Balmoral a life at sea

I have just returned from a short break cruise on the Fred Olsen Balmoral.

I joined in Southampton last Thursday to experience life on board a Fred Olsen cruise.

The Balmoral was starting a 2 week Baltic cruise but I was to stay on board for the first 3 nights.

My journey started in Leicester where I took the National Express to Southampton. There was a change at London Victoria but everything was on time and the connection meant just an hour in London. The coach took me directly to the cruise terminal and the luggage was taken from the coach to my cabin which was fantastic.

Check-in was very quick and efficient so we were on board within 15 minutes, a lot less stressful than airports !!

I went straight to my cabin on arrival which was a superior suite. There was champagne and flowers in our suite aswell as bathrobe and slippers and a few other nice items such as an umbrella and hairdryer. We also had canapés delivered daily.

The suite was very spacious with very generous wardrobe space. The décor was a little dated but very nice all the same. The balcony was a good size although some of the other balconies in the same grade were huge so it really does make a difference as to which suite you choose.

We were given free time after boarding so after meeting with a few other people on the trip we went to find something to eat.

Lunch had finished as it was 3.30pm so there were sandwiches, cakes and tea and coffee provided in the Neptune lounge. There was a sailaway party on the aft deck and everyone was in high spirits.

They had a band playing and the staff were dancing out on deck with the passengers.

The sun was shining and the Pimms was flowing so not a bad start to our cruise.

We were on the 2^nd sitting which I much prefer because I find it more relaxing and it’s nice to have time a for a few drinks before dinner.

We ate in the larger Ballindalloch restaurant . The food was excellent as was the service from our waiters. The smaller Avon and Spey restaurants are on deck 10 and they have more tables for 2.

On Balmoral you can eat in any of the restaurants for breakfast and lunch so we did eat in the Spey a couple of times which I did prefer.

The menu is the same but it is more relaxed and there is a more intimate atmosphere.

What I didn’t realise until speaking to our tour escort was that passengers who book on their late deal fares ( anchor fares ) are always allocated the Ballindalloch restaurant for dinner.

I do have a lot of customers requesting the Spey or Avon but they would need to book at brochure fare to be able to request this.

After dinner we went to see the show which was a music/dance show and mainly included music from the likes of Abba and Freddie Mercury. The passengers on board seemed the enjoy this very much.

The following day we arrived into Amsterdam and went to the Zaanse windmill museum. This made a nice change as I have been to Amsterdam several times now.

There was a display to demonstrate how traditional clogs are made an we also saw a display on how cheese was made and also got to try a few samples which were very nice.

After dinner we went to the show again and this time it was a comedian.

He was very funny and even had someone from our party up on stage taking part !!

The following day was at sea.

I really enjoy sea days because it’s a chance to relax and enjoy all the ship has to offer.

The group was mixed so some took part in the organised activities or lectures and some enjoyed relaxing on deck. I was one of the ones who took the more relaxing option.

I’ve got 2 young girls at home so it was a perfect opportunity to sit and read my book.

In the afternoon Fred Olsen had arranged for us to have traditional afternoon tea.

There is normally a charge for this of £6.95pp but I would definitely recommend this. It was white glove service and the sandwiches and cakes were delicious.

The formal evening took place in the evening and everyone on board made a huge effort. It was lovely to see all the lovely outfits and of course dinner was even more fabulous with it being the gala dinner.

We didn’t get to meet the captain because the queue was huge so we decided to sit down and have a drink instead. The show on the formal evening was a singer who was very good but not so much to my taste, however most people seemed to really enjoy this.

The following day we disembarked in Copenhagen and checked in to the Danmark hotel for 1 night.

After enjoying the luxuries of our cruise for the past 3 nights this was a real disappointment.

The rooms were tiny and dirty and the carpets were ripped and there was a musty smell.

The bathrooms were even worse as they were tiny wet rooms with the wc and sink in the same room as the shower. We were also booked in to doubles which was not ideal when sharing rooms but as it was only for 1 night we got on with it. However it is safe to say I will never be booking anyone including myself into this hotel.

In the afternoon we did a walking tour of Copenhagen. I have never been there before so I really enjoyed this. It is such a beautiful city and somewhere I would love to go back to spend a long weekend. The only disappointment was the tour ended with a visit to the little mermaid.

Copenhagen has many beautiful statues throughout the city but the mermaid is the most famous.

However it was tiny and for me was not worth a special visit.

However other tourists did not seem to share my opinion as they were climbing all over it ( even though signs said not to ) and taking endless photographs.

In the evening we went to a typical Danish restaurant called the Puk.

We had a set meal which was mainly fish and cheese but also included pork with crackling and pate.

I enjoyed this but some of our group didn’t so I guess it is personal opinion. The main menu looked very good but very expensive.

Although we were lucky with the weather it did turn cold at night so as a lot of people sit outside for drinks they provide fleece blankets to keep you warm.

I can’t see that catching on in the UK , I doubt they would have any left by the end of the night !!

By Monday morning I was ready to come home  so luckily our flights with Easjyjet were on time and I was soon back home with my family.

This cruise has completely changed my opinion of Fred Olsen.

Before I went I wasn’t expecting too much but I can honestly say I would go back and cruise with them myself. This was probably the friendliest cruise I have been on and the staff work so hard to make everyone feel welcome. They made a real effort to have fun with anyone who wanted to join in and for the ones who didn’t there were plenty of quiet areas on board so they were not disturbed. The food was also excellent in all restaurants and 5 courses every evening.

I am not saying this is suitable for everyone because the entertainment is more limited than some cruise lines because they are smaller ships. The BBC documentary focused on the choir and didn’t really show many other aspects of the entertainment. We did hear the choir when we went for afternoon tea and it was lovely to listen to them. They did also have 1 show each evening and also a band or something similar in the bar for before and after dinner drinks.

One of the singers were quite lively and had the passengers joining in with their singing.

Also the restaurants are open for meal times but there is nothing in between so you would need to order room service as there is not 24 hour dining that is available on larger ships.

If you are thinking of taking a Fred Olsen cruise and would like any help or advice please do give me a call and I would be happy to speak to you about my own personal experience.