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Based on 64 reviews
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Reviews 2022-08-04 17:43:32
2022-08-04 17:43:32
Excursions are over-priced but then when destination ports are at the back of beyond with little to nothing to offer they do at least fill your day. I'm sure that ports are chosen to promote spendng 'tour money' with FO rather than any intrinsic worth as places of interest. This was Hidden Gems of Norwegian Fiords. Gems remain largely hidden.
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-07-13 19:09:02
2022-07-13 19:09:02
Wonderful cruise aboard Balmoral. Fabulous sights and scenery. Crew were brilliant - as Fred's crew always are - couldn't do enough for you, food, service, etc. Entertainment staff were also amazing. Cannot recommend highly enough.
5
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-07-08 15:26:45
2022-07-08 15:26:45
This was a cruise well into the Arctic circle to the land of the midnight sun. We went to the North Cape and then on to Longyerbyen on Spitsburgen. This was an excellent cruise for most of the time, with lots of sightings of whales and other wildlife enhanced by the presence of the Ocean Wildlife Encounters team. We were lucky enough to be accompanied by 2 members of the team on a birdwatching safari on a small boat where we also encountered lots of whales and they were able to explain what we were seeing. The downside of this cruise is that Balmoral is an old ship and is beginning to show her age. Some money needs to be spent on bringing her up to scratch. Having said that the service on board was excellent, as ever.
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-07-05 11:07:59
2022-07-05 11:07:59
Newcastle to Shetland and Orkney - very lucky with the weather, mini heatwave. First time on Balmoral (prev cruises on Braemar and Borealis). Overall good service and entertainment, although at least one show suffered from a poor choice of material. The show company was excellent, singing and dancing their hearts out. Food generally a bit disappointing, tried one of the dining rooms twice, once for breakfast and once for lunch - food lukewarm and grey. Not enough serving staff. The View buffet was generally excellent but slight hygiene concerns over the general use of serving equipment and the implements weren't changed often enough. Staff seemed inexperienced and there did not seem to be enough of them across all service areas. A significant number of them seemed to struggle with English. Surprisingly for FOCL their hygiene announcements and cleaning staff seemed on a lower level than I've seen before ?economies.
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-06-29 11:44:32
2022-06-29 11:44:32
This was a tiny round the islands cruise to get us back into cruising after COVID. Everything was great apart from the long delays on embarkation caused by car park queuing and testing. There were profuse apologies but it did mean that we did not get on board until early evening and to add insult to injury , having hurried to Lifeboat drill, there were no staff on duty, and we were called back later like naughty children! However after that all was as good as ever. We dined in the Spey restaurant (up top) and it was superb, with wonderful evening sunset views for late sitting dinner. The staff were good though English comprehension was limited sometimes, but I gather 75% of the crew were new so a few hiccups could be expected. Trips were good, though not cheap, but then UK is expensive! Overall a happy experience and our next cruise is in the pipeline!
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-06-09 16:19:33
2022-06-09 16:19:33
Five-nights of fund and discovery with lots of opportunities to view the sights and landscapes and lots of information available from specialists aboard. The cabin was basic but clean and comfortable. The food and drink available was all good. A daytrip allowed us to see up close the famous Skara Brae and other neolithic sites. All in all it was very atmospheric and we had a most enjoyable time.
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-06-09 14:48:33
2022-06-09 14:48:33
Our 3rd cruise on the Balmoral was their first after Covid and in our opinion, was not as good as those pre-pandemic. The staff, although very attentive, had clearly not been on the ship very long and it showed. The food was not up to previous standards, although to be fair, it improved as the cruise went on. We had a leak in our bathroom which took two attempts at mending it. The air conditioning was noisy and could not be adjusted.
4
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews 2022-05-30 14:11:26
2022-05-30 14:11:26
Having not sailed on a major cruise for over two years Balmoral was bound to be a bit slow to get back to its best and sure enough the dinning on the first night was late, due to people arriving late for the first sitting. It all got better as the cruise went on and by the end it was running almost as good as when they finished cruising in 2020. There were problems with the air conditioning in some cabins and it took a lot of hard work by the crew to correct the problems. The one thing that was noticeable all the way through the cruise was that the staff could not do enough to help. They smiled, they did their jobs efficiently and they made the cruise enjoyable. Everyone was learning to live with the new rules and facemasks. Some people complained because everything was not perfect, they couldn't do what they wanted when they wanted. The majority of the passengers just got on with it and enjoyed the experience. Was it value for money? Yes. Was it a good cruise? Yes. Would I use Fred Olsen again? Yes, I' already booked for November and am planning for a cruise next year. Well done all concerned.
5
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews Customer Review
Customer Review
In July 2018 my wife and I went on our first cruise on the Balmoral, with Fred Olsen line, to the fjords of Western Norway. The cruise was fantastic in every respect, in terms of scenery, the quality of the accommodation and service on board, the trips and the general ambience. The following year, in late August 2019 my wife and I went on a further cruise on the Balmoral from Newcastle to the Atlantic coast of Spain, Portugal and north-west France. Unfortunately, the cruise was disappointing in comparison with the previous one to Norway. Whilst the places we visited were very interesting and the trips where well-organised, in overall terms the cruise was disappointing. We were placed in an outside cabin on the third deck, which was very noisy. Despite complaining to the accommodation officer on board, the problem remained unresolved, which meant that my wife in particular returned home feeling tired rather than refreshed from the experience. The quality and variety of the food served in the restaurant for the evening meals, was of a much poorer standard compared with previous year. Following our return home, we lodged a complaint with Fred Olsen line and have been given a voucher for £300, as compensation, but this has to be spent on a further cruise, which we are reluctant to do in the current circumstances.
3
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral
Reviews Customer Review
Customer Review
The cruise was a Christmas markets cruise in Northern Europe. Balmoral was well decorated for Christmas and the staff were happy and helpful. Some of the excursions were a bit chaotic but enjoyable. Overall the cruise was very good. Some things were beginning to show signs of needing to be updated and the ship went in for an update at the end of the cruise. All-in-all the cruise was good value for money and very enjoyable.
5
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral

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Balmoral

Balmoral

Balmoral is a medium ocean ship sailing with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

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