say the least and we will never fly there again. Our cabin smelt of rancid fried fish oil. Great! Also there was a huge black crack across the wash basin. We had written confirmation of queen set up for beds when in fact they were unmovable singles. When ...