Designed "The Olsen Way"

[richard_london]

Having read some of the initial reviews posted for Borealis I was wondering how Fred Olsen regulars were finding the new ships compared to the existing fleet and the retired Black Watch and Boudicca. 

 

I've seen FO's videos on Twitter including their recent tour videos stating how the ships are designed 'The Olsen way' (their use of inverted commas).  I wonder if it is disingenuous of them to say that since the ships seem little altered from the HAL days save the soft furnishings and carpets.  Have Fred actually added anything new to the ships?  (I see they could still get that green carpet with the multi coloured paint trails produced!!)

 

I've only cruised on Balmoral and was due to sail on the Black Watch and Braemar but Covid intervened.  I would definitely want to try the Braemar on the right itinerary. 

 

Fred always seemed to refresh their fleet regularly and although older than most other ships in service I liked their light and airy interiors and classic lines. The spaces all felt contemporary and fresh but the new ships look rather dark, with lots of dark wood finishes with the atriums dominated by those odd mechanical clocks. They don't look like they've been touched since they entered service. 

 

So how are Fred's regulars finding Borealis and Bolette?   Do they fit in well with Balmoral and Braemar?   I've always liked Fred's itinearies but with these new ships and the (ridiculous) prices i'm wondering what the Fred experience is like now?

[tring]

He has certainly brought in some of his furniture from the other ships and yes that turquoise swirl carpet is in the corridors.  We had not been on the ships under HAL so cannot comment on other things, but I believe completely newly carpeted and most, if not all, upholstery as well as new beds which are  very comfortable.  Cannot say we are fans of the new mish mash of patterns and dark colours either, but I also think smaller ships are always lighter as you will be nearer to windows and more surface area (top deck space) for the size of the ship.  We also liked the tiered backs of the previous ships  I prefer his older ships and they can still do some itineraries that the new ships cannot due to their size, but they are getting pretty old.  We like Braemar a lot, but be careful on cabin choice as in bad seas she is quite unstable and there is regularly a sudden lurch at the back.  We find mid ship fine though would always make sure we had a good supply of sea sickness tablets in case needed and prefer not to do a lot of open ocean cruising on her.

 

Like you, we sail for itineraries on Fred.  The initial prices have become very high, though are now fairly well reduced for the upcoming cruises this autumn.  Unlike some other companies, Fred have always charged high prices when cruises are released and then they have gone down nearer to sail date, sometimes on a freedom fare basis in recent years, so can still choose cabin etc.  Various offers introduced here and there as well, like free drinks, tips etc.  Hence we have tended to only book nearer to sailing date (perhaps six months or less), unless we want a fly cruise to fit in with a longer, long haul holiday so we needed to have our flights, hotels and other details arranged at a reasonable timing.  When we have booked earlier we have at times been offered reduced price (occasionally free) upgrades and have sometimes asked what an upgrade would cost, after final balance payment date, or even on the ships and been pleasantly surprised.  The better located cabins can sell out though, but sometime become available later if he upgrades people - strange way of working IMO.

 

We would expect to pay more for Fred's smaller ships than the bigger ones and do feel his cruises are better quality than on the larger ships, particularly the food quality and his crew are far better, but you are right that the release prices have become ridiculous, especially for the higher grade cabins, though our response to that is to book a lower cabin grade.  We were on Borealis again last week and hope to submit an updated review soon as some things have improved a lot since our very early cruise I wrote a review for.  I will put a link here when (if) it is published.  Not a lot of posters on here now, so may be a while before feedback from many people will be available on this site and it is the different opinions which will be interesting of course.

 

Barbara

[richard_london]

Interesting to read your thoughts as a Fred regular.  Thanks for the advice on the Braemar.  i shall definitely take that into consideration.  

 

It sounds like they haven't been able to do much overall with the ships to bring them into line with the original fleet.  I shall wait and see what other reviews have to say.  

 

I'm a solo traveller and I can't really afford or justify paying Fred's prices anymore which is a shame.  

[tring]

1 hour ago, richard_london said:

Interesting to read your thoughts as a Fred regular.  Thanks for the advice on the Braemar.  i shall definitely take that into consideration.  

 

It sounds like they haven't been able to do much overall with the ships to bring them into line with the original fleet.  I shall wait and see what other reviews have to say.  

 

I'm a solo traveller and I can't really afford or justify paying Fred's prices anymore which is a shame. 

 

Yes singles are doing very badly at present, though he has had some decent single offers in the past and if prices are not realistic he will loose a lot of potential business, so perhaps worth keeping an eye out for offers. 

 

I hope it works out better for you in the future,

 

Barbara

Edited August 20, 2021 by tring

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, richard_london said:

The spaces all felt contemporary and fresh but the new ships look rather dark, with lots of dark wood finishes with the atriums dominated by those odd mechanical clocks.

 

I have sailed on both Rotterdam and Amsterdam, I have never thought of them as being "dark" ships.  HAL has been noted by the use of many large floral arrangements in the public areas.  (An onboard florist was a member of the crew.)  (Recent years, the size and number of the arrangements have decreased while the "modernity" style of the arrangements don't satisfy many long time HAL cruisers, including me.)  Maybe those floral arrangements "brightened" the interior as I experienced them.  

 

The only British ships on which I have sailed are Cunard's QM2 and QE2.  I don't recall any Atrium art.  Maybe such art is an "American" cruise ship "thing".  Starting with the now retired Statendam sailing for another Company, the first such art appeared on a HAL ship and this remains true to this day on their most recent newbuilds.  Other American cruise lines' ships also put some decorative emphasis on their Atria. 

 

Those of you who are clients of Fred. Olsen have gotten two excellent ships at a bargain price for your preferred cruise line.  As a HAL Mariner, my loss is your gain.  Best wishes for becoming better acquainted with your new vessels.  May they serve you well!   

 

 

[tring]

12 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The only British ships on which I have sailed are Cunard's QM2 and QE2.  I don't recall any Atrium art.

 

 

Cunard is targeted at the US market, hence the dollar currency in use, but I think they are based on the traditional old liners, rather than contemporary British, so I suspect their will be dark coloured wood etc., though never been on them myself.

 

I like that clock, but Fred's choice of carpet with a large clock themed abstract design is totally out of place IMO.  The carpet should be fairly plain, so the clock is the focal point and that is something I felt very strongly about every time I was in the atrium.  What was your Pinnacle Grill, (now Colours and Tastes, with presumably the original Italian style art on the walls), along with the adjoining corridor which has some interesting Chinese art pieces, have been carpeted with a brightly coloured psychodelic style carpet!  Bizarre is the only word for that.  Fred has always had a lot of artwork on the walls, though not as large 3D pieces.  His like of abstract art (which Scandinavians are fond of) is a lot more in evidence on Borealis, not that it makes the ship dark, but maybe not the choice of all older Brits. Did not bother me - could call them talking points.

 

The original Fred ships had the wall panels painted white (presumably as they were in poor condition) and ceilings on British ships are normally white, compared to some dark ones on the new ships.  Also colours of carpets/furnishings on Fred's older ships were/are light or bright with good colour co-ordination, which is the difference IMO.

 

Our cabin furniture on Borealis was actually light coloured and loads of cabin lights, so we did not put all of them on at once.

 

I have no idea what the "new" ships looked like under HAL, but suspect they may look very different now that carpets/furnishings have been replaced.  I also do not think the decor is a major issue in any way, though just takes a bit of getting used to at first, especially compared to his older ships.

 

Edited August 21, 2021 by tring

[saatuk]

23 hours ago, richard_london said:

 

It sounds like they haven't been able to do much overall with the ships to bring them into line with the original fleet.  I shall wait and see what other reviews have to say.  

 

I'm a solo traveller and I can't really afford or justify paying Fred's prices anymore which is a shame.  

There are areas that are unchanged but there are changes.  The casino is gone so much space freed up.  The NY Pizza is also gone, which is a shame since they made the best pizzas I've had on a ship.

 

One HAL captain sailed on Borealis's first cruise and blogged on several changes and areas that are blocked off presumably to change them later.  

 

If interested,  http://www.captainalbert.com  and the first post is about that cruise.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, tring said:

What was your Pinnacle Grill, (now Colours and Tastes, with presumably the original Italian style art on the walls), along with the adjoining corridor which has some interesting Chinese art pieces, have been carpeted with a brightly coloured psychodelic style carpet

 

The Pinnacle Grill began life as a specialty restaurant called Marco Polo.  There was an Italian theme to the decor.  That didn't change much over the years, I don't think.  That was the one area of the ship that I always did think was a bit too dark for my taste.  Don't recall the carpeting at all.  But, pictures that I have seen of some of the most recent newbuilds, the brightly colored carpet with odd designs seem to be the current style.  Certainly nothing I would install in my home!  

[tring]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The Pinnacle Grill began life as a specialty restaurant called Marco Polo.  There was an Italian theme to the decor.  That didn't change much over the years, I don't think.  That was the one area of the ship that I always did think was a bit too dark for my taste.  Don't recall the carpeting at all.  But, pictures that I have seen of some of the most recent newbuilds, the brightly colored carpet with odd designs seem to be the current style.  Certainly nothing I would install in my home!  

 

The newest P&O ship (a Carnival Corp UK brand), which has only just sailed with passengers,  seems to have a very light, neutral coloured interior, but built for the British market and I have always seen it said that Brits prefer light colours, compared to darker woods etc., which I understood to be favoured by the US, market.  I have no personal knowledge of that though, as despite us sailing with a lot of cruise lines, the only US cruise line we have sailed with is Azamara.  I have no idea what is the young person's preference in the UK now as I am quite out of touch with modern trends 🙂

 

I hope you find a cruise ship which you come to love as much as you obviously did the ones which are now run by Fred.  It is a time of great change, with the acceleration of changes due to the pandemic.  Perhaps we should be thankful we still have the opportunity to cruise, even though the experience could become very different to what we were used to previously.  A lot to be said for land holidays though IMO, once independent travel becomes easier.

 

Cheers,

 

Barbara

[rkacruiser]

3 minutes ago, tring said:

I hope you find a cruise ship which you come to love as much as you obviously did the ones which are now run by Fred.  

 

I appreciate your statement.  I have.  Close relatives to Fred.'s new vessels are the Volendam and the Zaandam.  Among the HAL fleet on which I have sailed, Volendam is my favorite.  She was even more than the Amsterdam and the Rotterdam.  I have personal reasons for that distinctive place in my memory.  

 

I do have an "issue" with myself, however.  January, 2020, between two HAL cruises--one on the Volendam and one on the Eurodam--I sailed on MSC Meraviglia as a Yacht Club guest.  I discovered a "different cruise experience" on a very modern and beautiful ship which offered much more than any HAL cruise has offered.  Time for a change, rkacruiser?  I have been "shopping" Seabourn and Silverseas.  When--if--I decide to book another cruise, I am going to have a difficult decision--but a pleasant one--to make.  

 

4 minutes ago, tring said:

It is a time of great change, with the acceleration of changes due to the pandemic.  Perhaps we should be thankful we still have the opportunity to cruise, even though the experience could become very different to what we were used to previously. 

 

Well said.  While I have visited a tiny part of your Country, I wonder if I will ever get to visit London?  I am thankful for what I have been able to experience.  I am hopeful that there is more to come.  

[Britboys]

12 hours ago, tring said:

 

Cunard is targeted at the US market, hence the dollar currency in use, but I think they are based on the traditional old liners, rather than contemporary British, so I suspect their will be dark coloured wood etc., though never been on them myself.

 

I like that clock, but Fred's choice of carpet with a large clock themed abstract design is totally out of place IMO.  The carpet should be fairly plain, so the clock is the focal point and that is something I felt very strongly about every time I was in the atrium.  What was your Pinnacle Grill, (now Colours and Tastes, with presumably the original Italian style art on the walls), along with the adjoining corridor which has some interesting Chinese art pieces, have been carpeted with a brightly coloured psychodelic style carpet!  Bizarre is the only word for that.  Fred has always had a lot of artwork on the walls, though not as large 3D pieces.  His like of abstract art (which Scandinavians are fond of) is a lot more in evidence on Borealis, not that it makes the ship dark, but maybe not the choice of all older Brits. Did not bother me - could call them talking points.

 

The original Fred ships had the wall panels painted white (presumably as they were in poor condition) and ceilings on British ships are normally white, compared to some dark ones on the new ships.  Also colours of carpets/furnishings on Fred's older ships were/are light or bright with good colour co-ordination, which is the difference IMO.

 

Our cabin furniture on Borealis was actually light coloured and loads of cabin lights, so we did not put all of them on at once.

 

I have no idea what the "new" ships looked like under HAL, but suspect they may look very different now that carpets/furnishings have been replaced.  I also do not think the decor is a major issue in any way, though just takes a bit of getting used to at first, especially compared to his older ships.

 

Some of Fred's carpets are decidedly migraine-inducing aren't they...

[tring]

13 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Some of Fred's carpets are decidedly migraine-inducing aren't they.

 

Yes, but overall I have just submitted a more favourable review than my first one.

 

[tring]

4 hours ago, saatuk said:

There are areas that are unchanged but there are changes.  The casino is gone so much space freed up.  The NY Pizza is also gone, which is a shame since they made the best pizzas I've had on a ship.

 

One HAL captain sailed on Borealis's first cruise and blogged on several changes and areas that are blocked off presumably to change them later.  

 

If interested,  http://www.captainalbert.com  and the first post is about that cruise

 

Many thanks for the link, which I indeed found very interesting, along with the article on the HAL history.  

 

I now realise why so much work was still being done on the ship after so long.  The Forest Room is to be a more upmarket speciality grill style restaurant, as well as serving items such as lobster etc.  I do not recall ever having problems finding any seat in a bar pre meal times, though pre second sitting also clashes with first sitting folk having after dinner drinks and we did find a lot of seats marked as "no go" due to covid on our first cruise, the week after the maiden.

 

We did speak with a senior member of staff on the ship last week who told us there was some conflict between Fred snr and Fred jnr as too what should be put on the ships, including a possible crazy golf course to the side of the funnels. 

 

The main board for the overall Olsen company, (Bonheur), of which the cruise line (run by Fred jnr) is only a small part, has reportedly not been totally supportive of the cruise line in the past, since it did not yield a large enough profit.  However, from comments I had heard made in our earlier Fred days by other passengers, Fred snr reportedly had a soft spot for the cruise line and used to really enjoy travelling on the ships in his younger years.  From a business stand point it would have been very easy for the company to walk away from the cruise line this last year and concentrate on other businesses, so we have been wondering if the main reason it has survived is because of Fred snrs interest in it.  Reading that article, as well as speaking with staff on the ship, has made us even more of that opinion.  The future will be interesting to see but hopefully the company will continue.

 

Barbara

Edited August 21, 2021 by tring

[tring]

Been mulling over the movement of art work on/off the ships.  I have in the past understood there to be some good art pieces on the ships and the there was a big interest in art by the Olsen's.  It would indicate that the changes taking place regards that, will be done with a keen business eye.  I wonder if that has helped the cruise line go forward to some extent.  A few staff of all grades had commented on the choice of art and Mr Olsen's liking for abstract art.  I had assumed that reference was to Fred jnr who runs the cruise line and apparently comes on the ships when they are docked in Tenerife, where he lives, but now sounds like his father is still involved as well.  He also travels on board at times and we got hints last week that an owner's suite is on the boards for the ships in future, as there was in the others.  The Bonheur board was (and probably still is) chaired by Annette Olsen, who is Fred jnrs older sister.

 

We are not business minded but have wondered if having items with a value on the ships would yield a tax benefit over that of keeping them on land.

 

They obviously want to take (or at least keep) the company a tad more upmarket to an extent and due to some cut backs on other mainstream lines and their bigger ships, it may not be too difficult.  There could be a market for those who prefer a product of a certain quality, but who are happy to use inside or outside cabins. The speakers on our second cruise in particular were more of the standard of Swan Hellenic or VOD, and a number of Fred's passengers used those cruise lines previously, including ourselves.  The regional departures have a big advantage for some of us as well.

 

There are some issues they will need to deal with though and lack of passing on information to customers has been one of those which we have experienced recently.  Prices  are another issue of course, needing to discount la lot of cabins late on does upset some early booked folk, though there has often been upgrading of early bookers on cruises which get reduced a lot late on.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, tring said:

The Forest Room is to be a more upmarket speciality grill style restaurant

 

Where is this restaurant to be located?  On what deck?  

 

21 hours ago, tring said:

there was some conflict between Fred snr and Fred jnr as too what should be put on the ships, including a possible crazy golf course to the side of the funnels. 

 

Can't envision where a miniature golf course could be built to the side of the funnels.  Maybe, aft, in the area where there was a children's/youth's area.  But, if there, I don't think it would compare in size to others that are on larger, family oriented ships.  

 

21 hours ago, tring said:

The main board for the overall Olsen company, (Bonheur), of which the cruise line (run by Fred jnr) is only a small part, has reportedly not been totally supportive of the cruise line in the past, since it did not yield a large enough profit.  However, from comments I had heard made in our earlier Fred days by other passengers, Fred snr reportedly had a soft spot for the cruise line and used to really enjoy travelling on the ships in his younger years.  From a business stand point it would have been very easy for the company to walk away from the cruise line this last year and concentrate on other businesses, so we have been wondering if the main reason it has survived is because of Fred snrs interest in it.  Reading that article, as well as speaking with staff on the ship, has made us even more of that opinion.  The future will be interesting to see but hopefully the company will continue.

 

Thanks for this post.  I am learning about Fred. Olsen Cruise Line and was not aware that it is part of a larger Company with other lines of business.

 

11 hours ago, tring said:

He also travels on board at times and we got hints last week that an owner's suite is on the boards for the ships in future, as there was in the others.  

 

Both ships have Penthouse Suites.  I had the good fortune of having a couple of CC Members on a Roll Call to book one of these.  During our Cabin Crawl, they hosted us in their Suite.  Ought to be quite satisfactory for Mr. Olsen, Sr. or Jr. as an Owner's Suite.  Change its name to "Owner's Suite" as compared to the others and a bit more might be charged.  

 

11 hours ago, tring said:

The speakers on our second cruise in particular were more of the standard of Swan Hellenic or VOD, and a number of Fred's passengers used those cruise lines previously, including ourselves.

 

I have two well cruised friends who were fans of Swan Hellenic as well as Voyage of Discovery.  They "left" HAL and sailed almost exclusively with these two companies and have mourned their demise.  If Fred. Olsen does start using speakers of the quality that they enjoyed on the other two lines, they might be interested in Fred. Olsen, particularly with the two new ships.  I will let them know.

[tring]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Where is this restaurant to be located?  On what deck?  

 

 

Can't envision where a miniature golf course could be built to the side of the funnels.  Maybe, aft, in the area where there was a children's/youth's area.  But, if there, I don't think it would compare in size to others that are on larger, family oriented ships.  

 

 

Thanks for this post.  I am learning about Fred. Olsen Cruise Line and was not aware that it is part of a larger Company with other lines of business.

 

 

Both ships have Penthouse Suites.  I had the good fortune of having a couple of CC Members on a Roll Call to book one of these.  During our Cabin Crawl, they hosted us in their Suite.  Ought to be quite satisfactory for Mr. Olsen, Sr. or Jr. as an Owner's Suite.  Change its name to "Owner's Suite" as compared to the others and a bit more might be charged.  

 

 

I have two well cruised friends who were fans of Swan Hellenic as well as Voyage of Discovery.  They "left" HAL and sailed almost exclusively with these two companies and have mourned their demise.  If Fred. Olsen does start using speakers of the quality that they enjoyed on the other two lines, they might be interested in Fred. Olsen, particularly with the two new ships.  I will let them know.

 

Forest room to be just to the fore of the restaurant on deck 5.  Situated to the side of the staircase, with the entrance opposite the access area to the staircase and lifts.  It is marked on his deck plan for Borealis on his website https://www.fredolsencruises.com/our-ships/borealis/deck-plans

 

Area looked at on deck 9, enclosed with glass.  Marked on Fred's deck plans as "sports courts", - poss HAL designation (I think the link above mentioned that there were originally tennis courts there on HAL).  Another thought was golf nets which they had on the previous ships.  Crazy golf sounds a bit challenging at sea - maybe just a musing, but two sides available of course.  Apparently it will be an owner's decision.

 

Worth Googling Bonheur perhaps.  Details of the sale of the ships was available online last year.  Looks like I got it wrong - Annette is the MD.  Seems Fred senior still chairs the board (he was born in 1929), so doing very well one could say.  Some of the ferries in the Canaries are Fred Olsen ones but not mentioned on the website - perhaps some bits of the company have been offloaded, or set up as a different company..

 

If the Penthouse suites are the four bigger ones to the front of deck seven, I suggest he will want something bigger than that - maybe two at one side combined and call it an owner’s suite?  Not sure about details when Fred Jnr would sail on the ships, but possible have other family members with him (or other may sail at other times) and I suspect they would eat in his accommodation rather than the restaurants – but not sure.  He also visits the ships when docked in Tenerife.  You never saw the owner’s suite on sale, but I have seen reports from people who have sailed in it, so perhaps a case of enquiring.

 

Speakers have been variable in the past but two of three last week were very academically based, plus another who was also very good.  Maybe easier to get speakers now due to less ships sailing. The strength of Fred related to Swan and VOD IMO is the itineraries, but restrictions at present re places which can be visited long haul wise and the new ships will be more limited than the older ones due to their size.  We had a one week cruise booked on Black Watch, which was changed to Borealis. Should have originally docked centrally in Bordeaux, but Borealis was to go into an industrial dock downstream of Bordeaux.  Also, two more of the other three ports were changed because the bigger ship could not access them.  Fred very good going north - places like Spitzbergen and Greenland and he has always sailed up the inside passage when going up the coast of Norway, so sea days are often scenic cruising days and in calmer waters.  He will still continue with that, but some of the original ports not so easily visited now due to emission controls, especially in Spitzbergen/Greenland.  Boudicca did a long journey in the winter which included interesting ports, which could be booked in shorter sections as fly cruises.  That was very similar to the Swan and VOD itineraries, but we never took the flights as they were always expensive and we wanted to combine with a longer land holiday to various places as well.  I would hope Bolette will take on a similar winter role eventually, but nothing like that planned at present – I suspect he is wary of doing something like that until the pandemic well behind us.

Edited August 22, 2021 by tring

[electricron]

None of the ships in Fred.Olsen Cruise Line fleet was designed and built for them.  They all were built for someone else. They were bought when the ships were 15-20 years in age. All have been or will be refurbished into what Fred.Olsen wants. 

 

[Britboys]

15 hours ago, electricron said:

None of the ships in Fred.Olsen Cruise Line fleet was designed and built for them.  They all were built for someone else. They were bought when the ships were 15-20 years in age. All have been or will be refurbished into what Fred.Olsen wants. 

 

Yes - "Designed the Olsen Way" is, I feel referring to interior design/decor rather than the build.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, tring said:

Forest room to be just to the fore of the restaurant on deck 5

 

This room is being carved out of what was the Exploration's Cafe/Library area.  Just forward of the room, one can see the counter where the special coffee/tea drinks were prepared.

 

20 hours ago, tring said:

Area looked at on deck 9, enclosed with glass.  Marked on Fred's deck plans as "sports courts", - poss HAL designation (I think the link above mentioned that there were originally tennis courts there on HAL).  Another thought was golf nets which they had on the previous ships.  Crazy golf sounds a bit challenging at sea - maybe just a musing, but two sides available of course.  Apparently it will be an owner's decision.

 

You mean Deck 10.  Forward on Deck 9 is the Crow's Nest.  Yes, that glass enclosed area could be used for something like what was proposed.  But, it would be windy!  On Rotterdam, the area was used for the sun worshipers.  I can envision a miniature golf course there.  There was an area aft/near the funnels that had netting, as I recall and was used as a basketball court.  

 

20 hours ago, tring said:

If the Penthouse suites are the four bigger ones to the front of deck seven, I suggest he will want something bigger than that - maybe two at one side combined and call it an owner’s suite?

 

Yes, these were the Penthouse Suites on the Rotterdam and they were of equal size.  Borealis's deck plan shows the aft ones of the 4 being slightly smaller than the forward ones.  Combining two on one side would make quite a sizable living space.  Bolette ought to have only two of these suites--one on each side.  

 

The Studio is the area where Club Hall and The Loft was located.  These were the rooms for the children's/youth program.  (And, on world cruises, were filled floor to ceiling and wall to wall with guests' excess luggage.)  

 

Thanks for your informative reply.  I am quite impressed with the clarity and ease of use of the deck plans for the ship.  Fred's IT people seem more skilled than HAL's.  

 

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, tring said:

The strength of Fred related to Swan and VOD IMO is the itineraries,

 

The itineraries as well as the speakers were the cause of why my two friends to defect from HAL.  They live in Florida and will fly half way around the world to join a ship that has an itinerary that attracts them!   

[tring]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You mean Deck 10.  Forward on Deck 9 is the Crow's Nest.  Yes, that glass enclosed area could be used for something like what was proposed.  But, it would be windy!  On Rotterdam, the area was used for the sun worshipers.  I can envision a miniature golf course there.  There was an area aft/near the funnels that had netting, as I recall and was used as a basketball court.  

 

 

Not deck ten fore, that has sunbeds.  As per the link provided earlier, the area mentioned is to the side of the funnels, deck nine.  The article said tennis courts and something else, so maybe a basketball court on the opposite side to the tennis.  Those two areas are surrounded by very darkly tinted glass panels (the same as deck ten fore), so must have been there since HAL. May have had nets as well if those were the sports taking place though.  Can walk through those areas at present, they are just empty spaces.

 

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The itineraries as well as the speakers were the cause of why my two friends to defect from HAL.  They live in Florida and will fly half way around the world to join a ship that has an itinerary that attracts them!   

 

The Swan and VOD ships were all small ones, which is one reason why they could do those itineraries.  The largest ship run by them was a Renaissance ship (30,000 ton approx), now Azara Pursuit.  The ship Swan had used mainly in the later years was less that half that size.  Braemar is a similar size to the Renaissance one, but not a long distance ship, (small cabins and not very stable so spends winters in the Caribbean). Balmoral is about 43,000 ton, so can do some good stuff, but the new ships are about 62,000 ton, so will be more limited again, hence our Black Watch itinerary loosing three out of our four ports  I am hoping they may be able to do some decent long distance itineraries, but we will see.

 

 

Fred's coffee bar is just fore of The Forest Room.

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by tring

[tring]

For anyone who has an interest in the Olsen family, I found a few interesting links, I particularly like the first one, which refers to Fred Snr:-

 

https://fortune.com/2015/03/07/fred-olsen/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred._Olsen_%26_Co.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrik_Olsen

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anette_S._Olsen

 

Now I know where the name for that restaurant came from (I think I had heard it referred to as The Forest Estate Room during the planning stages, along with some reference to it serving fresh Scottish produce):-

 

https://www.fredolsen.co.uk/companies/fred-olsen-forrest-estate/

 

I am aware some Wikki pages are not totally accurate or up to date, so obviously I am not sure all is completely accurate in the current links, but certainly gives an interesting overview.

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by tring

[tring]

My second review of Borealis, for our August cruise has now been published, so I will put the link here:-

 

Borealis Review by tring

 

This was a far better experience, so I have rated it at 5*.  In practice we would consider it as a 4.5*, but a half cannot be chosen, so I upped this one as my previous rating was a three (since there were problems with that cruise).

 

There are still only five reviews in total for the ship, but I have done two of them, so time for me to lie low for a while methinks.  I hope other reviews are published soon, 

 

Happy cruising all, no matter what ship you sail on,

 

Barbara

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, tring said:

Not deck ten fore, that has sunbeds.  As per the link provided earlier, the area mentioned is to the side of the funnels, deck nine.  The article said tennis courts and something else, so maybe a basketball court on the opposite side to the tennis.  Those two areas are surrounded by very darkly tinted glass panels (the same as deck ten fore), so must have been there since HAL. May have had nets as well if those were the sports taking place though.  Can walk through those areas at present, they are just empty spaces.

 

I thought you were referring to the Deck 10 area.  Thinking about the area on Deck 9 that is around the funnels, I can't envision much of anything other than what HAL used it for.  A very small miniature golf course might be possible.  But, would its use justify the expense of building it?  Again, wind in that area would be an issue.  If I recall correctly, there are partial structural baffles as one walks through that area.

 

23 hours ago, tring said:

Fred's coffee bar is just fore of The Forest Room.

 

That remains the same as on Rotterdam.  

[Britboys]

On 8/24/2021 at 3:14 PM, tring said:

My second review of Borealis, for our August cruise has now been published, so I will put the link here:-

 

Borealis Review by tring

 

This was a far better experience, so I have rated it at 5*.  In practice we would consider it as a 4.5*, but a half cannot be chosen, so I upped this one as my previous rating was a three (since there were problems with that cruise).

 

There are still only five reviews in total for the ship, but I have done two of them, so time for me to lie low for a while methinks.  I hope other reviews are published soon, 

 

Happy cruising all, no matter what ship you sail on,

 

Barbara

Good, balanced review. Thanks for posting it Barbara.