Black Watch has sadly left the Fred. Olsen fleet, but there are several other ships to choose from, including two new vessels Bolette and Borealis.
Fred. Olsen has long been known as a family-run company that provides a classic pedigree of cruise going back to the values of a bygone age. Intimate, relaxed and friendly cruises are what the Fred. Olsen brand personifies, and Black Watch is no exception. Providing traditional cruising in an intimate atmosphere, guests can engage with fellow passengers and forge new friendships.
Since being refurbished in November 2016, the ship has received a major upgrade to cabins, suites and public areas. The refresh covers many aspects and areas of the ship such as new carpets and upholstery, new bathrooms in many cabins and a new à la carte dining venue, ‘The Black Watch Room’. Cabin improvements have been made right down to even the smallest details, such as new plug sockets and hairdryers, brighter bulbs and new bedding.
Black Watch perfectly captures the feel and spirit of a traditional cruise. Her relaxed public areas have been rejuvenated but still maintain many traditional cruise ship features. Large windows, soft tones and elegant décor all contribute to the warm classic feel of this ship and packing in a wealth of entertainment and facilities, every guest will find the perfect ways to spend their time onboard.
There are many dining options onboard Black Watch, each serving menus from experienced and accomplished chefs. Glentanar Restaurant provides waiter service and a fine choice of cuisine. Crab meat salad, grilled fillet of red snapper and pink grapefruit sorbet are just some of the options available that will get your taste buds tingling. If you just want to grab a quick meal, the informality of Brigadoon, the Poolside Café or Marquee Pool Bar provide perfect choice, while the intimate Orchid Room offers the ideal opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal in fabulous company.
The Black Watch Room is the speciality restaurant onboard. This extra special à la carte dining experience offers juicy steaks and the freshest of seafood for you to indulge in. There is a small supplement for dinner reservations, but you definitely won’t regret this extra spend.
In addition, complimentary room service is available for food from 10am - 10pm each day and drinks are available 24 hours per day if you ever find yourself feeling thirsty or a bit peckish.
As the evening draws closer, Black Watch comes to life with a cacophony of conversation and the buzz of entertainment. There are various bars on Black Watch that offer the perfect environment to engage in conversation with your fellow passengers while enjoying a cocktail or two. The nautically-themed Lido Lounge, Scottish Piper's Bar, Braemar Lounge and the Observatory, with its panoramic views, all serve delicious cocktails created with care and attention.
After you have socialised and perhaps made new acquaintances, why not visit the main nighttime lounges providing fabulous entertainment until the early hours. Enjoy cabaret shows in The Neptune Lounge and be dazzled by the lights, costumes and dancing as the ships entertainers put on stunning performances. While the ship is in various destination ports, local entertainers are also welcomed aboard, giving you the chance to experience some memorable evenings. Alternatively, dance the night away or visit the casino to see if lady luck is smiling on you.
The deck space onboard Black Watch is ready for you to enjoy, so why not take in the stunning vistas with a stroll on the sun deck and practice your technique with the onboard golf nets. If you enjoy a spot of tennis in your free time, there's also a tennis court on the sun deck for you to use at your leisure. Other recreational activities include the Card Room, the library and the Promenade, where you can play deck quoits and shuffleboard.
While taking in amazing views on Mediterranean cruises, you can relax by one of the two swimming pools onboard and let your stresses melt away. For a more challenging pursuit, why not keep up your fitness regime or try something new in the well-equipped fitness centre with its supervised group fitness classes. Recover from your gruelling work out in the sauna and steam room and top off your afternoon of leisure with a luxurious treatment at the Atlantis Spa & Salon.
Fred. Olsen are a leading provider of themed cruises, offering passengers the chance of combining favourite hobbies or pastimes with amazing cruise experiences. Fred. Olsen's brand of themed cruises, The Arts Club, welcomes guest speakers and provides interesting activities related to a particular theme. Whether you want to join in a wine tasting session or attend lectures on ancient history, the choice is yours. Black Watch offers UK passengers fantastic mini cruises with the added convenience of cruises from the UK helping to make your experience even more pleasurable and hassle free.
11 Sep 2019
Most enjoyable with wonderful staff, excellent food, accommodation and entertainment. Iglu staff arranged everything perfectly for us.
10 Sep 2019
It was excellent; everything we wanted and more.
27 Jun 2019
Nice ship very clean with good activities. I enjoyed the ballroom dancing tuition but an hour is needed because it is rushed. The breakfast ordered into the cabin always arrived far too early so why have a half hour slot if its not kept to? The guest services staff are not very helpful.
10 Jun 2019
Chose this cruise because the itinery seemed to meet our rquirements. Unfortunately the captain took the decision not to go to Shetland due to bad weather. While we accept his decision we felt more could be done to make up for this. All the people we spoke to said this was the port of call they were looking forward to the most. Instead we had 2 nights rather than one at Invergordon (NOT a holiday desination) Two buses were laid on at nearly £30 a time to go into Inverness (perhaps to offer this free would have been a nice gesture?) We took the local bus for about £11. Any other attraction was a long trip and expensive. Other things we were not happy with - Firstly , the car park in Liverpool was hard to find. Inadequate map and sat nav took you to a building site (not Fred Olson rsponsibility) - cabin - Lots of stoarge space and a bathroom that was larger than some. Single beds which are not our preference but they were comfortable. A fridge was provided but barely got cold. The biggest problem was the terrible vibration from the engines and a constant rattling of the cabin walls and ceiling which did not contribute to a good nights sleep. This is an old ship - modern ones have overcome this problem with new technology. Not sure what could be done here other than sound damping. - Buffet area quite small, not always able to get a table at busy times - While the ship was well maintained there was no main staircase or reception area and the entertainment was mediocre . - many of the staff had a poor grasp of English which could be a problem, particularly at guest services - WiFi expensive - Timing given in port were misleading for example 'late p.m actually meant about 3.30 in the afternoon. - Tours were very expensive, there were 4 of us so it made more sense to book a private taxi to take us to the places we wanted to see, which worked out fine. - Passengers were mostly quite elderly and infirm so activities were geared up for this. I did sometimes feel I was sitting in the common room of an old peoples home rather than a cruise ship! - Finally the disembarkation process was not a happy experience, but mostly this was due to the facilites at Liverpool cruise terminal Good points, main dining room was nice and our waiters were freindly and helpful and there was a very good wine list at reasonable prices plus the food was excellent. Would not go with Fred Olson again
Show more10 Jun 2019
Our first cruise, we enjoyed the experience immensely. Liked the smaller size of the ship, not glitzy! The food and service in the restaurant was exceptional. Al staff consistently pleasant and helpful. Will do it again.
05 Jun 2019
Good food, cabin ,entertainment and great staff.
20 Apr 2019
All Good
08 Apr 2019
Excellent cruise, well pleased with ship, food, service and places visited. The only criticism being the early departure time from some of the destinations. In a number of cases, this prevented me seeing/doing all I'd hoped to.
03 Nov 2018
From the minute we embarked in Liverpool everything went well. The cabin was excellent and even though it was towards the rear it wasn't too noisy. As it was a Mystery cruise we didn't know where we were going but we visited Honfleur, Caen , Bilbao, Santander and Bordeaux. The weather was very good until we reached the bay of Biscay on the way home and the sea was rough all the way back to the Irish sea. The entertainment was good as usual and there was plenty to do. The food was amazing and we made lots of friends. We always feel that we can trust Fred Olsen and are looking forward to booking another cruise with them
Show more29 Sep 2018
We had a fantastic cruise . The Black Watch is a very beautiful ship with wonderful delicious cuisine. Entertainment we really enjoyed. The Captain of the vessel was very approachable and very kind to passengers and crew. We unfortunately encountered very rough seas and could not pull in to Ullapool and Tobermorey, as it have been to dangerous, we visited Belfast instead, which proved to be very interesting. We were served by very nice and cheery waiters. Are cabin was beautiful very cosy, we had a lovely cabin stewardess. We loved being able to board the shop in Liverpool handling staff.were amazing out luggage was whisked from our car and arrived outside our cabin before we arrived. All in all a wonderful holiday
Show more08 Sep 2018
Love the Black Watch. As with most of Fred's cruising folk it's their favourite. A better lay out than the others & recently refurbished. Mostly Filipino crew who are just the very best at looking after you. Adults only and if you are into sequence & ballroom dancing this for you. First class shows and entertainers as is food. Last year had a 24 nt summer Artic cruise taking in Norway, Svalbard Iceland, Greenland & Faroes. Simply the best! As with most ships try and avoid a cabin at the rear to avoid engine noise & vibration.
Show more03 Sep 2018
Fantastic. Very relaxing.