What do you want to know about Balmoral?

[wlc832mycruise]

I understand Avon Restaurant and Spey Restaurant are not specialty restaurants so how are they utilized? Can you request assigned seating in these restaurant for dinner instead of the main restaurant?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi. They all serve the same food, same menus, and tables are assigned at the beginning of each cruise. It's just a way to handle all the passengers. Avon and Spey, which are quite similar in decor (very pretty, sleek, contemporary) offer a different ambience, more like an alternative restaurant than a cruise ship dining room. But, again, the food's the same. And the actual ship's dining room -- the one that looks more traditional -- is lovely if a tad dated.

 

CSB

 

 

I understand Avon Restaurant and Spey Restaurant are not specialty restaurants so how are they utilized? Can you request assigned seating in these restaurant for dinner instead of the main restaurant?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Sorry for taking so long (my spa menu got tucked way way way back in the bottom of my suitcase!). Here are some examples:

 

facial: 66 GBP (60 minutes)

reflexology: 33 GBP (30 minutes)

detoxifying mud therapy: 55 GBP (60 minutes)

manicure: 20 GBP (30 minutes)

shampoo/set: 20 GBP

 

Just a few examples.

 

CSB

[Guest SarahMichael]

We are on our first cruise on the Balmoral in April.

Not sure the general age group but we are in our 40's.

My husband who says "he looks good in anything!" - (& dresses like a rainbow!) is refusing to take a jacket! I may be able to sneak in a tie but he generally wears smart trousers & short sleeve shirts in the evening.

Can someone give me an idea of the dress code & type of evenings available please? What is a formal evening? etc etc

I am beginning to dread this after reading some threads! We are hoping to chill out, eat when we're hungry, see as much as possible, snorkel, scuba dive, take some excursions on speedboats, catamarans & such like & relax in our BA cabin. Will it happen??? or will it be a trip planned with military precision, where we are told what to wear & are woken up by the captains tannoy every morning???.

 

Help!:eek:

[wlc832mycruise]

Thanks for your prompt reply. Now I think I understand that the purpose of Avon and Apey restaurant are to handle the passengers that cannot all be seated in the main restaurant. If this correct then should I request a table for two in either Avon or Apey restaurant now or should I wait until after boarding. Thank you.

[seagoingJLW]

I sailed on the ship when it was the Cunard Crown Odyssey. At that time it was considered a fairly large ship. Mid sized were the old Ocean Pearl and the old Ocean Princess (Pearl Cruise Line and Ocean Cruise Line) both of which were friendly and a lot of fun.

 

The Cunard Crown Odyssey had one failing that I well remember. There was no place to sit outside the dining room. The lobby there would get crowded with people waiting for the doors to open. I hope that has changed.

[bigted]

Not been on Balmoral yet but have been on several other Fred Olsen Cruises. Your husband will be ok on casual nights in smart trousers and shirt but will be expected to wear tie OR jacket on informal and a dark suit or dinner jacket/black tie on formal nights if you want to eat in the main restaurant. I suggest slipping a tie in the suitcase just incase.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I'm a bit late to this thread, but a few historical points to clear up:

 

Linda-E - ROYAL ODYSSEY was a different ship. There were two, but the one that was in service in 1995 is now ALBATROS with German cruise line Phoenix Reisen.

 

seagoingJLW - CROWN ODYSSEY was never a Cunard ship. Perhaps you are thinking of CROWN DYNASTY, which was chartered to Cunard from 1993 to 1997. She is also now with Fred. Olsen, as BRAEMAR.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, I'd definitely suggest you reserve beforehand if you can -- there was a big long line onboard day of embarkation for people trying to get a table and two-tops are particularly in demand.

 

Also, if there's a shore excursion you have your heart set on, trust me and book it in advance if possible. By the first day of our cruise (after day of embark) all the good ones were sold old (alas, all the good ones meaning the ones I wanted) and I was out of luck.

 

CSB

 

 

Thanks for your prompt reply. Now I think I understand that the purpose of Avon and Apey restaurant are to handle the passengers that cannot all be seated in the main restaurant. If this correct then should I request a table for two in either Avon or Apey restaurant now or should I wait until after boarding. Thank you.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Nope, that one thing hasn't really changed, people still queue up before dinner! Didn't seem to be a big problem, though (and I'd just wait another five minutes and then go on in without waiting)!

 

CSB

 

 

I sailed on the ship when it was the Cunard Crown Odyssey. At that time it was considered a fairly large ship. Mid sized were the old Ocean Pearl and the old Ocean Princess (Pearl Cruise Line and Ocean Cruise Line) both of which were friendly and a lot of fun.

 

The Cunard Crown Odyssey had one failing that I well remember. There was no place to sit outside the dining room. The lobby there would get crowded with people waiting for the doors to open. I hope that has changed.

[Chippy71]

Just back from Eastern Caribbean,03.03.08-14.03.08,on Balmoral.The drink prices are reasonable,pint of Stella£2.35,half pint Stella £1.20,Bitter Lemon 55p,Diet Pepsi 95p,Glass House Rose' £2.80,bottle House Rose' £10.75,Bucks Fizz £3.10,Warres Otima £2.30,Post Tonic 95p,Baileys £2.30,Whisky £2.00,Ginger 55p,House White Wine £2.80. Both of the house wines were nice.

 

SarahMichael,do not worry about dressing up for you have the option but NO SHORTS for evening dinner times, you will be told in your Fred Olsen paper work what you can wear.You will be able to "chill out" as you put it,or there are plenty of other things to do. The wife and I were so busy that we never really got to sun bathe on deck,the exercise kept our weight down from eating so much good food, it is up to you entirely.If your husband did need a dinner suit then he can get a cheap one from M&S,Asda or Matalan who also sell the dress shirts and bow ties,complete outfit for less than £70.00.These are good value for the money.

 

wlc83mycruise,because we needed a table for six after our friends decided to change to first sitting with us and the tables had already been allocated we had to use the Avon restaurant on level 10 and found it to be a very light and comfortable area with very good waiters,in fact I think we all preferred the Avon restuarant to the others.

I hope this is of help to you both. Roy

[renie smit]

Noticed lots of requests for photographs of Balmoral, try *****

[Chippy71]

You can also try www.magwa.co.uk/balmoral/balmoralphoto.htm Roy.

[Chippy71]

Just ckecked www.***** and saw some nice pictures by PamM. When you are on travelserver you need to click on "Balmoral Images - Malcolm@cruisepage Posted 03-16-2008". Next click on Photo Gallery under "Community" on left of page,click on "Ships Gallery-images of ships currently in service" and then click on Showing all Albums in system for "PamM" and take it from there. Our cabin was in the new section on level 4 and had a different lay out to PamM's. Roy

[Guest SarahMichael]

Just back from Eastern Caribbean,03.03.08-14.03.08,on Balmoral.The drink prices are reasonable,pint of Stella£2.35,half pint Stella £1.20,Bitter Lemon 55p,Diet Pepsi 95p,Glass House Rose' £2.80,bottle House Rose' £10.75,Bucks Fizz £3.10,Warres Otima £2.30,Post Tonic 95p,Baileys £2.30,Whisky £2.00,Ginger 55p,House White Wine £2.80. Both of the house wines were nice.

 

SarahMichael,do not worry about dressing up for you have the option but NO SHORTS for evening dinner times, you will be told in your Fred Olsen paper work what you can wear.You will be able to "chill out" as you put it,or there are plenty of other things to do. The wife and I were so busy that we never really got to sun bathe on deck,the exercise kept our weight down from eating so much good food, it is up to you entirely.If your husband did need a dinner suit then he can get a cheap one from M&S,Asda or Matalan who also sell the dress shirts and bow ties,complete outfit for less than £70.00.These are good value for the money.

 

wlc83mycruise,because we needed a table for six after our friends decided to change to first sitting with us and the tables had already been allocated we had to use the Avon restaurant on level 10 and found it to be a very light and comfortable area with very good waiters,in fact I think we all preferred the Avon restuarant to the others.

I hope this is of help to you both. Roy

 

thank you chippy...... Hubby has suits galore including the DJ's BUT says these are for business day to day wear & does not intend to carry them in a suitcase for a summer holiday !!!! Men!

I think we will opt for the casual status on the cruise, enjoy the excursions - do some swimming/snorkelling/diving & just enjoy waking up every day in a different country without having to pack & unpack... That's what I like the sound of.....

[Guest Anorak33]

Maureen

thanks for your reply - very helpful and informative. My husband is very relieved not to have to be taking a jacket and tie -and so am I - appart from anything else it gives me more space for clothes!

Netty

 

 

 

I think you may have misunderstood - it is only on CASUAL nights that a jacket or tie is not required.

 

Other nights you NEED a jacket and/or a tie and on formal nights a business suit or tux.

 

So your husband MUST take a jacket and tie and suit or tux or EAT IN THE BUFFET at dinner on all nights EXCEPT CASUAL.

[Enchantica]

Hi all

just a quick few comments/replies to a few questions about the Balmoral - sorry - still jet lagged after our delays etc so I'm not going to quote the earlier messages. I'll do a proper review when I've had a bit of sleep.

 

To the person who asked about the average age on board ship - I'd say 70+ There were people onboard in our age group (47) and younger but not many at all. There were also a few young children on board. Most people we spoke to of our own age group were very dissapointed as the entertainment was geared up to the older generation. Actually, lots of the older generation weren't impressed either!

 

Spey and Avon restaurants - I'm not certain but I believe that higher grades of cabin are allocated these rather than the main restaurant. We were on deck 9 and were in the Avon.

 

Regarding the wearing of Jackets - I asked about this before we went as my husband HATES wearing a jacket - and the reply was that they were needed on every night appart from casual nights. I can confirm that he wasnt expected to wear a jacket on casual or smart casual nights so this wasnt an issue at all.

 

You might also be interested to know that (contrary to what Olsen told us a few days before we went) there WAS a premium cabin on the flight to and from Stansted. We arrived shortly after check in opened and asked for leg room seats but were told non were available. We were issued our seats but were very pleasantly surprised to be called forward at the boarding gate and had our tickets re-issued and upgraded (at no cost) to the premium cabin. I'm not sure what the criteria was for getting this upgrade though. Maybe we were just pleasant and happy and one of the first to ask!

 

Hope this is helpful! If you have any more questions I'll be happy to answer them. I'm pretty new to this site - if there's somewhere where I can do a full review I'll do that as soon as I've caught up on some sleep!

 

Netty

[Magwa]

We were allocated Spey and on deck 5, tablemates were deck 5 and table alongside were deck 3. Friend on deck 6 was allocated Ballindalloch, so maybe just pot-luck.

 

Not all aircraft have premium seating, so easier to say there isn't any I guess instead of saying there is and getting upset passengers when the allocated aircraft of the day doesn't have any.

[Guest SarahMichael]

Thanks Netty for the info...... I am going to pack jackets etc just in case...our travel agent has not been too good so we are lacking a lot of information.... someone mentioned the A-Z we never had a copy....also we are flying CO airlines & don't even know weight limit!

 

We are off on Thursday morning..... don't ask about the flights... that has been disastrous as well. We were told it was direct to Miami, now that we have receved a printout (not tickets )it is via Newark!

 

Let's hope Fred Olsen is more organised that the travel agent......

 

A question..... does anyone know if there is a DVD or CD system in the cabin???

 

Thanks

 

Hi all

just a quick few comments/replies to a few questions about the Balmoral - sorry - still jet lagged after our delays etc so I'm not going to quote the earlier messages. I'll do a proper review when I've had a bit of sleep.

 

To the person who asked about the average age on board ship - I'd say 70+ There were people onboard in our age group (47) and younger but not many at all. There were also a few young children on board. Most people we spoke to of our own age group were very dissapointed as the entertainment was geared up to the older generation. Actually, lots of the older generation weren't impressed either!

 

Spey and Avon restaurants - I'm not certain but I believe that higher grades of cabin are allocated these rather than the main restaurant. We were on deck 9 and were in the Avon.

 

Regarding the wearing of Jackets - I asked about this before we went as my husband HATES wearing a jacket - and the reply was that they were needed on every night appart from casual nights. I can confirm that he wasnt expected to wear a jacket on casual or smart casual nights so this wasnt an issue at all.

 

You might also be interested to know that (contrary to what Olsen told us a few days before we went) there WAS a premium cabin on the flight to and from Stansted. We arrived shortly after check in opened and asked for leg room seats but were told non were available. We were issued our seats but were very pleasantly surprised to be called forward at the boarding gate and had our tickets re-issued and upgraded (at no cost) to the premium cabin. I'm not sure what the criteria was for getting this upgrade though. Maybe we were just pleasant and happy and one of the first to ask!

 

Hope this is helpful! If you have any more questions I'll be happy to answer them. I'm pretty new to this site - if there's somewhere where I can do a full review I'll do that as soon as I've caught up on some sleep!

 

Netty

[Magwa]

The A-Z is available on and downloadable from FOCL's website; however it does not appear to have been updated for Balmoral

http://www.fredolsencruises.com/about-cruising/atoz-holiday-cruise-guide/category/A

 

I photo'd the in-cabin binder [some pages not too clear], which is at

http://public.fotki.com/Magwa/cruising/balmoral-2008/balmoralmisc/passengerinformation/

 

CO's baggage limits are here

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/check.aspx

basically 2 Checked Bags: with each being a Maximum 50 lbs (23 kg) and 62 linear inches (157 cm) (total length + width + height).

 

DVD/CD Players are only in the suites.

Have a great cruise

[cidsid]

Miami Airport was an absolute nightmare taking well over 2.1/2 to get through Customs & Immigration.

 

The M S Balmoral & Fred. Olsen Cruise experiance was the `ONE FROM HELL' that we never wish to repeat again! Terrible value for money

Carolyn,

 

Will be interested to hear how passengers flying in from the Uk found the immigration proceedure at Miami and how long it took to get through to the coaches. Originally the flights were going to land at Ft.lauderdale, Hollywood airport, but this appears not to be.

 

Looking forward to your Blog, I see Peter Knego is doing a blog as well, communications permitting.

 

Bon Voyage

 

Chris

[PaulaB2]

Can anyone tell me what its like as a single female on the cruise ships? I tend to travel solo and prefer it so I don't want to share a cabin. I have fancied a cruise but have only just found that FO has single cabins, so for 2010 I am thinking of a 14 night cruise any advise?

[Astorwriter]

Okay, silly question but it has been bugging me...I will be on a 12-day cruise with the Balmoral and I was wondering how is housekeeping done? Do we clean and keep our own spaces clean or does someone come in? Who cleans the bathroom? How often? I'm not a clean freak, but I like my spaces tidy.

 

Charlotte :cool:

[cidsid]

Hi

The Cabin Stewardess on the `Balmoral' was excellent, with daily cleaning and great attention to all details was absolutely `First Class' but unfortunately this proved to be the only good thing about this Ship and the Cruise and we would never again book with Fred. Olsen Cruises ! Do hope that You however, have a much nicer experiance, Good Luck!

[Astorwriter]

Hi

The Cabin Stewardess on the `Balmoral' was excellent, with daily cleaning and great attention to all details was absolutely `First Class' but unfortunately this proved to be the only good thing about this Ship and the Cruise and we would never again book with Fred. Olsen Cruises ! Do hope that You however, have a much nicer experiance, Good Luck!

 

What kind of problems did you have? :(

 

Charlotte

(first timer -- not yet gone...)