Do Fred Olsen need to up their game?
Some clients of mine have just returned from a full world cruise on the Fred Olsen Balmoral. Here is their feedback. If you have sailed with Freds do you think this is a fair representation of the cruise line? Please feel free to comment as you wish.
” The World Cruise was indeed the journey of a lifetime. However it would have been a lot better if the Balmoral had been up to the standard that we expected, compared to other cruises that we have enjoyed.
The cabin was fine, no problems there. The food was good until we reached Hong Kong, when there was a new executive chef, then things went downhill rapidly.
The quality of meat was very good, but not so enjoyable if accompanied by half cooked potatoes and beans and broccoli that you couldn’t even cut with a steak knife !!! This was not an isolated occasion but every evening. Perhaps there was a language problem in the galley, but what was described on the menu, wasn’t always what appeared on the plate.e.g. sprouts that were ordered came as peas and lasagne as penne. The waiters were friendly and polite but ill trained, mustard, mint sauce etc arrived when the meal was nearly eaten or cold if anyone was patient enough to wait.
Entertainment was varied both in content and talent. We know they cant please every one , but 3 consecutive so- called magicians who did the same tricks, was more suited to children’s parties.
We only took 3 excursions from the ship and were disappointed with all of them. So thereon we took taxis and did it ourselves for about half the price.
The ridiculous rule about taking alcohol on to the ship was a bit over the top. Especially when the item that was confiscated was a type of sherry that the ship did not sell. So no drinks in the cabin unless we paid Fred Olsens inflated prices
Will we ever cruise again? Yes
Will it be with Fred Olsen ? Not likely !!!!!!!!”
16 Comments on “Do Fred Olsen need to up their game?”
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Fid HKG – San Diego leg.
Food often not what it said on menu. Perhaps menus are designed by head office & prnted.On the day the chef has not got the ingredients & does not have the resources to print the actual menu. Trtied a cople of times to “button hole” the Chef but he always claimed urgent problem to sort in galley.Never saw the Master “walking the floor” .But saw several times a “cabal” of senior officers eating in the cafeteria. Contrast NCL Getaway where senior staff “walked the floor” daily& had a daily”coffee bar” rendezvous” for pax.”Bring no booze on board” but onboard “duty free” shop sold liquor to drink in one’s cabin.
I cruised on the Balmoral (Norway) last May – couldn’t fault food, service or anything else. Excellent service all round!
I got slated for expressing my honest views about the low standard of cooking on Boadicea and the overpriced excursions. Yet here is another person giving an honest opinion about similar experiences on anothe FO ship. OUr experience made us say too, Cruise again, yes – FO, no. Thank you for your revirew Hannah.
I have just returned from Sand Diego to Southampton leg of the RTW cruise I am sorry to say I was disappointed with the standards. I agree with cabin was fine but the ship looked and felt very tired. Sun beds were grubby and uncomfortable. Prices of drinks have shot up since my last cruise. No complementary free rum punches at sailaway parties so no real atmosphere. No toiletries in the cabins. Soup, sandwiches, teas and coffee no longer served in the Marquee Bar. The special seafood lunch withdrawn, I can go on and on. Personally I would not travel on any Fred Olsen ship again however good a deal it is.
I believe they do and I have not cruised with them yet, although we were looking forward to “trying them out” having been with most major cruise lines. We made the mistake of booking a forthcoming D Day anniversary cruise with them through Titan. However, as soon as they got all our money they immediately slashed the cost by about 30%, although it was a couple of months away.Fred Olsen of course didn’t want to know when I complained and put the onus on Titan. Titan stated that they were already doing us a big favour by including our meals on an all inclusive cruise! Having been loyal to Titan over many years, I think I can safely say we will not be buying a cruise with them again and I suspect first will be last when it comes to Fred Olsen.
Out of 13 cruises so far, 7 have been with Fred and have not had any problems like those mentioned. Food and service always been exceptionally good, better than most of the other cruises we have been on, and we are not easy to please.
Unless they have shot up since our last cruise which was at Christmas and new year, we have always found bar prices to be comparable to pubs at home.
Entertainment is a matter of personal taste but I can recall one or two magicians and comedians not being up to scratch.
I have yet to find any cruise line offering reasonable priced excursions so for us DIY is usually best unless it is to see something extra special.
We have never had any difficulty in getting to talk to the various Captains, Officers or Executive Chefs on board any of the 4 Fred Olsen shps.
I am sorry others have had bad experiences with Fred but we will certainly cruise with them again and again.
Just returned from our first Fred Olsen cruise on the braemar, we were very impressed by the food, service and drink prices. Even the excursion prices were reasonable compared to other cruise lines.We had a brilliant time and will certainly be travelling with Fred again !!
If you had a problem with the food like undercooked vegetables surely you could have spoken to the Maitre D or the normally 2 Head waiters and requested well cooked veg.It seems your now complaining and yet did not do so onboard..It happens quite often as it seems most people like there veg like that.I do not and always are able to sort it out after the 1st 2nd dinner.As for taking booze onboard its a well know fact that most cruise lines do not allow it and its in your paperwork when you receive it so again why you complaining.
Have you tried complaining when your FO meal is not up to scratch. I have, and by the time the meal was replaced the rest of the table were on to the next course – very uncomfortable for us. WE didn’t bother complaining during meal time again – they won !!
My last cruise with Fred in January this years was excellent, the food was good as was the entertainment and ship, if the food had gone down hill with the replacement Chef you should tell the Maître D that’s what he is there for, as for drink prices, yes all cruise lines have put them up to silly City prices, and we don’t all live in or earn cities wages, people are now cutting down so in the long run they will loose out, the price of a cabin bottle on Fred’s bought through the interactive TV is supermarket price, and the £10 pppd drinks package is good value, even if the brands are second rate.
Perhaps you would be better with the cheap and cheerful Thomson ships.
My last cruise with Fred in January this years was excellent, the food was good as was the entertainment and ship, if the food had gone down hill with the replacement Chef you should tell the Maître D that’s what he is there for, as for drink prices, yes all cruise lines have put them up to silly City prices, and we don’t all live in or earn cities wages, people are now cutting down so in the long run they will loose out, the price of a cabin bottle on Fred’s bought through the interactive TV is supermarket price, and the £10 pppd drinks package is good value, even if the brands are second rate.
Perhaps you would be better with the cheap and cheerful Thomson ships.
I have been on several Fred Olsen cruises and could not fault the service, the food, or anything else. With regards to excursions if we go further afield we have an organised tour (the ship has to wait if the coach brea()s down, and for places within a few miles of the port do it ourselves. However, one thing I always come across on any holiday is a moan-a-lot – the type who feels that slightly jaded decor affects their holiday and try and find fault with everything. These moan-a-lots need to get a life!!!
My last cruise with Fred in January this years was excellent, the food was good as was the entertainment and ship as always.
If you thought that the food had gone down hill with the replacement Chef you should tell the Maître D that’s what he is there for, as for the drink prices, well yes all cruise lines have put them up to silly City prices, and we don’t all live in or earn city wages, people are now cutting down so in the long run cruise lines will loose out, the price of a bottle for your cabin on F.O’s ships bought through the interactive TV is supermarket price, and the £10 pppd drinks package is good value, even if the brands are unknown and in my view second rate.
Perhaps you would be better with the cheap and cheerful Thomson ships.
I sailed on Boudicca from Belfast on September last year. Bad service, bad hygiene, bad information about the onboard Norovirus, bad entertainment, etc,etc. NEVER AGAIN !!!
If you think Fred Olsen do not take the threat of Noro Virus seriously then you are very naive, it costs all cruise lines a lot of money to constantly deep clean their ships, and Fred Olsen take N.V very seriously, F. O do not propagate or hatch Noro Virus, passengers bring it on board.
From the declaration form which you “truthfully” fill in before boarding, to the information contained in the welcome pack in your cabin which informs you of all the necessary precautions to take on a ship, to the full and detailed emergency drill before leaving port F.O are the most thorough, quite simply the best, how can you say that F.O have bad hygiene? That is simply pie in the sky.
You will never get on board a Fred Olsen ship, into a restaurant or indeed into the theatre without first using the disinfectant hand gel.
As for bad information they are professionals, ask the right people and you will get the proper answers whether you agree with it or not.
As for service the F.O staff are friendly polite and keen to serve, and in my view A notch above P&O’s service which is not at all bad.
As for entertainment try the cheap discounted foreign ships.
Traveled last year with fred and really enjoyed it as for the drinks being expensive we upgrade for £10 a day and this value for money and looking forward to our holiday in july as for the ships being older yes they are but i find them more friendly than the large cruise ships we have been on in the past so will carry on with fred and i suggest if not happy write your complaints to Fred and i am sure they will come up with something for you.