Pictured left to right outside the new store are: Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail; Emma Bailey, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Tutti Taylor, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Councillor Candy Vaughan, Mayor of Eastbourne; Trevor Ridler, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Business Development Manager; and Shirley Waters, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents..
It’s a popular misconception that Fred. Olsen Cruises tailors mostly to an older demographic, and I have to confess that I was of the same mind before my own trip. I was pleasantly surprised to be proved very wrong! In reality there was a good mixture of passengers - a few families with teenage children and a great proportion of more middle-aged people, alongside the anticipated older clientele. Whilst onboard I talked with a variety of fellow passengers, some of whom were travelling as families, a good proportion were solo travellers and many were in couples, but the consistent theme that I picked up from most of the conversations was that a vast majority were repeat loyal Fred. Olsen Cruise clients. I was keen to discover the secret formula that inspires such devotion from regular cruisers!
My journey was smooth – I arrived by train at Newcastle Central Station and got a taxi from the station to the Port at South Shields. The check-in was very easy and quick. I just had to leave my luggage with attendants outside the terminal and then wait for my designated colour to be called, after which I checked-in with my passport and payment card for my onboard account and I was given my cabin room card and allowed to board. It all passed very quickly and before I knew it, I was in my cabin and ready to set sail. I’d recommend taking a small bag with you that isn’t your luggage, that has all your essentials in so you can still use all the facilities like the pool straight away instead of having to wait for your luggage to arrive to your cabin.
My ship was Balmoral, and I thought she was comfortable and welcoming, with a classic décor. Staff were very welcoming with small touches like “Welcome Home” which made me feel relaxed and ready to enjoy my stay. The public areas were beautifully decorated and portrayed a sense of warmth and classic luxury, whilst still providing everything passengers might need. The pools were a very good size with multiple hot tubs both of which were heated and great for those cold Norwegian days / nights.
The ship has a great number of facilities, like a beautiful spacious spa and fitness centre and a large theatre for lectures and nightly performances, along with musicians playing in different locations around the ship. I personally loved spending time in the Bookmark Café with a latte watching the scenery go by. The whole environment was very relaxed, with clients wearing smart-casual clothes in the day, and getting beautifully dressed up on the Formal Night. For Norway make sure you pack for all weathers, as you never know what each day will bring - one moment glorious sunshine, and the next its showers or snow!
My cabin was a B Grade (Ocean View Cabin). It was clean and spacious with a walk-in shower and every evening our steward would leave a chocolate on the pillow, which very few other cruise lines do any more - a nice touch! I had the opportunity to view all the other cabin grades the ship offered and was very surprised on how spacious and well-presented they all are. The staff were great, very attentive, friendly and accommodating, and it never felt like anything was too much of an ask.
We took part in several activities onboard, some of which were included like quizzes, games and a silent disco. Other activities like a cocktail masterclass, wine & cheese tasting & bingo all come with a small additional charge, and some need prior booking – the Daily Times is left in the room each evening so you can plan the following day. There was always some form of entertainment on, either a performance in the theatre or various music in the lounges, along with lectures during the day or an hour of baggo or bingo, and more. You could pack your day full or relax and watch the world go by, as you prefer. I really liked the silent disco, and this was great for any younger passengers, although all ages were loving it!
We dined in all the restaurants onboard, some of which were traditional table service whilst others were buffet style. We tried both specialty restaurants, Colours & Tastes and Vasco which are available for a small extra charge. All venues were fabulous, but my favourite was Colours & Tastes which is an Asian-inspired specialty restaurant that was a hit with everyone. I had some amazing food and drink while onboard but the one thing that I loved above all else was the Lobster Bisque. A great tip is that whilst onboard if you find a perfect dish you really love, guest services will print you out the recipe for you! There is also a traditional white-glove service afternoon tea served in The Observatory on sea days, which would be a wonderful treat for a small charge.
Fred. Olsen’s fleet comprises three smaller ships, with Balmoral carrying up to 1300 passengers, so they are great for exploring those ports that the larger cruise lines cannot access, giving a more authentic Norwegian experience all round. We visited Olden, Haugesund, Ulvik & Starvanger, all of which were beautiful. In Olden we did the Briksdal Glacier Troll Car excursion, which I loved as you really got to experience some of the amazing scenery that Norway has to offer. In Ulvik we visited an apple farm that produced its own cider, and in the other ports we just explored independently – as we dock so close to the centre it’s easy to explore on foot and soak up the Norwegian vibe.
If you love nature and beautiful scenery, with the seasonal opportunity of potentially seeing the Northern Lights, then Norway is a great destination and better yet, sailing with Fred. Olsen Cruises allows you to visit lesser-known ports and explore authentic Norway without throngs of other passengers disembarking at the same time. There is entertainment onboard to suit many different age ranges, though school holidays may be more suitable for any younger children & teens as there is more family focused entertainment at these times. The large numbers of loyal customers who repeatedly sail with Fred. Olsen would echo their having recently scooped two titles at the UK Customer Experience Awards 2024, for ‘Best Customer Service’ and ‘Customers at the Heart of Everything.’ If you haven’t sailed with Fred. Olsen Cruises yet, then maybe it’s time to take an eye-opening journey with them like I just have – what a fantastic experience, onboard a beautiful ship.
You can find Kit in Thorpe Travel, Norwich. To find you local branch click here.
