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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Reviews 

14,146
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 9,110 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the friendly, helpful, and professional staff for their attentiveness and excellent service. Many reviewers highlight the high quality of the food, with extensive choices and exceptional dining. The overall holiday experience, including entertainment and organization, is frequently described as excellent and well-planned. However, some customers noted that excursions could be expensive with limited time at locations, and certain ports were less interesting. A few also felt food quality, particularly in buffets or regarding temperature, was occasionally inconsistent, and some mentioned ships showed signs of age.

What people talk about most

Staff

Consumers find staff to be positive, with many reviewers consistently praising the crew for being friendly,... See more

Service

Clients share positive opinions on service, with many reviewers consistently praising the courteous,... See more

Holidays

Reviewers mention positive feedback about holidays, with many expressing that they had a great or lovely time... See more

Quality

Customers consistently note positive experiences with quality, particularly praising the excellent food,... See more

Location

Customers had ambiguous experiences with location, with some finding the ports visited interesting and the... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't fault the company.Very courteous staff and nothing too much trouble. Outstanding evening shows. Lots daytime activities to choose from. Excellent waiting at tables on Borealis. Beds comfy a... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful friendly, helpful staff and crew at every level. Good food with plenty of selection, especially important for me as a vegetarian. Amazing entertainment, both in the evening at the thea... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

All crew friendly and curtious, food superb and choice extensive. Shore trips we did were well planned and reasonable value. Ship was superb (Bollette) - perfect size not too big. Entertainment of... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

8First time cruising with Fred Olsen and it was excellent. The Bolette is a lovely spacious ship. Lots of areas to eat, drink or relax in. A variety of onboard activities organised & self regulated.... See more


Company details

  1. Cruise Line Company

About Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Written by the company

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operates a fleet of three elegant, smaller-sized ships, Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral. The size of our ships allows us access to more interesting places, and means we can dock in the heart of some of the world’s most beautiful cities, and our itineraries are carefully crafted so that our guests travel to these amazing places at the very best time of year.

On board, Signature Experiences showcase the history, culture, nature and flavours of the destinations you will visit – from Itinerary Insights, where special guest speakers and local experts will host talks, workshops and demonstrations to provide a deeper understanding of the destinations, to Treats of the Region, where guests can enjoy local delicacies and learn how to create delicious regional dishes.

Plus, with each ship carrying 1,300 guests or less, our ships are small enough to offer a warm, friendly and personal service where nothing is ever too much trouble.

At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, we channel our 175 years of experience into making your holidays simply unforgettable by meticulously crafting our cruises to provide an experience that helps to create memorable journeys for our guests.

With sailings from five departure ports around the UK, your next Fred. Olsen cruise is closer than you think.


Contact info

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We channel 175 years of experience into making your cruise memorable.

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

14K reviews

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4.6

All reviews

(14,146)

8,830 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Another very relaxing experience

As always, the Balmoral staff were a credit to Fred Olsen. The food was well cooked and presented. Our restaurant waiters were excellent and I found the customer service staff very helpful. Faye, my cabin attendant, kept everything very clean and tidy.

19 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lovely staff

Lovely staff: hard working, helpful and friendly, many remember you from one cruise to the next.
Able to board at Rosyth. Excellent range of food, everything is very clean. If you mentioned a problem it is rectified quickly. The entertainment team and guest speakers and musicians are very good. We have been on many of Fred’s cruises and happy to recommend.

19 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Mountains & Waterfalls of the Norwegian Fjords

This was my first cruise and I'm glad I chose Fred Olsen. Sailing from Rosyth was so convenient for me and the Balmoral was the perfect size to explore. The thought of being on a huge ship doesn't appeal to me.
The staff were excellent, always smiling, always helpful and the food in all the restaurants was to a really high standard. Each night the cabin steward would leave a copy of the Daily News which highlights on board activities and the shore excursions taking place the next day. I booked my excursions through Fred Olsen and as a first time cruise traveller I'm glad I did. The excursions were very well organised with guides and transport provided and I would certainly do it this way again.
I couldn't fault anything about my trip, it exceeded all my expectations.

18 June 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous cruise!

Fabulous cruise! Hard to capture the beauty of the Norwegian fjords with a camera. Being able to take in the panorama from your open decks made sale ins and sale aways extra special. The food was too good :) and the service excellent. All the staff were so professional & friendly. We were so spoiled! Sailing on a smaller cruise ship was more personal and not having the crowds on board or in ports made such a difference.

28 June 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Already booked our 2nd cruise

Whilst I have nothing to compare this cruise to, this being our first cruise, I cannot fault anything. Everything from the moment we stepped on board to leaving, was spot on. The staff, the delicious food, the cleanliness, the entertainment and the ship itself were all wonderful. Guided tours were also spot on!

28 June 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5 star service throughout

Booking was very straightforward. Any queries we had prior to departure were dealt with very quickly by Customer Services. We loved our first cruise. Staff fantastic and so helpful. Always with a smile.
Food delicious and entertainment first class. Can't wait to book another cruise with Fred Olsen.

28 June 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great cruise

Entertainment was some of the best I have seen on a cruise ship. Staff were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them.

11 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyable cruise

Enjoyed the cruise from start to finish. Cabin, staff, food everything was excellent as were the four on shore excursions. Plenty to do when on board, and particularly enjoyed the three day art class and the evening entertainment .

11 July 2026

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