Fred. Olsen Cruises - Boudicca Cruises

Amazing Norway in Winter	22 of 22 people found this review informative
Reviewed By: Wilcox, Woodhall Spa on 13th Mar 2012
Cruise Line: Fred. Olsen Cruises	Times cruised before: 3-5
Cruise Ship: Boudicca	Sailed: February, 2012
Destination: Norwegian Fjords	Age: 56-65
Cabin: Outside	Occasion: Wedding anniversary
This cruise was virtually sold out the minute it was published and my husband & I were lucky to get one of the last six cabins in September 2010 from cancellations. It was a beautiful day in Southampton when we set sail on Boudicca. The weather on the second day was a little rough and we stayed in the cabin, but by the time we reached Bergen we had our sea legs! We had been to Bergen before, but were not disappointed on our second visit. Sailing late at night to reach our next destination Trondheim was I thought a little crazy, until the next morning when we had a sea day sailing through the inland passage. The scenery was outstanding and everchanging. The bus & tram (built in 1927) was an excellent trip and the guide certainly made her city come alive. We sailed to our next port which was Tromso with crossing the Arctic Circle the highlight of our day at sea. The captain was extremely good at taking us to the best vantage points - to show us his country at its best. We had all sorts of weather from snowstorms to beautiful sunshine, but it did not take away from the wonderful views. We had an overnight stay in Tromso which allowed us to see more of this northern city. We sailed away to our next port Alta which has the Aurora Borealis Observatory there. It was snowing when we arrived, but we did have some dry weather. We visited the Alta Museum to learn more about Alta and our guide was very good at telling us about the city's history, especially during the war years. We then set sail after a slight delay due to windy conditions to sail south to our next port at Alesund. We arrived in brilliant sunshine and temperatures that were certainly not normal for that time of year - 10C. I would loved to have spent more time in this place. We sailed south again to our last port of call Stavanger, which again we had beautiful weather. We then set sail for Southampton and the end of another adventure. We were extremely lucky to have the good weather that we did, which the Captain Tom Hansen was keen to point out when he bid us all farewell. We did have an outbreak of the dreaded gastroenteritis bug, but due to there stringent plans there were only nine cases which was an excellent result for the captain and crew. There were some people as always who tend to be a bit pushy and seem to have lost there manners, but on the whole most people were super.
Quality of Food
We ate in the Tintagel Restaurant for most meals except on port days when you could be placed in any of the four restaurants. Our waiter Bong was very good and was always smiling. The food was absolutely super, the presentation and choices were very good. I think you would be very hard pressed not to find something on the menu for you to eat.
Entertainment
We did not go to many shows so cannot comment on the shows. The crew show was excellent as always. The speakers were good and Jane Davey was very entertaining.
Shore Excursions
We enjoyed all the tours we did. I think in Trondheim the tram was the best part of our tour. In Tromso the museum and cable car was really very good, especially going up in the cable car and looking down on the fjord seeing the Arctic Cathedral and ship. The guide also made the history and what it was like to live in the city during the year. In Alta again the museum and the guide made the tour good as he brought his city and history to live and was very entertaining.
Staff
Bong our waiter was really super and made sure that my husband (who had special dietary needs) always had the right meals. He was always cheerful and helpful. Our stewardess also made sure that the cabin was very tidy.
Children's Facilities	n/a
Onboard Activities
There was plenty of choice, but we were happy to just watch the scenery and wildlife go by and chat to other passenger. There was plenty of choice for you to do what you wanted or not.
Cabins
The cabin was very clean and a good size, although the Black Watch cabins do appear to be a little larger than Boudicca, but as we only used the cabin for sleeping in it was good.
Overall Rating

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