P&O vs Fred

[showingdiva]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

 (and in cabins???, surely not?) 

 

"From 1st April 2025, smoking will no longer be permitted on cabin balconies. This applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and electronic cigarettes that emit any vapour – even water vapour. Electronic cigarettes that don’t emit vapour will continue to be permitted for use inside cabins and on cabin balconies but are not permitted in any non smoking public areas."

[Cruising Nomads]

To Gettingwarmer. The Princess cabin is more than likely to be a Standard Balcony cabin and not a Full Suite which is the Fred price. Similar cruise on Princess range from Balcony at £1599 and Suite at £3999 per person.

[Selbourne]

59 minutes ago, showingdiva said:

 

"From 1st April 2025, smoking will no longer be permitted on cabin balconies. This applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and electronic cigarettes that emit any vapour – even water vapour. Electronic cigarettes that don’t emit vapour will continue to be permitted for use inside cabins and on cabin balconies but are not permitted in any non smoking public areas."

Well I’m staggered. Even those that don’t emit the smoke clouds still smell, and imagine walking in to a cabin on embarkation day to find that the previous occupant has vaped in it 🤢. As we all know, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile, so you can bet your bottom dollar that this already relaxed rule will be stretched. I’m grateful to you for flagging this. 

[mrsgoggins]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Well I’m staggered. Even those that don’t emit the smoke clouds still smell, and imagine walking in to a cabin on embarkation day to find that the previous occupant has vaped in it 🤢. As we all know, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile, so you can bet your bottom dollar that this already relaxed rule will be stretched. I’m grateful to you for flagging this. 

 

Absolutely this! We have thought of looking at Fred cruises since the haul down to Southampton from the NW gets to be tedious, but this information has just put the lid on that idea, rather than the prices.

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, Cruising Nomads said:

To Gettingwarmer. The Princess cabin is more than likely to be a Standard Balcony cabin and not a Full Suite which is the Fred price. Similar cruise on Princess range from Balcony at £1599 and Suite at £3999 per person.

The point being I suppose that to have a private balcony on Fred you cannot get a true comparison.  If the passenger is only booking to acquire a private balcony he cannot get a true comparison as it simply doesn't exist, suites being the only way to get that balcony on FO.  The same applied to my aunt's Princess -v- FO cruise as Regal Princess does not have any outside cabins.  

 

I guess real comparison is only possible on insides as everyone has them in the "normal" lines, but obviously not the more luxury ones.  FO is difficult to compare due to it's odd fleet.

Edited April 7 by Megabear2

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Well I’m staggered. Even those that don’t emit the smoke clouds still smell, and imagine walking in to a cabin on embarkation day to find that the previous occupant has vaped in it 🤢. As we all know, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile, so you can bet your bottom dollar that this already relaxed rule will be stretched. I’m grateful to you for flagging this. 

 

I haven't worked on a Fred for a few years now, but I always remember the smell of it on board the ships I did (Braemar and Black Watch) and that passengers automatically assumed they could light up in our terminal (they couldn't and still can't).

[yorkshirephil]

20 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

 

 

I guess real comparison is only possible on insides as everyone has them in the "normal" lines, but obviously not the more luxury ones.  FO is difficult to compare due to it's odd fleet.

We wanted a long Med cruise after the kids go back to school in 2025.

P&O: nothing above 19 nights so ruled out.

Princess: 31 day Med marvel, Southampton- Southampton. Inside from £2999 pp.

Fred: 32 nights Spanish colours, ex Newcastle-fly home. Inside from £4999 pp. 

Cunard: 32 nights Med and Greek islands, fly to Venice- Southampton. Inside from £ 2500 pp. We opted for a balcony at £2999 with an overnight stay in Venice the day before. We only booked last week and the balcony price has gone up several hundred £.

As you say it is difficult to get an exact comparison but I feel this is pretty close. 

[twotravellersLondon]

4 hours ago, Cruising Nomads said:

Whilst I agree that Freds prices seem to have gone quite high I do think that twotravellersLondon has over stated the prices.  Again whilst I agree ttL posts some very good comments on the forum he does appear to have the downs on Fred at the moment.

 

On the cruise he highlighted, his prices are based on the Olsen Suite which is the highest level. A Balcony Junior Suite is available at £5299 with either £300 obc or Free Door to Door Transfer. Fred also offers a Drinks package at £24.99 per day. Gratuities at the moment are £5 a day which I would think must be one of the lowest amounts of the cruise lines that charge.

 

 

Delighted that these casually scribbled notes on the back of an envelope have prompted discussion about just how expensive that FOCL is compared to many other cruise-lines and resulted in so many comments with relevant insights. 

 

You're right about the FOCL price... these all came from a comparison site (that we can't mention) a few days ago... they'd been jotted down for our own consideration and were simply provided as a possible comparison following a request by another member... they weren't the result of forensic research and as you quite correctly discovered in your detailed delvings... the FOCL figure is for 2025.

 

Now that we've quickly looked at the FOCL site (It is "we"... and both of us, husband and wife for decades,  share access to this site and agree posts before they're submitted.) after having seen your post... the lowest-cost FOCL cabin with a balcony would cost us about £359.94 pppn... and to that we would need to add about another £40 pppn to cover the basic drinks package, gratuities, WIFI and something towards about three evenings in one of FOCL's speciality restaurant. So that puts what we both personally consider as our "basic" price for this particular FOCL cruise as significantly more expensive than SAGA and about the same price pppn as Regent Seven Seas.

 

The big difference that we'd also take into account is that Regent Seven Seas offers return flights, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited beverages, included gratuities, speciality dining, unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi and even 2-3 day pre or post cruise land programmes (many at no additional cost).

 

(As you rightly say "Fred also offers... Gratuities... at £5 a day which... must be one of the lowest amounts of the cruise lines that charge." But the fact is that Regent Seven Seas doesn’t charge gratuities, SAGA doesn’t charge gratuities and P&O doesn’t charge gratuities.) 

 

That puts the FOCL's prices in a competitive context... (which was the point of this thread and the point of the question that we responded to in the odd moment or two)... that's not having a "down on Fred"... that's comparing the market and looking at the best value for money deal that would suit the two of us. Many of "Fred's Top Fans" as they're described on the FOCL social media site probably won't like our personal view... because they frequently describe FOCL as "Excellent," "Exceptional," "Fantastic," "The Best" and "First Class." But that's their view of the company and they're obviously entitled to it.

 

We spent decades using "Fred" as our cruise-line of choice... latterly three of four times a year. We'd planned to carry on doing so but we both became increasingly disappointed by the poor-value for money... more especially so for people like ourselves who took higher deck balcony cabins and suites. We do a far more detailed comparative costing than the scratching on the back on an envelope that we used to make a casual comment earlier in this thread before we book a cruise. We're still looking at FOCL but again and again and again FOCL strikes us as poor value for money against other offers when we look at balcony cabins.

 

It doesn’t look like we're alone in our canny approach to getting value for money... just look out the FOCL results for the last quarter of 2023 and compare them with the previous quarter... the occupancy rate has fallen from 76% to 71% i... Operating revenues have fallen from about NOK 921 million to NOK 856 million... Net ticket income per passenger has fallen from about £189 to £161... and as P&O and SAGA's ships fill up, FOCL seems to be carrying less passengers who are less willing to spend.

 

Just had a glance at the FOCL Culture & Cuisines cruise to the Western Med. for 14 nights this October... on the Borealis... £1,746 pppn for sharing an inside... £3,782 pppn sharing a balcony junior suite (terrace cabins don't have balconies). P&O are doing a similar cruise that same month...on the Iona... £899 pppn for sharing an inside... £1,244 pppn sharing a balcony...

 

On these figures "Fred Olsen" is two to three times more expensive than P&O and the markup between the grades is much higher on "Fred" than it is on P&O.

 

 

But people may willing pay more for what they would prefer and views may well differ depending on the cabin grade/price.

[Windsurfboy]

There are sea view  cabins on P&O you can compare with Fred.

 

However my cursory examination of prices, Fred is up there with many better lines , but these have no insides. So if you want a balcony cabin, then Fred price is up there or perhaps above Saga, but no comparison in terms of the Saga better offering. 

 

Clearly given smoking we'll never touch Fred.  But we'd never pay their prices when there's Saga , or for a little more other lines with small ships and great service . Or even big ships with ship within ship.

 

If you want a better offering than P&O, and willing to pay Fred prices, you have a lot of choice of better lines , especially if you want a balcony. Fred seems to want to charge luxury prices for a average line. Like P&O of old is not luxury

 

Or you can stick with P&O and use difference in price for speciality restaurants,  treat yourself to great wine and perhaps a bigger cabin.

 

Yes the Savoy is far superior to premier Inn.  But is it worth the extra is a more complex equation 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[davecttr]

I have just booked a cruise on Balmoral in June from Newcastle, 14 nights to Norway and Svalbard in an inside single premium cabin. It did not come cheap but I always wanted to visit Svalbard and two new ports for me are Hammerfest and Alta. Lots of midnight sun for whale watching which is why I booked it. The fare was £3199 with £210 on board credit. I have September and November P&O cruises which I will cancel saving £2812 so the difference is only £387 and further savings will come from the lack of a casino. No Blackjack for me. I am pleased that the cabin only has a shower as well as I did not like the bath/shower arrangement on Arcadia. I can have my Blackjack fix on Arcadia in July with 14 nights to Iceland/Norway and two new ports, Belfast and Stornoway. My Arcadia cabin is shower only and only yards from the whale watching deck 🙂

 

The only problem might be a rail strike.

[twotravellersLondon]

45 minutes ago, davecttr said:

I have just booked a cruise on Balmoral in June from Newcastle, 14 nights to Norway and Svalbard in an inside single premium cabin. It did not come cheap but I always wanted to visit Svalbard and two new ports for me are Hammerfest and Alta. Lots of midnight sun for whale watching which is why I booked it. The fare was £3199 with £210 on board credit. I have September and November P&O cruises which I will cancel saving £2812 so the difference is only £387 and further savings will come from the lack of a casino. No Blackjack for me. I am pleased that the cabin only has a shower as well as I did not like the bath/shower arrangement on Arcadia. I can have my Blackjack fix on Arcadia in July with 14 nights to Iceland/Norway and two new ports, Belfast and Stornoway. My Arcadia cabin is shower only and only yards from the whale watching deck 🙂

 

The only problem might be a rail strike.

 

 

This is one case where comparisons are pointless.

 

We've visited Svalbard with Fred Olsen in the 1990s and so were captivated with it that we've been there lots of times since... often on a Fred cruise, a couple of times with expedition boats and we've flown in and out... staying at the Radisson. It captivated us and it still captivates us... one of us checks the weather forecast every single day... and we watch the webcams... if you've not tried it, have a look at  https://portlongyear.kystnor.no ... still lots of snow and ice on the harbour... it's been a cold winter.

 

We completed a polar circumnavigation of the archipelago one year, been blocked from doing the same on another year because of the ice. We're both certified marine mammal surveyors and one of the most wonderful experiences that we've had was cruising through a group of Belugas only minutes after leaving Longyearbyen on the Boudicca. Mind... we had to dress very warm to stay out on the decks.

 

And we've seen a polar bear in the distance from the Balmoral not far from Longyearbyen but they're not common in summer... just as well as they're quite partial to unsuspecting tourists! (We've had a couple of close encounters on expedition boats much further North as well as some superb sightings.)

 

On a perfect day you can see the sun for 24 hours... it makes a complete circuit of the sky and at about midnight it shines from due North... quite sensational  if you can catch it.

 

Been to Hammerfest about four times... but always in the midst of winter... very, very cold but as a result we're both members of the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society... you can join at the museum on the quay!

 

Hope that you have a really great time. It is something well-worth looking forward to.

[Fionboard]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Well I’m staggered. Even those that don’t emit the smoke clouds still smell, and imagine walking in to a cabin on embarkation day to find that the previous occupant has vaped in it 🤢. As we all know, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile, so you can bet your bottom dollar that this already relaxed rule will be stretched. I’m grateful to you for flagging this. 

Vaping devices differ greatly. I have one. Virtually no emission and absolutely zero smell. Just depends which device you have. 

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Vaping devices differ greatly. I have one. Virtually no emission and absolutely zero smell. Just depends which device you have. 

With respect, I bet I could smell it. 

[Windsurfboy]

53 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

This is one case where comparisons are pointless.

 

We've visited Svalbard with Fred Olsen in the 1990s and so were captivated with it that we've been there lots of times since... often on a Fred cruise, a couple of times with expedition boats and we've flown in and out... staying at the Radisson. It captivated us and it still captivates us... one of us checks the weather forecast every single day... and we watch the webcams... if you've not tried it, have a look at  https://portlongyear.kystnor.no ... still lots of snow and ice on the harbour... it's been a cold winter.

 

We completed a polar circumnavigation of the archipelago one year, been blocked from doing the same on another year because of the ice. We're both certified marine mammal surveyors and one of the most wonderful experiences that we've had was cruising through a group of Belugas only minutes after leaving Longyearbyen on the Boudicca. Mind... we had to dress very warm to stay out on the decks.

 

And we've seen a polar bear in the distance from the Balmoral not far from Longyearbyen but they're not common in summer... just as well as they're quite partial to unsuspecting tourists! (We've had a couple of close encounters on expedition boats much further North as well as some superb sightings.)

 

On a perfect day you can see the sun for 24 hours... it makes a complete circuit of the sky and at about midnight it shines from due North... quite sensational  if you can catch it.

 

Been to Hammerfest about four times... but always in the midst of winter... very, very cold but as a result we're both members of the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society... you can join at the museum on the quay!

 

Hope that you have a really great time. It is something well-worth looking forward to.

 

But your comments are all about itinerary not about the cruise line.

 

If Fred was the only cruise line to go up north then comparisons are irrelevant.  But there are other cruise lines that go there with small ships, perhaps not P&Os mega ships. So you must compare Fred to these.

 

But in general its Fred vs P&O for similar cabins and similiar itinerary that is relevant. 

Edited April 7 by Windsurfboy

[twotravellersLondon]

To be exact... the comments are about two particular places on the itinerary. 

 

There are a few large ships, including the MSC Preziosa (about 4,000 pax), and the slightly smaller Norwegian Star due to visit Longyearbyen this coming season... as well as the Balmoral. 

 

The best comparison would be between FOCL's Balmoral and other similarish UK based cruise ships making the trip to Svalbard from the UK this season but P&O and SAGA and the like don't seem to be making the trip this year. 

 

So if someone wants to cruise from the UK to Longyearbyen this coming season there's not a lot to compare the Balmoral cruise with.

 

Be interesting to see a comparison if anyone wanted to do one.

Edited April 7 by twotravellersLondon

[Fionboard]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

With respect, I bet I could smell it. 

Unless you have superhuman odour detection capabilities, you would lose! 

[cruising.mark.uk]

26 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Unless you have superhuman odour detection capabilities, you would lose! 

I agree. I'd hazard a guess that e-cigarette types of device are being widely used in cabins, without cabin staff or passengers in adjoining cabins being any wiser.  Personally, I don't see any harm in that, if they are undetectable rather than the ones that produce dense clouds of pungent vapour.  And it's permitted on at least one line.  Here's Seabourn's policy:

'Our smoking policy has been updated to reflect our continuing commitment to the comfort of all of our guests. On our Expedition ships, we have implemented a no smoking policy, which includes ecigarettes. On all other Seabourn ships, most public areas on board as well as guest suites, verandas and balconies are smoke-free. Outside smoking of cigarettes is permitted in the designated smoking area of the starboard half of the Sky Bar open deck. Cigarette, cigar & pipe smoking is allowed on the starboard half of the Seabourn Square outside deck. Smoking of electronic cigarettes is permitted in guest suites.'

Edited April 7 by cruising.mark.uk
To add the Seabourn policy

[AndyMichelle]

Can't get away from vaping these days😂

[Cpt Pugwash]

13 hours ago, showingdiva said:

 

"From 1st April 2025, smoking will no longer be permitted on cabin balconies. This applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and electronic cigarettes that emit any vapour – even water vapour. Electronic cigarettes that don’t emit vapour will continue to be permitted for use inside cabins and on cabin balconies but are not permitted in any non smoking public areas."

Even i'm shocked at that and i'm a occasional smoker but never do it anywhere near where it would affect others.

[Vampiress88]

Isn’t it the age old “you get what you pay for?” 
 

Im going on Royal Caribbean next month. 
I have paid £2549 (as I had to prepay gratuity)

for the p&o equivalent it’s £1856. 
ive paid 37% more so that I can go on a different line and I will expect it to be better due to paying more. 
if I don’t get good service I will remove the relevant gratuity though fyi but you get my point. 
 

however in August I have paid £3936 with princess (not included gratuity) for Iceland itinerary as p&o was coming in at £5036 for the same dates but to Mediterranean instead. 
 

so it’s all a bit subjective as the prices fluctuate way to much. I don’t think we are allowed on fred ones as I believe they are adult only. 
 

but my point is that p&o isn’t always the cheapest. Nor is it always the best but the amount you pay will tend to reflect the service you get. 

[Bazrat]

I still find it interesting to see P&O compared to other cruise lines, you can only really compare them if going on similar itineraries, then you make the choice is it worth paying more to have turn down service and seeing more items on the menu which you probably wouldn't choose anyway.

[nosapphire]

What was that old saying? "Comparisons are odious".

No single company can be described as "better" - they all have good points and weak points, and even these are subjective. One person may consider a particular aspect as a drawback, the next think it a bonus.

 

My opinion, the higher prices on some lines are for rather more than just included this,that or the other - for a higher payment I expect good service throughout, including pre-cruise queries, and reliable help if things go wrong at any stage.

But - what people pay, who they cruise with is always individual choice. And long may that continue.

 

 

[BouncingWheel]

There is enough debate on comparing price, service, value, offering etc… between P&O and …. P&O (e.g Arcadia vs Iona) let alone P&O and another brand. 
 

Do your research on the ship, line and itinerary and pay only what you feel you would be happy with for the cabin. Only you will know that.

[jeanlyon]

20 hours ago, BouncingWheel said:

There is enough debate on comparing price, service, value, offering etc… between P&O and …. P&O (e.g Arcadia vs Iona) let alone P&O and another brand. 
 

Do your research on the ship, line and itinerary and pay only what you feel you would be happy with for the cabin. Only you will know that.

We are in an inside cabin. Paid about £150 pppn for a grade one up from the basic.  13 night cruise.  Yes more than we usually pay but did get 400 obc.  Still on board and Azores tomorrow 

[jeanlyon]

The best food we've had on a cruise in a long while.  Halibut, prawns, rack of lamb etc