Fred Olsen Cruise Lines: 5 Things You Need To Know Before Cruising With Them

[@pat3434]

I just come off a cruise with Fred Olsen last week as a single traveler and as a first time cruiser as well. I had a great time and everyone was so welcoming and friendly from crew to guests onboard. I was never bored or lonely onboard. All the food from all the restaurants is the best food I had ever had the privilege I ever tasting in my 40 years, but yes the rooms are basic but I got a peaceful sleep onboard. I will defo travel with Fred again sometime next year I hope. I very much recommend a cruise with Fred Olsen if want a British small ship experience!!

[@richard21995]

Great video, it is fast and factual, unlike other reviews that drag it out.

[@justbrowsing8482]

Thank you for being so honest and forthright. Have been looking to go on a Fred Olsen cruise at some point in the future so very useful tips! 😀👍

[@l3f799]

well presented and helpful, thanks

[@dianeblanch4095]

In August Husband and I had our first, ( But not our last) cruise to Norway on Balmoral. We chose Fred Olsen as it was recommended by friends and I watched lots of videos, especially yours Gary. We absolutely loved it; the whole trip exceeded our expectations and my Husband, ( who was a reluctant cruiser) , is happy to make it an annual event. Thanks for the helpful videos!

[@andrewhopkins6038]

Did you see kids on board when you went a friend told me kids were not allowed

[@alanaw27]

My husband and I did that cruise and really enjoyed the whole thing.

[@chrisellam9330]

Just returned from a Fred Olsen cruise to Norway. Everything was wonderful. My husband and I would definitely recommend the whole experience.

[@honeybunchhoneybunch9954]

Don’t know if you saw and heard the balmoral string trio? We’ve just had a cruise on the balmoral and everything was superb and the trio were excellent as were all the entertainers!

[@breadyegg]

Could you say what your usual cruise lines are to give a comparison. We are mainly P&O, so this would be a step up for us.

[@honeybunchhoneybunch9954]

@@breadyegg Fred Olsen are much smaller and therefore give a more personal service. They really give the impression that they care about their passengers welfare and enjoyment whereas they say the service on P&O is more of the feeling that you’re on a conveyor belt and there are apparently far fewer staff per passenger than on feed Olsen where the service is excellent

[@blueoctopus6]

I get so much from your videos, informative and to the point. You always give a great down to earth review that captures the essence of the cruise line. We sailed for the very 1st time with cmv, the plan being it was a means to visit the destinations. We ended up being at the younger end of the spectrum, but had an absolute whale of a time with a great group on our table. As someone else said, older age group defo preferred to loads of kids. Ps the time lapse passenger demographic is genius! 😁

[@ASTROSTARDJ]

So, I speak from experience of Fred Olsen Cruise ships, I have been on Balmoral 3 times (The Baltic , Norway Northern Lights, The Canaries ) and Braemar once (The Caribbean) , and would not want to choose anybody else to cruise with !.I find the cruise experience with them , laid back, relaxing and generally a very pleasant atmosphere to be in, with exceptionally friendly crews.Why choose the bigger cruise ships where you have to line up to get into the restaurants, the shows, (if you can get in them!) the water slides, etc, etc, etc !, and find that your cabin is 10 decks down and several hundred feet of corridors, and it takes 3 days to find your bearings on board !!. Oh ! and lets not forget the 100's of Kids that are running a mock !!Also not forgetting that on Fred Olsen Cruise ships you are One of a Thousand People (or thereabouts !) instead of 1 of 4,500 to 5,000 people on most of the bigger cruise ships.On that I rest my case, if you want the answers for yourselves, cruise "Fred" you will get what I mean !!,If not jump on one of the bigger ships and you will need another Holiday to get over it !!

[@tipsfortravellers]

+Christopher Baker thanks for watching and for leaving such a detailed comment and insight from a passionate and regular Fred Olsen traveller! I met many people like yourself when I have cruised with them. They do seem to have found a niche and offer that clicks with a big group of cruisers. I agree on the size of ship and numbers issue - I am a fan of smaller ships ..

[@kathleenmcdonald6641]

Great information, Thank you

[@buccleuch7621]

Thanks for that. Clear and concise. Could not agree more. If you fancy a cruise on a floating shopping mall, try one of the N American high seas pirates, not FO. Three years ago I did a long weekend trips from South Coast to Rouen via Le Havre. Now looking forward this month to a 10-nighter around the Baltic. Cruising on!

[@tintin69rr]

Nice one we’re looking at Norway Jan on balmoral for the northern lights it’s only our 2nd cruise did p&o Arvia around the Caribbean in March and that’s got us hooked lol

[@gdcat777]

@00:32 Awww, that's the cut and stretched former Crown Odyssey of Royal Cruise Lines. That was my first passenger ship experience through the Kiel Canal, Russia, and Scandinavia in '95.

[@joshlunt7827]

Great video!

[@davidandrew1078]

A much younger Gary. :) You have sold me on it.

[@eclipseflooringdaz1656]

Good video Gary. At 51 with a family this isn't the cruise line for us yet. But will look into them in 15 years or so.

[@PeterMossUkulele]

Thank you Gary 😅

[@harlanabraham7772]

Am subscribed and did hit the like button.

[@davidellis4084]

YT's algorithm suggested this one. Things have sure changed over 7 years. While this is good, I think that you have improved a lot.

[@ivorjohn3016]

i went on the Black Watch many many years ago as a child. i enjoyed it and enjoyed watching your video. as i do all of them. Is there any special advice you would give to people that have like me not been on a cruise for a very long time. like things to expect, things that have changed a lot and things like that. Thanks for your videos and please keep them coming

[@lessatwi1]

Thnx - VG- to the point clip. Keep up.

[@user-ey4fq4zh9b]

Thank u garry

[@wendykoek6757]

Very nice too

[@wish]

I’ll never have the money to go on anything like this but I’m watching videos anyway :) thanks for making them

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching!!! Hope you keep watching

[@brianthompson5847]

Just back from Fred’s cruise …. We had Cabin Shopping. Litre of whiskey 26£….. drink in your cabin. Very happy customer.

[@lucysmum1895]

I’ve found this older vid of yours and thanks for that, Mr B. I’m into more Caribbean than Scandinavian but Fred O is just the cruise for me. Let’s see if CMV’s reincarnation, Ambassador, will match up with Fred for being traditional British. June

[@davesdroneflights3351]

There were positive experiences during our Fred Olsen Balmorral Fjords holiday, including the (expensive) onshore excursions to the stunning Norwegian scenery, the good choice of on board food and dining, and the high standard of housekeeping in our room by our cabin stewardess. Unfortunately there were many negative experiences for us including; waiting 2 hours for our luggage to be delivered to our room, waiting up to 25 minutes for a drink in various bar areas around the ship, the overall amateur standard of entertainment (namely the live music and shows), dull on-board activities and talks, a charge for drinks room service (we took our own drinks to our room), and a feeling that despite paying a premium for our cruise package (deck 10 suite with balcony), we did not have a premium holiday experience.

[@guitarsingaporeRapture]

very useful video. thanks for this.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks. Good to hear your feedback and that you found it useful. Much appreciated

[@user-gf7zf9sx7w]

Great video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@PaulandCaroleLovetoTravel]

Thanks Gary excellent video considering how tall you are! We will be on our first Fred cruise in 11 days time. Hope to see you again soon Paul😀😀

[@tipsfortravellers]

😀 Looking forward to seeing what you think of Fred !

[@kjh789az]

Thank you for this concise, direct video. As you say, FO tend to spend money on refurbishment rather than on purchasing new vessels. I think the Balmoral has been refurbished since you made this video. As a Voyages of Discovery client, their demise in 2016 has left many loyal cruisers looking for a similar style of experience and I hope the Balmoral will provide this.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Have you looked at Voyages to Antiquity? I am just back off them and will post a video this week about the line and then one in more detail on the ship (Aegean Odyssey) a few weeks later.

[@kjh789az]

Tip Thanks! I will look into them

[@harlanabraham7772]

Who needs ice skating rinks and rock climbing walls. The types of passengers that go on a Fred Olsen cruise sounds like my kind of people, no matter where they come from.

[@robwales2282]

Any recommendations for a Med or Northern Europe cruise from Southampton? So much choice. It will be my first cruise.

[@98849]

I have been on many trips with Fred Olsen because it caters for my bridge group - this is the only reason I go on these ships. On the plus side the staff are always friendly and polite- the ship is usually very clean. The older clients are well behaved but it is obvious that Granny has been dumped on a cruise as cheaper than a rest home. I have never been to all the ports advertised - 6 holidays. They often change the departure and arrival venues. Cabins are quite basic but reasonable but expensive for single travellers. The tours are badly organised for the age range with a mile to get out of port common. The standard of entertainment is very variable!

[@TRAMJUNCTION7147HG]

Our very first cruise was on Fred Olsen's Balmoral, sailng from Newcastle in June 2016 for a seven night cruise to Freds Favourite Ffjords which was excellent and we had a full week of good weather as a bonus. Our next cruise was on the Braemar sailing from Southampton for a 3 night cruise up the River Seine to Rouene in August 2016. Later in the same year, we did a 12 night cruise on board P&O's Oceana sailing from Southampton, visiting Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibralta, Malaga and Vigo before returning back to Southampton. This was a pre Christmas cruise in December 2016 but once in the med, the weather was quite warm and sunny. We have two more cruises booked for this year (2019) both with Fred Olsen. The first is in May on board the Braemar, sailing from Southampton for a 5 night cruise to Amsterdam and Antwerp. Our second cruse is on board the Black Watch in September, sailing for Liverpool for a 7 night cruise around the coast of Ireland, which we are looking forward to. Although the Oceana was a beautiful ship with a magnificent central atrium, it was much larger than the Fred Olsen ships with over 2,500 passengers and we found that finding a table at the self service restaurant for the mid day meal a bit of a rush and difficult to eat in comfort. So from now on we are sticking to Fred Olsen, for a number of reasons. The staff on Fred Olsen ships are second to none, they are much more friendly than the staff on P&O. The ships are less crowded and the choice of restaurants very good and the staff will find you a table at the self service restaurant before you choose your food. We are now in our early seventies and we think Fred Olsen are geared more towards older guests, making it the ideal cruise line to sail with from the UK, as they sail from quite a few different ports around the UK, which is a good option. When we sailed to Norway on the Balmoral, we gained an extra two days in the Ffijords , by sailing from Newcastle, compared to P&O's Norweigen cruses from Southampton, where two days are wasted sailing up the North Sea. So if you are looking for a good value for money cruise, on uncrowded ships with excellent facilities and fantastic food, then Fred Olsen is THE BEST!

[@jasonclarke7422]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Fred Olsen cruises, My wife and I have always used P&O but I would like to try a smaller and what appears more traditional cruise ship. I should imagine that it would be far more friendlier having less passengers.

[@rojhann]

@@jasonclarke7422 sailed on fred olsen and P&O and i have to say P&O outshines Olsen on all counts, food on olsen was substandard it did come with the added bonus of the Nora Virus though

[@jasonclarke7422]

@@rojhann Have you tried the Cunard ships ? they do some good deals sometimes.

[@rojhann]

@@jasonclarke7422 Not tried Cunard yet have done P&O and Holland America our next cruise is with SAGA a bit more expensive but is all inclusive no extras to pay for going for adults only from now on.

[@rojhann]

Just went on the fred olsen NORA Virus cruise it was awful pool was closed hot tubs empty food was bad never sail on them again. Yes I did get nora virus as did most passengers. Staff were very nice and helpful. The ship was the Borealis.

[@bondbrookebond]

Do they cover tips too, it does not mention it on the adverts?

[@tectorama]

So many people find that once they've been on a Fred Olsen cruise, they won't go with any other company. We went to Norway on the Black Watch , which has now been replaced. They go for quality over quantity. The lack of kids running around is a major plus for a lot of people. There's no way you would get me on one of those floating hotels.

[@helenalovelock1030]

Really? It looks awful

[@angelahorton5745]

We're looking at a 6 night cruise purely to visit Shetland, Orkney and Faroe Islands to decide whether it's worth us organising a longer trip to the islands. It seems to be the only cruiseline that does our destinations without having to do Iceland again. Very useful information, I'll check out your other FO videos. Thank you!

[@pat3434]

Yep, I did that last week, a great cruise!!

[@angelahorton5745]

@@pat3434 We did it 7th August on Bolette and had a wonderful time. Looking to book again for next July.

[@pat3434]

Yep I was onboard with you@@angelahorton5745

[@RC-fc1vk]

Fellow passengers ‘a little on the older side’, more a floating old people’s home 😂 certainly got that impression when I went on the black watch a few years ago. Much nicer to be around than misbehaving noisy children though!!

[@krxiboy]

you are right about that elders floating home..you can see healthier people in hospitals than on the Black Watch where average age of the passengers is usually 70-something

[@davidinger961]

When I was in !y sixties I went to enquire about Olsen cruises the girl said you don't look ready yet ! I suppose I would have to be careful of tripping over the zimmer frames lol

[@nigelweir3852]

Good info

[@tipsfortravellers]

+Nigel Weir thanks for watching and commenting! Great to hear you found it helpful !

[@catherinewalters6116]

I cruised on the Balmoral to the Ffiords and I liked the ship...however I had an anaphalaxis after a meal and met with a blank wall when I later tried to discover the ingredients of the contents of the meal. Suddenly the catering staff did not understand English...even the maitre de hotel kept saying the food was good and did not understand why it was so important that I needed to know the details. The RN was also philippino but said he could not help as he could not cross departments! Of course I wrote to Olsen....no reply Beware if you have food sensitivies!

[@tipsfortravellers]

+Catherine Walters thanks for posting the watch out. It sounds bad as usually cruise lines are very up and on to dietary issues. Keep me posted on their follow up (if there is one ....!!!)

[@gavinpotts6747]

If you are a solo traveller then Fred Olsen are NOT good value for money. They are one of if not the dearest.

[@rockNrollGF]

Hi, would you know what it is like for disabled people on a FO cruise?

[@markhenry1530]

We are looking to take the 58 day cruise to Australia passing through south America has anyone done this cruise and if so isbit worth it?

[@saramulhern1982]

Thanks for the video i don't think this is for me ❤

[@maleka58]

Thanks for posting this very informative video regarding these ships. I was thinking of going on a trip to the indian ocean area but do not think this would be the right ship as. We would need more outdoor physical entertaintment and feel it caters for a more sedate kind of passanger. We are not youngster but I run every day and husband kayaks to france in about 2 1/2 hours although in his 60s. The other thing we dont really want is lots of noisy children lol! We get that when we look after our granchildren haha. We were absailing underneath a waterfall a couple of weeks ago in some canyons so sedate is not us. Could you recommend one we would enjoy more please.

[@tipsfortravellers]

+maleka58 agree this is probably not right for you based on what you like. You may want to look at a line like Windstar, which are smaller but call into out of way ports and have more active people. They also have a water sports deck that opens and you can swim, kayak off. If you want something with lots of on board facilities then perhaps Royal Caribbean. Large ships but lots and lots of activities

[@maleka58]

That sounds fab and much more fun to me. Royal Caribbean look great ships but probably have a few to many children on board. The other thing I would require would be a room with a balcony as I like to be able to be at one with the elements and not too many people. I live on the tiny island of Jersey CI and watersports are a way of life there :) will have a look at windstar and really appreciate your input. Thanks for posting.

[@dulls8475]

Join the Royal Navy.

[@WidleyWesident]

Value for money 3* line? Not with the prices they are now asking. A Christmas and New Years cruise has cost me slightly more with Fred than P&O or Cunard. Unless it’s really good we’re back to Cunard next Christmas.

[@reececollison5101]

Yes but gratuities are now included within the fare so which does bump up the price a bit, so this video is out of date now.

[@andrewhopkins6038]

I thought Fred olden did not have kids. A friend told me that they have no kids on board like po cruises aurora

[@alexbaby5839]

Is this cruising in Antarctica

[@beecee1286]

First cruised on Black Prince’s last voyage. Quite a good experience. Next voyage was on the Braemar from Barbados to Southampton. This was ideal as I live close to Portsmouth. Imagine my surprise when I was told we were going to be dumped at Dover. Not a happy bunny, but apparently there was nothing I could do, Terms and Conditions and all that. Managed to share a taxi to Worthing then a bus from there. Olsen’s would not entertain any reimbursement. Because I want to be delivered at a place that is accessible to me, I would never entertain Olsen’s again. The voyage itself was OK but on both cruises they failed to maintain their Black Tie policy. Other correspondents to your site confirm the average age of the passengers is 70s plus and I agree the standard is three star, but then the standard of the passengers is similar. My chosen cruise line is Cunard, although I do find their ships are too big, but then then their entertainment can be five star.

[@lisasainty8949]

I have only cruised with Fred Olsen so cannot compare to others. I have had a fantastic cruise every time. I like that there are not young families on board, and personally think it would be unfair to kids as there is nothing for them to do. With reference to the tips/tipples, there are packages and special offers, that include these. This may be unpopular to some but, you do NOT have to pay tips. It is automatically added to your bill at the end of your cruise. You must go to customer services before then, to request that tips are not added. They give you a small form to sign and that's it!!! They do provide small brown envelopes so you can tip individual crew members, who you felt were deserving of a tip. That's what I do. Don't feel guilty about this. Many people do this, which is how I heard about it.

[@sallyannc3176]

Fred Olsen seems to have changed - now more expensive than Cunard! Looked at their cruses from Scotland (Rosyth) and sooo expensive. Annoying to see they don't include the afternoon tea but also that the rooms have only ONE chair, even in rooms for 2 people. This means rela xing in your room as a couple isn't very comfortable - Cunard have a double settee.

[@jessebowen1879]

I've seen many of your videos. You dont seem too enthusiastic with this particular cruise.

[@helenalovelock1030]

Having been on some great cruises I just couldn’t go on this line. Looks awful

[@paulharrison6373]

Never book in advance,wait last minute get free drinks package

[@Xaj33]

We just booked last week .We got the free drinks package .We never buy them as I do not drink .And you know the cabin has to buy the package .So a wee bonus for us .

[@claudelleottaway8789]

Fred Olsen is my uncle I'm luke