Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Reviews 

My friend and I have made several trips on Balmoral and are never disappointed. From top to bottom all staff very helpful. Our cabin on deck 5 was great, looked after by Ritchie, very nice lady. In Ballindalloch restaurant Paul and Rohan gave excellent service to our table. Also Thistle restaurant staff very attentive.
Entertainment was very good, Show company gave excellent performances as well as boys and girls who performed in Observatory in the evening.
Visiting acts were good. All in all plenty for all aboard. Once more the CREW show was exceptional and much appreciated.
2nd July until 13th July 2026.

All staff are brilliant , friendly and courteous and nothing is too much trouble. There is always a smile accompanied my a greeting weather it is good morning or good afternoon

The staff were fantastic as usual the itinerary was changed from returning to Rosyth via the Irish sea and round the top of Scotland which has more enjoyable scenery than returning the same way English channel and North Sea where all you really see is Wind farms and redundant oil rigs. This was possibly a hidden fuel saving exercise as we sailed on one engine for some time and the maximum speed was around 10 knots since leaving Honfleur A bit disappointing but overall the cruise was enjoyable but could have been better if the first advertised itinerary had been followed.

Every thing was superb, Food, entertainment and staff, We did have a problem with a poor trip, which was dealt with promptly and correctly. Hope to be back soon.

The Balmoral ship was clean, the staff were wonderful and very helpful to the passengers on this trip who were in the main elderly and many with walking difficulties.
The food was great, as was the service. also the entertainment, talks etc were excellent.
One fault I would make is that in the past you were able to buy water at the gangway when going off the ship. I only found out when off the ship that water could be bought in the bars. There was no notification that I could see, and I strongly feel that that should be printed in the Daily Times paper.

A memorable cruise from start to finish. Luggage handlers were efficient and initial registration uneventful although times given did nor seem to be adhered to. Cabin was as described in brochure and always spotlessly cleaned. Food, service and restaurants exceptional, we shall certainly cruise with you again. thank you.

Caring friendly staff. Good to see staff involvement i.e. swimming relay race. Ship was beautiful, food was plentiful and well presented. Entertainment was above expectations and finally cabin was cosy, peaceful and a relaxing haven.

Everything and every staff member we had contact with

My wife and I went on the Norwegian tour in early July on Bolette. The standout point of our cruise was the attentiveness and efficiency of the entire staff. 'Would we take this tour again' and the answer is "unlikely" because of a couple of reasons which were self created. We only booked a few weeks before and we had (I think) 4 cabins to choose from on the ship. Our Evening dining time was 8.00pm, with no alternative, which was late for a couple of 80 year olds. The point of this was that we felt very tired for a considerable part of the cruise even though we are both physically fit people. The distance from venues seemed considerable which seemed to spoil things a little. The food was excellent but as you can image we ate very little food during the day. We have travelled with Fred Oleson previously and again found the communication and information provided to be of superior quality. Plenty of good sensible entertainment on board too. Geoff maiden

Life on board MV Balmoral was just wonderful!
The staff are all very friendly, helpful and attentive, you could not ask for better. The food was delicious and served with skill. The cabin was comfortable and well organised.
The only thing that let the overall experience down was the organised port tours. Only one was really enjoyable and one, an evening meal in Rouen at "La Couronne" was dreadful!
The lasting memory though is how nice it was on board Balmoral.

Such caring staff wonderful food and entertainment ideal for a mature traveller

I had a wonderful experience. The staff were amazing, food brilliant, entertainment great all and all fabulous time had by all.

The friendliness on board ship .it started on day one and just continued .the staff were exceptional .always available

Staff and service second to none

Great all round cruise. Food was super.

Smashing holiday. Lovely staff in all departments. Good entertainment. Good food. Great choice. No complaints at all

absolutely brilliant cruise, food and entertainment first class.A few minor quibbles but nearly all were outwith fred olsens hands. As usual the staff were what helped the cruise be so memorable.

Balmoral is a comfortable ship with plenty of restaurants and bars, but could do with more shelter from the sun n the sun decks. The staff were excellent and the food was very good.

Our cabin on the 6th floor while comfortable was shabby and in need of a refurb.

Overall we enjoyed our cruise and will cruise with Fred Olson again.

Really couldn't fault anything. The crew were excellent at their jobs, very polite, friendly and helpful. The food was wonderful, great menus and lots of choice. Our refurbished cabin was much improved . The entertainment was mostly excellent considering all tastes have to be catered for.

French Coastal & River Cities Cruise departing from Rosyth (2nd July to 14th July)

We really enjoyed our recent cruise although the heatwave was barely bearable on the trips. One specific trip was not in the least bit enjoyable and I am still trying to work out why there was a guide at all. Ideally I would have liked a full refund for it but I never heard back from the excursion desk.

A couple of constructive comments as an end user are:

Firstly, We had, I think it was called the freedom drinks package, and was most disappointed that there was no sparkling wine option. Sparkling wine (Cava or Prosecco) are not an expensive option, certainly no more expensive than the wines that were included in that particular package. Including an option like this could only make Fred Olsen that little bit more exclusive than other cruise companies.

Secondly, your choice of coffee served in the dining room and in the cabins. I don’t expect to be served instant coffee after a lovely meal. Surely real filter coffee (both regular and caffeine free) should be available. I asked for decaffeinated after dinner on the first night and was given a sachet of decaf instant coffee and a small pot of hot water. Quite disappointing. In the cabins I appreciate that the instant coffee is probably your only option unless you upgrade and supply the small Nespresso machines with the real coffee capsules (regular and decaf). I stress decaf as many people such as myself, and particularly your older guests may suffer from irregular heart rhythms and caffeine aggravates this condition. Also, instead of only milk sachets, some coffee cream capsules would be preferable.

There are certainly no complaints regarding your staff or the service they provide. Always friendly, approachable and helpful, but always professional. Exactly the reason guests return to enjoy cruises with your company again and again. It also is attractive that these cruises leave from a local Scottish port, ie Rosyth.

A little special touch would be, when visiting ports on the cruise, to provide a little golf buggy like vehicle to transport guests with mobility difficulties to and from ship to the trip buses. Often, due to water levels, it is not possible to use the gangway nearest the exit point on the dock.

All in all Fred Olsen provide the opportunity for guests to enjoy cruising holidays and I can highly recommend them to any potential guests.