Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Did you know what Fred are up to ??

simonpjd

By simonpjd,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

Recommended Posts

simonpjd

simonpjd

Posted
Posted

Just a quick one saying that I think Fred Olsen have some people there who are right on the ball (and occasionally not).

 

On the Ball

1 Three of their ships are now booked to go on a special 'Total Eclipse' cruise. They tried one and it sold out in a day ! No cheap fares. Just a ship with some astrological experts and a route that will mean they are right there for the eclipse. As far as I know, no other line has done this.

2 Restarted their winter fly Caribbean trips. And these are different to the P&O equivalent as they have small ships and the route is fantastic stopping as small great little ports.

 

Not on the Ball

1 The Cruise on telly. The series has been a bit of a PR disaster for them. They gave up editorial control and Balmoral does not come across too well on its world cruise.

 

Interesting though. Maybe P&O could learn a thing or two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
davecttr

davecttr

Posted
Posted
Just a quick one saying that I think Fred Olsen have some people there who are right on the ball (and occasionally not).

 

On the Ball

1 Three of their ships are now booked to go on a special 'Total Eclipse' cruise. They tried one and it sold out in a day ! No cheap fares. Just a ship with some astrological experts and a route that will mean they are right there for the eclipse. As far as I know, no other line has done this.

2 Restarted their winter fly Caribbean trips. And these are different to the P&O equivalent as they have small ships and the route is fantastic stopping as small great little ports.

 

Not on the Ball

1 The Cruise on telly. The series has been a bit of a PR disaster for them. They gave up editorial control and Balmoral does not come across too well on its world cruise.

 

Interesting though. Maybe P&O could learn a thing or two.

 

ASTRONOMICAL none of that astrology mumbo jumbo

 

I hope the weather will be OK and they actually get to the eclipse zone on time. I think there was a similar cruise where they managed to miss the eclipse for no valid reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
berkshireboy

berkshireboy

Posted
Posted
Just a quick one saying that I think Fred Olsen have some people there who are right on the ball (and occasionally not).

 

On the Ball

1 Three of their ships are now booked to go on a special 'Total Eclipse' cruise. They tried one and it sold out in a day ! No cheap fares. Just a ship with some astrological experts and a route that will mean they are right there for the eclipse. As far as I know, no other line has done this.

2 Restarted their winter fly Caribbean trips. And these are different to the P&O equivalent as they have small ships and the route is fantastic stopping as small great little ports.

 

Not on the Ball

1 The Cruise on telly. The series has been a bit of a PR disaster for them. They gave up editorial control and Balmoral does not come across too well on its world cruise.

 

Interesting though. Maybe P&O could learn a thing or two.

 

Hi simonpjd

 

The first cruise company to spot the opportunity of the total eclipse was not Fred Olsen but Cruise & Maritime who are positioning the Marco Polo for the event. This cruise sold quickly and Voyages of Discovery then added the Voyager [on which we are booked]. This cruise also sold out within a week and that is when Fred got interested and now has three ships involved. :) [We were actually on the Braemar when she added this cruise to her itinery]

 

I just hope that the weather is clear [unlikely], and that none of the large cruise ships turn up to block the view for us little 'uns.

 

Turning to you second point I think it was best explained by Fred Olsen themselves – “It is important to note that the focus of “The Cruise: A Life At Sea' series is the Chaplain. The series was commissioned by the BBC's Religion and Ethics Department, under the premise of taking its hugely popular Island Parish series to sea, and as such 'The Cruise: A Life At Sea' is about the Chaplain's life on board, who he comes to meet and the activities that he undertakes in the course of his travels.”

 

Having said that I think the series, as it has progressed, has done Fred much more good than harm. My sister in law and her husband – both just turned 50 and lifelong P&O cruisers are thinking of giving Fred a go as a result of the programme.

 

berkshireboy

Link to comment
Share on other sites
berkshireboy

berkshireboy

Posted
Posted
Voyages of Discovery scheduled a Spitzbergen & Eclipse cruise in the arctic in 2007. I was booked on it, but we cancelled when they took Spitzbergen off the itinerary. They saw the eclipse, though.

 

Hi dsrdsrdsr

 

We have booked Spitsbergen next year on Fred. It appears that cruises up there will start to be resricted from 2015, for environmental reasons, so thought we ought to tick it off the bucket list sooner rather than later! :)

 

berkshireboy

Link to comment
Share on other sites
soobs

soobs

Posted
Posted

Have to agree although I felt compelled to watch each week my OH moaned all the way through how boring it looked and I would worry that there not many people would be on board in our age group (mid 50's)

Do like the sounds of the Caribbean cruises though but think I will have to stick to P & O as the age group and being able to take drink on board pips most cruise lines to the post

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jeanlyon

jeanlyon

Posted
Posted

Having done a very enjoyable Fred cruise on the Braemar, I don't think you can watch this programme and make a decision based on it. I thought it was downright boring at times, didn't show what went on on a cruise at all. They should have named it "Vicar at Sea" and then nobody would have thought anything of it.

 

All these people going on about their incapacities, illnesses, homesickness - didn't bear any resemblance to my Fred cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Winkster

Winkster

Posted
Posted
Having done a very enjoyable Fred cruise on the Braemar, I don't think you can watch this programme and make a decision based on it.

 

People do though!

 

I'd just got back from my first cruise (on Aurora) when the show aired.

 

Luckily, the series aired AFTER my cruise. There's no way you'd have ever got me on a cruise if I'd have soon the programme first!!

 

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonpjd

simonpjd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

All I can say is that we did a Balmoral trip to Spitzbergen and it was fantastic. Atmosphere on board is excellent. Food, entertainment and service as good as P&O. If you liked Artemis then Balmoral is very similar. Yes the average age is older - but they have more 'get up and go' than most of the loungers I saw on Oriana last month !

But if I had seen the series before going I would never have booked with Fred.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
annieuk

annieuk

Posted
Posted

Our first cruise - fly cruise to the Caribbean back in 2003 - was nothing like the TV programme - think I might have been put off too if I'd seen it beforehand. It's interesting to go over to the Fred Olsen board and see what comments have been made there by the people who cruise on FO most often. Quite a few of the comments show that some cruisers thought it did FO harm when it came to new passengers thinking about booking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonpjd

simonpjd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The Braemar on Jan 15th 2015. Not on the web site yet but call your TA or Fred direct for details. It looks fantastic - 2 weeks calling at about 10 very small ports where the big boys cannot go. Word is that it is selling fast. Just heard that all plane spaces from Gatwick have sold and a few from Manchester still available. All suites and balconies sold out. It was first made available to 'previous Fred passengers' last week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonpjd

simonpjd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sorry to keep banging on about it but really.

The Braemar caribbean cruise is SOLD OUT - it would have gone on general sale tomorrow. An identical cruise has been quickly arranged for 26th Jan.

P&O watch and learn.

Get Adonia doing same thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marmaduke

Marmaduke

Posted
Posted
Sorry to keep banging on about it but really.

The Braemar caribbean cruise is SOLD OUT - it would have gone on general sale tomorrow. An identical cruise has been quickly arranged for 26th Jan.

P&O watch and learn.

Get Adonia doing same thing.

 

Adonia is doing a series of Caribbean Fly Cruises in January- March 2015 and they appear to be selling well. Many of the cabin categories on the Amazon cruise are already sold out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...