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Better than expected! |
| Reviewed By: Hay, Blackburn on 1st Dec 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Fred. Olsen Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Balmoral |
Sailed:
July,
2008 |
| Destination: Iberia |
Age: 36-45 |
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Although I have cruised many times before with a variety of other mainstream cruise lines, I had up until this year avoided Fred Olsen simply because I have two teenage children and Freds typically attracts a more mature client. That said I know that the product has a very loyal following and therefore plucked up the courage to try them out this past summer.
I deliberately chose Balmoral as their latest and largest vessel on a cruise that was identified as being family friendly and thus I thought there should be at least some other families on board together with a couple of youth staff to help entertain the younger guests aboard.
First impressions on approaching the ship were good - she has an attractive shape (unlike many of today's floating accomodation barges). Inside she is spacious with the new centre section blending in nicely with rest of the ships interior.
Our cabin was a standard outside 4 berth cabin. I was pleasantly surprised by its size and the fact it had a small bath (a feature normally reserved for guests in suites).
Freds crews are renouned for being very friendly and this indeed proved to be the case. The entertainment was also better than expected - the Balmoral Show Company were very good as were the four instrumentalists on-board.
As for the food my wife and I found it a little to plain and simple for our liking, however I suspect that for the majority of guests on-board it was fine. What was nice to see was a genuine midnight buffet each evening (rare these days) and I thought the free tea, coffee and biscuits on the upper deck each morning at 10.30am was a really nice touch.
As for Fred's attempt to embrace the family market I give them 6 out of 10 - a good effort. On a July warm weather cruise amoung 1,300 guests there were approx 100 under 18s including a number of three generation families which was nice to see.
The kids activies for the under 10s ( two hours each morning and afternoon) were well attended and received, although anyone older was virtually left to fend for themselves which they did, made their own fun without disturbing other guests on-board.
Other highlights included the view from the Avon and Spey restaurants, the new top deck pool area which is really nice and the chance (it is a smaller ship after all) to visit new and more unusual ports of call of which Giijon in Northern Spain was a particular highlight.
So although I personally would not rush back with my wife and kids, it was an enjoyable cruise experience - I can see why the line has such a loyal following.
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