Wednesday 20th August 2008
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Balmoral Cruise to Central America/Caribbean |
| Reviewed By: Mugridge, Exeter on 3rd Jul 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Fred. Olsen Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Balmoral |
Sailed:
March,
2008 |
| Destination: Caribbean |
Age: 56-65 |
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Balmoral Cruise BL004
13th – 24th March 2008
This was a cruise of contrasts – some of it was very good and some was extremely disappointing.
After a 10 hour flight we arrived hot and tired at Miami Airport. We then queued for an unbelievable 3 hours at Passport Control in an extremely hot and stuffy room with no seating. Not a good start.
The good points
The ship itself is quite impressive. As it had just been refurbished, all the public areas were very smart, with new carpets and furniture.
The lounges were very comfortable and rarely crowded and the library was extensive and well stocked.
The Spey and Avon restaurants were very light and airy with lovely panoramic windows and the Palms was also very pleasant. In the main dining room, we had the good fortune to be seated with 5 other people who we got on extremely well with so this made every dinner-time a pleasure. The food was of a good standard and the waiters very good, if a little distant.
Our cabin was reasonably spacious with plenty of cupboard and drawer space and was always kept very clean. We had expected the 2 single beds to be possibly made into a double but this was not so. Having a safe in the room was an advantage.
The entertainment was generally of a high standard, with the Balmoral Show Company and Bob Webb being worth a special mention. Some of the acts put on by the crew members were also excellent. As we were on the 2nd dinner sitting which didn’t start until later than expected at 8.45pm we saw the late show each evening which didn’t begin until 10.45 and this was a little late at times when we needed to be up very early the next morning.
The bad points
On the second day at sea thick black smoke poured from the funnel all over the top deck and my wife’s trousers were covered in black marks which would not wash out and were therefore ruined.
As for the itinerary, I am at a loss to understand why they chose to stop at Belize and Guatemala, they were both awful and a complete waste of time and of course two other destinations were eventually cut out altogether, but more of that below.
After visiting Roatan we were due to sail to Playa del Carmen but an auxiliary engine developed a fault which meant this visit was cancelled and the sailing was eventually delayed from 4.00pm until 4.45am the following morning. The captain then made a breakfast announcement that
because of the delay we would be staying in Cozumel overnight and missing out Key West altogether. We booked this cruise for 2 reasons and 2 reasons only, the first being that it was Easter which necessitated less time off work and secondly and most importantly, that it was going to Key West which was to be the highlight of the cruise. There was absolutely no need to cancel as we could have had a shortened visit to Cozumel and then reverted to the original schedule which included Key West. It was obvious that this was a cynical attempt to get more money from passengers as there were several expensive excursions in Cozumel whilst very little revenue would be forthcoming in Key West as there was only one tour offered and most people would have made their own arrangements. £40 each compensation was given to each passenger.
On our last night on board we were told that Customs would be boarding the ship at 6.30am the following morning and we must be ready for their arrival as we could be called at any time. Yet again we were kept waiting around for hours and were seen by the Customs officers and able to disembark until 11.50am. Worse still, we had paid £32 each for a 6½ hour tour of Miami and because of the delay in disembarking the tour was curtailed by 2 hours. The guide was upset that she was only able to show us a very small part of Miami and we effectively paid £64 between us for the privilege of seeing a couple of streets and a short cruise round the harbour.
Other complaints were –
- Failure of air conditioning, causing stifling conditions in cabin and public areas.
- One day there was cold water only in the cabin and on another day, there was only extremely hot. Partway through the cruise we were given a letter saying there was a water shortage so we had to cut down on its use.
- On several occasions buffet items were not replenished until they had run out, resulting in queues forming and other food items on the plate getting cold.
- There was only one formal night when we were informed there would be two, other themed nights as advertised were changed and clothes had been bought especially.
- On one occasion the gangplank would not retract, resulting in yet another delay in leaving port.
- A member of the shore tour team was very arrogant and curt and the Customer Relations person was totally disinterested when I registered my complaints.
- The on-screen accounts system was completely wrong and the cabin key was cancelled near the end of the cruise.
- Not enough sunbeds to go round on deck on sea days and not enough outside shade from the very hot sun for anyone who did not want to sit inside.
- Constant drilling and painting inside and outside and carpets being re-laid.
June update
Having written a letter of complaint to Fred Olsen, we have now received a voucher from them for 20% and are considering our options.
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