Scandinavian Waterways & Capitals – Fred. Olsen: Part 1

Scandinavian waterways

It’s cold up North. Especially, when the wind is blowing. But it is still a very friendly place to visit. We are in Newcastle on a messy murky day, grey and wet. The weather is what it is! A few feet from our car something is hopping from puddle to puddle clearly having a good time. Frog on the Tyne?

Balmoral - Fred Olsen Cruise Lines I don’t know many people called Fred in this world. Fred Flintstone, Fred Bassett and fiery Fred Trueman. Yet in the world of cruising Fred reigns supreme. Everyone knows Fred Olsen. “You must try a cruise with Fred. You are so missing a treat.” So here we are waiting to board his flagship Balmoral.

And as nature prepares for winter we are off travelling once more. Off again across the North Sea following in the footsteps of my favourite marauders – the Vikings. As long as we don’t have to travel Viking style, rowing, across the ocean then we are up for the trip. Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. Scandimania is this year’s buzzword. Beautiful people, high cheek-boned, blonde, attractive and stylish. And jaw dropping scenery. The majestic beauty of Scandinavia is the stuff of legends.

Balmoral - Fred Olsen Cruise Lines The welcome on board was warm and friendly and we were directed to our cabin by a charming young lady. Our cabin was spacious and light comprising of two single beds with a chest of drawers in the middle. A table and two chairs and masses of drawers. More drawers than in IKEA! Plenty of wardrobe space too which is always useful. A nice tidy and compact bathroom. Everything was spotless.

Toiletries were supplied by Cole and Lewis. I would have preferred separate shampoo and shower gel instead of a single bottle of hair and body wash – we did find that it didn’t lather very well. There was a big bundle of towels too. They were clean but hardly soft anymore having seen many sail days and spin washes. They were too small to cover your confusion. Designed to be okay for a 6st beanpole but no one any bigger. All minor irritations but nothing that would spoil the cruise.

Balmoral has 710 cabins sleeping a maximum 1350 passengers serviced by 510 crew. Six bars and lounges and lots of places, quiet and otherwise, to sit and relax. Ballindalloch is the main restaurant, Avon and Spey are much smaller more intimate and as we found they offered much better service from a wonderful group of staff.

Balmoral - Fred Olsen Cruise Lines It is always a bit of a lottery, who you get as dinner guests. But we were so lucky. Although here was an age gap between us and the other six table companions we all got on so well. So we had a superb first evening with much laughter and chat. A great start to the holiday. As the cruise progressed we looked forward with anticipation and pleasure to our evenings with Joan, Gerry, Gordon, Pat, Audrey and Ron.

We decided on an early night having been up at the crack of dawn earlier today. As they say early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and more likely to get a sunbed the next day.

A day at sea gave us chance to discover this fine ship. So what was on offer? Stretch and relax, pilates, dancing in a straight line and otherwise, port talks, guest speakers, singing for fun, yoga, legs bums and tums, bridge, whist, chess. So many board games that you would never get bored. Dolphin racing, deck quoits, fun bowls, golf, bingo, charades and craft classes. Happy Feet- not the film but a mud foot soak. Quizzes galore, remember knowledge is power. Karaoke which we didn’t participate in because we were saving ourselves for the ABBA museum visit. Everyday there was a walk a mile with a smile (and sore feet). The knit and natter corner was a popular venue. My nan was a great knitter and an even better natterer. She nattered a lot when knitting. The library was to be honest a bit naff having been spoilt by Saga Pearl II earlier this year. We couldn’t even be bothered going to the ultimate adrenaline rush that was bean bag tossing!

The lecture ‘Successful Ageing – The Science of Wellbeing’ by Robert Anderson was very good. Not a lot of science mainly just common sense and stating of the obvious. Exercise for 45 mins at least three times a week, plenty of quality sleep, keep your brain active and then hope for the best and pray that your number doesn’t get picked in the longevity lottery.

Special Offer for Silver Travellers – Save up to 10%

Save up to 10% when you book any holiday with Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines – and that’s on top of any current offers.

To book, sign-in as a Silver Travel member to see the code to quote at the bottom of the Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines page, and guidance on how to find your Silver Travel membership number. Find out more.

Silver Travel Advisor recommends Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

310 people found this helpful
18787

Share Article:

Dave Harcombe

Travelling pharmacist

Leave a comment

*

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Most Recent Articles

There’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the quintessential British coach holiday….

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.