Search for the northern lights

At check-in we found we had been moved cabin,same grade different deck, wife liked it, huge windows, large sliding door to balcony,handy to spey restaurant. First day at sea the wind whistling through the gaps in the door was very loud, filled the gap with toilet paper,3rd day getting cold heating couldn't cope temp below 15 c in cabin (have a phone app),asked for a heater none available, other cabins had asked first, Given extra blankets and promised a change of suite tomorrow, next Day given choice of two suites and picked the one without the sliding door, good old fashioned opening door well sealed, moved cabin and found they'd found an extra heater,suite was toasty . No more problems had a great cruise, saw the northern lights ,the best we've ever seen them. The entertainment was excellent and my wife thoroughly enjoyed the craft classes, the Artic train excursion was memorable, the train even had a wheelchair lift. The food was ok but not as good as the Borealis The staff as usual were outstanding our room steward Chan seemed to be telepathic and even wrote us a goodbye note In conclusion a successful and enjoyable cruise.

Excellent Cruise with Fred Olsen Balmoral

Enjoyed a 10 day cruise up to the Artic Circle on Balmoral from Newcastle. This was one of my favourite cruise itniaries that I've done. This was number 13 and was certainly not unlucky. We visited Tromsø, Alta, Molde and Alesund. We were birthed in really good locations close to the City Centres. The staff on the ship from the cruise directors, waiters, chiefs, bar staff we're excellent. They were friendly, welcoming and were always on hand to offer drinks. Fred Olsen is also incredibly reasonable from the Cruise price, speciality dinning, photos and excursions. Other cruise lines need to take note, I spent more money than usual by offering value for money. Food was excellent and choice of beverages on the drinks was limited but covered my needs. I loved the concept of being seated at the buffet and having the choice of ordering set meals. This is something I think other cruise lines should consider. Entertainment was a little hit and miss but everyone's tastes are different. We had a Comedian who was good and they had a string band who were the highlight of Entertainment. Onboard Entertainment team tried there best but we're not the best. Cruise directors were friendly and welcoming. There is something warm and welcoming about this ship. It's not too big or crowded and was a relaxing space. There is still a place for smaller Cruise ships. The cabins were old fashioned but had plenty of storage and had plenty of space. Embarkation was swift and quick and we were welcomed onto the ship. I would highly recommend this ship and Fred Olsen.

Disappointing entertainment

Embarkation at Newcastle was quick, easy and on time. It was a little disconcerting to see families with children ranging from around 4 to mid teens embarking as Fred Olsen is more suited to adults but they were all a credit to their parents as their behaviour was exemplary, and I noticed some of the entertainment team wearing Little Skippers tops but I never saw where/what they organised for the youngsters. Our suite was ready just after 13:30 and we were quick to unpack and enjoy our complimentary Cava before exploring the ship. Our suite was comfortable and kept spotless by Rose who came in twice a day. Food in all the restaurants was fresh with a varied menu including a 5 course menu each evening. Bar service sometimes was a little slow but once the team know your usual order it gets quicker. Entertainment wasn't brilliant, the 3 professional acts were good but the in-house team were nowhere near as good as those they had pre Covid. The best entertainment came from the crew show especially the raunchy dancing by the Fire department and the hilarious dance by the Maintenance team. As a gay couple we have never had any issues or discrimination on any of our cruises and have only ever cruised with Fred Olsen so cannot compare with other lines but with their smaller ships and high staff to guest ratio we are happy to continue with them.

Spitsbergen with The Midnight Sun

We only booked this cruise six weeks before sailing. This was our second cruise with Fred and it won’t be our last. Sailing from Rosyth was very easy, check in was quick, parking at the Dock makes it simple. Disembarking was just as easy. We chose an Inside Cabin for the simple reason that going to the Midnight Sun was going to be 24 hours of daylight and we both like darkness to sleep in. Our cabin was spacious with plenty of storage, loads of clothes hangers, excellent shower. Our Cabin Assistant, Aimee, was always on hand and kept our cabin spotless throughout our cruise. We were blessed with fantastic weather, no rough seas, no disturbed nights. We were on the late dinner sitting, 8.30pm, which initially we weren’t keen on but as it worked out, it suited us perfectly. It meant that we could enjoy the Sail Aways and the long hours of daylight. Every meal we had was delicious, plenty of choices, excellent service from our waitresses, Jantty and Janie. We had breakfast in either the Avon or Spey which has table service and buffet, but not as busy as Ballindalloch. On occasions we also used the Palms buffet. The Bookmark Cafe served excellent coffee and the cakes were amazing. I must mention the Morning Light Pub, great for a pre-dinner drink and Pat the musician kept us entertained. We had booked both of the Speciality Restaurants before the cruise for £10pp. Both served excellent food but Vasco had the edge, for us, over Colours & Tastes. We didn’t have a Drinks Package and thought the prices of drinks were similar to pub prices, very reasonable and no service charge, unlike some cruise lines. Orca, the Ocean Conservationist Charity, were on the cruise and spent many hours pointing out Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise. Richard and Leyla were enthusiastic and kept us interested, sharing their knowledge of the wildlife. They also did interesting talks. As the ship docked into the town of every place that we visited, we didn’t go on any of the ships tours. We were happy to do our own thing whilst ashore, each place was great. I also want to mention that we thought the cleanliness of the ship was excellent. Cleaning was being done all the time, handrails, door handles, all touch points. Windows cleaned, inside and out. Sanitizer at all Restaurants, staff to remind guests to use them! Based on our experiences on Balmoral, we thoroughly recommend this ship.