Rouen, Amsterdam & Antwerp from Southampton, 30 November 2017 (8 nights)

• Balmoral
• Fred. Olsen
• 24 Sep 2019

This was our first cruise with Fred Olsen and having just returned from a 10 day Mediterranean cruise with Azamara, we weren't sure what to expect. However, we were not disappointed! Our cabin was surprisingly large and a very substantial bathroom! We were very fortunate in that we had amazing weather sailing from Scotland to Orkney and Shetland and even on our day at sea, we were unaware we were sailing. There were many features on the ship itself which were pleasing - my husband loved the carpets and liked the general decor on the ship. The food was good and the service efficient. For us, it was a huge bonus sailing from Rosyth - only a 40 minute drive from home!

• Balmoral
• Fred. Olsen
• 31 Aug 2019

Well appointed ship with varied passenger groups leaning towards older. The food was excellent and well presented and there was little or no queueing for anything. Good entertainment and superb staff!! Fair prices in all outlets however shore excursions were very expensive.

• Balmoral
• Fred. Olsen
• 30 Aug 2019

This was my first ever cruise and I chose Fred Olsen for the destination and departure port. We had a very smooth check-in, embarkation and luggage delivery - you couldn't fault it. The suite was spotlessly clean and fresh, and was a very comfortable place to spend time. When underway you really had to strain your ears to hear any engine or internal noise at all. There were plenty of different public areas, but they were a little bland in appearance and all looked alike. The service, whilst overall very good, was lumpy. Breakfast and dinner were well executed but lunchtime had no finesse or style to it whatsoever. On several occasions, with just two of us dining, one person's plate was removed as soon as they finished and the next course served,straight way, which left us having different elements of the meal at the same time. The restaurant wasn't busy and there was no reason not to pace the service so that each diner was enjoying the same course at the same time. The Marquis Bar, on the top deck, had very poor service, and more often than not you had to go to the bar and order yourself. The Lido Bar at the back of the ship was, in contrast, somewhere where you wanted for nothing. What really let the ship down was the quality of the daytime and evening entertainment. It was beyond words. Daytime entertainment consisted of nothing more than 'Crafts with Marjorie' (that's a direct quote), Bingo, Carpet Bowling, or other mind-numbing offerings. The evening shows, with the exception of the ship's dance and singing troupe were equally dire, with several 'comedians' working hard to raise a laugh. The lesson to learn from that was to bring your own entertainment, for there was nothing to be found onboard. That said, we enjoyed it enough to decide to go again, as the overall journey, service levels, cabin environment etc were really enjoyable.