First Time with Fred Olsen

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Our first cruise with Fred Olsen will be BD36 Boudicca to Spitzbergen. We usually cruise with Cunard on QE2 or QM2. We are looking forward to trying a new line. Please could the experts help with the following questions?

 

Are smart jeans fine during the day?

 

Are the themed evenings casual, informal, formal or anything goes?

 

Is the self-service laundry free? Is washing powder available for free or a charge?

 

Do you have to pay for the shuttle bus in ports? If yes, what change will I have to bring or do you charge it your cabin?

 

How does breakfast and lunch work? Do you sit at your allocated table?

 

The main restaurants seem to have a buffet area. Are some the meals or course self service?

 

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

[mufi]

Our first cruise with Fred Olsen will be BD36 Boudicca to Spitzbergen. We usually cruise with Cunard on QE2 or QM2. We are looking forward to trying a new line. Please could the experts help with the following questions?

 

Are smart jeans fine during the day?

 

Are the themed evenings casual, informal, formal or anything goes?

 

Is the self-service laundry free? Is washing powder available for free or a charge?

 

Do you have to pay for the shuttle bus in ports? If yes, what change will I have to bring or do you charge it your cabin?

 

How does breakfast and lunch work? Do you sit at your allocated table?

 

The main restaurants seem to have a buffet area. Are some the meals or course self service?

 

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

Sorry I can't answer all these as I have only sailed on Braemar once, also as with you from usually QE2.

 

Jeans are fine in the day (there was even TOPLESS permitted!!! Try that on Cunard)

 

The themed evenings are informal - very well supported as many passengers have sailed with Fred many times and seem to have suitable accesories with them.

 

Laundry - don't know none on Breamar.

 

Shuttle bus £3 added to your final account.

 

Dining room - same table for all meals.

 

Buffet for lunch and I think breakfast, full service for dinner.

 

Have a good cruise - you will certainly find it different.

 

David.

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Thanks for your information. It is a real help. I am sure I will have a good cruise with Fred Olsen. At the moment I just feel like a fish out of water. I was a bit nervouse even using the J word.

 

Thanks again, Stephen.

[merecat]

Dineing tables only the same at dinner,freedom dineing in the secret garden,some shuttles free ,others you need to buy a ticket.£3.She is a lovely ship and can,t really be compared to Cunard because of her size but service ,food etc ,are equally as good if not better.:)

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Thanks for that information.

 

> because of her size but service ,food etc ,are equally as good if not better.:)

 

Good food and service will keep me happy shipboard.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

[mufi]

Dineing tables only the same at dinner,freedom dineing in the secret garden,some shuttles free ,others you need to buy a ticket.£3.She is a lovely ship and can,t really be compared to Cunard because of her size but service ,food etc ,are equally as good if not better.:)

 

The only free shuttles are the ones provided by some port authorities, I.E. £1 taxi's in Gibraltar.

 

David.

[Goteborg]

Can only give you somewhat out of date info on BW. Lunch and breakfast was buffet or 'waited' [b/fast was a mix of both].

 

The other info ties in with our experience. Cannot speak highly enough of our trip on BW. Everything was v good incl service and food.

 

Goteborg

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Thanks for that information. I am reassured to hear you praise your Fred Olsen cruise. The ship, food and service are key for me. Hopefully everything will go well for us too. Only six weeks to wait now.

 

Thanks again, Stephen.

[Lanky Lad]

As a QE2 fan who is trying to work out what to do in 2009, I will be interested to hear what you make of Fred Olsen as an alternative to Cunard.

[mufi]

We did an Olsen cruise earlier this year after having cruised on QE2, QM2 and Caronia.

 

How does Fred compare? The ships are smaller and therefor more cozy friendly feeling. QM2 is so big you can do a whole cruise and not meet an acquaintant twice. On the other hand that annoying guy you met last night will be in your face all the voyage. And our ship (Braemar) did not give a very comfortable ride in quite moderate seas. The ships are kept in immaculate condition though.

 

Fred's food is not as good.

 

Entertainment is not as good.

 

Pricing offers are less if you shop around.

 

They are full of Brits.

 

They do seem to be a bit stingy at times after Cunard (no cosmetics in the bathroom and charges for transfer busses, very weak alchoholic drinks)

 

We enjoyed our cruise on Braemar but have sailed with Cunard again since - just felt that bit classier. It's all a matter of perception.

 

David.

[Lanky Lad]

Thanks mufi, I think thats more or less what I expected. I might give it a go as some sailings go from Liverpool, which is only about 50 miles away, much better than the 250 mile trip to Southampton.

[sparkieplug24]

Was on the Black prince in April most of the shuttle buses were free only in one place was there are charge made of £3 return cant remeber which port I was on excursion that day possibly madeira but dont quote me on that. Also someone said that the free shuttles are only free when provided by the port authorities I didnt find this I had travelled to some of the ports before with different cruise lines and had to pay for the shuttles that were free on the BP.

 

Also Formal evenings are very formal black tie mostly worn by men and evening dresses for the ladies.

 

The theme nights are good fun and anything literaly goes some people take it really serious with all the accessories including cowboy boots and fake guns on country and western night (wasnt me I swear).

 

Also Lunch in the main restraunts is a bit strange (in a good way) as you can have table service if eating off the menu, eat from buffet or a mixture of the two.

 

I think you will like Fred Olsen but try not to compare it to cunard as they are totally different experiences some good and bad in both

[seabourndt]

WANT

TO TAKE MY LAPTOP.

dave

[mufi]

I don't think there is wifi on Braemar. Internet is available on the ship computers. You have to buy a package minimum 30 mins.

 

David.

[Nippy Sweetie]

We were all on the same table as you last year on QE2 in Princess Grill. Having been on QE2 again this year we are trying to think about where next. Noticed Boudicca to Baltic cruise & wondered what you thought of FO?

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Sorry not to get back to you sooner. We have been to Burgh Island for a few days. We stayed at the restored Art Deco hotel on the island.

 

We had a great cruise on Fred Olsen. Spitzbergen was just fantastic. We would love to do the cruise again. A small ship like Boudica is ideal to get under bridges and into Fjords. We could dock in the town centre and were never dependant on good weather to tender.

 

The ship is old but has been completely renovated and meticulously maintained. There is no dodgy plumbing on Boudicca. She makes QE2 look tatty and run down. We had a balcony cabin that was lovely. Unfortunately it was often not serviced until 2PM. Cabin service did not really exist.

 

We never felt the ship was crowded. We never had to queue for anything and could always get a chair in the lounge or on deck. The captain made a real effort to take us to interesting views and brief us on the scenery. The cruise was an experience not just a passage form A to B. The captain really made the cruise for us.

 

We met some lovely people on the ship. We played shuffleboard everyday except when it rained. The guest lecturers were very interesting and more intellectual than I was expecting. The cosmology lectures were very demanding. On a small ship everybody (passengers and crew) makes an effort to be friendly.

 

In my view the food and service Fred Olsen does not really compare with the Grills on Cunard. Breakfast and lunch are buffet service in the main restaurants. Dinner is two seatings. There were only two waiters to serve fifty passengers (spread over two seatings) and the passengers all arrive together at the set times. Obviously the service suffers.

 

The quality of food was very good always hot and fresh, far better than any other ship I have been on. Unfortunately the menu was very repetitive. The same breads and vegetables were served everyday. The menu repeated the same dishes, sometimes two days in a row. For me the menus lacked sophistication, the starter choice one day was melon cocktail or prawn cocktail. The afternoon teas (my favourite meal of the day) were superb.

 

Most evenings are casual. In fifteen nights, only three were formal and two informal. I had not packed enough casual clothes. On evenings at sea I chose to wear a suit even if the daily program said casual. Almost without exception passenger dressed very well and often more formally that the daily programme requested.

 

We would cruise with Fred Olsen again. I loved the ship, passengers and cruise experience. I was less keen on the menus and none existent service. I would cruise with Fred Olsen on one of the more interesting itineraries like the Artic or Baltic. For a standard Mediterranean or Caribbean cruise I would look for a more luxury experience like Cunard.

 

Which QE2 cruise did you do this year? We are booked on a QM2 crossing next year and I am taking one last QE2 cruise.

 

Hope this helps

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Hi Stephen, just found your feedback! Boudicca sails from Leith quite often and we were curious but scared to venture far from Cunard. Better the devil you know and all that. We were on QE2 for Western Med in July 2007. We got an upgrade to Queen`s Grill. V lucky again. Our cabin was lovely (on the boat deck) huge and light but vaguely tatty. Faded grandeur I suppose. However, we much preferred the Brittania Grill to Queen`s Griill for meals. The QG was almost claustrophobic. We were in the lower bit in a recessed section. I think we might have enjoyed it a bit more with the same company we had in Brittania last year.

We`re going on a Viking River cruise this year but are wishing we were doing the QV trip to the Black sea. Maybe next year.

Anchors away!

Jane

[Parsman]

As a regular on this line (22 cruises including 2 on the "Boudicca") I know you will love it. She is a smart ship and the staff and crew are second to none. They are friendly, helpful and unfailingly cheerful.

You will be allocated a table for dinner each evening and lunch at sea. However, if you wish to have a change there is the Secret Garden cafe which serves equally good food in a more informal setting. A casual breakfast or lunch can also be taken outside at the pool or on the Marquee deck if the weather is suitable.

As far as dress is concerned Fred. Olsen will send you details of the suggested dress and the theme evenings with you tickets. On the formal nights most men wear dinner jackets but a dark suit with tie is acceptable. Some nights are "informal" and for men a smart shirt with tie or a jacket is the order of the day. Casual nights (usually in port) can be open neck shirts and trousers - no shorts! During the day anything goes. Only restriction is on swimwear in the dining rooms.

The navigating officers are mainly Scandinavian and the "hotel" staff ie waiters, stewardesses etc. are mainly Thai, Philipino, Indonesian and Indian.

Shuttle buses vary -for some you have to pay others are free.

There is an excellent laundry service and washing machines, dryers and ironing facilities.

Each cabin on the "Boudicca" has coffee and tea making facilities.

There are shops on board and a computer room. You can use you mobile phone at sea and in port. There is also an first rate medical centre which I hope you will not need to use. There is also a facility to book your next cruise!

I hope you have a super cruise. One warning - cruising can become addictive!!