Fred Olsen Balmoral Reviews

Summary:  went on a 3 day cruise to France from Southampton and the feel of the ship was lovely very laid back and relaxing and not formal like a lot of other ships and was easy to find yourself around the ship. ..the majority of the staff were as usual amazing and some of them really go out of there way to look after you and ensure you have a great holiday , but unfortunately there were a few of the staff with bad attitudes and they let down all the other amazing staff on board and some of the management were not as helpful and friendly as on other ships ...The buffet didn't have the biggest selection of the bigger ships obviously but was perfect for quick dining and food was lovely ...daytimes there was not much going on as both days were spent on shore really in France but evenings much more going on with the quizzes , singers, shows etc etc ...Loved the bars and they have something for everyone with relaxing lounges to bars with lovely views over the pools etc ... would I cruise again on Fred Olsean ...Definitely would I cruise again on the Balmoral...Definitely would i recomend Fred Olsen ...Definately Thanks Fred see you soon Mr Paul

Summary:  WE have just returned from a cruise on Balmoral which was 8 nights to Rouen Amsterdam and Antwerp. We had never cruised with Fred Olsen before and were very impressed. The waiters in the dining rooms were very attentive, plates were cleared really quickly in the Palm Court buffet and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The entertainment was the best we had seen on any cruise line. we were expecting it would be geared to an older audience, but found it to be modern with a rock music show, AC DC Queen etc. It was first class. We had booked the cheapest grade of outside cabin and it was huge with loads of wardrobe space. We will use Fred Olsen again.

Summary:  I recently went on Balmoral to the canary islands and thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. Previously I had cruised only with P & O and also enjoyed these but I have to say that I think Fred Olsen is better than P & O. The food was excellent (we dined in the main restaurant the first evening but the rest of the cruise used Palms Buffet) Could not fault the food, plenty of choice and beautifully hot. The entertainment was first class and the staff so friendly and couldn't do enough to please us. Everything spotless and my cabin perfect with a picture window on deck 6 (6004). Nice and handy for all facilities and entertainment on the 6th and 7th decks. All the shore tours were very well organized and our cases were outside our cabin before we got there. My friend unfortunately fell and hurt her leg on the 12th day and had to see the ship's doctor and required 23 stitches. The doctor and nurses were first class and really thorough. I would have no hesitation on booking another Fred Olsen cruise in the near future.

Summary:  Baltic Wonders . What a wonderful experience ,full of highlights ( Russia,Estonia and Rodstock. 13 nights aboard Balmoral ,so here is my honest opinion. Balmoral .. Midship ship ( suited me ) clean ,super friendly crew . Activities ..Plenty from 9 am through to early hours of the morning ,something for most people .From lounge shows,cards,bingo art classes ,classical concerts,guest speaker talks . Food . Dinners were good ,but portions very small ,ate mostly in Palms buffet ,which was good with plenty of choices ,hot and cold dishes You can eat all day long and even have a 11pm supper club . Cabin .. inside , spacious with all amenities , except fridge . Age group mostly over 65 ,but boy they are full time of energy Drinks package ( never took it) but if you are a drinker,well with it This was a wonderful cruise visiting some interesting ports . Ship tours were very good,well organised and in my opinion were worth the cost . Crew ..Very friendly,caring ,happy to attend to your needs,never waited more than 5 minutes for anything ,a joy to have on board . This is not a All Bells and Whistles ship ,with ice rinks,but that suited me .There is plenty of open deck space . If you come with little expectations,you will be pleased, surprised and will enjoy ,if you come expecting all the Flashing lights, loud music ( all-day ) long ,you maybe disappointed. I loved it, best cruise ship I have been on, right size ,good food ,clean ship and super friendly crew . A magical 13 nights ,letting life drift by . I will be going on Balmoral again.

Summary:  I have just returned from a 3 night minicruise to Honfleur, sailing down the Seine to Rouen and Giverny on Fred Olson's Balmoral. We had an outside cabin with a large window and we couldn't fault a thing. As this was my first cruise, the Balmoral was an ideal sized ship, being not too big. The food was excellent, the service was good, everyone was friendly and helpful and there was a good choice of activities and entertainment. I would thoroughly recommend.

Summary:  Having cruised on all the four Olsen ships, I have the highest praise for all of them. Why, would I need to cruise with any other when I have it all on Freds. The food is always of the highest of standards , much better than most hotels.

Summary:  After listening to Fred Olsen being the butt of many jokes on P&O, and other cruise lines, we finally decided to book for the Irish Christmas Markets. The markets in Cork and Dublin were poor in comparison to many we have visited just a few stalls. However we were very pleasantly surprised by the ship, although our room was dated and a little tired, it was kept spotless. The food in the main restaurants was equal to anything we have experienced on most cruise lines and better than many, the service was excellent. Drink service was very good for AI. Entertainment was also very good and varied, we were amazed by the amount of public space on the ship. After 16 cruises with many different companies we would not hesitate to go on on the Balmoral again.

Summary:  I'm about to go on my fifth Fred. Olsen cruise in two years and three months. One reason is that I'm single but Fred. does not usually charge single supplements. My first Fred. cruise was on 'Balmoral' in August 2014 when I went to the amazing Norwegian fjords. My seven days on board 'Balmoral' were superb, I had a smallish but comfortable cabin, excellent food and drink, I ate with agreeable single people and enjoyed the tours. This summer I went to the fjords again on 'Black Watch'. My second cruise on 'Balmoral' was to major cities of southern Scandinavia during 2015. It was as enjoyable as the earlier one. When I join 'Boudicca' next week I will have cruised on all of Freds. Olsen four ships.

Summary:  Just returned from 46 night cruise on our favourite ship Balmoral. As ever staff remembered us from previous cruises and gave us a very warm welcome, the cruise itself was very good, the Brazilian ports were definitely not, most were working industrial ports and meant we had to get a shuttle bus to get to a shuttle bus at the port gates. The Balmoral cruise company were more than excellent, shows worthy of West End. Phantom was amazing, I have special dietary requirements and could not fault the attention not only by galley staff but also waiters, we have 2 more cruises booked on Balmoral and can't wait to meet our phillipino and Thai friends again,

Summary:  Just done an 8 day cruise to the fiords on Balmoral on the 3rd of July 2015 We were late leaving Southampton as there seemed to be a problem with the out break of the dreaded virus on board from earlier sailngs. From the time we stepped on gang way we were sprayed with a saniatisation fluid from the time we got up to the time we went to bed. I can understand why this needs to be done to keep the ship clean, but I think the line must be drawn when we you used the toilets around the ship a member of staff would be in there watching your every move and making sure you washed your hands in the manner as described by the captain on his daily updates over the tannoy. This did not go down well with a lot of the guests as you can imagine. The cruise its self was good, the food was top class as was our cabin, and the staff were the best. The first port of call was Stavanger why arrive at a very pretty place like that on a Sunday to find the place is shut. A day at sea on a Sunday would have been better. I only did the cruise to go to Flam which was great and glad I made my own way rather than pay Fred Olsen the price they were asking. The ship was a good size which made it very friendly, but we will not go on this cruise line again something was missing but we cannot put our finger on it, perhaps being sprayed to death did not help.