Fred Olsen Boudicca Reviews

Summary:  I have previously cruised with P&O, Azamara, MSC & NCL. MS Boudicca - Indian Ocean Cruise (feat. Zanzibar) 13/12/2018 - 14 Nights from Mauritius. Firstly Fred Olsen doesn't deserve the 'Oldies' tag some may endow. Very varied range of ages and lots of singles too. Very sociable crowd indeed. Even the odd child could be found! Food = First Class. Outstanding. As good as i've enjoyed on any cruise line. Staff = First Class. Also Outstanding also as good as ive experienced on any cruise line. The ship, although older in years and a little tired in places, was lovely and everything worked properly in my cabin, which was spacious with lots of storage. The Air-Con throughout the ship worked very well even though it was nearly 40 degrees outside! Tastefully decorated public areas and a decent entertainment programme kept us busy. The shows i saw were, again, some of the best ive seen on a small cruise ship. Soot in and around the Main Pool on Deck 6 was a bit off-putting so i mainly used the Marquee Deck 9 Pool... The decking at this Pool needs replacing ASAP. Most of the quizzes and daytime entertainment took place in the Lido Lounge on Deck 6 where they had the Patio Windows open, always very warm in there, this is also where late music and dancing were held. Overall very impressed and had a lovely time. No soot in the pool and new pool decking and this would have been a 6/6!

Summary:  This is the oldest of Fred Olsen's ships, but is so beautiful, and crew and staff look after you so well, you would never know it wasn't a more recent acquisition to their fleet. We have now been on all Fred's ships, and would highly recommend them.

Summary:  Wonderful cruise itinerary all arrangements transfers etc arranged by Iglu were perfect. Ships food amazing entertainment very good especially live music duo in Lido lounge. Some areas of ship looked a little shabby eg pool chairs and cushions Staff superb and felt totally looked after.

Summary:  The cruise itself was good. Friendly, courteous, good food. The cabin was disappointing though because our steward had to leave for compassionate reasons so the linen wasn't changed on time and the cleanliness of the cabin deteriorated. However, we were upgraded and found the cruise faultless from then on. Boarding the ship was a bit of a nightmare as the taxi from the La Meridian picked us up far too early. This meant us waiting in a hanger for over three hours! The heat was intolerable. Lots of other passengers were getting agitated. However, Water was provided. We all eventually boarded at 2.30' later than anticipated. The ships company couldn't apologise enough but it left us feeling exhausted. As we left for home again the taxi picked us up far too early for the airport. This left us waiting at the airport far too long. So taxi timings are the critically disappointing arrangement, other than that, well done Iglu. Well done Fred Olsen.

Summary:  Indian Ocean cruise - It was an excellent itinerary with stops in Mauritius, the Seychelles, Mayotte, Madagascar and Reunion Island, giving a real taster of the Indian Ocean. We did a mixture of Fred Olsen organised trips, which on the whole were pretty good, along with some independent travel in Mahe (Seychelles) and Mauritius. Our package included a four-night pre-cruise stay at the Meridien Hotel in Mauritius which was enjoyable and allowed us time to visit the island sites. All of the transfers in Mauritius were well organised and the local representatives were very professional. The only downside was the last day, when our late flight meant we had a day to fill and had to pay £50.00 to stay on board the ship and to have our luggage stowed. The ship itself is small and very comfortable. Food was good but not outstanding and the staff, as normal, were very pleasant and efficient although we felt rather subdued in comparison to other Fred Olsen ships. Overall a very good cruise.

Summary:  Amazing

Summary:  Very enjoyable cruise around Arabia. The ship was quite small and was only half full which was good as I think it would be very difficult to find somewhere to sit especially for the entertainment if it had been full. Staff very friendly especially the Captain.

Summary:  The booking initially was for a flight from Gatwick and was changed to Stansted. A 3 hour train journey became 6 hours. I asked for the booking to be cancelled, but unfortunately it wasn’t. When I received notification from Olson of the cabin number I checked the location and was worried. I spoke to a Olson representative and was assured it was a good cabin. No way should it have been classed as a double cabin, only one chair. Considering a 5 day sea period I don’t know where two people sit.. I spoke to customer service and was told allocations are done in Ipswich. In a nutshell a very disappointing cruise. I have aired my concerns with Olson. Whether it’s because I booked with your company and not direct with Olsons but with the ship only being half full I would have expected a better cabin. I have made it very clear I will not be using Fred Olson cruises again. “Butlins” 1970/80 comes to mind.

Summary:  Food excellent ,cabin also and entertainment.I had a serious problem with the air conditioning .It affects my lungs and makes me cough.I was surprised it could not be turned off in the cabin,as this has been possible on other cruises (thomsons).I thought the drinks package should include tea and coffee.Although the choice of food was excellent ,it was served lukewarm not hot.

Summary:  Great cruise. We really enjoyed it. The trip around the icebergs in Greenland was the highlight of the trip. Ship was good. Evening shows were excellent. Would have liked more variety in the daytime activities.