Balmoral Reviews

I give this cruise a 4 rating. Food excellent. Staff very friendly and helpful. Always plenty of chairs and sun beds on deck. Liked tea and coffee facilities in the cabin. Worst feature was very poor shower in cabin. Tricks of water was either boiling or freezing. Had to go to swimming pool showers to wash my hair. No blankets on desks. Also husband had an injury when a lift door shut on his arm but he had to pay for the first aid needed!

Fantastic. Our first cruise experience. ,Food brilliant, friendly and helpful staff. Clean. Entertainment varied and good. Well organised from arrival at dock to leaving.

Great cruise, staff were fantastic and we wanted for nothing.

Almost everything about my cruise with my lovely Dad went very smoothly from arrival at check in to disembarkation. The only downside was a very choppy North Sea on the way home, and I was quite ill all day. The ship was immaculately clean and well cared for. Instructions were clear and precise. The staff were so friendly and couldn't do enough to make our cruise special.The food was delicious and well presented. The entertainment was varied and excellent. All in all we had a great time and look forward to making more memories in the future.

Brilliant from start to finish, never been boarded so quick and shown to our cabin. At the end of the cruise the disembarkation was just as slick. Food very good in all restaurants served with a smile. Entertainment again very good the ships singers and dancers were very professional where they get their energy from I don’t know, in 5 nights we had 2 guest artists who were very good. We will be looking at Fred Olsen in the future for cruises.

Excellent food , staff and entertainment .

Excellent from the car parking prior to embarkation to getting in the car following disembarking the ship.

For her age, Balmoral looks splendid, inside and out. The feeding was excellent. The staff were their usual courteous, smart and prompt. The entertainment was very good. The price of drink has increased immensely since a year ago. Cruise companies buy their alcohol free of all taxes, yet they charge London prices, prices you do not encounter in Northern England bars or in Scotland The price of tours were exorbitant and I did not use any to see the island. The ship stayed overnight in ports, which was a waste of time to passengers as their was little to do in the ports of call and pubs, if one could be found, were expensive: £8 a pint of beer, it was reported. Another port on the way home would have been nice. The Faroes weren't far off our homeward routeing. I enjoyed the cruise and have already sailed more than 400 nights with Olsen. No doubt I will use Iglu and Olsen again.

Cruise overall was excellent, food superb, restaurant staff excellent, but bar staff were somewhat lacking having to wait quite a while for a drink in all the bars and in the Neptune theatre in particular where you were lucky to get a drink once an hour. The ship is a bit dated but the staff on board more than made up for that, and the ship was very easy to move around. Entertainment was very good and the crew cabaret was brilliant. Would definitely cruise with Fred Olsen again, in saying that this was my first cruise with them and I found them good. Booking through Iglu cruising was also very easy and precise. Overall a very good experience was had by both my partner and myself.

It was great, the organisation, the respect for guests, the food and the hygiene was particularly thorough. The shore excursions were to our liking and explained as they were. The weather was great except for the last day. We really enjoyed the cruise.