We chose this cruise because of departure from Greenock. Embarkation went smoothly and our luggage was in our cabin before us! We sailed out on the five night cruise up the Scottish coast our itinery was Fort William, Ullapool and Invergorden before sailing back to Greenock. On board the entertainment was excellent with a very talented group of singers and dancers. Food was very good and drinks very reasonably priced. All staff were excellent in restaurants and bars. Our only gripe was lack of information as to where we were when sailing through the Western Isles. It would have been helpful to be kept informed as to where we were. The lack of communication was responsible for most of the passengers not being informed while passing by Fingals Cave this should have been a highlight of the cruise. We missed out on a trip due to not booking early enough I would advise book a trip as soon as possible or risk missing out. This was the first time we have sailed with Fred Olsen and we were impressed with the staff and the various lounges, bars and eating places. We would certainly consider using Fred Olsen for any future cruise. Read Less

Haven't been on a cruise before so thought this mini cruise to Liverpool would be ideal for first time.Went with friends just to see how we would get on.We left from Greenock which was really good no hassles, once on board we were shown to our cabins all though quite small they were very clean and comfortable, only problem was at bedtime as were on a low deck was a little bit noisy. After settling in went to explore ship which was bigger than expected.Went for dinner which was really good plenty to choose from menu five course meal , staff were very helpful and friendly nothing was any bother to them, after dinner went to see show which was performed by some of the staff (quite amateurish but not too bad). After this show was finished went up to next deck for disco which was really great, they also put on a midnight buffet which was amazing had a brilliant time money well spent looking forward to going next year really had a great time from start to finish, I would recommend it to everyone to give it a try. Read Less

This particular cruise was the transportation/living accommodations from an alumni organization trip booked by my husband (whom I love dearly but didn't do much research on what the trip entailed). Instead of a small group, the ship was under charter by Gohagan as the agent for alumni organization consortium travel. This meant 240 in the "small group." The ship itself is clean, neat and decorated in the hotel lobby fashion with leather, chrome, and glass. The service from the bar and cabin staff was outstanding, the dining staff much less so. According to the alcohol drinkers in the group, the included wines, beers, and liquors were fine. The food was beautifully presented, both in the buffet and the main dining room. Flavorless, but the presentation was amazing. However, if you are a vegetarian - forget it. There is literally nothing worth eating. On a ship this expensive, I really expected a better choice that cream covered pasta at dinner. There are only so many times you can make do with a tasteless omelette. The tofu option was worse - three slabs of tofu barely warmed up and sprinkled with paprika. Eating cheese and hard boiled eggs is not my preferred way of getting protein. The meat eaters praised some of the meat dishes and many of the fish entrees. Two of the three treadmills were broken with zero knowledge of repair date. There is neither an elliptical or stair stepper. Read Less

We chose this cruise for it's itinerary through Scotland, St Kilda, Orkneys, Shetlands though 24 hour daylight cruising in Norway was a fabulous bonus. For me the hikes, the bird life (they set you down right in middle of thousands of puffins and razor bills and guillemots etc. ) the scenery were the highlights. They really make an effort to get you ashore even in difficult weather. We were the only ship that arrived in St Kilda, the others cancelled because of the easterly winds, then they manoevred the ship to broadside the weather so we could use the zodiacs on the lee side.They knew how important a landing was to everyone. They have the loading and unloading of the zodiacs down to a science. Even the most unsteady should feel perfectly comfortable. Then when we really could not make the Lofotens Islands due to conditions they hastily organized an interesting visit to Narvik. The on board historian did a great job getting up to speed with the new location, getting the fliers printed etc. So very very accommodating. Another time we had to skip an afternoon visit due to weather, but they were able to replace that with a hike up to a glacier after dinner. So at 10:30 pm all those still sober set off on a hike up to a glacier in the midnight sun. About those on board experts. There are "ologists' for everything - geologists, biologists, archeologists, ornithologists. Almost too many of them. They dominate the cruise. When you are ashore it's a little like a school outing with the "ologists" there counting everyone, one at the front, one at back making sure no-one goes missing. They certainly add to experience, but occasionally you just want to break free. The on board ship facilities are few. There are two small hot tubs on the aft deck. But in 11 days I only saw them used 3 or 4 times. Food is excellent. The chef tries to buy produce from local markets. So when the ships docks somewhere he is off to the local fish market to see what they have. He is always out greeting guests at dinner, very accessible, talking of what he been able to acquire.There is one bar that is pretty lively after dinner. If you want serene cruising, off the beaten path locations, history hiking watching wildlife this is the way to go. Read Less