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Sitting on money when they cancelled my cruise

On 25 July 2022 I booked a cruise with Fred Olsen to depart on 26 October 2022. The cost was just under £1600 and I paid in full by credit card. On 24 August 2022 I received an email from Fred Olsen telling me that they had decided to cancel the cruise. I was invited to call them to “discuss my options” although they didn’t mention a refund. I tried to phone them the next day, but the number of people ringing was obviously so large their phone systems couldn’t cope. I rang again on 6 September and held on for 15 minutes to speak to them. I said I would like a refund and was told this would be made by bank transfer and not by a refund to my credit card. I was told that I should expect payment within 28 days. I explained that when I make a bank transfer to discharge a debt the payment goes through the same day and I thought that it was outrageous that they planned to hold onto my money for up to 28 days when they were the ones who had cancelled the cruise. I understand that cruise companies are having a tough time and that passenger numbers have not returned to pre-Covid levels. However when I booked the cruise I wasn’t given the option of paying 28 days later. We are all having a tough time and if you decide that it’s better to put a ship in dry dock rather than running its scheduled cruise programme then you should return the money straight away not sit on it for another month on the basis that it takes 4 weeks to “process the refund”. Disappointing.

Date of experience : September 06, 2022

Reply from Fredolsencruises

Good afternoon, we're so sorry that we had to cancel your cruise - this was not a decision that was taken lightly, as we realise how disappointing this would have been for our guests. Our Accounts team are working as hard as they can to ensure those guests requiring a refund receive it as soon as possible, so it may take up to 4 weeks. We do thank you for your patience. Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

I don’t know how Fred Olsen expects…

I don’t know how Fred Olsen expects those who sailed with them to sail again when they created utter crisis at Liverpool by allowing those who arrived before there allotted time board before those who kept to their time. My wife and I arrived at our allotted time only to find we behind those who didn’t bother. Social distancing and the wearing of masks was strictly enforced on the ship, what was the point when we like sardines in a can embarking. Then there was the rip off concerning PCR forms. My travel agent called Fred Olsen about PCR and was told they were not needed because our cruise came back after October 22nd when government rulings had change. A very abrupt lady informed us we would not be allowed board the ship if we did not pay the rip off price of £76 which she said was at a discount to Fred Olsen for PCR. I asked her call my travel agent which at first she refused then ring saying she couldn’t get through. I ring and got straight through a test kit with Randox was ordered for £43 pp. Also we should of cruises the Azores but last minute was change to the Canary Islands Las Palma was a port of call were the volcano was erupting a excursion to see it was made available last minute, there was no guarantee the trip would be on and no refund if it wasn’t the cost was £89. Also Fred Olsen had their sister ship the Bolette in port in Tenerife at the same time as us on the Borealis. Passengers from both ships came together on the walk ways at the dock. So much for social distancing and keeping within your Social bubble. The service and entertainment was tip top nothing was to much trouble for the friendly crew members. I when not be booking other cruise tell the coronavirus regulations end.

Date of experience : November 02, 2021

Good afternoon, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback, our guest's opinions are very important to us. I will of course pass your above comments on to those departments concerned for further investigation. Should you wish a member of our Customer Services Team to contact you further regarding your cruise on board Borealis please do not hesitate to contact us on the following email [email protected] Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

I wouldn’t even give this a 1 star more…

I wouldn’t even give this a 1 star more like 0 star ok so We booked a northern lights cruise 8 day to. Depart March which was me my husband and my 13 year old son inwhich payment was taken and booking confirmed I then received an email saying cancelled and offered 14 days xx I was going to check time off work my son sooo excited with increasing hols and I have bought separate travel ins plus paid a fortune on things for holiday was also my n and husband 50th In addition was to relax my son as suffered covid anxiety We were then told due to under 18 would be able to travel until April 1st yet knowing this on booking What I want answers to When booked holiday Knowing full dates of travel took payment regardless even though knows rules in relation to children for travel and orig booking for before 1st stil so couldn’t gone anyway Still allowed for minor to be booked on a holiday and took deposit for the holiday knowing full well regards children Fred Olsen are Incompetent As should know product that was selling Although done online it was misleading and has put me in a financial loss Should of been box state couldn’t add a minor on holiday Website should of sufficient when made booking I want compensation for error that was done the time spent getting through and the unfriendly tone of the advisor and upset Only just bought attention now goodness know s if went to port to board to be refused I Saved hard for this holiday It’s a Massive blow Only to be told can change date but child can’t come (What does limited medical help mean for adult also Does this put travellers at risk when travelling on cruise ships I want answers and trust me I will be looking for not only a full refund but compensation for financial loss ie travel ins extra cost knowing my son can’t travel

Date of experience : January 16, 2022

Good afternoon, we're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. If you'd like to discuss this further with our Customer Relations team, can you please email our them at [email protected] with your booking reference, so they can discuss it further with you; although we believe you may have spoken with Guest Services over the weekend. Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Call back - still waiting.

Was interest in booking a cruise leaving on 22 May 2022 so there was little time to waste. Tried phoning twice but was 6 and 7 in the queue waiting forever. Life is too short to hang on. So I tried their call back system on 12 and 13 May and I am still waiting. It is probably too late now so thank you Fred.

Date of experience : May 13, 2022

Good morning, we're sorry to hear that you've not received a call back from our Reservations team regarding the cruise you're interested in. Please could you either send us a Private Message through our Facebook page, or email us at [email protected] and we'll ask one of the team to call you as soon as possible? Warm regards, Shona

Beware hard sell without full infomation

My 81/ 82 year old parents booked what they hoped would be a cruise of a lifetime with Fred Olsen travelling over 93 days to Africa/ India in 2023. At the time of booking my mother had no internet access and simply the glossy brochure posted as part of marketing as they have been loyal customers and been on many before. Although the company would know full well the issues getting insurance at their ages (which is a condition of travel) they took a non refundable deposit without any cooling off period and gave no advice check insurance first or even run through T & Cs with her. On the first day back after the Christmas break yesterday (3rd) and after hours searching it became clear that insurance was not available . An e mail to Fred Olsen to request alternative insurers who may be able to assist went unanswered. On calling requesting to transfer to another cruise (within the 55 day maximum cover available) I was told this would be possible but that they had to spend 75% of the original booking cost of £55,000 on the new cruise or cruises. There was no hint of customer service or willingness to consider the position of individuals who have been loyal customers. Loyalty is a one way street with this company who advertise themselves as a family run company who cares. They don't. There would be no prejudice to them to allow a transfer to a cruise costing 50% of the original within less than a week of the booking. The whole experience simply leaves a bad taste. Interestingly calling around the insurance companies Fred Olsen's name came up a lot on this issue. BEWARE!

Date of experience : January 04, 2023

Good morning, we're sorry to read that your parents have experienced concerns when looking for insurance to cover their cruise. We don't offer insurance to any guests, but do work in partnership with Holiday Extras; so our telephone team would not be able to advise on whether the guests in question have checked their eligibility to travel on one of our cruises. Unfortunately, we do not know of alternative insurance companies to make suggestions of approaching, as there are so many in the marketplace, as we're sure you can appreciate. However, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss this further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

No water at sea.

We, a family of 5 adults, had our first ever cruise with Fred Olsen (L2214 Shetlands/Orkney on Balmoral). Whilst we enjoyed the experience of being at sea we unfortunately didn't enjoy the cruise itself. We had a Superior Suite (for 2 adults) and a Premier Suite (for 3 adults). There were several problems, some of which are mentioned below but the worst incident was the disruption of the water supply the night before disembarkation. We were notified that the water would be off between midnight and 05:00, in reality it was 'til 06:00 and there was no hot water 'til ~07:20. Breakfast was from 06:00-08:00 and our disembarkation time was just after 07:00. We had a long journey from the port and couldn't even shower as the water was ice cold. We didn’t have breakfast either as by the time the water came back on and we'd cleaned up it was time to leave. Fred Olsen didn't make any effort e.g., supplying bottled water so that we could atleast brush our teeth. They didn't offer any apology or delay the time of departure time, we had to leave the cabins by 08:00. It's been a month since the cruise and they haven't bothered to reach out with an apology. It was expensive to book two suites and there was nothing to show for the cost, there was nothing luxurious about this experience. The cabins were both spacious and clean but a tad dated. Unfortunately, the balconies were dirty. They were finally cleaned on the 4th day of a 5 night cruise! Again, this highlights how guests are treated, why weren't the balconies cleaned prior to departure? The 3 course meals weren't very good so we ended up eating at the buffet restaurant which at least allowed some variety. I have given two stars as our cabin attendant, Jenneth, and the majority of waiting staff were very attentive and friendly. I don't think we'll travel with Fred olsen again as it simply isn't worth the money.

Date of experience : July 08, 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your cruise experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams aboard our ships and ashore work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Never sail with FRED OLSEN

Will never use Fred Olsen again after my mother's experience on borealis the neglect they showed after cruising in a force seven storm her subsequent passing and the lack of compassion they showed regarding the 20k deposit paid towards the round the world cruise STAY WELL CLEAR OF THIS SELF CENTERED CRUISE LINE

Date of experience : October 06, 2022

Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're sorry that you have recently lost your mother. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Fred olsen BALMORAL

Cruise on Balmoral to Norwegian fjords was a great disappointment. We've cruised with Fred olsen numerous times , including on Balmoral and this will be our LAST!!! , on Balmoral .where the food service etc now is absolutely aweful. F.Olsen standards on Balmoral have nosedived. A shame but thats how it is. Food in the buffet ,hot section, lunch and dinner was an insult, had better school dinners 50 years ago. Food only like warm , quality and choice, shocking, mince and potatoes, chicken drumsticks, shepherd's pie, little choice of vegetables, half cooked potatoes , apple crumble and LUMPY custard, rice pudding, etc etc, STOGE and poor stodge at that. Cannot comment on restaurant , as we requested 1st sitting, but they put you on 2nd sitting by default, 8.30pm start 10pm or after before finished as service so slow. Looked to change sitting but there were 111 people on the waiting list to change, so no chance, some nights queue 20-25 deep waiting to get a table in buffet, shambles. Mass catering at its worst,They brag there are 70 chefs on board, if that's the case God help them. Seemed very understaffed, and staff they did have very inexperienced. People complaining of wating 30 minutes for drinks order, in outside areas empty glasses left on tables, tables not wiped down etc. This is not a criticism of the staff , theve got a hard job , not their fault if understaffed or inexperienced, but of the management of Fred Olsen . Went on cruise to Arctic circle earlier in year on Bolette, and noticed many of the senior staff, who had previously been on Balmoral for many years, restaurant managers ,executive chef etc. ,were now on Bolette. Seems like they've been moved, probably to their other boat Borealis as well, and replacements on Balmoral are new and not as experienced. Also at times ship was like a building site in parts. For two or three days part of the deck next to pool was cordoned off, wooden planking lifted and repairs being done to steel decking underneath, welding , sanding etc with all the noise and dust that creates, again not the fault of maintainance crew, only doing what they are told to do and trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, but Fred Olsen trying to keep the 40year old ship operating . Another day belt sanders continually going, sanding wooden rails ,maintenance crew continually touching up rusting paintwork SO if you want to spend good money;Fred Olsen not cheap; on a boat where there is constant maintenance, eating aweful buffet food, then go ahead, or do yourself a favour and avoid BALMORAL, Don't believe the cherry picked 5* reviews on fred olsen site.Think Fred olsen lives in the land of the emperors new clothes

Date of experience : August 08, 2023

Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best food service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

First cruise experience ruined by Fred Olsen

We have never been on a cruise before so booked Northern lights cruise for February 2021. This cruise was cancelled by Fred Olsen so we rebooked for the same cruise departing March 24 from Newcastle this year. Received an email from Fred Olsen three days ago stating that the cruise had again been cancelled. We believe that this is due to operational issues as we were offered alternative cruises from Liverpool or Southampton. The alternatives were for similar cabins (doubtfull) at no extra charge, (again very doubtfull) ??, but we would have to travel hundreds of miles to the port. A full refund was the only alternative to us so after spending over an hour on the phone to speak to a customer service agent a refund was agreed but.... we would have to wait up to eight weeks for this yet when the cruise balance was due we did not get the option of 8 weeks to pay. Fred Olson wanted their money ASAP. We were really looking forward to this holiday and getting more and more excited as it grew nearer and nearer. We had arranged the child care, accomodation for our dogs, travel insurance and of course transfers to the port. Fred Olson have caused us so much inconvenience, anger and frustration and have ruined our experience. This would have been our first cruise and twice our illusions have been shattered. We have been put off cruising before we even began so thank you Fred Olsen for that. Now please can we have our money back ASAP. This is an update on 25/01/22 following fred Olsens reply. I have sent them an email expressing a complaint. this was sent to them at the same time as my original review, their reply is a stock reply as they have not had the decency to even acknowledge my email !!

Date of experience : January 17, 2022

Good Morning, We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team at [email protected] with your booking reference and contact email address or phone number, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you - Victoria, Marketing

follow on from my earlier review

follow on from my earlier review. Fred Olsen eventually cancelled my booking in March due to corona virus. After giving out contradictory statements about how they were going to handle my situation, it was eventually agreed on 26 March that I could have a full refund ( only after a plethora of phone calls to F. Olsen and Igloo Cruise who I booked through). On that date the Olsen operator promised the payment within 2 Weeks. Four days later, this was changed to 3 Weeks by Olsen's agent Igloo Cruise. Requests to Igloo Cruise for written confirmation that Olsen had agreed to the refund fell on deaf ears! It was only after I emailed Igloo Cruise threatening to take the matter up with ABTA, that I got an email from them confirming the refund. In that email Igloo cruise indicated that the refund could now take up to 3 MONTHS--a far cry from Olsen's original 2 week promise. Leaving aside the fact that in these situations refunds should be made within 2 weeks (by law), It is interesting to read that ABTA are lobbying government to set aside this law until this matter is resolved !! Whilst one can have some sympathy with the travel industry's obvious cash flow issues-- It should not be forgotten that their creditors have cash flow problems as well. Taking that all into account, I would be flexible enough to accept a delay of say 1 month ( but that is already passed). What we have here is Fred Olsen and/or Igloo Cruise helping themselves to an interest free loan from the pockets of their customers, WITH NO REPAYMENT DATE to help them over their cash flow difficulties. What Olsen & Igloo need to remember is that clients treated in such a cavalier fashion have very long memories, and that will colour their judgement when booking travel services when things return to normal.

Date of experience : April 25, 2020

A good experience

Almost everything about our cruise on Balmoral was fantastic. The staff and service was just exceptional. They are so kind, fun, nothing is ever too much trouble. Extremely well trained and dedicated. I loved the captain's daily announcements, letting us know what was happening on the ship, the weather forecasts and even a quote of the day. The entertainment was good, we especially enjoyed Elspeth and Naomi, the classical duo, and Gordon Cree. The end of cruise show by the staff was the icing on the cake and we all loved it. The food was of exceptional standard, in our opinion. The main dining restaurant was excellent. Fresh, hot, classical cooking presented in a contemporary way. The cake of the day in the cafe was always good too. We especially appreciated the taste of the region and the hard work the chefs put in. It really made the cruise. The speciality restaurants are fantastic, and good value. Both Vasco and Colours and Tastes were supremely good and we felt so looked after. The only bum notes were - I needed some medical assistance whilst on board and it was an absolute fiasco. They hadn't a clue. They did decide not to charge for it in the end, but I still have to mention it because it was quite distressing. The cruise had to depart from Dover instead of Southampton. I understand this was due to encountering bad weather on the way back to the UK. I appreciate these things are not entirely in the control of Fred. Olsen but the way the transfer was managed on the ground was pretty chaotic and a bit unpleasant. Cattle in a pen springs to mind. Our bathroom had a lingering smell of damp/mold. Whilst not cruise-ruining, it wasn't brilliant. We paid for the freedom fare thinking it would have some benefits. We weren't aware of any. It didn't seem to affect our shuttle options, we weren't offered or consulted about any cabin upgrades, we didn't have priority embarkation and disembarkation was done by deck and cabin. Why pay the extra?? Aside from these minor grumbles, the whole cruise was a fantastic experience, which is why we are giving Fred. another go on the 12th of May. Let's hope it's 5 stars next time. What really made it was the beautiful Balmoral. Timeless decor, promenade deck, teak everywhere, cosy feeling. Wonderful, cheeky, smiling staff who could not do enough for you. Our favourite of the bar staff was Saffron who handled everything like a pro. Thank you.

Date of experience : November 18, 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback from your recent cruise - we're so pleased that you had such a lovely cruise on the beautiful Balmoral, and we look forward to seeing you again next month. However, here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Update on my previous review

Update on my previous review, unfortunately Fred Olsen are continuing to provide a poor service to their existing customers. Due to the issue with the free drinks package, I've requested a full refund without cancellation fees. Given this has been requested 9 months prior to the sailing, I don't see why cancellation fees can not be waived. Fred Olsen don't seem willing to move on this, again a disappointing move however given their TrustPilot rating, it's not a surprise. I've got serious concerns about the financial stability of Fred Olsen. Last winter Fred Olsen cancelled a number of cruises due to poor ticket sales. This year they've started advertising free drinks packages included with sailings incredibly early (9 months prior to some sailings), as a way of incentivising bookings (must not be selling well if they have to incentivise this early), and on top of this, they're also playing extremely difficult on offering refunds without exorbitant (15%) cancellation fees. It seems like they're trying to keep hold of every penny they can, and I'm seriously questioning whether Fred Olsen will be around in a year's time. I'd also be keen to hear what Fred Olsen is making of the negative TrustPilot feedback which has been left by numerous customers? I'm seeing a pattern of negative feedback, but no real changes off the back of it. I would not like to discuss this via private email, I'd like a public response to this review with information on how you're taking TrustPilot feedback on board to provide a better customer experience?

Date of experience : March 02, 2023

Borealis cruise 16th November to 2nd…

Borealis cruise 16th November to 2nd December northern lights 1, My wife and myself are seasoned travellers on fred Olsen cruises ( platinum level) and this must have been my worst cruise ever. The aurora restaurant served food that was uninspiring having 1 fish course and 1 meat course with 3 vegan/ vegetarian courses. Ok if you are not meat eaters. This seems the new normal on borealis as the same type of meal choice was on the september 26th to october 7th cruise i was on. I complained to the head waiter who also got the head chef to listen to my complaint as well. I think they shrugged shoulders and thought so what if we care. The impression was they don't care and head office is to blame for meal choices. 2. Tours on the northern lights cruise were overpriced and if you booked online you only had a couple of days whilst sailing to cancel if you needed.practically get on the ship and you can only cancel the last couple of days trips while cruising. 3. My wife had a fall on deck 7 when going from cabin to the lifts. ( she doesn't drink alcohol). Which I believe is due to lack of grab rails on both sides of the corridors,( on 1 side only on both port or starboard corridors) This needed a trip to the medical centre who promptly charged over £200 for consultation and x-ray. The decision was a trip to tromso hospital where a dislocated shoulder was diagnosed. 4. Try and get a refund for missed tours for both of us when In tromso hospital, (impossible with fred olsen) also the following day my wife couldnt go on another tour, yet again no refund!! A total of nearly £500 lost through falling over on fred olsen cruises. 5 I have another 2 cruises booked for Xmas and the new year on borealis and I think I may be disappointed with them as well. 6. Come on fred, look after your customers or you won't have any

Date of experience : December 03, 2021

Good afternoon, We are very sorry to read the above, all of our guests opinions are very important to us. If you would like to private message us for my attention using the following email address [email protected] with you full name and booking reference I will ask our Customer Relations Team to look into your above message further. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

White Christmas

We’ve just come back from the White Christmas in Norway. The cruise itself was amazing. I have to disagree with the review on Vasco the food was absolutely amazing. My problem was not with the cruise itself that’s why I’ve given it five stars. We booked this back in February 2022 and paid £2459 each for a inside cabin. Then paid another £260 to upgrade to a cabin with a picture window. We met some very nice people on board and got chatting and found out they had got their cabin (same as ours) for £1300 approximately! We also heard this was the first Christmas & New Year cruise they had done which meant if true we were Guinea Pigs. We booked three trips (not cheap!) throughput the cruise. Two of them were fantastic but the first one a sightseeing trip to Bergen and a trip on the Funicular was anything but. Firstly it was late by at least 45 minutes ( bearing in mind daylight is very limited) all the windows on the coach were iced up and you couldn’t see anything! That didn’t stop the guide wittering on about this and that building! As I said I’ve given the cruise itself 5 stars but feel cheated to hear other people paid over £1000 each less than we did. First time with Fred Olson and probably sad to say last. The £2000 odd would have been another holiday maybe even another cruise with Fred😏 We were asked by marketing on the 12th January to email our concerns to guest services which we did. We received a courtesy call on the 16th January saying someone would be in touch once our comments had been reviewed. It’s now the 22nd January and no contact as yet! We have adjusted or rating to three star. We feel very let down by this company and definitely will not be recommending them to family and friends. It sickens us that having paid almost double what other passengers have paid for the same cruise that their reply to the original review was just a tick box exercise!😡

Date of experience : December 21, 2022

Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise - we're delighted that you had a wonderful time on board, but are sorry to read about the Bergen tour and your conversation with fellow guests regarding the prices paid. It may have been that they booked very late, whereas you were able to choose the cabin grade you wanted at the time you booked. However, here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your tour and payment concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

I was not going to review my experience but...

I was not going to review my experience as I have had about ten really lovely cruises with Fred Olsen over the years and they may well be struggling but... ain't we all. I changed my mind on reading the "Almost perfect" review criticising those who complained about cancellations. This criticism seems unjustified as what is usually being complained about is not the cancellation but the manner in which it was done and the, in some cases, obscure reason for the cancellation. For example my cruise around Scotland in early summer has been cancelled because the ship is now going to Norway in lieu of one that has been mothballed. Difficult to see how this is Covid related. I did not get the email about the cancellation but, fortunately, found out by chance. We were told that, if we waited to be dealt with in departure order, we would be offered a similar alternative cruises with the same grade of cabin or we could have 10% (of the lower priced cruise) off another alternative. Meanwhile FO held on to the deposit. The first few cruises to be offered alternatives appeared to get good deals but after this it was just 10% off and no guarantee of the same grade of cabin. By the time my turn came, four weeks later, to have a similar cruise with the same grade of cabin would have cost an extra £2000. I opted for a refund of my deposit which took nearly four weeks more, by which time FO had had it for nearly a year. This does not feel like good customer service. I'm glad some people had an "almost perfect" holiday but to criticise those of us who have had no holiday at all, and are very dissappointed with this uncharacteristic behaviour from FO, is unfair. Thank you for your response Shona but I've already spoken to them, realistically there really isn't much they can do is there.

Date of experience : March 15, 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience, and that you didn't receive your cruise cancellation email. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. If you'd like to discuss this further with Customer Relations, please email the team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that they can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Round Britain Cruise

This was our first cruise with Fred Olson and apart from the odd blip we were very pleased. As advised we booked the parking at Southampton Port next to where Balmoral was docked..upon arrival we were greeted by helpful parking staff who brought us a trolley and the luggage drop was good. The check in procedure was fine ( except for there being no internet for us to access the NHS site). We were pleased with our Cabin and the cabin attendant was absolutely lovely..nothing was too much trouble. Would have preferred a double bed but we understand they are mostly singles. Any problems with our cabin were dealt with quickly. The food was excellent ..we mostly used the Palm’s restaurant as we prefer to serve ourselves. My husband loved the freshly cooked omelette's at breakfast and the stir fry’s. Some small blips..We like to read so made use of the library, but being small in stature found it difficult to reach the top shelf like many others. There was room on other shelves to bring the books down. The hot tubs on the top floor ( with suitable changing/showering facilities), appeared to have been refurbed with a rather rough non slip finish! We were generally pleased with the tours we booked, however, the one to the Lost Gardens of Heligan appeared to be cut quite short. Medium blip ( while on subject). Balmoral couldn’t get into her original berth on return so we were ‘bused’ back to the car park. We waited an hour in the queue and were quite concerned for several elderly/disabled passengers who had no help to transfer their luggage from the coach to their cars. On the upside the staff and crew were fabulous. We were especially pleased that we were able to watch HM Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in the Neptune lounge whilst berthed in Orkney. The staff were very respectful of this event even providing us with refreshments. A book of Remembrance was open for all to sign in the Library. Lastly, my husband and I are in our middish 60’s, younger than many onboard but we found our fellow passengers to be great fun. To the gentleman who nearly beat me up the stairs to deck 11 ( and turned out to be 93), good on you Sir! To another gent who stopped the lift doors as they were closing, with his walking stick..very brave Zorro! Will definitely cruise with Fred again very soon.

Date of experience : October 16, 2022

Good afternoon, thank you for your review from your recent cruise on board Balmoral - we're delighted that you had a wonderful cruise, and we look forward to welcoming you back on board again in the not too distant future. Thank you also for your constructive points, which we'll pass on to our Operations team to note for future cruises and guests. With warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Worst journey ever !! Will never get back to Fred Olsen /Balearia again

I am writing to you following the trip we made with your company and we wish to inform you of the abominable conditions in which we were received. We made a trip Gran Canaria / Huelva via Tenerife on 06/03/2022. The ferry was full, the passenger turnover really happened in Tenerife. And from there begins hell on board. After a 41-hour trip for the old passengers, it seemed logical to us that the cleaning team take care of doing a fairly big cleaning given that the ship is almost empty and that a hundred new passengers will be on board, but nothing at all!!! Indeed, masks must be worn in relation to covid but NO seat has been cleaned or disinfected, no disinfectant spray has been passed in the corridors and in the lounges, the passenger bins on the seats have not were thrown away, no maintenance staff came to check the cleanliness of the place, we had to throw these bins in front of the manager of the boat ourselves to show him what we were sleeping in. The toilets were NEVER cleaned, only deodorant went once in the women's toilets, but the men's toilets were overflowing with human excrement, and all. The space dedicated to animals was a real dump, 3cm of canine defections concentrated on a deck with a nauseating smell, mops also filled with excrement to clean the needs of our own animals. We had to go to the reception to ask for the cleaning of these filthy surfaces. Instead of cleaning the toilets when we complained to the manager, the latter decided to have the majority of the men's toilets closed rather than having them cleaned. Difference with naviera armas, the ticket is much more expensive and with you the meals are not even included!!!!! We had to pay 25€ more per person to have meals while naviera included them in the price of the tickets. Another aberration, there are hours to take care of our dog! It's completely absurd. Schedules between 15 and 45 min to leave and return your dog at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.!! Our dogs are not robots. Naviera armas allows access to animal areas at any time of the day or evening. The crew is not friendly at all, no smiles, very unfriendly. We will never take your company back and are asking for a refund of part of the ticket because the trip made was absolutely not up to the 827€ we paid for this crossing. We will endeavor to share the photos of our trip if nothing is done. I am sending you one to give you an example.

Date of experience : March 06, 2022

Hi there Zoe, thanks for your review - however, please can we suggest you visit www.fredolsen.es as they deal with the ferry services in the Canary Islands; as they are a separate company to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines? Kind regards, F. OCL

Great customer service despite present…

Great customer service despite present difficulties. TUI could learn from you

Date of experience : June 29, 2020

Mixed experience where bad experiences do leave a bad taste- wished I read the negative reviews before booking :(

We booked a balcony room on the 'In search of the Northern Lights' 14-night cruise from Southampton to Narvik, Alta, Tromso and Alesund in Norway over Christmas and New Year (21 Dec to 4 Jan). This was on the Balmoral- which is the oldest in the fleet. I'll start with the positives: The trip's highlights were the food and courteous attentive restaurant staff, our room stewardess and housekeeping, the fireworks organised for New Year's Eve in Alesund, and some enrichment activities- guest lectures on the science of northern lights, photography, and the quizzes etc. I understand that these tours are targeted more towards an 'elderly but young-at-heart' demographic so I was happy to see some aspects that were age and disability friendly. The dog sledding tour in Alta was amazing- the dogs are so friendly and cute! Now for the negatives that did leave us feeling that overall, the cruise was not worth how much we paid, and that we will not be recommending Fred Olsen to family/friends, or booking a future tour with this company. Firstly- we did not dock in Narvik. This was supposed to be the first stop, but the captain only announced this decision not to dock there at about 8.30 or 9 pm while we were at dinner (second seating) and the announcement could not be heard. This was not announced again that night, and we only found out about this decision when we called guest services to ask about our tour the next morning. The captain did elaborate on his decision during a presentation the next morning. I understand that the weather can be temperamental, but a guest lecturer indicated that Narvik had been bypassed a couple of times in the past on the same tour. This would have been important to mention upfront to manage our expectations. We booked a tour in Narvik, and while they refunded these amounts, it still left us feeling unhappy about how the situation was managed. Shore excursion team: This team was the weakest link in the overall experience. I sat down with the manager to discuss my grievances and provided written feedback while on the ship. One- because we did not get to experience Narvik, we were hoping to book other tours at the other stops. These were sold out, and the teams did not have alternative suggestions to give us a better experience. I even asked if they could link us up to private providers or organise new groups since there must have been others like us as well. This did not happen. Two- We booked a city tour and cable car experience in Tromso. We only had 1 day there, and our tour timing was mid-day to about 3 pm, so essentially could not fit in other tours except walking around ourselves for a bit. We get to the cable car venue and there is a long line. At first, I was not worried, because based on the amount we paid for the tour the expectation was that there must have been an arrangement for fast-track lines. However, the tour guide says, 'OMG, I've never seen a line like this, and I guess this is the end of the tour!'. I wished she was joking- but apparently, there were no such arrangements, and she was not able to contact any colleagues to find a solution. So they took us to the next stop, which was a scenic view but not the cable car. Then we came back to the cable car and she went back to talk to some people in admin but they were not helpful. One option presented was to stand in line in the cold, which also meant we may have missed the boat- this is not an option! I later talked to the manager about this, and she indicated that there was a possibility of asking the captain to delay the time we leave by about 30 mins to 1 hour to accommodate us but this was not communicated to us by the tour guide. Overall the local tour guide seemed very unprofessional and nonchalant- she kept blaming the cable car operators when it really should have been the responsibility of her tour agency to anticipate a higher volume of visitors & the shore excursions team. In the end, we did not go on the cable car. I asked for a full refund but was denied this. We only got a small amount back but the opportunity cost of not being able to do other things in the limited one day we had was much higher. So it was not a fair compensation at all. Disembarkation at the end of the tour- did not realize they would need us to get out by 8 am! Ice and hazards on deck- it snowed while at sea cruising up Norway. The staff did not clear the ice in many areas for the whole duration of the cruise. It was slippery and dangerous and I heard that one person fell and injured themselves- the captain's announcement for sensible footwear was inadequate action to address this safety issue. Ice grips were not allowed on decks. There was broken glass uncleared on deck 9. Deck 11 was closed for much of the cruise due to ice. Never again Fred Olsen! Not unless these points are addressed and we're compensated satisfactorily.

Date of experience : January 04, 2024

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're sorry to read of your concerns surrounding the tours you chose, but wish to thank you for your kind words at the start of your review. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. I have today passed your review over to our Guest Relations and Shore Tours team to look into for you, and to respond to you directly. Please do bear with us, but rest assured you will be contacted by them as soon as they are able. Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

appalling way to treat customers

we went on a Fred Olsen cruise on Braemar just before the pandemic and thoroughly enjoyed it. the food and service were really good. we had booked on another in March 2020 but this was cancelled and we had not been on another cruise since then. Back in the summer of 22 we saw another cruise on Braemar to Seville and booked this in early September paying our deposit. We were really looking forward to this but then were incredibly disappointed in November to receive an e-mail saying that Braemar would not be brought back into service and our cruise would be cancelled and that our travel agent would be in touch regarding our options. We therefore booked a different kind of holiday for which we had to pay a significant deposit expecting some contact quickly in respect of our refund. On 22nd December I received an e-mail from Iglu cruises saying that they had a future cruise credit and if i wanted a refund to contact them. I immediately did so. Having received nothing i contaced Iglu after the Christmas holiday saying as soon as they knew more they would be in touch. Having gone back to ask why there was a delay i received another e-mail saying that if i wanted a refund i would have to contact Fred Olsen directly. this was totally contradictory to what they had said.By this stage I was pretty fed up and so wrote to the CEO of Fred Olsen who has not even had the courtesy to ask someone to make contact. I called Fred Olsen and was told they would process my refund and it would take three to four weeks. I am appalled . It takes five minutes to make a bank transfer. Why should i be inconvenienced and out of pocket when Fred Olsen have had my money for over 4 months. I find it hard to believe the decision was taken in November not to put the ship back into operation. They have had our deposit since then and seem very reluctant to offer a proper apology, a refund and there has been no mention at all of compensation for the fact they have disappointed customers and had use of my money for all this time. It would surely have been reasonable so to do. I shall not be cruising with them again. Really poor treatment. Thanks for your reply and surprise surprise i did get my refund today after writing this review. in all honesty it should not have had to get to this and i am still annoyed and upset that Fred Olsen has had the use of my money for over 4 months and has not offered any compensation for this or the disappointment. not a great way to teat people if they want repeat business.

Date of experience : September 07, 2022

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave a review - we're sorry that you have had some concerns regarding your cruise cancellation on Braemar, and that you've not heard back from our Customer Relations team. The decision to sell Braemar was not one that was taken lightly, as she is a beautiful ship who we hold dear; but unfortunately it didn't make business sense to try and put her back into service. Please could you send us an email to [email protected] with your booking reference, cruise code and a brief explanation of your concerns, so we can ask our Customer Relations team to look into this for you? Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

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Excellent and helpful staff

Excellent and helpful staff. Equally excellent entertainment. Boarding from Southampton was smooth. Gorgeous ship. Cabin was spotless and perfectly adequate. Only downside was the lack of food choices for vegans. If not for this, would have been a five star rating.

Date of experience : 03 August 2023

Reply from Fredolsencruises

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent cruise - we're delighted that you had such a wonderful time and were so well looked after by our on board teams! We'll pass on your comments regarding vegan dishes to our Hotel Department, and do hope to welcome you back on board again in the not too distant future. Warmest regards, Shona - Marketing.

Fred.Olsen cruise

We reserved in October forvMederaneannCruise with Fred.Olsen in January. We’re pursueded to purchase the drinks package which is a rip off,with poor wine,poor gin etc unlike a P & O cruise deal When on board found that passengers in adjoining cabins had paid more than £1k less than ourselves with drinks package!! Absolute rip,off.Of coursecFred.Olsen does not want to know or compensate

Date of experience : 17 January 2023

The Cruise that wasn't Balmoral 30/10/23

Like a previous reviewer we where on the Fred Olsen Balmoral that left Southampton on the 30th October 23 (as commented the cruise from hell) Firstly we left a complaint on board regarding decisions the crew made.Subsequently we sent a detailed email following their 50% voucher offer,which they acknowledged by email basically informing us that customer services would contact us.We were then contacted by phone but were given no answers to the points we had raised.We are being completely stonewalled by customer services they just seem to be reading off a crib sheet,there is absolutely no transparency as to what really happened on this cruise.As i had reached an impasse i emailed the MD twice and guess what no acknowledgement or reply. Fred Olsen claim we and our customers are a family, really!! Posted by Ed Skinner

Date of experience : 30 October 2023

Good afternoon, thank you for your review - we're sorry that you've not heard back from the team as yet, so please could you email us at [email protected] with your booking reference and the above comments you have made, so we can ask our Guest Relations team to look into this as a matter of urgency? Warm regards - Shona, Marketing.

Another wonderful cruise

We have just returned from another wonderful holiday courtesy of Fred Olsen. Everything was perfect from start to finish. The enhancement lectures were extremely informative and interesting, the food was excellent, but the best thing about this trip was the lovely crew who couldn't do enough for us. Looking forward to our next trip!

Date of experience : 03 October 2023

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer us a review of your recent cruise - we're so pleased to read that you had such a lovely time on board and that our wonderful on board team looked after you so well, and that you enjoyed the Signature Experiences too. We can't wait to see you on board again, warmest regards - Shona, Marketing

Dire - gastro enteritis, poor cabin quality, awful entertainment

Outbreak of gastro enteritis from previous cruise continued for whole of our cruise, so lots of restrictions eg no access to public toilets, lack of self service in Palm Cafe etc. However, our balcony cabin was also in poor state of repair which at £700 per night was appalling. The entertainment was dire and we only went to the Neptune Lounge twice during our 10 day holiday. We enjoyed the shore excursions we went on but very expensive now. We felt totally ripped off for what we paid. Complained to Customer Services on our return but only got £500 compensation. Not good enough. We had a lovely trip with them from Rosyth to Norway a few years ago but they've not only gone downhill since then but, in terms of value for money, they are extortionate.

Date of experience : 22 June 2023

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, and we're sorry that you felt certain aspects were not as you'd hoped, but can see that you've been in correspondence with our Customer Relations team. We do hope that you'll choose to cruise with us again in the future, perhaps on one of our other ships. Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Lovely 5 night cruise on Bolette to…

Lovely 5 night cruise on Bolette to Amsterdam and Antwerp. Food was outstanding and enjoyed by all members of our party (8 in total ranging from 9-72). Service was a slow in the bars on occasion, but was always with a smile :) Captain kept everyone well informed when bad weather delayed our arrival to Antwerp, and the destination team did a great job to rearrange all tours at short notice. Can’t wait to try a longer cruise!

Date of experience : 21 October 2022

Good evening, Thank you for taking the time to leave such an informative review. We're delighted that you and your party had such an enjoyable cruise on board Bolette. And thank you for the feedback, we will be sure to pass this on to the relevant team on board. We do hope to welcome you back on board again in the near future for a longer cruise. Warmest regards, Victoria - Marketing.

Terrible cruise line, brilliant business model.

I have just understood the Fred Olsen business model. You offer cruises, take full payment, cancel the cruise and then hang onto peoples' money for months. Our cruise on Borealis has been cancelled at the last moment, leaving us out of pocket on incidental expenses and waiting months for a refund. I've given them two stars because their staff are very pleasant even if their way of doing business stinks.

Date of experience : 16 July 2021

Never again!Just returned from a nightmare trip on…

Just returned from a nightmare trip on the Borealis. We should have been going to The Azores but the ship turned round after 3 days and headed back to France, Holland and Belgium! Apparently the crew knew 2 days before we sailed that we couldn't get to The Azores because of issues with the engine and the stabilisers so why not give us the option to visit 3 cold and wet European countries or cancel? The captain made a quick announcement when we were basically trapped. Worse holiday ever.

Date of experience : 28 October 2022

Good morning, We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your recent cruise, but do hope you can appreciate that our guests and crew's safety is our utmost priority. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss this further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Not for kids. Poor service

Very slow service in bars. On average 15mins after ordering in bars to get a drink. Inside cabins poor room service. Definitely, a service difference between cabins and not treated the same. Have to pay 3.oo for a small bottle of water in cabin every day. Cabin water not drinkable.... The staff, particularly dances too over familiar with my daughters so I will be making a formal complaint. We spent the last night in the cabin so we couldn't be bothered by them. There's friendly and OTT. First cruise. Never again. Kindly, Deborah mclintic

Date of experience : 27 August 2023

Thank you for your feedback following your recent cruise - we're sorry that you felt certain aspects were not as you were expecting. We understand that you had discussions with our Guest Services team on board regarding your cabin; but our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your other concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Kind regards - Shona, Marketing

Total disappoinment.

Booked a cruise next January to Buenos Aires, South America on the Bolette at a very reasonable price of 3,500 plus air fare. They emailed 4 weeks ago cancelling this voyage and offered a full deposit refund and an alternative cruise around the Caribbean, albeit at 3x the price. It smacks of sharp practice as there were still 7 months to go but means the prices can be arbitrarily and unreasonably increased. I will never sail with Fred Olsen after this wretched behaviour.

Date of experience : 09 June 2021

Great first cruise experience.

Our first ever cruise holiday with Fred Oslen and loved every minute. We did a 5 night cruise to Amsterdam and Anthwerp with our 4 year old son. Service was amazing and as our son was the only little one on board staff always mad a fuss of him which he loved. Great facilities. Loved our time in Amsterdam and will be definitely looking to book an extended break there. Overall very impressed with Fred Oslen and would recommend to others. Sailed from Newcastle and would definitely do again.

Date of experience : 28 April 2023

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent cruise - we're delighted that you had such a wonderful time and were so well looked after by our superb on board team; they love to see children on board and make a fuss of them! We do hope to welcome you back on board again in the not too distant future. Warmest regards, Shona - Marketing.

Bolette Canary Islands 6th - 20th December

The cruise itinerary included La Gomera and Lisbon. (Lisbon was the main reason we booked.) The ship did not go to either of these places and instead went to Gexto, Bilbao which (national holiday) was shut. The redirection was owing to bad weather, not COVID. With better planning we could have called in on Lisbon on the way back. We have written to Fred Olsen asking for a cruise credit to use on another Olsen cruise. Will update with their response.

Date of experience : 27 December 2021

Thank you for your feedback following your recent cruise on board Bolette. Unfortunately due to Covid situations are changing rapidly, and last minute port changes on occasions do have to happen, which is not something we take lightly as we know how much our guests are looking forward to cruising to particular destinations. As you mentioned in your review you have already written to our Customer Relations Team, they will be in touch with a response. We do hope that you'll cruise with us again in the not too distant future. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

Bodette Norwegian fjord cruise

It's our first cruise and all I can say is what a fabulous time we've had. It was our 30th wedding anniversary and we arrived to fresh flowers in our room a card,gift and a special cake at dinner. The staff were all so lovely and friendly especially Nat cabin steward Jim in the lounge and the lovely jamil our waiter at night. Food was so good and varied and the entertainment was of a west end standard especially the musicals night. Would definitely recommend

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent cruise - we're so pleased that you had such a wonderful time and were so well looked after by our superb on board team. We do hope to welcome you back on board again in the future, and happy anniversary to you both! Warmest regards, Shona - Marketing.

TRAVELLER PASSED AWAY, DEPOSIT BEING WITHHELD

Group booking made, 1 traveller passed away, FOCL retaining £450 deposit after being sent the death certificate. The remaining passengers are still yet to travel. What disgusting poor taste! If this is not refunded ASAP, I will be going to Rip off Britain! Sort it out!

Date of experience : 23 August 2022

Good afternoon, We are very sorry to read the above and would like to look into this further. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Victoria, Marketing.

A disappointing 'Escape to the Canaries'

What has gone wrong since Covid ? F. O. known for its enjoyable dining experience. We were looking forward to it again only to be very disappointed. The Sunday roast was awful ! Then we had steak which was truly superb ! followed, a couple of nights later by an inedible steak, I couldn't cut it. Every night became a roll of the dice..(Good or Bad ???) The waiting staff were very good however, particularly Thaweep, who went the extra mile, always. Our cabin steward, Ritchie, was also very good, nothing too much trouble, spotlessly clean. All the crew were very pleasant, it's a shame the restaurant experience was so poor. We heard many other passengers complaining as well . Please Fred, address this major problem, it wasn't a cheap holiday and there is plenty of choice out there.

Date of experience : 24 March 2023

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best food service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Persecuted and victimised

After five days onboard Bolette with many more to come, I made a passing comment to my table about a couple leaving dinner early, this was all I said. The couple went to the Maitre d to raise their concerns about me. He in turn came over to me to discuss what he called a sensitive issue. It appears you can’t even make a passing comment about anything. After further meetings with the Maitre d and the catering manager who put his arm around me, which made me feel uncomfortable and was very unprofessional. It has shaken my confidence, I feel scared to open my mouth and frightened to leave the cabin, I have had 4 meetings trying to resolve this issue but was threatened with the possibility of Security and the Captain. I feel I have been victimised and persecuted This is all following a blocked toilet, electrical socket failure, noisy air conditioning and a dangerously heavy balcony door. I have Cruise for numerous years, and never in my life, experienced anything like this

Date of experience : 06 December 2023

Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent cruise. We're sorry to read that you experienced some concerning issues, and would like to discuss these further with you. Please could you email our Guest Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, and also a copy of your comments above, so that the team can look into this for you? Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Brilliant Bolette

Just returned from a 7 day cruise on MS Bolette to Northern Spain. It was my very first cruise and all I can say is…WOW. From arriving in Southampton and meeting the ship, to disembarkation 7 days later…everything was, in my opinion, fabulous. Organisation = big tick, cleanliness = tick, choice of restaurants and food = tick, politeness of staff, excellent. Our cabin (3404) was always spotlessly clean. Thank you. The entertainment was varied, so there was something for everyone over the course of the week. Sammie and her team worked so very hard. Well done and thank you. Bloomsbury restaurant…every evening was fabulous. Food was varied and interesting. Super efficient service. Waiters….Ricky and Kevin…were an absolute delight and brilliant all week. Thank you to you both from Table 133…extra wine and two puddings…! :) So, all up…an excellent week, highly recommended and we will be going again. Thank you MS Bolette.

Date of experience : 13 November 2023

Good morning. Thank you so much for taking the time to offer us a review of your recent cruise - we're so pleased to read that you had such a lovely time on board and that our wonderful on board team looked after you so well. I have today passed your kind words over to the team on Bolette so they can see how their hard work has given you such enjoyment. We can't wait to see you on board again, warmest regards - Shona, Marketing

I wanted to say my/our experience on…

I wanted to say my/our experience on the Bollette was incredible. The staff were friendly helpful and courteous. There was a really lovely Sunday service. The captain was sociable informative and very appreciative of his crew PLUS he made himself available to the passengers. The ports (UK cruise) were well thought out. The evening entertainment was London West End quality and highly professional and the food and cabins were first class. Would highly recommend this cruise line. Sue Clipsham

Date of experience : 14 August 2022

Good morning, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent Bolette cruise. It is fantastic to read how much you enjoyed your recent stay with us and I will pass your kind words onto the team on board. We hope to welcome you back on board in the near future. Warm regards, Victoria - Marketing

Disappointing

Whether the Balmoral was short of staff, service in the Palm Restaurant was very poor. Frequently, empty food containers were not replaced. On one occasion a lady was violently ill and it took nearly 20 minutes for vomit to be cleared. The shows, apart from the pianist, the magician and Aviva were very poor. Most disappointing was the cancellation of the visit to La Gomera on the basis that there was no tug at the harbour. The wind had been forecast at 20 mph and reports on the day confirmed that strength. We had had to reduce speed to 10 knots on the way due to bad weather but by missing out La Gomera, we were able to resume our time schedule even making a non-scheduled stop at Gran Canaria. Coincidence? Few fellow passengers thought the cruise was up to previous experiences with Fred Olsen.

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Bolette - What a wonderful experience

Enjoyed Bolette on a short cruise to Amsterdam & Antwerp. From booking to disembarking the cruise ship it was a flawless experience. Being a small ship she was easy to get around. Had some amazing food in all the restaurants. My husband suggested we try Colours & Tastes, speciality Asian fusion restaurant one evening for an extra special treat, it was sensational. Entertainment was great, the Olsen awards was my favourite show, songs from the west end shows, I loved it. All staff were lovely and worked really hard, especially the waiters and bar staff, they got to know my favourite drink within the first night, and nothing was too much trouble. I shall be booking again.

Date of experience : 26 October 2022

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Looking forward to our next cruise already...

We had a lovely break to Amsterdam and Antwerp on Bolette. The ports of call are great, lots to do for all ages. We were very lucky with the weather. The ship was nice, the staff are amazing, they always greet you with a smile, and nothing is ever too much. The captain on this cruise is brilliant and keeps everyone well informed. We can not wait to return.

Date of experience : 21 October 2022

Reply from Fredolsencruises

Good evening and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review of your recent cruise with us. We're delighted that you had an enjoyable cruise on board Bolette. We look forward to welcoming you back on board again. Warmest regards, Victoria - Marketing.

In Search Of the Northern LightsWe have this week returned from our…

We have this week returned from our cruise to Northern Norway,In Search of the Northern Lights. I feel I would like to comment on a review which I have just read about the same cruise. We loved the cruise, loved Bolette and found all crew members courteous ,friendly and helpful. The embarkation port WAS changed from Tilbury to Southampton but we were very happy as we live near Portsmouth.You can’t please everybody all of the time. Yes, one port visit was cancelled due to bad weather but this was explained fully on several occasions by Captain Jozo who is after all responsible for the safety of all passengers and crew. Yes, on the last day at sea ,I developed Covid so had to be isolated for 24 hours. I don’t think this is any way the fault of Fred Olsen but simply a reflection of the number of people on board and the virulence of the virus in the population. I felt that all staff treated me professionally and courteously and although I missed out on my last day,I was supplied with everything I needed. We loved our time on Bolette and our exploring of Norway and look forward to our next time.

Date of experience : 23 February 2023

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer feedback on your recent cruise aboard Bolette - we're delighted that you had such a wonderful time, although are sorry that you developed Covid and do hope that you're on the mend now. Captain Jozo really does put his all into ensuring guests are kept safe, but also offering a comfortable cruise experience in poor sea conditions, and we do hope that the diversion into the fjords to see the Furebergsfossen Waterfall was enjoyable for you. We hope to welcome you back on board in the not too distant future. Warm regards - Shona, Marketing.

Was it worth it !

I have just come back last week from 14days at sea to Norway. Hadn’t been with Fred Olsen before , so no preconceived ideas of what to or not to expect .have cruised before with other company , and found it was all excellent .but maybe because of my age fought the cabin difficult to get into when your pushing a mobility Walker ! The step into bathroom and toilet were to low for , causing difficulty. The cabin was in a good location , but all the lounges just were altogether , and as it was cold in Norway , and we didn’t get off the ship , limited ! No info over tannoy about what activities u could go to , (in the daily paper) but not repeated over tannoy , the shows I never went to as partner didn’t want to , but they weren’t put on the tv to watch either .masks everywhere distancing from other guests , ( could understand that) but food almost cold on Arival at dinner in evening and not much better in buffet.. the staff were very attentive, but always hovering for u to request a drink , which I fouled annoying ! The choice of holiday was my partners ,but I did enjoy being waited on for the duration , but not much else .

Date of experience : 12 April 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your cruise experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams ashore and aboard work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Disgraceful way to treat customers

I have returned recently from a Fred Olsen UK cruise. Food and entertainment were good and I can't praise the staff who were looking after us enough. BUT, the way passengers were treated on disembarkation day was an absolute disgrace. Until the day before disembarkation were informed that we must have left our cabins by 8am and that breakfast would be available between 5 and 7am. However, at 6am instructions were already being given to disembark and by 6.20am we were being told leave the ship. Added to this we had come into a different terminal at Southampton to the one we had left from so had to get shuttle buses back to our original terminal where our cars were parked. Once there we were just abandoned with no luggage trolleys or porters as they were required for another ship that had arrived and because the terminal had not been notified of our arrival. It was a disgusting way for Fred Olsen to treat its' customers who were mostly in the 65-90 age group, many of whom were unable to lift heavy luggage. It felt as though once the cruise had come to an end, they couldn't care less about us. I will not be travelling with Fred Olsen again.

Date of experience : 23 September 2022

Good morning. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your disembarkation experience on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Congratulations Fred

Congratulations Fred! You refunded me with my 3 previously cancelled cruises £3800+ within 3 weeks of my request. This is one week over the prescribed period, but given the COVID hassles this is excellent.

Date of experience : 24 June 2021

Fred Olson cancelled our (no landing )

Fred Olson cancelled our (no landing ) cruise to Norway waters from Rosyth a few weeks after we booked. They tried to blame covid even though nothing had changed since booking. We are now told to fill in a claim form and wait 8 weeks for return of our money.!!. Why should they be allowed to keep our cash when the fault was entirely theirs ?.

Date of experience : 26 May 2021

Don’t do it!!

Don’t do it!!! I have been waiting for 5 and a half hours in my car to get on board. When asked why I have paid nearly 1000 euros for a room for two nights as the first one has been in my car they suddenly don’t speak English. When I ask how long it’s going to take they suddenly do speak English… upto another 6 hours, just wait and see! I’m not even near the boat yet and I’m disgusted already.

Date of experience : 02 April 2022

Hi there Steven, thanks for your review - however, we think you may be referring to the ferry service in the Canary Islands? If so, please can we suggest you visit www.fredolsen.es, as they are a separate company to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines? Kind regards, F. OCL

Poor service from Fred Olsen

Have just returned from 12 night cruise on Bolette to north of Norway. Booked this cruise as it was to visit 6 ports with less sea days which is what we wanted. It was also due to depart from Tilbury which was relatively easy for us to travel to. Fred Olsen then changed the departure port to Southampton which meant a longer distance for us and meant we would have to incur an overnight stay. Two days after we paid final balance we received a letter telling us that itinerary changed and two ports had been cancelled. We contacted Fred Olsen as we were not happy about this as we felt these were significant changes to the cruise we had booked. Fred Olsen were disinterested to say the least and were not prepared to offer us compensation of any sort. All they said was ‘cancel if you not happy or change to another cruise. Neither of these were an option for us so we felt we would have to go ahead. Whilst talking to another couple on the cruise we discovered they had also complained and received £250 on board spend and also had a cabin upgrade to three floors above. This was our first ever cruise and we have not been impressed with Fred Olsen as we did not receive the cruise we actually paid for and another port was cancelled whilst we were on the cruise with no communication and explanations.

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your recent cruise on board Bolette. We're sorry that you felt certain aspects were not as you'd hoped - unfortunately, the change from Tilbury to Southampton had to be made for operational reasons, and wasn't a decision that was taken lightly by our teams - as was the same with the change to the itinerary. The port that was cancelled when on board was fully explained to guests by Captain Jozo, as there was a very poor weather system heading towards Norway, which would have meant an uncomfortable cruise for all guests on board - he explained this on the evening of leaving Tromso and then also held a presentation in the Neptune Lounge to fully explain the reasons behind it. Our guests safety and comfort are our utmost priority and to sail into the weather system would have been unwise; but we do hope that the diversion into Hardangerfjord and seeing the Furebergfossen Waterfall was enjoyable, and we also hope to see you again in the future. Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

I’m totally shattered my cruise has…

I’m totally shattered my cruise has been cancelled again this time with 4 days notice. I should be heading to France on Monday my cruise has been cancelled now 4 times. I was understanding re first two cancellations as it was due to covid. The cancellation of my July Fjord cruise earlier this year the reason given you were going down to three ships. Now you’ve cancelled this one but reading some of the earlier reviews it seems like balmoral has had a few problems for a while maybe these should have been dealt with. As a solo passenger I was paying a very high price for my solo cabin. I think almost double that of a couple on similar grade of cabin according to someone going on same cruise. I don’t eat double the amount of food etc so why such a raw deal for a single passenger in a single cabin . If you were an airline you would have to pay compensation for a late cancellation. This was to be my first cruise and all you’ve given me instead of holiday memories is stress and a headache. I know things can be out with your control but you cannot treat customers so poorly. Without us your company will not succeed.

Date of experience : 26 August 2022

Good afternoon, I am very sorry that we have had to cancel your cruise. We know our guests will have been really looking forward to cruising with us, and we would still love to be able to welcome you on board our fleet. I hope you are in receipt of correspondence already from us offering options available to you, if this is not the case please email [email protected] and I will look into this for you. We are very sorry for any disappointment this has caused, please be assured that our teams worked around the clock to explore any other options available, but we have no option but to cancel your cruise. We do hope you decide to cruise with us in the future. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

Sailed from Newcastle to Norway on…

Sailed from Newcastle to Norway on Balmoral; in bad weather public areas were over crowded like a cross Chanel ferry. Dinning was disappointing as tables for 2 were very rare. Suite developed an annoying intermittent rattle at night when at sea so 3 out 7 nights disturbed sleep. Customer Services/ Maintenance on board ineffectual. Two out three shore excursions were the worst we have experienced in many years of cruising eg. Insufficient time at the destination or poorly/ inaccurately described tour. Other issues ensured we were glad to get of the ship. Pre/post discussions with shore based Customer Service ineffective and inaccurate. Detailed description of our experience requested by Customer Service was promptly sent and deleted by them; the claim it was accidental. After months of no response I contacted Customer Services and resent the information. The Balmoral rep said SORRY more times than I can remember in any conversation I have ever had then offered a dismal discount off a further cruise. I think the subtext was ‘ DON’T cruise with us ‘ - we get it! Why would we want to torment ourselves again?

Date of experience : 15 June 2022

Good morning, we're sorry to read that you didn't have the experience you were hoping for on your Balmoral cruise to Norway, but do hope that you've since been in discussions with our Customer Relations team. Kind regards, Shona - Marketing

Not paying refunds when Fred Olsen cancelled the cruise

The Xmas 2023 cruise M2331 was cancelled by Fred Olsen in November ,confirmatory letters on 2nd and 9th of December ,we were offered an alternative cruise ,when we are already away .We phoned Fred Olsen to state that a refund was required as indeed had been offered .They refused to deal with us ,despite this cruise being booked on board their ship and paying the deposit directly to them .As evidenced by my statement .The booking was transferred to ROL ,my usual Agent for cruises . However according to ROL ,they are unable to refund the £2,700 ish deposit as they correctly state they did not have it .ROL have failed to reply to the 9 phone calls ,also umpteen emails sent to both of them .So the advice is NEVER pay a deposit on board a ship . In conclusion Fred Olsen refuse to deal with us ,they are not dealing with the Agent ,poor things and they are illegally retaining monies . As per the reply from Fred Olsen customer relations , to this review . I am advised to email Fred Olsen , this has been done umpteen times , as per the phone calls , I am simply told they will not deal with me , so another round of pointless prevarication . But no actual action regards the return of the deposit .

Date of experience : 02 December 2022

Good morning, thank you for your review - we're sorry that you've experienced some confusion with your cancelled booking. Your contract is indeed with ROL in the first instance, who should then deal with us at Fred. Olsen on your behalf. Our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you, and they can help advise on the next steps? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

We are booked to go to Spitzbergen in…

We are booked to go to Spitzbergen in June, decided having read reviews that we are not willing to risk covid and being confined to our cabin on a 15 day cruise. Thought we were covered by Fred's promise- you can move your deposit to any other cruise within 12 months of your original sailing- no transfer fees. Tried to move this yesterday to a 7 day round Scotland cruise 2023 only to be told that we could only move it if we booked a cabin at around £4000. I was told that any move had to be at least 75% of the original cruise. I declined , complained that this did not match their plain sailing guarantee and was told it was in the terms and conditions. I read these and they said "the applicable terms and conditions may be different from those that applied at the time of the original booking" Surely this is sharp practice and not at all clear as everything is subject to change by F.O. I will cancel this cruise and F.O. have just lost a customer. I have a cruise booked for 2023 but I will think carefully before paying the balance.

Date of experience : 06 March 2022

Good morning Christine, Could I please kindly ask that you message me directly at [email protected] with your booking reference and I will look into this further for you. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

We were due to go the fjords Norway…

We were due to go the fjords Norway 17th April the cruise was cancelled which was fine and made sense obviously. We were told we would get a refund in 2 weeks then it was 4 weeks .now we understand we have to wait 8 weeks from the sailing date is that the way fred Olsen looks after its customers

Date of experience : 18 April 2020

Devoid of compassion or decency

We booked a cruise in March for July. This was then moved to September (leaving on 28 August). Had the cruise gone as scheduled, I expect we would have had a lovely time. Had the holiday been the one we booked As it was, my husband’s cancer suddenly started to impact on what he could do, and we had to cancel. So, not for a trivial, exaggerated or spurious reason. We did debate risking it and going, since the cruise was wholly UK destinations, but decided it was a selfish thing to do, given that it could impact on our fellow passengers and the crew, should he need sudden emergency treatment. As it was, he did indeed need to go to hospital for a few days that fortnight. As a “gesture of goodwill” and as something they “do not have to do”, they offered us £150. For a cruise that cost a little under £12,000. The offer was made in an irritable, defensive letter saying they don’t have to (and won’t) refund us a penny. My husband died 10 days ago. Presumably they would concede that we weren't trying to wriggle out of going. Everyone I've told about this say they will never book a cruise with them - and that they will in turn warn others. Utterly shameful

Date of experience : 18 November 2021

Modern Day Pirates or Luxury cruise Liner?

My Father has passed during the coronavirus pandemic & Fred Olsen refused to refund the deposit on my parents cruise. This despite them being gold members & the government cancelling anyway. You choose

Date of experience : 08 May 2020

NO RESPONSE!

NO RESPONSE!! DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY AND TIME WITH THIS COMPANY! THEY DONT CARE IF YOU HAD A GOOD HOLIDAY OR RECEIVED WHAT YOU PAID FOR!!!! After my review they stated how sorry they are and tell you to contact them again, so I did but a week later still no response!!!!!

Date of experience : 07 August 2023

One third of ports cancelled

And the end of the cruise. The good: staff are friendly, warm and as helpful as they can be given limitations I expect are set by the powers that be. Food in the main restaurant good. The bad: ship is in need of some TLC, filthy windows, what’s the point of an observation lounge if you cannot see out? Last refurbished 7 years ago I believe and the cabins look it. Cabin walls so thin you can hear your neighbours every movement, snoring, alarm, tv and word. Billed for things you haven’t purchased and then hours and hours to resolve. Promises of help than never materialise. Customer services are the weak link on the ship. Delivery of cocktails slow, 15 to 20 min with no set recipe it would appear, a strawberry daiquiri is served in the same style of glass everywhere but with differing amounts of ingredients and some even missing, now stopped drinking them as it’s seriously hit and miss. Buffet lounge fails to offer hot drinks or even water to tables close to the buffet but all outside tables getting served. Food can be lukewarm… The ugly: baked beans, heaven only knows where they come from, the sauce is like water, the beans anaemic and tasteless. After 3 days they ran out of pineapple juice for room service breakfast, not for cocktails 🤔. After 3 days they gave an important reminder about disembarkation which was another 11 days away… way to spoil a holiday, discuss the end. Pillows are very poor, un supportive and collapse to nothing as soon as your head hits them. Cannot sit up in bed comfortably due to a stupid ridge that sticks out at the top of the “headboard” Two ports cancelled, Bodo we accepted due to wind and rough seas. Stavanger we do not accept as we were approaching calmer seas and better weather. Especially as we were parallel with Stavanger at 9am on the due day and a small change in direction earlier could have made the port possible. So we then had two full days to make Southampton instead of just 15 hours… what are they going to do, sail around the Isle of Wight a few time killing time. In all the captain took 114 hours to get from Bodo to dock in Southampton. Over Four days with nothing but sea, we were not crossing the Atlantic… we ended up going so slow as if he had steamed at full we would/could have made Southampton much earlier, at least a day earlier, possibly two. We lost two of our ports, two out of six… Cruise with FO, we have smaller ships that just appear to skip ports on a whim. I shall never want to come cruising with Fred Olsen again. Cannot change the date of the review but updated on the 1st March. I am then asked to email guest services… I have, guess what, the typical FO response… ignore them, they will go away. CEO email is next.

Date of experience : 21 February 2024

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're sorry to read of your concerns. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Guest Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that they can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Poor Customer Care and no empathy with their customers. MV Balmoral 28/4/23

My wife had passed away in March this year, I had spoken directly to Fred Olsen to advise that my wife had died and would not be traveling and they said that I had to tell the travel agent who would advise Fred Olsen. This happened but the message had not been received at security and I had to explain to the security officer that my wife had passed away. I then went up to check in and had to explain to the check-in clerk had passed away and that I was traveling on my own. From there I made my way to my cabin and had to explain to the cabin attendant that my wife had passed away and I was traveling on my own. In the evening I went to dinner and found that I was on a table for 4 people, laid up for 2 people and I was on my own. All of this within the space of 6 hours. I have no confidence that Fred. Olsen has any customer care or empathy for people in my circumstance traveling on their own. What an awful way to experience cruising on your own for the first time... This makes me wonder how your company keeps in business.

Date of experience : 28 April 2023

Good morning, we're so very sorry to read this, and please do accept our deepest sympathies on the loss of your wife. Could you please email us at [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? If you could please also add a copy of the above, we'd appreciate it, in case it's not me that sees it to then discuss with our Customer Relations team. Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

South America and Antarctica 2023

Similar to another reviewer, we too have booked the 78 night trip to South America and Antarctic. We too have since discovered that the price has reduced by £1200. This is seven months before sailing. We were encouraged to book September 2021 as places were sure to sell out. I don’t think so…. We contacted Fred who told us the same,that there are benefits to booking early such as cabin choice, restaurant choice etc… Luckily we did not book the drinks package as earlier reviewer. Another thing we didn’t realise is we will not have time to visit Buenos Aires as we want to visit Igazuz Falls. I assumed the trips would fall either side of a sea day, wrong. Prices for the trips have greatly and I mean greatly, increased from what I was told of previous tours when I questioned them before booking the cruise last year. I have also questioned this last week and was told it’s itinerary changes due to covid? We could not have the difference refunded,but did have a £150 each onboard spend added. We have travelled with Fred many times in the past but this treatment is making us question the trip, and maybe calling it off and losing our deposit too. Just a follow on to my review for Fred Olsen. I have not as of yet cancelled our booking as you appear to misunderstand. I have forwarded the information you requested last week, but as of yet I still await your reply.

Date of experience : 16 July 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your cruise booking cancellation experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Cruise ok....Food terrible

just been on iceland cruise on the Borealis, the ship is fine,as it has been refurbished. Saff great. The food terrible,main resturant menue not much to choose from,one section of menue you could choose from was the same every night,two guest at our table only had one night with us in the resturant,they preferd to eat upstairs as there was more choice. Shore excursions expensive,( then it is Iceland).one trip they did not need to charge for was the town with the rainbow walk and church,as the ship docks at the side of this town,£69 just for a guide to walk round with you. This was our first cruise with Fred Olson , would we go again with them ?,the food would have to be 100% better,THIS WAS A BIG LETDOWN.

Date of experience : 05 September 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your food experience on your recent cruise. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

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Fredolsencruises   Reviews

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Awful customer service

We'd never been on a cruise before so decided to book one with Fred Olsen. To be honest the experience of dealing with them has put me off cruises for life! They cancelled our trip to Norway, then offered us alternatives that were sailing from locations hundreds of miles away from where we lived. They offered no compensation for the cancellation and when we enquired about alternatives sailing from where we lived we were told we had to pay extra, the person on the phone was really rude and condescending. We asked for a refund and was told it would take 4 weeks to arrive, even though they have had our money for months. Awful experience, never again.

Date of experience : February 08, 2022

Reply from Fredolsencruises

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

We have recently returned home from an…

We have recently returned home from an amazing cruise on board Bolette from Dover - we visited Amsterdam and Antwerp and our party or 6 (aged 9 to 72) thoroughly enjoyed every minute! The food was outstanding - especially the Asian restaurant Colours & Tastes - highly recommend this at such a low charge. The crew really were so helpful and friendly - always always smiling :) The entertainment was outstanding especially the shows by the showteam on board Bolette. We will absolutely return again - already looking at another cruise for 2023.

Date of experience : November 04, 2022

Good evening and thank you so much for such a wonderful review. We're delighted that you and your family had such an enjoyable cruise on board Bolette. We hope to welcome you back on board again in the near future. Warmest regards, Victoria - Marketing.

Cruise to no where terrible custoner service

We were also on the " Fleet in Funchal" cruise which was absolutely awful, the ship " Balmoral" was not fit for purpose with a known faulty engine before we sailed and subsequently after trying to outrun a storm it did not acheive it's objectives as five ports of call were cancelled. I have emailed guest relations three times with detailed complaints and would agree with previous reviewers comments asking why this " caring family" company is choosing to not respond? I read with interest the results of the Cruise awards for 2023 and noted that Fred Olsen did not win any awards this year? I think it would make an improvement if guest relations were to respond to customers emails and try to offer solutions to guest problems rather than ignoring them.

Date of experience : October 30, 2023

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave a review - we're sorry that you've not heard back from the team as yet, so please could you email us at [email protected] with your booking reference and the above comments you have made, so we can ask our Guest Relations team to look into this as a matter of urgency? Warm regards - Shona, Marketing.

Fred Olsen Nov 2021 Cruise - Deposit lost

Very disappointed with Fred Olsen Their current policy with the pandemic is that if you book a 2021 cruise, they offer a no quibble refund. We had booked in September 2020 apparently shortly before they offered this deposit guarantee. They have refused to refund the deposit for the November 21 trip which we were obliged to cancel following the tragic death of one of the passengers. With retrospect, early booking has penalised us, and loyalty as Gold members counts for nothing. Thanks Fred Olsen cruise lines!

Date of experience : February 09, 2021

UNJUSTIFIED SLOW PAYMENT OF REFUND

Fred Olsen cancelled their entire river cruise programme on 7 Dec 2020. I am still waiting for he return of the deposit I have paid for a cruise in May 2021. This is not a covid situation. The company took a commercial decision to change their business and should have made an immediate refund. If say I pay a deposit on ordering a settee from a furniture company and they stop making settees any reputable company would refund the deposit immediately. It makes me worried about the financial status of Fred Olsen

Date of experience : January 31, 2021

My first ever cruise and never again…

My first ever cruise and never again with this company! The maids and waiters very friendly but blue collar staff very much giving the impression of going through the motions. Don't buy the wi fi package, I did and it worked infrequently and most of the time you needed to stand by reception to get any connection , it certainly doesn't work on the cabins. The dining rooms are terrible atrocious service, slow and tardy and cold food.the better option is the buffet which at least is hot. Take your own coffee on board as the alleged coffee on board is quite terrible All in all my nine nights are a nightmare from hell, with the only good thing being the calls into port.

Date of experience : March 19, 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your cruise experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams ashore and aboard work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Could not fault the cruise line

Could not fault the cruise line. City break to the Netherlands and Belgium. The room was perfect. So spacious, and was kept spotless everyday by the cabin crew. Crew were lovely and constantly spoke to us when they saw us and asked if we were okay and having a nice time. The fault you could not fault. Or the dining experience. Very welcoming all round and the food always tasted amazing. Staff were very helpful at different ports. Entertainment was good on board. Ship was immaculate. Highly recommend their cruises.

Date of experience : March 14, 2020

Our first cruise with Fred Olsen in Aug…

Our first cruise with Fred Olsen in Aug 2023. Even tho we read some negative reviews we can only tell you About our experience. The food was excellent in all restaurants we dined in. They took the time and trouble to arrange a meeting between those with dietary issues and the chef. At no time did they fall short of offering good quality food options. The staff were excellent. They couldn't do enough for us. We have sailed with Cunard, RCL, NCL, P&O and time and time again they proved they were as good as any of them. The entertainment team were talented, enthusiastic and friendly and the shows were very good. Family Affair was the resident band who created a real party atmosphere as we sailed out of Stavanger passing one of the Celebrity ships. All the Celebrity passengers came out to see us all singing and dancing. This ship definitely has a family feel and that is why 60% of the passengers were returning cruisers.

Date of experience : August 16, 2023

Good morning - thank you so much for taking the time to offer us feedback on your recent cruise. We're so pleased that you had such a wonderful cruise, and that it was all you'd hoped it would be. We'll be sure to pass your comments to the various teams here at Fred. Olsen, and do hope to welcome you back on board again in the not too distant future. Warmest regards, Shona - Marketing

Just returned from our first ever…

Just returned from our first ever cruise, we picked the short 5 night Norwegian Fjords and were not disappointed with the whole experience. We originally booked 3 years ago but because of Covid it was cancelled twice. It would have been easy to take the full refund but we stuck with it and were glad we did. The whole experience from booking to disembarkation was flawless. Unlike an airport check in there was no stress and the whole procedure flowed effortless. Not once throughout this cruising experience were we made to feel like a number. Food was excellent with my wife's food allergy taken care off, without a loss in choice of selection. Drinks prices on board were comparable to onshore pubs and cafes and not a rip off. We are saving for the next one which will be a longer cruise. Dont be afraid to try it out.

Date of experience : August 05, 2022

Good afternoon, This is fantastic to read and thank you for taking the time to review your cruise. I have passed your comments on to all the Team. We very much look forward to welcoming you back on board with us in the not too distant future. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

Scottish Isles 19 July

Scottish Isles 19 July Excellent food and plenty of choice in buffet restaurant. Staff friendly and welcoming as usual. Entertainment excellent and entertainment team brilliant. Disgusted at docking in industrial docks in Belfast and charging £10pp to take us into Belfast, people boarding in Belfast found it and insult and did not give a good impression for any first time visitors, this needs to be reviewed as we were supposed to be in Belfast not a scrapyard outside Belfast.

Date of experience : July 28, 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback following your recent cruise - we're delighted that you had such an enjoyable time on board, and thank you for your kind words. We're sorry that you found the charge for getting into Belfast wasn't as you'd anticipated - unfortunately, we are often at the mercy of the port authorities and are unable to select a dock which would have meant no necessity for the shuttle bus. We do hope to welcome you on board again in the not too distant future. Warm regards, Shona - Marketing

We were embarking on a cruise in…

We were embarking on a cruise in august. Unfortunately my husband was diagnosed with a brain Tumour and me daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fred Olson refused to transfer our trip to another date. No compassion whatsoever.

Date of experience : July 13, 2023

Good morning, we're sorry to read this about your husband and daughter. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Treated like royalty

I’ve just recently returned from my 5 night stay onboard the Bollette and it was excellent in every way. The staff the entertainment, the crew the food was all on point. I’ve cruised on many ships before but will definitely be looking to cruise with Fred Olsen again. We were greeted and treated onboard like royalty.

Date of experience : October 21, 2022

Good evening, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent short break on board Bolette. It is wonderful to hear such lovely feedback regarding our teams on board, I will pass this on for their reference. We do hope to welcome you back on bard with us again in the near future. Warmest regards, Victoria

Lost Credibility after 2 cancellations/ postponements.

My first cruise to Caribbean was booked for 2022, it was then cancelled and they rebooked me for March 2023 (totally different itinerary). Now they have again postponed my cruise to February 2024 and show no itinerary! This is totally disgusting as other cruise companies are offering Caribbean cruises this year! This company has lost my loyalty, trust and any respect. I can’t help wondering if they are in financial difficulty and using our deposits for other purposes! I could NEVER recommend this company to anyone and I feel they have lost their credibility! I’m disgusted with you Fred Olsen!!

Date of experience : March 18, 2022

Good morning. We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Never, Never again. Greedy Company

So, so disappointed with this Company . I needed to cancel a round Britain cruise due to to surgery. I and my friend cancelled 10 days before Fred Olsen cancelled due to the pandemic. Having explained the situation they refused to refund our deposit but said they would hold it for a further 3 months when the new brochure came out. The new brochure came out and guess what they had put a single supplement of over £3,000 on the price. How unfair is that.

Date of experience : April 14, 2021

Christmas and New Year 2022 on The Balmoral

We decided to go on the Balmoral cruise from Portsmouth at the beginning of December and certainly did not regret it . We had a lovely , spacious twin cabin with a picture window on deck 5. The atmosphere onboard was great and there were plenty f interesting talks and to keep us busy o sea days. The evening entertainment was of a very high standard from the Balmoral Show Company The Balmoral Trio and Funky Blue. The entertainment team worked very hard. The food was very good, I requested small portions of the main courses because I enjoyed the starters and soups(especially the chilled ones) Christmas Day there was a Christmas jumper competition and an Officers’ Horse Race ( the Captain won) the first race. The Cocktail evenings were fun with complimentary drinks and canapés. This is definitely how I’d love to spend Christmas and New Year in future . It was well worth the money.The staff are unfailingly polite and helpful.

Date of experience : December 22, 2022

Good morning - thank you so much for your kind words following your recent cruise on board Balmoral. We're delighted that you had such a wonderful time, and that you'd like to join us again over the Christmas again. If we can assist with any queries, please just let us know. Warmest regards - Shona, Marketing.

My cruise was cancelled in June and a…

My cruise was cancelled in June and a refund was promised .On their website it says payments may take up to 8 weeks. An email request for earlier payment was ignored .A further messanger post led to a phone call last week saying 8 weeks was the outer limit for payment .A request for a specific payment date today led to a further phone call where I was informed payment would take up to 12 weeks .

Date of experience : August 17, 2020

Fred Olsen Kicked into the Long Grass

Sad all round for the passengers of Fred Olsen's Borealis which is now stuck in Portsmouth, as their cruise was curtailed. And, in our case cancelled for us at the last minute, whilst waiting in Liverpool for our own cruise. Fred has refused any offer of incidental expenses which we are left with as we travelled from Hampshire and stayed overnight before being told, despite the reports that the problem was apparent well before we travelled. These things happen but its how its put right that counts. As a comparison, when our Celebrity cruise was cancelled a few years ago, the company gave us a full refund AND a free future cruise. Fred has offered a refund OR a new cruise to be taken this year plus an additional 3 nights free. In our case we chose a new cruise only to be told that our category was fully booked and we would be downgraded without a rebate of the fare difference. Thats Fred Olsen kicked into the long grass.

Date of experience : July 18, 2021

Travelling with a friend.

My friend suggested a year ago we book a Fred Olsen Cruise for April 2024. We chose an Azores Cruise and she offered to book. Please note…they will only deal with her..as ‘ lead passenger’. She has to copy and send all communications,,we live in different towns. They refuse to send me copies. I have no receipts for money transferred to them,no booking details, no booklet of shore trips..,unless she copies and sends them to me. Beware! And to make matters worse I am now told that after we booked, they added free drinks package …but not for us ! Some years since I went on cruises with them…not finding them very helpful now.. Update..just had a call from a very pleasant lady at Fred Olsen. We have £200 each onboard spend which didn’t appear on the invoice. And they will mail me a paper copy of the shore trips. So…I am finding them helpful now… at last!

Date of experience : January 19, 2024

Good morning, I'm glad to read that your concerns have been resolved and we look forward to welcoming you on board. Please do just call our friendly Guest Services team or contact us at [email protected] and we'll always do our best to assist you with any concerns you may have. Warm regards - Shona, Marketing.

Lack of response

We were on the cruise White Christmas in Norway which we mostly enjoyed. The staff and service were excellent. In particular, Jessie Otero and Paolo Macailan in the Bloomsbury restaurant were fantastic, as was our cabin stewardess Nongnag. The yoga teacher Jeryn was also excellent, as was the Bridge teacher Janet, who provided extra classes even after she was ill! Unfortunately there was an issue with the excursion experience. We wrote an email and we are still waiting for a response to our emails dated 27 December and 2 January to customer relations, guest services and destination experiences, none of whom has even acknowledged the emails. This has made us re-assess our review above so we cannot give 5*.

Date of experience : December 21, 2022

Good morning, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I have contacted our Guest Relations Team and they should be in touch shortly. We do hope to welcome you on board with us again in the near future. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing Good morning Maria - we're sorry you've not been contacted by the teams here yet. Please can I ask that you email us at [email protected] with details of your concerns and we'll ensure one of the teams responds to you as soon as possble? Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Not for young people. Old ship. Bad entertainment

Do not use Fred Olsen if your are young. All entertainment is catered towards 80s and up. Asian crew work for tips so if you opt out of the £70 gratuity fee you will not receive the same service as other guests. Ships are small compared to other cruise ships and the Black watch, Boudica do not cope well in rough seas

Date of experience : March 24, 2020

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Not great.. Went on the recent cruise to the Orkneys and Shetlands on Balmoral. The Isles were great. The weather was brilliant. The excursion great. The experience on board, not so. We booked this short 5 night cruise to avoid a 'posh dress' night, but Fred Olsen decided to put one on anyway. My Husband didn't bring a jacket, so we could only dine and drink in certain areas of the ship on that night. He had a smart shirt on, but no jacket.. Ridiculous. Our first cabin was awful, so they moved us. Hardly any sleep whilst on board as the cabin walls are so thin. In the bars the bar waitresses/waitors kept trying to take our drinks away before we finished them. Then they kept trying to get us to order more drinks, when we still had two thirds of our drinks. Hardly any space for waiting staff to move in the Spey restaurant, which meant they bumped into us all the time. Cutlery etc. taken away quickly in the buffet restaurant. Coffee awful. Ship needs much updating. To top it all we came home with Covid. Wouldn't recommended.

Date of experience : 21 June 2022

Reply from Fredolsencruises

Good morning. We're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your cruise experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams ashore and aboard work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference and contact details, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

First experience with Fred

We have just come back from a White Christmas cruise on Bolette. This was our first cruise with Fred Olsen so we went with an open mind. Having cruised for many years we are aware of different aspects of cruising. We hadn't any of the pre judged ideas of what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised by the picture window cabin, spacious with plenty of storage space and a walkin shower. Absolutely brilliant, on a moving ship who is going to have a bath!! In my view all cabins should just have a shower, more environmentally friendly. The staff were very friendly and helpful, always went the extra mile. The captain was incredible, he got involved in all the festivities and was always available for a chat. He definitely leads by example. We saw more officers on this cruise than the last one with another company. The officers also took part in the festivities. Our cabin stewardess was excellent. We had turn down service, unheard off onboard some other cruise lines. In my view, the food is a weak link on Fred Oslen. As a vegetarian /vegan there wasn't enough choice and variety. There was no creativity in the dishes at all. These days there is no limit what can be created with plant based food. Menus didn't always provide alternatives e.g veggie sandwiches or paninis at lunch time. No suitable desserts and sandwiches for afternoon tea. In Vasco the specialist restaurant, the food was cold and mediocre. My local Indian does tastier takeaway. Fred Oslen needs to address and improve the quality of special dietary requirements. Get that sorted and then we will definitely cruise with Fred Olsen again.

Date of experience : 21 December 2022

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback following your recent cruise. We're delighted that you had a wonderful Christmas cruise, and that our on board teams offered the best possible experience they could for you. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your food concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Last time with Fred

After 18 cruises with Fred since 2013,we decided to try the‘Bolette’ for a 5 night cruise to Amsterdam and Antwerp.The ship is lovely and although we were only on Deck 1 in a outside-cabin,it was a fair-size with plenty of hanging-space and drawers.The Theatre was the best l’ve seen on any Fred ship, with two-tiers and well spaced seating and tables for drinks.The Bloomsbury Restaurant was very nice and also had two-tiers with a good choice of food.The View-Buffet was the largest on any Fred ship and also had a great choice of food available.And now for the down-side of Fred.They are not moving with the times and still get to sign for everything while other cruise- lines just swipe your card.Still no free Wi-Fi, and are sticking to set-dining and not open-sitting.The Drinks-package is far too expensive,with a small choice of poor-quality drinks.Also the ship-tours are still very expensive.We had a bad-experience on this cruise when a member of staff came into our cabin twice while my wife was resting to deliver letters,that could have been put under the door,even though my wife had put the double-lock on.We spoke to Guest-Relations about this on the ship, and l have written to Head-Office since we returned home.They have since sent a Gift-Hamper to us,but we won’t be cruising with Fred again.

Date of experience : 21 October 2022

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent cruise - we're so sorry that you experienced an issue regarding your cabin, and do hope that you'll rethink cruising with us again, as our way of cruising may be different to others, but we feel it's unique and makes us stand out in the marketplace. Warm regards - Shona, Marketing

Very dissapointed

We were advised yesterday 13th January that our cruise to the Mediterranean sailing 18th January on Bolette was cancelled. 1, Whilst it is appreciated that you need to keep everyone safe what is extremely irritating is the short notice we are given. We were told 10 days before sailing that Fred Olsen had changed requirements to 3 vaccinations and 5 days before that sailing was cancelled. What happened? 2, This is our second cruise on Fred Olsen to be cancelled and none of the alternatives we were offered is suitable. So, requesting a full refund of all our money for both cruises is our choice. Spent an hour on the phone yesterday with no response and an automatic reply to our e mail has advised refunds can take" 8 weeks or more"!!! This is very poor service as we can do nothing to book another trip until this money is returned to us. 3, We paid out £170 To Eavesway, a service Fred Olsen recommends,to use a bus to Southampton to find we will lose £50 of this because we are cancelling the trip. Why do you not instruct Eavesway as you have done with AB car parking to give us a full refund? 4, What do I do with useless £40 day two lateral flow tests.? Dissapointed does not describe how I feel with Fred Olsen customer service. As it was such short notice,why could you have not rang us when you knew it was cancelled to discuss our booking?

Date of experience : 14 January 2022

Good afternoon. We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible. We’d like to discuss this further with you to help rectify any issues. Could you please email our Customer Relations team at [email protected] with your booking reference and contact email addrses or phone number, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you - Shona, Marketing

Fantastic mini cruise

Just returned from a lovely 5 night cruise. Staff were very attentive in the restaurant and could not do enough for us. Service in the bars was sometimes slow, but again the staff always tried to do their best. Food was excellent, and good choice for a range of ages. Plenty for all to do on board for all ages,

Date of experience : 26 October 2022

Still no refund even though we have sent the email as instructed

Yet again fred olson doesn't disappoint. Having cancelled our cruise we have been told that the refund will take up to a month. What is it with this company. Please read all the reviews and act on what you read. Poor company.

Date of experience : 09 April 2023

Good morning, we're sorry that your refund is taking some time to be returned to you; our teams here have been working hard to ensure any guests requiring refunds receive them as soon as we're able to process them; and of course Easter time meant that the office wasn't open. Please can you send us an email to [email protected] with details of your booking reference and brief information on the cruise cancellation, and we'll pass it over to our Customer Relations team to look into immediately for you. Warm regards - Shona, Marketing 26/04/23 - We're sorry to read that this is taken longer to get to you than you'd hoped; our Credit Control team are working hard to get all refunds processed as quickly as they can. If you can please provide us with your booking reference to [email protected], we can check on its status for you. Warm regards, Shona

Dreadful food if you have a dietary requirement

We've just returned from a trip on the Borealis, The staff were amazing and very attentive. The ship appeared clean, though I didn't see any anti virus sprays being used, just area's wiped down with a cloth that would of actually spread the virus. And lots of dust buddies under the beds. However, the beds were super comfy and the pillows, we had lots of hot water. My main issue was the lack of choice of food for us. Vegan's are not well catered for. If you're gluten free you're fine, lots of choice even for breakfast, but nothing special for us except a vegan yoghurt. Dinner was a choice of 1 thing and no choice of a desert or starter, if you didn't like it you were stuck. They did try to make some dishes vegan but it didn't work, For example our peach melba was tinned peaches layered on a plate with a few nuts! On one day the meal was so awful that I had to send all 3 courses back as they were inedible and go and get chips at the supper club which didn't start until 11pm I was very hungry by then. We paid the same for our coffee's as other guests but couldn't have a biscuit as the other guests did they all contained dairy, Even on a paid trip on shore we couldn't have a drink and cake as no provision was made for us. What also surprised me - the vegetables at dinner were always frozen peas, corn and green beans, definitely not what I expected and not what I've experienced with other cruise lines. On the plus side we really enjoyed the scenery and entertainment, especially Sean Saye.

Date of experience : 03 September 2022

Good morning, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent cruise with us. Our guests feedback is important to help us improve our service on board for our future cruises and we are very sorry to read the above regarding your dietary requirements. We would like the opportunity to look into the above review further, so please could I ask you to email [email protected] with your cruise details and a quick review of the above, and a member of our Customer Relations Team will respond as soon as possible? Warm regards, Shona - Marketing

14th Feb 2024

14th - 28th February, Northern Lights. Our first Fred Olsen cruise. We were so disappointed with a number of things 1. The cabin - so dated and tired, dull miserable but was clean and beds comfortable 2. No free bottled water in the room even when you have paid for the drinks package A bottle of water available at a cost of £3 To make tea had to use water machine in corridor 3. Internet available at a cost of £12 per day It was cheaper if bought as a package over the two weeks at £10 per day. 4. No tea or coffee available in the bars even if you have the drinks package or unless you wanted to pay or go to the cafe deck 7 The First 9 days were great. Used the pool and jacuzzi on the upper deck Staff were wonderful Food was good and you could use the speciality restaurants at extra cost First 4 stops on the cruise where amazing ports and our excursions were brilliant Dog sleighing and Sami experience both expensive but enjoyable Then, because of stormy weather and norovirus we didn’t make it to the last two stops. We spent 5 days sailing slowly back to Southampton. Passengers said they thought only on one engine. We were told the stops were cancelled due to bad weather but don’t really believe that was the case for missing the last stop. The weather had greatly improved It was really awful on board as we could not go swimming or in the jacuzzi. At one point we could not go outside. The staff worked consistently and kept cleaning and wiping handrails etc Toilets on most decks were closed off so had to use your own cabin loo. The ladies toilets that were open on deck 6 only had 3 toilets working and 3 out of order.so there were often queues especially on the last day. Staff were present with hand sanitizer on entry and leaving the toilets. One poor old fella had an accident as toilets were locked and signage had not been clear He had been directed to other locked toilets and was so embarrassed Although the ship had a break out of the virus the captain did not ask people to isolate in cabins but put out the same recorded message each day asking people to wash their hands plus sanitize them. We were unaware of how bad it was on aboard or how fast the numbers were going up each day We are still unclear of how many people did have the virus. We believe that this was the reason we could not stop as we would not be allowed in port We wish that the captain would of been more honest to his guests and passengers So disappointed and in the end couldn’t wait to get off the ship Just so awful I stayed in my cabin for a day and half but couldn’t stay in it any longer. I was so concerned about getting the virus We also asked the clean to leave our room as we were worried about cross infection and cleaned it ourselves The staff did work hard snd had lots of extra work constantly cleaning

Date of experience : 24 February 2024

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're so sorry to read of your concerns, but thank you for your comments regarding our on board team. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Guest Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that they can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Great first cruise!

This was our first cruise and after reading reviews online, I was worried about what to expect. We left from Liverpool, on the Borealis to the Azores, Madeira and Lisbon. Our cabin was wonderful, leading out onto the promenade deck with our own steamer chairs outside. I was concerned about the lack of privacy, but we enjoyed sitting out there chatting to people walking by. If you wanted to be quiet, that was fine too.it’s great to be able to get straight outside and walk around the whole deck if you want to. We’d booked an accessible cabin as I have disabilities and use a rollator. There was lots of space with a great bathroom/wet room that drained well, no issues. The service, and staff were exceptional, very attentive and helpful. I’ve never felt so well looked after! Our stewardess was a delight. The ship itself is beautiful, and the right size for me to cope with getting around. The food was great, different places to eat. The entertainment was ok, some of it not quite in tune! However, it was enjoyable on the whole. Good amount of activities on sea days, lectures, quizzes, crafting etc. Down sides were expensive excursions, rough seas on the way, and the weather could have been better, and a shambolic disembarkation for those of us waiting for the minibus. Other than that, it was a holiday to remember for all the right reasons. Take heart if you’re reading reviews and wondering if you’ve done the right thing!

Date of experience : 18 July 2022

Good afternoon, thank you for your very kind words following your recent cruise - we're delighted that you had such an enjoyable time on board Borealis. We're sorry that your disembarkation didn't go as smoothly as hoped, but do hope that won't deter you from cruising with us again and we look forward to welcoming you on board. Take care - Shona, Marketing.

“In Search of the Northern Lights - Balmoral” The Good, The Bad and the Downright Unacceptable - Part 2

The Downright Unacceptable Our bathroom had a constant pungent smell of raw sewage which other than an odd day here and there, resided for the entire trip. Having paid for a cabin with a window, to find that it was so filthy from the outside you could barely see out was much more than a disappointment. We could have saved ourselves over £1000 by not upgrading to a window view – after all, we saw pretty much nothing out of it! The demographic on our cruise was predominantly made up of retired pensioners. Many of whom spent their days asleep in the lounges, with staff almost acting like care workers for them. When they were awake, the Balmoral Entertainments Team (all young aspiring individuals) addressed our elderly passengers (during quizzes and the such like) in the most patronising manner which frankly was offensive. These people have afforded the cruise like the rest of us, so treat them with some decency! Norovirus The general level of communication throughout the trip wasn’t anywhere near good enough. There was an outbreak of Norovirus towards the end of the first week of the trip. This was covered up for a couple of days and then only released as news the day before we were due to dock at Bodo. Needless to say, that docking never happened. The seas had been turbulent the day before and our captain informed us that due to the weather, we’d miss the stop, so he wasn’t stopping. However, 2 days later we were due to stop at Stavanger, so not all was lost, or so we thought. The morning that we were due to stop at Stavanger, the Captain again radioed to inform us that due to bad weather (there had been nothing of the sort for 2 days), we were missing this stop too. It was clear to a lot of passengers that the REAL reason for not docking, was the virus and not the weather. Come on Fred Olsen, we’re not fools. Treat us like adults and tell us the truth. During the trip from Stavanger to home, we were informed that there was an “exercise” with the Norwegian coastguard and this was routine. Another lie from the captain! This turned out to be an injured passenger being airlifted off the cruise – a known fact as one of our friends witnessed the airlift occur. From day 10 to Day 15 of the trip, we then slowly cruised all the way back to Southampton. 5 days at sea, utterly wasted when there could have been alternative arrangements made to dock elsewhere had the weather been the real reason. For 3 days in a row, the captain played the same recorded announcement (we knew it was recorded as you could predict when background noises would appear!) advising people to wash their hands. At no point was there any instruction to passengers who were symptomatic of the illness to self-isolate. A pitiful attempt on behalf of the captain and his crew to contain the outbreak. During his announcements he would say “there is an increasing number of passengers displaying the signs of the virus”. Not once did he give an indication of how virulent the infection was? Was it going up in huge numbers daily? Were there only a few? Who knows. If FOCL crew knew, then they should have informed. Even the daily Covid briefings gave data! Dreadful and unhelpful communication. Some research since I have returned home informs me that this isn’t the first instance of Norovirus on the Balmoral or any of the other ships in the FOCL fleet, so I’m left wondering whether the ship was free from infection at the point of us boarding? For a couple who were super excited about this trip and invested an awful lot of money for it too, we were left with pretty much half a holiday, 2 missed ports that we may never get to visit again, more days bobbing along the north seas than I care to remember and the highlight of the last week being the daily quiz – and this is luxury cruising remember! I’ll be taking this up further directly with Fred Olsen as there will be compensation due and I shall fight for it. A holiday to remember, for lots of different reasons. A lot of lessons learned from a first-time cruising couple and an advisory to anyone thinking of booking with Fred Olsen – you might want to think twice.

Date of experience : 28 February 2024

Good morning - I have responded on your previous review, but thank you for adding this further information. Warm regards, Shona

gold members honest review

As gold members we decided to do a Christmas and new year on the Fred Olson Balmoral a very bad mistake, For a Christmas cruise the whole experience was very poor for the price we paid £5000.00, bad food and poor entertainment a nightmare leaving the ship at Portsmouth only 4 wheelchairs available then having to descend a 45 decree gang plank to safe ground. Never again will we cruise with this company which has gone from a highly respected company to a very poor and expensive cruise experance.We have waited a month for a outcome to our complaint to their CEO Peter Deer, Customer services has been in contact today and said things could have been better with a offer of £700.00 towards a future cruise no thank you. If Fred Olson cruise lines carry on in this manor their name will be a distant memory to cruising within 2 years. this is the worst cruise we have ever booked in a total of 120 cruises. Save your money this is a clapped out company going no where only the scrap yard where the Balmoral is descend to go. For us it is back to the big name companies which are far cheaper and offer a better cruise experience. Don’t be fooled by their adds on LBC Radio this once respected company has big problems and is on its way out. This is a honest review by loyal customers who always looked forward to cruising with Fred Olson cruises when the cruising experience was paramount. We were never told what went so wrong with this cruise? The best part of this cruise was getting off this dated ship the worst part was the food in the palms cafe Fred’s transport cafe named by passengers, far better food served in the Salvation Army soup kitchens

Date of experience : 22 December 2022

First time with this company because of the Itinerary. 9 nights on the Balmoral. I can honestly say that there was virtually no meaningfully effective regular sanitation of the ship, anywhere, and no communication whatsoever about whether there were active Covid cases on board. In other words, passengers were not warned about potential risks whilst on board, and mitigation strategies. The ship felt dirty, public areas were not being disinfected regularly, and little care was being taken about outside areas such as swimming pools etc. Add to this the exorbitant pricing, mediocre food, patchy entertainment (and I'm being generous here), and unnecessarily slow cruising speeds and it is plain to see this is a company maximising profits and cutting customer benefits to the bone. The only saving grace were the crew/staff who were, in general, lovely, and did their best. Oh and after we finally did get back to home port, and disembark, we tested positive, and both of us have Covid, obviously acquired during the cruise - and we were as meticulously careful as we could have been short of staying in our cabin the whole trip. Just don't do it.

Date of experience : 16 August 2022

Good afternoon, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent cruise with us. All our guests feedback is important to help us improve our service on board for our future cruises and we are very sorry to read the above. We would like the opportunity to look into the above review further please could I ask you email [email protected] with your details and review and a member of our Guest Service Team will be in touch. Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

Never eher again

Of you like torture need to be in here. Nunca más el barco estas una mierda. Punctual no existe espani The Food catástrofe

Date of experience : 14 October 2022

We're sorry to read you didn't enjoy your sailing - please can you advise if it was on board one of our cruise ships, or the ferry operation in the Canary Islands; so that we can respond accurately to you? Warm regards, Shona - Marketing.

Cancellation: Extended refund delays resolved

Having sailed 13 times with FOCL and enjoyed every one of them, we then came to the expected cancellation of our September "North American Waterways" Cruise. On 2nd June, Canada [and 1 week of the cruise involved Canada] had barred certain capacity cruise ships from their waters until 31st October. It wasn't until 22nd July that we received the official cancellation notice and the 7 week delay would appear to be simply that FOCL were rescheduling the cruise to 2023 as our booking had been automatically transferred to it, however the refund option was there and this was instigated the same day. Because of the post by another reviewer here [first seen on Facebook] I emailed FOCL to be advised that the 8 week refund period had been 'postponed' and I was now looking at a further 8 weeks. By my count that amounted to 7 weeks whilst they rescheduled the cruise, the 5 weeks already passed since submitting the refund form and now potentially a further 8 weeks = 20 weeks for the refund. I then emailed and wrote to the M.D. suggesting that he could easily reset the negative situation. 09.09.20 - Very pleased to update that the Cust. Relations Mgr was passed/handled the situation and ensured the refund was put through without delay - in fact in a matter of hours, so Thank You FOCL for your excellent response.

Date of experience : 30 August 2020

In Search of the Northern Lights - Balmoral 14-28th Feb 2024 DISGRACEFUL!

This was our first ever cruise and Norway and seeing the Northern Lights were on our bucket list. Upgraded to Superior (anything but) Ocean View Cabin at an extra cost of £1,000 each, and total cost, excluding trips, spending on boat and offshore spends was £6,000. Fred Olsen Cruise’s literature states “We are one of the UK’s original luxury cruise specialists”, so we were looking forward to spending our holiday in style, unfortunately it was quite the opposite. It was not all negative, and there were some really good points which I am happy to list below: Staff – hardworking, pleasant, helpful, smiling and remembered your name. Would love to mention Wongra and Sree, our waiters in Ballendoch and Malou our housekeeper, who were amazing. Food in The Ballendoch, Spey and Avon restaurants, was on the whole very good. Ate in the Colours and Tastes Restaurant (upgrade) on last night, 5* fine dining and service, amazing meal. Evening entertainment: classical violinist was excellent and the comedian had me in stitches. Resident band ‘Family Affair’ were consistently good. Here is where the good ends…. The Balmoral is in desperate need of a refit, tired and in parts shabby. Pools and jacuzzis often closed for maintenance. Changing room on deck 10, grubby, cold, no towels and shower often freezing cold. Lock on door didn’t work, and several times whilst trying to get changed, door opened with people wanting to look inside. The picture window we had spent £2,000 to upgrade to, was dirty from the outside and had a long rusty streak running down it. An intermittent smell of raw sewage emanating from the bathroom for the whole trip. Thin cabin walls, heard the poor elderly gentleman next door, coughing every time we were in the cabin. Holes in the walls, messily covered over, unmatching pictures and dated dark orange coloured furniture. Pillows were made of mush and no support whatsoever. No water provided in the cabin, drank the bottle of water on the side, and then to my surprise, next day I had to sign for it, and was charged £3. No dressing gowns, cotton wool, moisturiser all the little things you get in a normal room were not provided. All that was supplied was a bottle of hand wash, and shower gel, screwed to the wall (probably so you didn’t steal it). The buffet in The Palms restaurant was generally lukewarm to cold. I have had better custard with school dinners, and the baked beans were from another planet. Gave up trying to make any complaints to Guest Services on ship, as several times joined a long queue and listening to other people’s complaints and the unhelpful replies they received, decided not to waste my time. The entertainment on the ship provided for by the Balmoral Entertainment Team, was amateur at best, and found myself walking out of the two I sat down for. Not their fault, but would have expected Fred Olsen to engage more professional entertainment acts, for the prices they charge. The passenger demographic was 90% retirees and elderly. Above said Entertainment Team (with an average age of 23) spoke to us in the most patronising manner which, reminded me of being at Junior School. Despite all this, we had a fantastic first 9 days, as we started arriving and exploring our destinations, went on excursions and met and spoke to many of the passengers. This is where it really went terribly wrong: The day before we were due to dock at Bodo, seas were pretty rough for about 5 hours, although having been on many cross channel ferries, in my time, I didn’t think they were too bad. Captain announces that due to bad weather we would not be able to dock at Bodo. Two hours later, he announces that the Ship’s Doctor had been receiving an alarming increase in Gastroenteritis cases being reported, and he announced new health and safety measures that were going to be instigated, which included, no self service food, staff were now to serve, jacuzzis to be closed, certain toilets to be closed, and increased hand sanitation. All books, games and puzzles were removed from the ship. We clung on to the hope that two days later, we would be docking at Stavanger. But guess what? The morning of the Stavanger stop, the Captain announced that he hadn’t made the nautical miles up to get to Stavanger in time, and we would also be missing that port and would be slowly making our way back to Southampton. PART 2 TO BE SUBMITTED

Date of experience : 14 February 2024

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're sorry to read of your concerns, but thank you for your comments regarding our on board team. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Guest Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that they can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

A great disappointment

I am Barry Painter 82 y.o. I would like to voice my opinion about the last cruise my wife and myself had with Fred Olsen. It was our forth cruise with Fred Olsen. The previous three (on Black watch) were excellent, we were very happy about everything. but the last cruise was a GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT. It was cruise on the ship called "Borealis" from 2.11 to 16.11 The ship was beautiful, service was vert very good, but food in the main restaurant at lunch and dinner time was unacceptable for us. Every day there were 5 mains but 3 of them were vegetarian I doubt very much that 60% of passengers were vegetarians. The other 2 main were 1 fish and 1 meat, so we really had no choice it we wanted to eat meat dish. The buffet restaurant "View" had much better choice. Generally speaking we dislike buffet and my wife has mobility difficulties (she has to use a walker). We never had to visit the buffet on our previous cruises. This time we had to choose between food with no choice at table service and better choice at buffet. We made a complain and was visited by the chef at our table. No result! So if you are not vegetarian and don't like buffer don't take cruise with Fred Olsen

Date of experience : 20 November 2021

Good afternoon, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback, our guest's opinions are very important to us. I will of course pass your above comments on to those departments concerned, however should you wish a member of our Customer Services Team to contact you further regarding your recent cruise on board Borealis please do not hesitate to contact us on the following email [email protected] Warm regards, Victoria, Marketing

Cancellations nightmare

I originally booked a cruise with Fred Olsen to see canaries and Cape Verde in February for 19 days this year and this was cancelled like so many others due to covid rules etc. However, we decided to transfer the monies to the canaries cruise on 4th January for 14 days instead, the notifications started coming through that certain ports would be altered - disappointing. Not to worry we are still going so all packed and ready until the afternoon of 3rd January indicating that covid has attacked the crew and passengers, spa, restaurants, other areas would not be functioning and we have the option to go ahead ( not knowing if we would be confined to cabin and or not let off the boat) Or we could transfer to another cruise. I was on the phone soon after this notification and was told I could transfer providing it was within the week -- Why? However, I did transfer to a cruise to Denmark 8 Days and within a week AGAIN this was cancelled. So - I have paid for 19 days reduced to 14 days reduced to 8 days for the same money (and a bit extra) and with all this in mind decided it was time for a refund. I am still waiting for this. They are dangling a carrot with deposit refunds - this should also apply to their agents who get so many customers for them.

Date of experience : 08 February 2022

Hello Christopher. We're sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with your experience. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams are working really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, and we thank you for your patience regarding waiting for your refund. Thank you. – Shona, Marketing

White Christmas in Norway

This was our first Fred Olsen cruise for several years and was chosen for the itinerary which we enjoyed very much. The service in all areas of the ship was excellent but we found some aspects not to our taste. We knew when we booked it was traditional dining in the evening although we prefer freedom to choose our own time to eat in the dining room rather than go to the self service on deck 8 .We often found the choices at dinner not to our taste and had to rely on the dishes such as chicken or steak that were always available.Neither of the specialty restaurants suited us.On this cruise we booked 3 excursions, two of which, in Trondheim and Alesund were good although the ships representative on the Trondheim tour managed to get the front seats for himself and his partner before anyone else got on the coach. The other tour , In search of the Northern Lights, was a complete rip off . It was very expensive and only 10 to 15 minutes from the ship when we were expecting to be taken into the mountains where there was no background light at all . We complained to customer services but nothing has been done about it. This cruise was booked early and we were pestered to upgrade at a reduced rate which we eventually did only to find much better deals closer to the departure date. The entertainment on the ship was varied and the cruise staff made sure we had a lovely Christmas and New Year, the Reception staff were friendly and helpful and WiFi was available again at a cost. As I have said we enjoyed our holiday but until Fred Olsen do something about evening dining and offering cut price deals to late bookers we probably not use them again.

Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise. We're sorry that you felt certain aspects weren't to your taste, and do hope that you'll choose to cruise with in the future. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your tour concerns further with you. Could you please email our Customer Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Disappointing first cruise

Our first cruise. Ship looked nice, staff were really friendly but overall I felt that excellence was lacking. First, lets address food: Fruit juice at breakfast was watered down, scrambled eggs were powdered, mince was soya. We ordered room service one morning with 'freshly brewed coffee' only to be given instant coffee sachets and a flask of hot water. In the buffet restaurant, I saw a waiter empty instant coffee sachets into the silver flask that was used to serve 'filter' coffee from. It's like they pulled out all the stops on the first two days, then brought in short cuts thereafter. I also feel that the staff weren't trained adequately. When we ordered Irish coffees - it came in a mug with no cream and a thick band of sugar around the rim. In the main restaurant, we ordered medium steak which was served rare. I sent it back and it came back well done and inedible. We ordered Coke and got Pepsi, often had to write our orders down for the servers who's English was poor, and then it still was wrong. It ended up being a lucky dip really. The viewing windows in the lounges were filthy - really could use some attention. Entertainment was sub-standard and actually rather cringe-worthy. Activities purely for the elderly. Shops were not very well stocked up on essentials e.g. no conditioner available. A Welsh gold shop and a 'duty free' shop which still charged vat if you were in UK waters. I wouldn't cruise with F.O again even though the staff was friendly and the rooms clean. Very disappointed.

Date of experience : 14 July 2021

Scuffed paint

As soon as I saw the scuffed paint in my cabin, the drawers which kept opening, and the tap that looked as if it came from a junk sho,p I realised not all was well. This was confirmed when we noticed the ship was going slowly on the first day out of Southampton. It transpired one engine was faulty and had had to be shut down. We were told we would put put into Lorient for repairs which was revised to Porto. We never got to either, nor to our first destination, Cadiz, which disappointed a lot of passegrs. Meanwhile a major storm arose so the Captain decided run for shelter, which he found in Bilbao where we stayed for three days until the storm abated. We then had no chance to get to the Canaries, our main destination, but made straight for Madiera,of which more later. A lot of passengers disagreed with the Captain's decision but I did not - he had an old ship (35 years) which had had been lenthened by welding an extra mid section, with a faulty engine, carrying mostly elderly passengers of limited mobility in a major storm. If it would have become necessary to evacuate the ship there would have been many lives lost. As it was we escaped with some flooding caused by broken windows and a few fractured bones. We now had no hope of reaching the Canaries so made for Funchal, where all three ships of the Fred Olsen fleet would meet up with great celebrations The word was that Mr Olsen himself, no idea if this was true as I ignored the jamboree and went ashore to Funchal. It became aparrent that this was the real object of the cruise. Balmoral then departed for Lisbon where we spent six hours before steaming for Southampton. Having an engine fail a few hours out of port does not indicate good management. Whether we would have escaped the storm had sailed faster, hard to know, but it meant in the end a really disappoointing cruise. A cruise line cannot choose its passengers but a high proportion of them had mobity problems. If you have not faced them charging towards you coming out of the Captain's Cocktail Party on their mobility scooters with the infantry limping along behind you have not lived. Only one aspect deserves praise.. The mainly Phillipino staff are efficient, helpfull and always smiling. The food was good and the hotel staff excellent. I have written the considerable cost off to experience, but will only go on an Olsen ship again under duress.

Date of experience : 30 October 2023

Good morning, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback on your recent cruise, and we're sorry to read of your concerns, although thank you for your kind words regarding our on board teams. Here at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, our teams work really hard to make sure that our guests receive the best service possible, so we’d like to discuss your concerns further with you. Could you please email our Guest Relations team on [email protected] with your booking reference, contact details and the concerns you have mentioned, so that we can take a look at this for you? Thank you. – Shona, Marketing.

Cruise Lines

Azamara cruise line.

Azamara is a cruise line based in Miami, Florida, that operates four cruise ships on worldwide itineraries. The company was founded by Royal Caribbean, which wanted to diversify its operations. In 2021, the company was sold to a private investment group. Azamara currently operates four ships. They belong to the eight R-class ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises between 1997 and 2001. The Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey both entered service in 2000 under the original names R Six and R Seven. In March 2018, Adonia was also taken over from P&O Cruises and renamed Azamara Pursuit. Each of the ships can carry a maximum of 686 passengers. All ships sail under the flag of Malta. Azamara offers cruises with its ships worldwide.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Line is a British-American cruise operator with a combined fleet of over ninety vessels across nine cruise line brands and one joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). A dual-listed company, Carnival is composed of two companies: Panama-incorporated, US-headquartered Carnival Corporation, and UK-based Carnival plc, which function as one entity. Carnival Corporation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, whereas Carnival plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with an ADR listing on the NYSE. Carnival is listed in both the S&P 500 and FTSE 250 indices. The American entity Carnival Corporation has its headquarters in the United States, with operational headquarters located in the city of Doral, Florida. The UK entity Carnival plc has its headquarters in Southampton, England.

Carnival Cruise Line

The Fun Ships"- that is exactly what the Carnival ships are. More affordable cruises, lots of neon lights, not that much elegance and formal atmosphere. Carnival is catering towards younger passengers and the main objective aboard the vessels is party, party and party again. That makes Carnival the richest cruise line in the world (the company owns also Holland America Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Cunard Line and Windstar Cruises) which operate independently as separate brands and target a more upscale clientele). What can employees expect from Carnival? Slightly lower salaries and somewhat lower standards when selecting candidates comparing to most of the other major cruise lines. Carnival crew members are like their clientele, they like to party and most of them believe that the more "loose" atmosphere and the presence of younger passengers makes up for the slightly lower salaries.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida. Celebrity Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1997. Celebrity's signature logo is an "Χ" displayed on the funnel of Celebrity ships and is the Greek letter chi, for "Chandris.".

Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises is an American cruise line. It was founded in 1988 by Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha and sold to Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate Genting Hong Kong in 2015. Following insolvency in 2022, the Crystal Cruises brand and two cruise ships were bought by A&K Travel Group, with headquarters in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Costa Cruise Line

Costa Cruise Line is an Italian cruise line founded in 1948 and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2000. Based in Genoa, Italy, the cruise line primarily caters to the Italian cruise market, but the company's 10 ships, which all sail under the Italian flag, provide itineraries sailing to countries globally.

Cunard Line

Cunard Line has a long history stretching back to the era of great ocean liners at a time when the only way to cross the Atlantic was by ship. Now days with all the Trans-Atlantic traffic gone to the airlines, Cunard has to adapt to the new economic realities in order to survive. Changing owners a few times, Cunard was finally acquired by Carnival Cruise Line and merged with Seabourn Cruise Line (three of the Cunard's ships were transferred to Seabourn). Like any other cruise line Carnival has purchased (Holland America, Windstar, Seabourn, Costa), Cunard was left to operate as a separate brand, preserving the image Cunard has built through the last century. Queen Elizabeth 2 is the only passenger vessel offering scheduled transatlantic service (Southampton - New York) besides her annual cruise around the world.

Cunard Cruise Line

Cunard Cruise Line is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermuda. In 1839, Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year, he formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company in Glasgow with shipowner Sir George Burns and Robert Napier, the famous Scottish steamship engine designer and builder, to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool-Halifax-Boston route. For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s, Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879, the firm was reorganized as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd. to raise capital. In 1902, White Star joined the American-owned International Mercantile Marine Co. In response, the British Government provided Cunard with substantial loans and a subsidy to build two superliners needed to retain Britain's competitive position. Mauretania held the Blue Riband from 1909 to 1929. Her sister ship, Lusitania, was torpedoed in 1915 during the First World War. In 1919, Cunard relocated its British homeport from Liverpool to Southampton, better to cater for travelers from London. In the late 1920s, Cunard faced new competition when the Germans, Italians, and French built large prestige liners. Cunard was forced to suspend construction on its own new superliner because of the Great Depression. In 1934, the British Government offered Cunard loans to finish Queen Mary and to build a second ship, Queen Elizabeth, on the condition that Cunard merged with the then-ailing White Star Line to form Cunard-White Star Line. Cunard owned two-thirds of the new company. Cunard purchased White Star's share in 1947; the name reverted to the Cunard Line in 1950. Upon the end of the Second World War, Cunard regained its position as the largest Atlantic passenger line. By the mid-1950s, it operated 12 ships in the United States and Canada. After 1958, transatlantic passenger ships became increasingly unprofitable because of the introduction of jet airliners. Cunard undertook a brief foray into air travel via the "Cunard Eagle" and "BOAC Cunard" airlines, but withdrew from the airline market in 1966. Cunard withdrew from its year-round service in 1968 to concentrate on cruising and summer transatlantic voyages for holidaymakers. The Queens were replaced by Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), which was designed for the dual role. In 2004, QE2 was replaced on the transatlantic runs by Queen Mary 2 (QM2). The line also operates Queen Victoria (QV) and Queen Elizabeth (QE). As of 2022, Cunard is the only shipping company to still operate a scheduled passenger service between Europe and North America. In 2017, Cunard announced that a fourth ship would join its fleet. This was initially scheduled for 2022 but was delayed until 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship has since been named Queen Anne.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through its first vessel Disney Magic, and is domiciled in London, England, with their operational headquarters located in Celebration, Florida. Disney Cruise Line currently operates five ships, with three more set to join in the coming years.

Fred Olsen Cruise Line

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a UK-based, Norwegian-owned cruise shipping line with three cruise ships. The company is owned by Bonheur and Ganger Rolf and is headquartered in Ipswich, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom. The company is part of the Fred. Olsen Group. The Fred. Olsen fleet consists of three mid- to small-size ships: Balmoral, Bolette, and Borealis.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line (HAL) is a US-owned cruise line and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. Holland America was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company. The company currently operates 12 cruise ships on all seven continents, including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, exotic Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is a cruise line based in Miami, Florida, that operates seven cruise ships on worldwide itineraries. It typically offers cruises that last between 10 and 14 days, but it is also known for its long cruises lasting up to 195 days. There are currently seven ships in Oceania Cruises’ fleet: Insignia, Nautica, Marina, Regatta, Riviera, Sirena, and the newest addition, the Allura-class vessel, Vista. Since September 2014, Oceania Cruises has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. It was originally a subsidiary of the freight transport company P&O and was founded in 1977. Along with P&O Cruises Australia, another former subsidiary of P&O, it has the oldest heritage of any cruise line in the world, dating to P&O's first passenger operations in 1837. P&O Cruises was divested from P&O in 2000, subsequently becoming a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, before coming under its current ownership in 2003, following a merger between P&O Princess Cruises and Carnival Corporation (the combined company now operates as Carnival Corporation & plc).

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda, and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the second-largest cruise line by net revenue. It was previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises. The line has 15 ships cruising global itineraries that are marketed to both American and international passengers. Santa Clara

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC), formerly known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, is a luxury cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida. Since September 2014, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises.  The company currently has six cruise ships that are operating globally.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International (RCI), previously known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida, it is the largest cruise line by revenue and second largest by passengers counts. In 2018, Royal Caribbean International controlled 19.2% of the worldwide cruise market by passengers and 14.0% by revenue. As of January 2024, the line operates 28 ships and has three additional ships on order.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal olympic cruises.

Royal Olympic Cruises was created in 1995 as a result of the merger of two well known Greek cruise lines - Sun Line Cruises and Epirotiki Line. Basically Royal Olympic operates the ships under two brands - the "blue ships" (Stella Solaris, Stella Oceanis, Odysseus, World Renaissance and Olympic Voyager) and the "white" ships" (Triton, Orpheus and Olympic Countess). The first brand is offering more upscale service to adventurous passengers, refined , conservative ambiance and style of traditional oceanliner. The "white ships" are similar in their appeal, but at somewhat lower quality level. On the crew and staff side, Royal Olympic offers slightly lower salaries than the well established U.S. based cruise lines, but the lifestyle on board and the interesting itineraries attract employees to this cruise line.

Seabourn Cruise Line

Seabourn is a luxury cruise line, founded in 1986 (operational since 1988), with headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Seabourn Cruise Line operates all around the globe. It is owned by Carnival Corporation and is part of the "World's Leading Cruise Lines" group, which also includes AIDA, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and P&O Cruises.

Silversea Cruise Line

Silversea is an ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.

Often called "Rolls Royce of the cruise industry" the intention of Seabourn has always been to offer the most luxurious top-of-the-line cruises on the most elegant ships to worldwide destinations to satisfy the demands of the most discriminating passengers. The ships fall into a special category - small enough to be exclusive and large enough to offer all the facilities of a large ship. All the passengers are very high income experienced and sophisticated travelers accustomed to the best, they know and understand quality and their expectations are high. Most of them are from North America, the rest - from Britain, Germany, Switzerland and all over the world. Reading the company's and passengers' profiles, it is not very hard to figure out how strict the requirements are when it comes to selecting new employees. Whoever has the qualities and experience needed though, will enjoy the highest salaries, the most prestiges working conditions and the most interesting itineraries in the cruise industry. As the other leaders in the ultra-luxury cruise market (Crystal Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises), Seabourn Cruise Line is one of the most highly recommended for employment.

Star Clippers

The company provides casual, active cruises aboard nineteenth-century clipper replicas sailing ships to unusual destinations in the Caribbean, South Asia and Mediterranean. Among the sailing ships cruise lines, Star Clippers is intended to fit between budget priced Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and pricey Windstar Cruises. Typical passengers are half from the Americas (U.S., Canada, Latin America) and the other half from Europe. They are active travelers, seeking adventure and off-the-beaten-track itineraries, not interested with casinos and night clubs. On the employment side, these ships offer limited number of positions. Casino and entertainment departments staff should be looking for jobs with other cruise lines. On the other hand, working on a sailing ship will be a blast for the right people. ' },

Star Cruises

Star Cruises was founded as an associate of the Genting Group of Malaysia and incorporated in Bermuda on November 10, 1993, with its corporate headquarters in Hong Kong. The cruise line mainly operated in the Asia-Pacific market. The company is owned by Genting of Hong Kong. It is the eighteenth largest cruise line in the world after Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and 15 others.

Grandi Navi Veloci

Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) is an Italian shipping company, based in Genoa, that operates ferries between mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, France, Spain, Albania, Morocco, and Tunisia. It was established by Aldo Grimaldi in 1992.

Holland America Cruise Line

"A Tradition Of Excellence".When Carnival Cruise Line acquired Holland America some years ago they were smart enough to leave all the operations in the hands of Holland America's management instead of just repainting the ships with the Carnival logo. Holland America has established quite different image than Carnival, targeting completely different sort of passengers (more mature folks) and offering more formal and stylish cruises and service. The majority of Holland America passengers do not even know that the company is owned by Carnival. On the employees side, Holland America is paying slightly higher salaries, but they are expecting also a higher quality of service and crew members party mainly between themselves (considering the age group of majority of the passenger). Holland America is offering also worldwide itineraries, while Carnival is concentrated mainly on the Caribbean market (with a few exceptions).

Mediterranean Shipping Cruises

MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere) is a Swiss global cruise line based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa, and Venice. It was founded in 1970 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2020, MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group.

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

The line has a fleet of five sailing ships plus one freighter and supply ship (Amazing Grace). Most cabins have bunk beds and private facilities, but not much beyond that. Shorts and'beachwear is the full-time dress code. There are not any casinos or any type of organized entertainment aboard. Passengers could participate in operating the sails if they wish so. Absolutely fabulous Caribbean itineraries. Very limited number of shipboard positions, mostly deck hands, stewards, cooks. ' },

MSC Cruises

Norwegian cruise line.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in Norway in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda, and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market by passengers as of 2021. It is wholly owned by the parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Viking Cruise Line

Viking Cruise Line provides river, ocean, and expedition cruises. Its operating headquarters are in Basel, Switzerland, and in Los Angeles, California. Viking was founded in 1997 by Torstein Hagen, a Norwegian billionaire businessman who is currently the chairman of the Cruise Line. The company has three divisions: Viking River Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Viking Expeditions, offering cruises along the rivers and oceans of North and South America, the Caribbean, Antarctica, the Great Lakes, Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, and Southeast Asia. Viking Cruise Line has more than 250 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for rivers, #1 for oceans, and #1 for expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler and voted at the top of its categories by Travel + Leisure.

Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises is a cruise line based in Miami, Florida, that operates on worldwide itineraries. The cruise line operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ships. Its six yachts carry just 148 to 310 guests and cruise to 50 nations, calling at 150 ports throughout Europe, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, and Central America. In May 2014, Windstar added to its sailing yachts by adding the Star Pride power yacht, followed by Star Breeze and Star Legend in May 2015. The additional capacity opened up new itineraries such as voyages to Iceland, the Panama Canal, and Costa Rica and allowed Windstar Cruises to sail Tahiti year round.

World Explorer Cruise

The company is offering the most in depth cruises in Alaska in the summer and is a floating university for the rest of the year. Passengers are mature, well educated travelers, interested in a cultural travel experience and focused on learning about the destinations they visit. There is not a casino aboard and no jobs for casino staff, but otherwise there are openings in almost every other department.

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Chicago to the Golden Gate

• Arizona + 26 more
• Bryce Canyon National Park, Chicago, Cody, Escorted Coach Tours, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Popular Coach Tours, Rapid City, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Sioux Falls, Standard Escorted Coach Tours, USA Standard, Yellowstone National Park,

Departure Dates

2024 Departure Dates 15 May 19 June 10 & 24 July 14 August 11 & 25 September 2025 Departure Dates 14 May 18 June 09 & 23 July 13 & 27 August 10 & 24 September

What’s Included

• Services of a professional tour leader • All transportation by modern coach • 13 nights' accommodation • Selected meals • Porterage • Admissions / sightseeing as specified

Not Included

• International Flights • Meals other than those specified • Airport Transfers • Gratuities

Travel Extras & Notes

• We offer a whole range of travel extras, from arranging pre and/or post tour hotel nights, activities and trip extensions. Ask your Discover North America Travel Specialist for more details. • As we can offer you such an extensive choice of flights, we don't automatically include international flights in the headline fare displayed on our website, unless stated otherwise in the `What's Included' section. The price you pay will be determined by the time of year you travel, your departure airport, airline, class of travel and availability. When requesting your initial quote, your Discover North America Travel Specialist will take the time to understand your own individual requirements with regards to international flights and will tailor the quote specifically to your needs. • This can be sold as a tour only.

Introduction

An exciting excursion from the Windy City on the shores of Lake Michigan to the popular destination of cosmopolitan San Francisco, the famed City by the Bay.

Tour Highlights

⭐  Guided tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. ⭐  Take a walk along the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park. ⭐  Travel along Route 66 and stop in the historic town of Seligman. ⭐  “Shop ‘til you drop” at designer discount outlets in Las Vegas. ⭐  Enjoy a city tour of Los Angeles including a tour of the stars in the sidewalk (Walk of Fame).

Day 1: Chicago Arrival

Arrive in Chicago and transfer independently to your hotel where you will meet with your ATI Tour Director in the evening.

Day 2: Chicago

Today we will enjoy a short tour of the city's highlights including Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. The Windy City's stunning high rise architecture and one of the world's tallest buildings, the Willis Tower (admission not included), provide a dramatic backdrop for this cultural and financial center. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 3: Chicago - Mississippi River Crossing - Sioux Falls

Travel through Midwest farm country abundant in corn fields, wheat fields and dairy farms. Then we cross the mighty Mississippi River and travel into the state of Iowa to arrive just as Lewis & Clark did 200 years ago on the banks of the Missouri River. Overnight in Sioux Falls.

Day 4: Sioux Falls - Badlands - Mt. Rushmore - Rapid City

Travel westward through the grasslands of South Dakota and onwards to Badlands National Park, once home to the buffalo and antelope, and filled with strange shaped and colorful rock formations. Then we continue on to the Black Hills, sacred to the Plains Indians and home to Mount Rushmore, an enormous monument to four of the great presidents of America: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Spend an evening at leisure.

Day 5: Rapid City - Bighorn Mountains - Cody

Enter the "Equality State," Wyoming, which has twelve mountain ranges intermixed with deserts and rolling grasslands, and continue to Cody for the night. If overnight in Cody is not possible due to weather or adverse road conditions in Yellowstone, overnight will be in Billings/Livingston, Montana.

Day 6: Cody - Yellowstone

Drive past the mountains in Wyoming to Yellowstone, America's first National Park, and enjoy a sightseeing tour of this immense geothermal wonderland including: geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and canyons. Highlights will include Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, Yellowstone Canyon's majestic falls, and the beautiful Hayden Valley.

Day 7: Yellowstone - Grand Teton - Salt Lake City

Travel through Grand Teton National Park (weather permitting) and see awesome mountain peaks towering over 13,000 ft. (4,000 meters). Visit the Snake River Outlook and try your eye at capturing the stunning landscape made famous by Ansel Adam's iconic shot. This prairie land is home to wild buffalo (Tatonka!), moose and elk. Later, arrive in Utah, known for the Mormon Community, and take a short tour of its capital, Salt Lake City. The followers of Brigham Young built one of the best-planned cities in the country. See the State Capital building and visit famed Temple Square and the Tabernacle before arriving at the hotel for the evening. May we suggest dinner at the Rooftop Restaurant for panoramic views of Temple Square (optional).

Day 8: Salt Lake City - Bryce Canyon

Continue today to spectacular Bryce Canyon, where a tour through a multi-colored world of sandstone spires and pinnacles, "hoodoos", will dazzle the eye. This evening, weather permitting, be sure to gaze upon the spectacular night sky filled with sparkling stars & brilliant constellations.

Day 9: Bryce Canyon - Lake Powell - Grand Canyon - Flagstaff

Depart Bryce Canyon this morning and journey to stunning Lake Powell, where crystal blue water laps against towering red-rock canyon walls. Lake Powell is the second-largest man made lake in America, and one in a series of lakes formed by the damming of the Colorado River. Then visit colossal Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven great natural wonders of the world. Stop at the East Rim to fully experience this mile-deep canyon's plunging gorges, rising spires, extinct volcanoes and, below the rim, the winding Colorado River. Overnight in Flagstaff, a famed stop on Historic Route 66.

Day 10: Flagstaff - Seligman/Route 66 - Las Vegas

This morning depart Flagstaff and travel on to Las Vegas, the dazzling "Entertainment Capital of the World". Along the way, pass through Seligman, a town built along the famed Route 66 that looks as if it were frozen in time sixty years ago. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to explore the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Day 11: Las Vegas - Mojave Desert - Beverley Hills - Los Angeles

Travel to Los Angeles via the Mojave Desert, home of the world's tallest thermometer, at 134 feet (41 meters) high. Clusters of unique Joshua trees dot the mountainous landscape. Upon arrival in Los Angeles you will enjoy a tour through the City of Angels including star-studded Hollywood, Sunset Strip and parts of Beverly Hills, before reaching your hotel.

Day 12: Los Angeles

Today we suggest an optional full-day tour visiting the world's largest movie studio and theme park: Universal Studios, where Hollywood puts you so close you can hear the cameras rolling. Get an inside look at the sets and uncover the behind the scenes secrets of legendary films or perhaps, for the more adventurous, take one of the Studio's feature rides including Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy. A universe of excitement awaits in one of California's premier attractions.

Day 13: Los Angeles - Santa Barbara - Central Coast

Leave Los Angeles in the morning and travel north through one of California's favorite vacation spots, Santa Barbara, where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches. The city is famous for its mission and Spanish heritage. Along the way, see an iconic California lifeguard tower made famous in "Baywatch". Then, continue north to the charming town of Solvang.

Day 14: Central Coast - Carmel/Monterey - San Francisco

Today we make our way north to Carmel, home of actor/director Clint Eastwood. Enjoy browsing the shops and galleries of this famous artists' colony. Traveling further north, visit Monterey's Old Fisherman's Wharf. Stroll the Pier to Cannery Row, brought to fame by John Steinbeck's novel. In the afternoon pass the fertile valleys of Castroville and Santa Clara en route to San Francisco, the "City by the Bay." Tour concludes in the late afternoon.

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