The Fred Olsen Black Watch isn’t the most modern ship at sea, in-fact she was originally launched in 1972, although she was not taken over by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines until 1996.
I am not sure when she last had a major refurbishment but it is good to hear that Fred Olsen want to invest a very large amount of money to improve her.
Another reason for this refurbishment is that a fire broke out in July this year which caused significant damage so this can now be put right.
The refit will be taking place late November and will be taking 26 days, that’s a long time for a cruise ship to be out of action, imagine the lost revenue from cruising guests in that time.
This is all good news from Fred Olsen guests as there will be lots of improvements, here they are :-
- A new interactive in-cabin TV system, safes and mini-bars installed across all cabins
- Bathrooms will be refurbished
- Braemar Garden Café will be converted into a new 54-seat restaurant, Brigadoon, which will feature new décor and offer a stylish, intimate dining experience. It will continue to serve British and international cuisine.
- The Braemar Courtyard will be converted into a separate specialty dining area, called The Black Watch Room. The 46-seat restaurant will offer steaks cooked to order, and a new dedicated Galley will be created to service it.
- The existing Grill restaurant, situated on Lounge Deck 6 aft, by the main pool area, will be rebranded and redesigned, to offer a new Mediterranean-themed dining experience.
- The main dining room, the 340-seat The Glentanar, will undergo extensive refurbishment, with a spacious new layout and new look, featuring new furniture, carpet and curtains.
- Pubs and bars are also set for a considerable refit. The Observatory Lounge will get a refresh to the décor and fittings, and the Lido Lounge, will get new furniture, fabrics and carpets, as well as the installation of a full-width sliding door to the aft.
- The Morning Light Pub will be moved to the area currently occupied by the Braemar Lounge and will replace the existing Pub next to the Neptune Show Lounge. As well as being bigger, it will have new furniture and fabrics and a new bar. The area vacated by the existing Morning Light Pub will be renamed the Neptune Bar.
- The Marina Cinema will be upgraded with the latest 3D technology.
- The Guest Services area will also have a refresh.
With all of these massive modern style ships around there are less options for clients who prefer a smaller more traditional style ship these days and Fred Olsen offer a very good product in this sector. Thankfully it looks like the Black Watch will be sailing for a good while yet.