Four of us joined the Black Watch as a surprise for 2 elderly relatives who had already been on board for 2 weeks. We found our cabin very disappointing and the general atmosphere felt like a visit to an old and fading Harrogate hotel in March living off its long lost glory days. 1st of all the plus points, ++++ dinner and service was very good, gym 4 stars, bar staff and waiters excellent, cabin cleaned and towels also v.good, music in the forward bar not bad. 2nd minus points - - - - very drab cabin& beds, breakfast was 'stone cold' one morning but better the next, afternoon tea 3 stars, coffee 2 stars, general atmosphere was one of fading bygone days. Fred Olsen business model We are hardly youngsters ... all in our 60's but this ship caters for a mind set, the average regular card carrying "this is our 10th Fred trip' passenger swears by Fred Olsen because they get free upgrades to better cabins and 'well we know where everything is on this ship' is an indictment to the average passenger. On our return journey we were overtaken by the Queen Mary 2 and we hear oh look at that, all those lights and its far top big with too many people on board well I have been there and actually it was brilliant So if its fading glory, lets all wear beige anoraks and in bed by 10-30 then The Black Watch is for you - if its lets live a little, conversations that contain the word tablet means samsung and not something you take 3 times a day with meals then pick another cruise line. Read Less

We are a middle aged couple and decided to treat our selves to a mini cruise before Christmas. We arrived at Tilbury which was easy to get to and the embarkation process was fast and efficient. We were in our cabins 15 minutes after arriving. The cabin was much bigger than we expected and was spotlessly clean with plenty of storage space . The crew were always extremely helpful and prompt and the service in all areas was excellent. The boat was old but clean and had an old fashioned charm about it missing in more modern boats. We much preferred this to the bigger, newer boats. It was a small ship by modern standards but we enjoyed the more sedate pace on board. The food was excellent, with good choices in both restaurants. There was plenty of entertainment at night and during the day. Quizes, bingo, live music, cabaret etc and drinks in the bars were reasonably priced. We enjoyed working our way through their excellent cocktail list while listening to live classical music or singing. The ports we visited were lovely and as it was a small ship it docked in the centre of Antwerp and Aamsterdam and it was a short walk to the town centres from the boat. There were plenty of excursions to pick from but they were quite expensive. It is much cheaper to arrange your own once you are off the boat. There were plenty of facilities on board. Shops, gym, pool, beauty salon, games room, library and a continual supply of tea and coffee. There were daily news papers and quiz sheets printed. We were sorry when the cruise ended as we honestly could not fault anything. The disembarkation process was quick and efficient. We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. It was an adults only cruise and the majority of people were middle aged. We are definitely going to book again on this ship as we enjoyed the smaller boat with its more intimate atmosphere. Read Less