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Pugwash123
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I received an email from Feefo yesterday asking me to rate our latest Fred Olsen cruise and I assumed that this was a survey similar to the one we received when we first returned. Had I known my reply was to be published as a review I would have spent more time over completing the survey and made many more comments than I did. The Feefo reviews are accessed via the Fred Olsen website and it appears that all submitted reviews are published be they good or bad. I have also noticed that I appear to be out of step with other reviewers and wonder if I am expecting too much from what is a 3 star cruise line.Has anyone else been asked to complete one of these surveys?

 

Pugwash123

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I do not consider Fred to be a 3* cruise line. In comparison to some cruises we have been on on P&O and Cunard, I would rate Fred 4* at least...much better food and customer service.

 

 

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I entirely agree that Fred is better than P&O but cannot comment on Cunard as the last time we sailed with Cunard was in the early nineties. The Berlitz rating for all Fred's ships is 3 star as is that for all P&O ships. We have cruised with Fred (always Braemar) for many years now and have seen a general decline in the Fred Olsen experience to such an extent that we have tried other cruise lines such as P&O, Celebrity and Viking Oceans. Unfortunately my wife loves Braemar so I always end up coming back Fred even though I see my friends getting better value for money on other lines.

 

Pugwash123

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I also did a Feefo review and I didn't realise this would be published on the Fred Olsen website, not that I mind about that. I would say Fred Olsen is a 3*+, not quite as good as P&O. Braemar was our first ship back in 2003. Since then we have been on Black Watch and this last summer back on Braemar. Apart from one cruise on Cunard the rest of our cruises have been with P&O and have been on all their current fleet apart from Britannia. I enjoyed our Braemar cruise but missed certain things that I've got used to on P&O. One has to accept that on a smaller ship there is not going to be as many different things on offer that a larger ship can produce. I knew that when we went back on Braemar. I did miss the different things that are available on board - more choice of different places to eat, the availability of a late lunch when we returned from a morning excursion after lunch time - a greater variety of things to do on a sea day. Added to this, and again inevitable on a smaller ship, the size of the cabins and more importantly the cost of the cabins. We had what they call a Balcony Suite which in fact is about the size of a normal balcony cabin on P&O which doesn't cost as much. On the plus side the food on Braemar was good but then we've had some great meals on P&O. I like the fact that on P&O for breakfast and lunch we can choose whether to go to the buffet or to the main restaurant with waiter service. On Braemar there is the Palms Cafe, which is the buffet, or to one of the two restaurants which offers waiter service and buffet together which I really didn't like, too many people all moving around and some people at our table having waiter service and some choosing to go to the buffet which meant people were getting up and down all the time while waiters were trying to serve.

I would go on Fred Olsen again but only for a short cruise - not longer than a week. I do like what they offer but I suppose in the end I like what P&O offer more, and for a much better price.

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Just off Balmoral and I too would rate it as 3*. Cundard 5* (not the food) P&O 4*. Breakfast is as already said, a farce. Sat waiting ages to be served then slowly realized it's a trick to make you give in and go and get it yourself. They should just make it self service instead of pretending. Coffee was disgusting as it is on all ships, much prefer a jar of Nescafe. Tea was no better. Paradoxically the UHT milk was putrid and undrinkable. I know fresh milk is a huge problem but at most 2 sea days, fresh milk keeps a couple of days, cost? I know I know.

Food though was good as was service disallowing for earlier remarks. My big whinge was the cabin, deck 4. When approaching a port (often early hours when you are fast asleep) the ship will reduce engine revolutions to reduce speed and this starts the shakes rattles and vibrations to such an extent that sleep is impossible. The bolted down single beds were poor, sloping sideways, had to pull mattress away from the wall and stuff the cushions between to give me room.The ship is old and tired. The bathroom had erratic hot water with very poor flow through the tap, I did actually pee faster, I put the kettle under the tap while I .... and beat it. There were chips to the sink through to rusty metal and silicone beads on top of silicone beads. I really don't understand why Fred Olsen have such loyal customers, never heard a bad word about them even though they are more expensive than others. Not much ballroom dancing, one hour a night split between the orchestra (painfully slow Waltzzzzzzzzz) and then 10 minute wait until the CD's are found(every night!). So 50 minutes not an hour.

Unprofessional and embarrassing noon announcement from Captain, "it is what it is, wash wash wash".

Fred Olsen?, not for me.

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Just off Balmoral and I too would rate it as 3*. Cundard 5* (not the food) P&O 4*. Breakfast is as already said, a farce. Sat waiting ages to be served then slowly realized it's a trick to make you give in and go and get it yourself. They should just make it self service instead of pretending. Coffee was disgusting as it is on all ships, much prefer a jar of Nescafe. Tea was no better. Paradoxically the UHT milk was putrid and undrinkable. I know fresh milk is a huge problem but at most 2 sea days, fresh milk keeps a couple of days, cost? I know I know.

Food though was good as was service disallowing for earlier remarks. My big whinge was the cabin, deck 4. When approaching a port (often early hours when you are fast asleep) the ship will reduce engine revolutions to reduce speed and this starts the shakes rattles and vibrations to such an extent that sleep is impossible. The bolted down single beds were poor, sloping sideways, had to pull mattress away from the wall and stuff the cushions between to give me room.The ship is old and tired. The bathroom had erratic hot water with very poor flow through the tap, I did actually pee faster, I put the kettle under the tap while I .... and beat it. There were chips to the sink through to rusty metal and silicone beads on top of silicone beads. I really don't understand why Fred Olsen have such loyal customers, never heard a bad word about them even though they are more expensive than others. Not much ballroom dancing, one hour a night split between the orchestra (painfully slow Waltzzzzzzzzz) and then 10 minute wait until the CD's are found(every night!). So 50 minutes not an hour.

Unprofessional and embarrassing noon announcement from Captain, "it is what it is, wash wash wash".

Fred Olsen?, not for me.

 

We have only ever sailed on Braemar, which is a ship my wife loves, but like Balmoral it is an old ship which has been showing its age for some time now. I have tried bigger ships, P&O and Celebrity but my wife doesn't like them. We have also tried Viking Ocean which didn't suit either, so I have ended up paying over the odds to cruise with Fred for our golden wedding anniversary in 2018. I am now looking at SAGA four our 2019 cruise, it is more expensive but it looks to be a better product.

 

Pugwash123

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