Braemar now that much longer!

[Aplmac]

Braemar lengthening completed

 

3rd. July, 2008

 

====================

 

The lengthening project and refit of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' Braemar has been completed.

The 19,089gt vessel left Blohm+Voss Repair yard in Hamburg yesterday 31.2meters longer!

 

The ship is due to arrive in Southampton tomorrow

from where she will depart for her first cruise since makeover on July 13.

The ship will sail in the Mediterranean this summer until end October

and then move to the Caribbean through to April 2009.

 

The new midship section has increased Braemar's passenger capacity to 968.

In addition 18 new balconies have been installed and the Deck 8 Grampian restaurant has been newly created

and a new observatory lounge added.

Various other public areas have been rebuilt or renovated as well.

 

Braemar is the second cruise ship from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to be lengthened at Blohm+Voss Repair.

She follows the conversion of Balmoral between November 2007 and January of this year.

 

Braemar was built in 1993 as Crown Dynasty for Commodore Cruise Lines in Spain.

From 1994 she served with Cunard and was sold to Majesty Cruise Line in 1997 and cruised as Crown Majesty.

Fred. Olsen acquired the ship in 2001 and renamed it Braemar.

[merecat]

From what I read ,FO may be haveing regrets over his increase in capicity with the economic climate as it is.

[Miketap]

No sign of Braemar at Southampton and not yet listed on the Port Authority arrivals - hope its not another 'Balmoral episode'.

Mike

[Parsman]

I see from the Fred. Olsen website that the first cruise of the enlarged "Braemar" is now listed to sail from Southampton on July 13. Another over-optimistic estmate by the shipyard in Germany!

I wonder if they will be able to fill this larger capacity this Summer?

[Aplmac]

I wonder if they will be able to fill this larger capacity this Summer?

Do I smell cheap cruises being offered soon? :)

 

So many of these brave decisions were made 1-2 years ago

when the price of Oil was still sane.

Now it's a different picture.

[Guest Anorak33]

"Deck 8 Grampian restaurant has been newly created "

 

 

From my cruise on Balmoral I found the extra restaurants they created on there were for the suite passengers, I wonder if it will be the same on Braemar?

 

FO do seem to be trying to attract a "first class" element of suite passengers who enjoy some separate amenities and service to the steerage passengers in the regular cabins.

 

It is the suite passengers who are said to generate much of the profit for a crusie line, and that profit will be sorely needed in the next several years.

[gaelsail]

No sign of Braemar at Southampton and not yet listed on the Port Authority arrivals - hope its not another 'Balmoral episode'.

Braemar is listed as alongside (berth 104).

[merecat]

A certain web TA ,with a name not dissimilar to this one ,has Baemar July 24th, 14 nights Eastern Med.£699 across the board . Balmoral, 11th.July ,12nights ,Baltic ,£599 all cabins.

[merecat]

Braemar is in Southampton .

[MattyBarlow]

Wot the hell have FO done to the front of her!! Thats more like a cheap Greek ferry job!

[Guest Anorak33]

Having had a look at the second photo on the other thread on this forum about the lengthening I totally agree with you.

 

Braemar now looks ugly and unbalanced at the front, and I bet the windresistance is way up now as well. I expect the comfort in high winds and rough seas to be much reduced as the ship will be blown about more.

 

This is a truly awful thing to have done to poor Braemar.

[mufi]

F. O. are the worst of any we have sailed on for comfort in anything but calm seas. I don't think this stretch will improve matters in this.

 

No other cruise line stretches like Fred; sometimes I despare.

 

david.

[Aplmac]

Having had a look at the second photo on the other thread on this forum about the lengthening I totally agree with you.

 

Braemar now looks ugly and unbalanced at the front,

and I bet the wind resistance is way up now as well.

 

This is a truly awful thing to have done to poor Braemar.

Yes, I see what you mean.

Almost a cancerous growth on the forehead!

 

_____________________________________________

I took this shot of her while in St.Kitts, early Jan. '08

-before this recent alteration

 

..but she doesn't look like that any more, that's for sure!

 

Might be just as well that the first images of this new 'improvement' are small

to break us in gently! :D

[Aplmac]

Wot the hell have FO done to the front of her!! Thats more like a cheap Greek ferry job!

This wot you meant, Matt?

 

[petergoesrock]

She sure does look ugly, but I wonder what the view's like from up there?

[sweep]

We're off on Braemar tomorrow so I'll let you know what she's like from a passenger perspective. I agree she looks ugly. We first sailed on her as Crown Dynasty in the early nineties and she looked really good then. However I am looking forward to sitting in that observation lounge!

 

Sweep

[Aplmac]

She sure does look ugly,

but I wonder what the view's like from up there? ===> Prob. much the same?

I suspect this is a case of looking ugly from the outside IN

but not the other way around(duuhh).

 

If you look at the before shot,though

you'll notice there was already a glass wind-shield in place

so what it seems they've done is just make that a good bit more substantial.

 

It looks like they've added a whole chunk of Deck on top, but I doubt it.

(Maybe they have?)

 

Regardless, the end result is not pleasing to the eye.

[sweep]

Just back from the inaugural 'stretch' cruise on Braemar. Even the Captain announced at the farewell party that she was sailing unfinished.

 

When we boarded we were given a letter stating that because of bad weather in the UK the outside decks were unfinished and could not be used until the next day. We were given free drinks and £50obc. However deck 8 was not opened until the end of the second day at sea and the sun deck remained closed for the whole duration of our 11 day cruise as did parts of deck 5. Carpets were being laid around us, painting going on, problems with plumbing and air conditioning. It was like being on a building site at sea. When you were able to go outside you got covered in smuts from the exhaust. The final straw was when they were doing something to the water in the swimming pools and all the cabins on decks 7 and 6 were flooded. Some people were flown home!

 

Must go now to complete my letter to Fred Olsen. They really should not have set sail with the ship so far from being finished.

 

 

Sweep:mad:

[sweep]

Forgot to mention the observation lounge. It was empty nearly all the time because it was much too hot. The air conditioning was not working in there and the sun was shining in so it became unbearable. This is really a shame because it has the potential of being really lovely. We tried it a few times but it was only bearable after dark and so, of course, you couldn't see anything!!!!

[ukcrusing]

totally echo your comments Sweep, it was like sailing on a building site, just about finished getting the dust off all my clothes, and the sound of sanding out of my ears. First time on FO, and i fear the last :(

[Aplmac]

totally echo your comments Sweep,

it was like sailing on a building site, just about finished getting the dust off all my clothes,

and the sound of sanding out of my ears.

First time on FO, and I fear the last :( ===> Can't blame you!!

What a disaster!

 

What were they thinking?

Were they thinking?

 

 

It's difficult to undo awful memories of that sort

particularly having your cabin flooded and then having to be flown home?? :eek:

[Dinkey]

totally echo your comments Sweep, it was like sailing on a building site, just about finished getting the dust off all my clothes, and the sound of sanding out of my ears. First time on FO, and i fear the last :(

 

 

Hi,

 

My friends have just returned from the Breamar heard 66 passangers flown home. I had heard from staff on the Balmoral in May that it would not be ready to sail, how right they were. Don't let this put you off Fred Olsen we had a wonderful cruise Eastern Med in May. Unfortunatley, Fred Olsen did not take on board the problems of the Balmoral earlier in the year.

 

Guess the words 'money' & 'profit' spring to mind!!

[Aplmac]

Fred Olsen rolls out interactive TV to Braemar

7th. August 2008

 

=========================================

 

Fred. Olsen is rolling out an interactive TV service on board recently refitted and lengthened Braemar

following the successful introduction of the Allin Interactive service on Balmoral in February.

Allin is providing a service personalised to Fred. Olsen, branded FOi (Fred. Olsen Interactive).

 

Passengers can investigate future cruises, shore excursions and cabin shopping.

They can place orders from their cabin for breakfast room service,

wine with dinner or duty free shopping, and order a film, book excursions or book another cruise.

FOi on board Balmoral has reduced queues at the shore tours desk and future cruise sales office, notes the UK cruise line,

although those who prefer a face-to-face experience can still make their bookings in person.

 

In due course there are plans to offer this service across the whole fleet!

[sweep]

Fred Olsen rolls out interactive TV to Braemar

7th. August 2008

 

=========================================

 

Fred. Olsen is rolling out an interactive TV service on board recently refitted and lengthened Braemar

following the successful introduction of the Allin Interactive service on Balmoral in February.

Allin is providing a service personalised to Fred. Olsen, branded FOi (Fred. Olsen Interactive).

 

Passengers can investigate future cruises, shore excursions and cabin shopping.

They can place orders from their cabin for breakfast room service,

wine with dinner or duty free shopping, and order a film, book excursions or book another cruise.

FOi on board Balmoral has reduced queues at the shore tours desk and future cruise sales office, notes the UK cruise line,

although those who prefer a face-to-face experience can still make their bookings in person.

 

In due course there are plans to offer this service across the whole fleet!

 

 

Don't hold your breath aplmac - they had this on Braemar and it didn't work! It slowly improved during the duration of our cruise but you couldn't order room service or ship's tours. However you could check your bill and select films but that was about it.

 

 

Sweep