Balmoral Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Fred Olsen ships go to really interesting places so we wanted to like cruising with them. The cruise we went on was a last minute booking as we needed the break and it was one of the few going from the UK to anywhere warm, and back again. We booked on a guaranteed cabin basis and a few days before sailing received the documentation which had a cabin number - but not the grade we had booked. Promptly got in touch with Fred Olsen and came back with a new cabin of the right grade, but we didn't get any documentation as there was no time. At check in Fred Olsen only had the original cabin for us - which we were not going to accept. After some time we were given our correct cabin - but as if this was a favour, rather than our right - and we boarded. The cabin was fine with lots of storage space.
When we unpacked we went to get something to eat (not having eaten since the night before as we don't do breakfast) and were very surprised that there was nowhere on the ship to get any food apart from a few biscuits at 4.00 - this is the first ship we have been on where no food was available in the buffet restaurant for fairly long periods of time during the day. We were on late sitting so were quite peckish by that time!
There was no real daily program for the day of embarkation so no activities - we spent the time exploring the ship, which didn't take long as it is quite small. All seemed fine - clean and well maintained, but very dated. Maintenance was an on-going activity with crew painting or replacing windows at all times of the day and night. As the sea days went on we became bored - again, a first for us on a cruise. We play bridge so went to the Improvers classes at 11.00, which were excellent, and therefore missed the one guest speaker who was a military historian. Apparently he was very interesting but the topic is a bit limiting. The only other 'speaker' was a photographer who taught photography - again, interesting if you want to learn all about photography, but limiting. In the afternoons we played bridge until about 4.30 at which point we had missed the one opportunity to get any food after lunch and before dinner.