Caribbean Balmoral Caribbean Cruise Reviews

We chose this cruise for the chance to see LA and San Francisco. what did we see . More sea than expected. All went well until we exited the Panama canal then an argument with a fishing net ( we lost) reduced our speed to 8 knots and our itinerary was lost as well , missed ports, reduced time in port and more tendering . LA no chance ,San Francisco 3 days down to 1and a half , We went to El ...

We usually travel with P&O during the January - March period to escape the British winter but they had nothing new this year so we thought a return to Fred Olsen with a different itinerary would be different. We travelled on Balmoral 10 years ago and she has been sympathetically updated since and is very well maintained. The problem we had last time still exists unfortunately - she is just not ...

We choose this cruise for the Mardi Gras, which was both the highpoint and low point. We made the mistake of booking via Fred for the masquerade ball, very expensive and very poor, probably the worst value for money I have ever spent. The following day, fat Tuesday was free and probably one of the best day we have had abroad. We did have poor weather and we missed 4 stops, there was also ...

This was a really disappointing cruise. From a 7 hour delay in departure, 4 missed ports, 3 Captains and an ignominious homecoming with one of the lifeboats strapped to the bow deck like a bathtime duck, this was definitely not Fred Olsen’s finest hour. Storms in the North Sea resulted in the ship docking very late at Southampton with many passengers having several hours wait in the ...

For the Mardi Gras Celebrations in New Orleans - which were tremendous. The voyage started 7-8 hours late, this did not really affect us. Many passengers travelled down by pre-arranged coach from Scotland, Wales & North of England and these passengers were held for 7 hours or so at Southampton departures terminal as the coaches would not/could not change their schedules. Very few disabled ...

Just returned from 32 day Caribbean cruise on Balmoral. Absolutely fabulous except for the All-inclusive guests (the most of them) Drinking seems to be a way of life for many, so good luck to the and their livers. However when it seriously intrudes on the enjoyment of other guests, I draw the line. The usual range of middle-aged men prop up the bar from coffee time to dinner on sea days. They sit ...

Went with Fred Olson's Balmoral in November 2013 and was very disappointed - not with the Caribbean but with the ship itself. We were allocated 2nd seating for evening meal and as my husband has IBS it was too late to eat, when we asked to change to 1st sitting we could only if we paid £4 per night WHY!!!! Overall the food was good - but beware of themed nights - Chinese, indian or thai - if you ...

If you've never heard of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, it's probably because it is not usually marketed to the American megaship cruising market. It is a very British cruising experience, similar to P&O Cruises (or so I've heard), but on smaller ships. The Balmoral is Fred Olsen's newest and largest ship. When I sailed in spring 2008, it had been refurbished only months before. Previously, it had ...

We had a good Thomson flight from Gatwick to Miami but after 10 hrs the hard seats were uncomfortable. Immigration at Miami was an experience to say the least and we will never fly there again. Our cabin smelt of rancid fried fish oil. Great! Also there was a huge black crack across the wash basin. We had written confirmation of queen set up for beds when in fact they were unmovable singles. When ...

As on all previous reviews Immigration at Miami airport was chaos,once cleared you have to then reclaim your bags and transport them to the bus yourselves,which some of Fred Olsens older cruisers struggled with. Embarkation on to the ship was OK and we where shown to our Cabin 1021.We where on Highland deck in a full suite, large and clean, the bathroom is a little tired looking but fine,ladies ...