Worried about Braemar!

[slhw]

Hi

 

Booked on Saturday to Braemar next January - have now read some absolutely awful reviews about her. Can anyone add anything positive?

We are in Cabin 4121. Am now absolutely dreading it - everything from apparently awful flights with Monarch to running out of water in last few days of cruise.

 

Sandie

[merecat]

Braemar mostly gets good reviews ,however because it seems the ship hadn,t been sufficiently finished after her "cut&shut" a few people have written bad reviews.

You must remember there are about 800 passengers on the ship and a handful write reviews,did you read in the national newspapers a riot of the passengers ,no ,of course not .

Take most reviews as a personal view ,remember, what is one mans meat is another mans poison.

[mufi]

I always think it is pointless worrying about an up coming cruise because of adverse comments. Go with a hopeful attitude and start worrying if it turns out badly (and it's odds on it won't)

 

David.

[bossmum1]

Hi Sandie Dont take any notice of reviews hard to do i know, and i hear what you are saying, We are booked on the Black Prince 28th Sept this year, and feel just as you do now, to add insult to injury someone posted pics of our ship omg, i thought oh no we made biggest mistake ever, i felt sick to my stomach but since theres no going back we have to put up with it. Spoke to our TA to reassure us some people have there kicks moaning about the slightest thing.

Chrissy

[slhw]

Thanks for your replies - feeling a little bit more hopeful. Chrissy - hope everying turns out well on Black Watch - don't forget to post a review!

 

Sandie

[bossmum1]

Sandie take the reviews with a pinch of salt, if the ship was that bad it wouldnt be sailing lol, There are a lot of moaners out there, moan about a speck of dust sort of person, lol. Our cruise creeping up fast now still a little nervous but we will make the best of it, I know the Black Prince is old and shabby, but the crew are supposed to be really nice so it will do us. I will let you know how it goes. ;)

[ukcrusing]

I think it is a case of try not to let bad reviews put you off, it is your hard earned holiday and enjoy it.

 

That said I guess i am one of the moaners from above, on its first cruise back from refit it should not have sailed, as it was not finished, loose wires, trailing cables, carpet not fixed to decks etc. let alone the 12 hour a day syncronised sanding exercise that was going on all day long. I guess the best analogy i can think of is turning up at a resort and finding your hotel half built, and still full of builders, no doubt when is finished it looks great, but whilst your there it feels like a diaster compared to what you were expecting

 

There are things that FO do that don't quite work for me, compared to other cruise lines I have been on, but IF the boat had been finished after it's refit then I am sure I would have had a more than acceptable cruise. I think all onboard that first voyage had the feeling that as passengers we had been written off, in order to get Braemar FULLY ready for the next passengers.

 

I have no doubt it will be fine by now and hopefully all future cruisers can enjoy the Braemar more than I did

 

Remember a bad day on a cruise is still better than a good day a work!!

[slhw]

Hi Everyone Again

 

UKCruising - Thanks for your comments - I can fully understand that what happened to you made all the difference to your review. Wonder if you could help on a couple of other things. We are still wondering whether or not to cancel FO. I see that you have done Caribbean and NY on QM2 - we have as well. Although, obviously, I am not expecting the same type of luxurious surroundings as on QM2, I had understood that the standards of service, formal evenings and such like, were just as good with FO. Did you find this to be the case? I think my idea of a good cruise is pleasant surroundings, good food, good service, a couple of formal nights so that we can get dressed up and good evening and daytime entertainment. Oh, and a realtively decent swimming pool! Did find that the entertainment on QM2 rather lacked any fun aspect - was much more fun and lively on some of the Thomson ships that we have been on. We like a good show - bit more up to date than Judy Garland - occasional disco - quizzes, competitions and some light classical. Like to be out and about quite late as we are on holiday. Suppose I am rather hoping that FO will be somewhere between QM2 and Thomson.

Wonder if you have any comments that would help convince us either way.

 

Chrissy - look forward to hearing about your Black Watch Cruise - I have read a couple of good reviews about her recently!

 

Sandie

[ukcrusing]

Hi Sandie,

QM2 was our first cruise (for our honeymoon, youngest adults on the boat LOL) so i don't think we expereinced half of the facilities and entertainment that the boat had to offer.

 

On our Braemar cruise, i would that the food and the entertainement (Quizzes etc.) were not brilliant.

 

BUT our friends who we were onboard Braemar with said that the service etc, was not up to the normal FO standard, indeed what they had expereinced upon Braemar just last year. So i think their could be again the refit factor, in that even the experienced staff had just been paid off for the previous 9 weeks of the refit, and there were also many first time staff members, so I would guess things would improve as the staff bed in.

 

Can't really comment on the swimming pool as it leaked so was out of action for most of our trip. I think refit troubles aside, and if it is a good price, and good internary then FO is worth trying. We did enjoy a smaller ship after coming off Sapphire Princess in Jan, even with the reduced ameneities, but the Braemar and the QM2 are really two very differnet beasts and prob best not to even try to compare

[mufi]

It is very much "horses for courses" in that FO is certainly not Cunard, and if you pay Cunard prices, i.e. around £100 pppd you are likely to be dissapointed.

 

We would never book a FO cruise unless it was very keenly priced. There are loads of offers around that are good value for what you get. Be thankful for that and don't expect that which you would get for a lot more money on other lines and you will be fine.

[bossmum1]

Hi Sandie quess you and i are worring over nothing sure we will have a great time its what we make of it. We are on the Black Prince not Black Watch, hence our concern, been given the worse reviews ever, but we cannot cancel. We are on the main deck mid ship. It dosent look like any other passengers use this forum thats going with us. Quess we will be the youngest aboard. lol, I think it may help if others who are going when we go, that we can chat to. I dont know if we can put our email addresses on here, we could have chatted about our fears. Talk to your TA see what he says but its just nerves i hope.

Chrissy.

[Jospen]

I can only tell you my experience about Fred Olsen. We were on the Balmoral in April this year. There were also some poor reviews about that ship on this board & I was dreading it. BUT we had a fantastic cruise. We loved Fred Olsen & would definitely sail with them again.There were many people on board (just as there are on this forum) who complained about trivial matters..... one lady complained about the hot weather! Most were comparing the Balmoral this year with the Braemar last year etc etc.

Go & enjoy.... we did!

[bossmum1]

Had to laugh about complaint about the hot weather, some do it when we have a hot day here. Thanks for you comments, glad you enjoyed Fred's ship, Why do we read the reviews when it puts doubt in our mind. I have been assured Fred Olsen has great ships and very staff are very helpful and friendly, Can we really compare one ship to another, i doubt it. My hubby and i have decided good or bad we are going to do our best to enjoy the experience on Black Prince. Well its all we can do Will come back here and tell all, Glad im not a moaner. lol.:)

[Parsman]

It was good to read some positive comments on Fred. Olsen. I will be sailing on the Balmoral in mid-October on my 23rd FOCL cruise. Some were better than others but the service and ambiance on their ships takes a lot of beating. Some people search for faults whereas other enjoy their holiday.

On the foolish complaints front I was on the Black Prince many miles up the Amazon (on the Equator) and I was about to disembark and I overheard one lady say to another "They didn't tell me it would be hot like this"!

[merecat]

Parsman, I see you have done BP up the Amazon ,she is doing this cruise in 2010 .now although I have been on 3 other FO ships and love his way of cruiseing ,I,ve said I wouldn,t go on BP ,mainly because of her size.

I have seen her a few times and she is very well cared for but crossing the Atlantic on her ,I,d love to do it ,does the cruise do the southern route and what is she like going over the pond.

Am I brave enough to go ,persuade me.!!!!!

[Parsman]

Hi Merecat. I did the Southampton / Amazon /Southampton some years ago on the "Black Prince". The ship took the Southern route via the Canaries so that it would find the calmest seas. We were lucky as the sea was like the proverbial mill pond in both directions. The trip up the Amazon was fascinating with so much to see. I spent two nights in the forest staying in a tree-top rest house. I also saw so much of the wonderful life of the Brazilian rain forest. En route to the Amazon we also called at Devil's Island in French Guiana which was quite an experience.

On the down side the ship is very small with limited facilities. At the time I went on this trip the passenger numbers were restricted to ensure that the water supply on the ship was not overstretched. The air conditioning on the ship (at that time) struggled a bit when we reached Manaus but we got by.

I loved the trip.

[merecat]

Thanks Parsman ,the 2 nights up the tree must have been interesting.

 

 

I think I will do a short trip on BP before I decide.

[missy73]

Hi

 

I have just returned from the Braemar (returned 21 Aug 08), sailing around the Med and Adriatic. This was the 3rd sailing following the stretch and I am pleased to report that she is fully up and running. None of the problems affecting previous guests were encountered.

 

The stretched Braemar offers many enhancements - particularly the Grampian restaurant, which we dined in; the Observatory, featuring an excellent Jazz pianist; and extended lounges in the Morning Light Pub and Bramaer Room. Previous Bramaer visitors bemoaned the changes to her, but then spent every evening in the Observatory and Grampian! The extra inside space was very well utilised during the hotter and cooler parts of our trip.

 

The standard of food and service was very good, and the entertainment programme full. We fell into the 'younger cruisers' category at 35 years a piece, but there was plenty to keep young and old occupied. The energy showed by the Braemar Dance Company was unbelievable.

 

We travelled on a standby deal (@£50pppn) and could not believe our luck in getting a G Grade outside cabin with picture window. The room had not been refurbished, but it was spotlessly clean and very comfortable. Contrary to popular belief, we were able to dine in the Grampian, and were able to change the allocated dining sitting from early to late. The flexibility of the different dining arrangements ensured we could start and end our daily eating programme exactly as we wished!

 

The extra guests onboard (just over 900 passengers - just short of capacity) meant that certain brands of drinks ran out for a day or two, but were quickly replaced with suitable alternatives, often on offer. Specialty nights in the Palms (Indian, Chinese and Fish & Chips) were very popular, as was the comedian. This did result in some queues and a bit of patience, but the wait was worth it.

 

I personally would ignore all the criticism of the Braemar. The cruise will be exactly what you want it to be. We met some lovely people on board, and were served by friendly, helpful staff who went out of their way to ensure guests had the best possible cruise experience. It is possible to find fault with every cruise/holiday if you go looking for problems. There were minor issues (such as the Dubrovnik transfer, which was delayed due to local traffic conditions), but the team went out their way to compensate guests for inconveniences.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did. Our enthusiasm for our recent trip has convinced other to try a cruise, and in particular Fred Olsen.

[EMSOMICH]

I have travelled many times with Cunard but now that the QE2 is going, I tried the Balmoral early this year, on what ended up as her inaugural cruise. I had a great time and am trying Braemar in March. At least Fred Olsen caters for single travellers which is more than Cunard will be doing in the future! Have to do one more on the QE2 first though!

 

Maureen

[rickpo]

Hi Sandie,

 

Don't worry you'll have a great time with Fred.

I've been on the Braemar twice (admittedly before the stretch) and enjoyed both cruises.

The last time was 2 years ago and we flew over to the Caribbean with Monarch. The flight was an hour late but the service on board was great, the crew were polite and pleasant and I wouldn't mind travelling with them again.

I am flying out again in 20th November (anyone else?) to join the Boudicca and I have just had the flight No. which is TOM827, so I am assuming that we fly with Thompson. Up till a few years ago Fred used Britannia Airlines which was part of Thompson's and so it looks like they have gone back with them.

Buy the way I did like the Britannia flights and so I see no reason why the Thompson flights should be any different (hope I'm right)

Any way I'm going to enjoy my holiday and I'm sure you will also.

I'll let you know about the flight.

 

Rick.

[the english lady]

I will echo what every one else is saying . We are on Balmoral in 3 days time. I have read good reviews about it, and bad. I make up my own mind. My husband would love to go on BP , I would prefer bigger, hence Balmoral. A cruise is what you make it. What you love some one else may hate, and may post bad reviews about. Must admit some of the things I read for all ships makes me think why did that person book that cruise. I do my research about the line before we book. Next year we are on P and O, not on one of the big ships,but Artemis. Some have called it a rust bucket (some call BP that) .Again I will decide for myself when I have been on it. Fred is the no glitz or glamour, but is good and friendly,and does not try and get you to spend spend spend all the time.(as PO is Carnival I am sure they will try to) We were on Black Watch a couple of years ago and loved it. go enjoy the cruise an make up your own mind.

[Parsman]

I like your view that a cruise is what you make of it. If you set out to be miserable you will undoubtably succeed. I am afraid that some people book cruises merely on price without researching the itinerary, the layout of the ship or the details of the cabins and then complain when everying isn't to their liking. I cannot imagine anyone booking a cruise without reading the cruise line's brochure and studying the website. I am afraid that there is a small element amongst cruise passengers who glory in complaining. They may revel in it but it becomes a bore to fellow passengers.

Obviously you should bring genuine compaints to the attention on the ship's mangement but this can be done without a great song and dance. I have found, in the 27 cruises I have taken onseveral shipping lines but mainly Fred. Olsen,, that a reasoned complaint is attended to very quickly.

Let's have a lot more positive thinking and we can all enjoy our cruises.

[Pugwash123]

Hi Sandie,

 

We did the Caribbean cruise on Braemar in January 2007 for the specific reason that we had cruised on Braemar in 1993 when she was known as Cunard Dynasty and liked the size and feel of the ship. We had a great cruise. I had been dreading flying with Monarch but I was pleasantly surprised at how much they have improved their long haul flights. On the last day of the cruise there was an 8 hour flight delay but I cannot overpraise the Braemar crew for the efforts they made to look after us. As well as looking after all the new passengers, they produced a first class dinner for us and kept us fully informed of the flight situation. In 2004 we cruised on P & O's Oceana which turned out to be the most disappointing cruise we have ever been on but that doesn't mean that there aren't thousands of people out there who have had a wonderful cruise on board her. Approach your cruise with an open mind and you may end up wondering what all the worry was about.

[goodwinmacc]

Hi SLHW

 

We were on FO's Boudicca a couple of years back, only the second cruise after her refit, and, yes, plenty of things had not been completed properly. But it didn't put us off booking again, and we're off to the Baltic on Braemar next September. Your own cruise is next Jan; I'm sure things will be fine by then. As others have pointed out, Braemar is a popular ship.

[bossmum1]

I will echo what every one else is saying . We are on Balmoral in 3 days time. I have read good reviews about it, and bad. I make up my own mind. My husband would love to go on BP , I would prefer bigger, hence Balmoral. A cruise is what you make it. What you love some one else may hate, and may post bad reviews about. Must admit some of the things I read for all ships makes me think why did that person book that cruise. I do my research about the line before we book. Next year we are on P and O, not on one of the big ships,but Artemis. Some have called it a rust bucket (some call BP that) .Again I will decide for myself when I have been on it. Fred is the no glitz or glamour, but is good and friendly,and does not try and get you to spend spend spend all the time.(as PO is Carnival I am sure they will try to) We were on Black Watch a couple of years ago and loved it. go enjoy the cruise an make up your own mind.

 

We had our first cruise on BP swore never again, but hey we booked BP next year to North Cape, bless her would love to do her last cruise but doubt we would get tickets selling really fast, so we booked N Cape instead. So if anyone wants to cruise BP BEFORE SHE RETIRES BOOK NOW.