| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
 maureen from pembrokeshire sailed on Fred Olsen Braemar with
victoria travel
on a couples holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5
2005 |
maureen
rated the Fred Olsen Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness |  | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment |  |
| maureen said: Just returned from a Baltic cruise with parents and husband. Victoria travel had chartered the Braemar from Fred Olsen for a 11 night cruise from Dover to Amsterdam,through the Kiel canal, Karlskrona, Stockholm, Talinn, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen then back to Dover.The ports were very interesting, especially Talinn and St. Petersburg where we visited the ballet[ Swan Lake] and the Hermitage.Went on three trips in St. Petersburg as to travel independently you need a visa. Too much hassle to obtain and you miss out on the guides who are very knowledgeable.In the other ports we just wandered around on our own.The ship was smaller than the Black Watch but the food and staff were excellent. We were sometimes wondering what to do in the daytime when at sea as there isn't a lot on if you don't like quizzes or Bingo. The port talks were very informative but I think they were from Victoria travel not Fred Olsen so I don't know if you'd get them normally. We had some guest speakers from Antiques roadshow and Gardeners World and they were very entertaining. I would sail on this ship again but preferably to the Med so I could sunbathe in between port visits. |
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Jeff Burgess from Leamington Spa sailed on Fred Olsen Braemar with
Fred Olsen
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 1
2005 |
Jeff Burgess
rated the Fred Olsen Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew |  | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Jeff Burgess said: We had two weeks in the Carribean flying from Manchester to join the ship in Barbados. The Braemar attracts older travellers but is excellent on all counts. Going to the Carribean is an ideal way to get some winter sun. Some of the islands we called at did not have a great deal to recommend them, and I would not want to go to the Carribean again (plenty more places to see). But I would sail on the Braemar again. |
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graham from sudbury sailed on Fred Olsen Braemar with
fred olson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2005 |
graham
rated the Fred Olsen Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| graham said: we have been with fred olson now 4 times and were very pleased with our latest cruise.the only disappointmet was the so called magician.possibly on a13 night cruise there could have been some extra entertainment.i would also liked to visited gibralter for longer than half aday.
but all in all we think FRED OLSON ARE GREAT...... |
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Kathryn Holt from Chatham sailed on Fred Olsen Braemar with
Gills Cruise
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2004 |
Kathryn Holt
rated the Fred Olsen Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Kathryn Holt said: We found the Bremar a very friendly little ship. Nice for older people, hardly any children on board. Embarking and Debarking was very well organised and ran very smoothly Ship staff were very friendly and the food was very good. Our cabin which was an inside was very small, but adequate. We only really use our cabin to sleep and change clothes. I would certainly use the Bremar again. |
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sheila from holmfirth sailed on Braemar with
fred olsen
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2005 |
sheila
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| sheila said: The ship was very clean and we had an excellent cabin although we did pay extra we met a couple who had an inside cabin and she cried when she saw the difference in ours. The staff were friendly and the catering staff excellent, being a diabetic they catered for me excellently. The best entertainment was from Charlie Brockett - excellent!!! The downside was the majority of people were over 80 years old and some were quite inconsiderate to other passengers. When afternoon tea was served I am sure they had all been to Lourdes and had miracle cures - no sticks anymore. By the way I have great difficult with my mobility so I understand. |
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John Moore from Northwood sailed on Braemar with
Fred. Olsen
on a 18-30s holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2006 |
John Moore
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| John Moore said: The first time we had been cruising, we travelled to Norway, inc. North Cape. We thought it was excellent, and good value for money.
The ship was constantly being hosed down, and painted outside, and was spotless.
The food in both restaurants was very good, but we had anticipated a wider choice for dinner.
The crew, from the Captain down, were always very friendly and helpful. The on board entertainment was good, but amateurish, probably a reflection of a smaller cruise ship.
We are likely to cruise the Baltic with her in future.
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Caroline Hall from Tyne & Wear sailed on Braemar with
Fred Olsen
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 8
2006 |
Caroline Hall
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Caroline Hall said: First time on a Fred Olsen Cruise however not imprest sailed with previous cruises which I rated far superior at less cost. The ship was very clean and hygeine was very important to the staff. However the food in the Palms Cafe was cold no matter what we tried it was very bland and disappointing. The Fistle Restaurant was slightly better but portions were small you would need the five courses to fill yourself up or empty the bread basket. Could not fault ship staff but entertainment was a bit of a let down. On sailing back a full day at sea there was very little provided and it made it a long boring day and at that point we felt we were ready to get off a few more days would have drove us mad. |
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Malcolm & Maureen from Eastleigh sailed on Braemar with
Fred Olsen
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2006 |
Malcolm & Maureen
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Malcolm & Maureen said: This was the first time we have travelled with Fred Olsen and what a delightful experience.
On arrived at the Southampton terminal we were greeted with a warm welcome, the booking-in was quick and bording efficiently addressed.
Braemar is the smallest cruise liner we have sailed on and although cabins are small it offers spacious external public areas, comfortable lounges, an interesting glass walled atrium, smart restaurants, an excellent theatre, well equipped gym, small casino, library and top deck disco.
At all times the ship and facilities were immaculately presented and staff always friendly and smiling with nothing being too much trouble.
The ship has two restaurants, the Palms Cafe which is buffet at all times and the Thistle Restaurant which offers buffet or served breakfast and lunches, and served evening meals. Food in both was interesting at all times of the highest quality. There is also an excellent wine list with a wide variety of wines from around the world. Coffee and tea is also available throughout the day at no charge.
For those with exceptional appetities there are mid morning and afternoon cakes plus late night buffets.
There is a wide variety of daily activities and presentations to suit all ages and interests, the library is well stocked with reading material and a daily published news bulletin.
As well as the evening entertainment in the theatre, live music in the Coral Bar and piano entertainment in the Braemar room there was day time music from the ship's orchestra and classical music recitals from a guest singer, plus a recording of the daily BBC radio programme The Archers.
During our cruise we visited Lisbon, Cadiz, Mahon, Toulon, Barcelona, Gibraltar and La Coruna and met many interesting people on board making it possibly the most satisfying cruise we have been on todate.
Our only regret is it took us so long to discover Fred Olsen |
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Rob&Norm from North East sailed on Braemar with
Fred Olsen
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 1
2007 |
Rob&Norm
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Rob&Norm said: This was our first cruise with Fred Olsen, although this is about our 20th cruise! We were very impressed with the organisatiion for embarkation and disembarkation. We found the food excellent, as was the service in both the Palms and Thistle restaurants. Bar prices were excellent and much cheaper than on other cruise lines. Our cabin was all we wanted, clean and comfortable. The entertainment was good, apart from the juggler. The crew who entertained were excellent!All in all and excellent holiday to the Caribbean and we will certainly cruise again with Fred Olsen.
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Yasmin from London sailed on Braemar with
Titan Airways
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2008 |
Yasmin
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew |  | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Yasmin said: The ship was pretty old and quite small. Cabin stewerdesses were the best staff along with the dancers and singers. Waiters were quite rude and annoying. They say hello too much, they talk to much, interfere in your conversations and can be a bit pervy especially if you're young like me. I walked into the restraunt and they were all giving me pervy looks. The entertainment was good especially from the dancers. They work so hard 24/7 putting on a great show for us and in the day bless them they serve ice creams in the bar and what do they earn? PEANUTS. The guest relations lady, quite large, doesnt even lift a finger and she ears 10 times the amount they do. NOT FAIR. Cabin stewerdesses were the sweetest ever. They were so nice and understanding and they couldnt do more for you. We loved ours so much we bought her some pyjamas and gave her |
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Jill Meir from Staffordshire sailed on Braemar with
Future Travel
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10
2008 |
Jill Meir
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Jill Meir said: Slight problem prior to sailing. Booked with Future Travel. They advised us they could not get us the grade we wanted but for extra payment we could have a guaranteed superior outside cabin with picture window. We agreed to this. It was only when the final documentation arrived that we found out the cabin was a restricted view. I telephoned Fred Olsen immediately to explain that, despite having cruised for many years and on many different ships, that we never thought to ask whether a superior cabin had a restricted view as we had always been told of such restrictions at the time of booking. They said it was between our agent and ourselves and could not do anything. They didnt despite the ship not being full and unrestricted view cabins available.
FLIGHT AND FLIGHT TIMES
Flew from Stansted on Titan airlines. Titan have an excellent seat pitch, very pleasant cabin crewe and decent food. Unless you are very tall I would not recommend asking for extra leg room seats as there is no need for this and the extra leg room seats have the tray within the seat making them very narrow. I had to move seats so that the middle seat of our row of three became vacant. The gentleman seated next to my husband was taking all the arm rest and his elbow was digging into my husband's ribs. I would certainly use them again as the 'ordianary' seats are a bit wider and therefore more comfortable.
Due to a problem with the Braemar we had to go to Palermo instead of Rome. This caused us no problems but some passengers were arriving very late at night. They had in effect lost a day of their holiday.
Our flight times were half past six in the morning (So had to be at Stansted at half past four)and leaving Rome at eight o'clock in the evening (Left the ship at four thirty in the afternoon). Considering this was a 'short hop' flight the times made it tiresome.
SHIP
This was our first time on any Fred Olsen ship. The ship was very clean and everything seemed fresh and new. It is not glitzy in any way and it does have the feel of a country hotel. I saw no signs of shabby or worn decor or furnishings. All in all I really liked it.
Thistle restaurant. Typical largish and busy ship restaurant.
Grampian restaurant. This is the one we ate in at night. It is a more intimate restaurant and has more of the feel of dining at ashore. This is a new restaurant. I was told it is allocated to passengers on decks 6,7 and 8. This did seem to be correct.
Library. Very nice room with an adequate selection of hard backed books. Paper backed books left by passengers. The place to collect the daily paper, crossword and quiz.
Main show lounge (Neptune?) The seating in here was peculiar with circular seating arrangements and tub seats. You need to get in here fairly early if you want a seat where you can face front and have a good view.
Coral Club. Used for daily quiz, bingo and alternative evening show. Very nice with an intimate feel. Seating here seems better.
Skylark Club. One section is for smokers, including cigars and pipes. This is the only area (including cabins and balconies) inside the ship where smoking is allowed.
Braemar room. A wide, long roomm (corridor) with excellent seating. Library, Internet Room etc., went off this 'room'.
I did use other rooms but not on a regular basis. All are tasteful and spotlessly clean.
CABIN 6068. Although this was a small cabin it was very pretty and the best use had been made of the available space. We had a 6' bed which seemed new and was very comfortable. The furnishings seemed brand new and were a duck egg blue shade. The storage space was adequate. If they had not put a little glass table and a chair in the cabin, which were of no use they could have given us a bigger shower. The size of the bathroom and in particular the shower was just too small. The main nuicance being the shower area which was tiny and cluttered, having a grab handle on one wall next to a container to put toiletries in. The shower itself on another wall and the tap system part way down the third wall. It was said by many a passenger that if you dropped the soap you had to get outside the shower to pick it up.
Shampoo etc. supplied.
FOOD.
This was fine. Despite the pretty presentation of the evening dishes it is not gourmet food and would not compare to some of the other cruise lines. There is nothing about it to complain about but nothing to 'wow' about either. We were on table 35 in the Grampian, which was a table for 6. Although we were all punctual we were always the last to finish the meal which was lasting from 8.30 to 10.30 or later, due to the slow service - meaning we could not get a seat to see the show. We did ask if we could take a proper turn in the service and this was partly done. They do have a set rotation when serving and we were last on the list. Ironically 2 couples next to us, who would always be in after us and finished and leaving the restaurant whilst we were still waiting to order our desserts, did not appear on the last 'tipping' night. They wern't the only ones who suddenly decided that the self service offered a better choice.
The balcony rooms appear to be the same as our room but with a balcony. Our friends had a balcony suite on deck 8. That was spacious and fantastic and was the nicest cabin I have seen on any ship.
THEMED NIGHTS.
Formal - I didnt see anyone who did not dress up.
Informal - A shirt and tie or a jacket required for the men. Unless you adhere to this you cannot eat in the restaurants.
Casual - Shirt without tie or jacket allowed.
Summer night - Garlands were provided and most people dressed in their most colourful outfits.
Western Night - Cotton neckchiefs, in choice of colours, provided. Some people in Western gear.
British night - Everyone dressed in clothes which were red, white and/or blue. Union jacks provided in the show.
ENTERTAINMENT.
The boys and girls worked very hard in the shows. It was the first time they had been together as a team. The costumes were good. I thought they were excellent. People who say 'Butlins entertainment' are quite incorrect and I find those comments sweeping and patronising.
Other entertainment were a trio of musicians, a female vocalist, a male vocalist, a commediane, a magic/commediane and a pianist.
The evening entertainment holds something for all tastes and should be looked forward to.
PORTS (not trips)
Katakolon. Main street with plenty of small shops some of which had lovely items as well as those with typical tourist items. Had a greek salad at the waterside. We enjoyed this port very much.
Khania, Crete. Walked to Souda Bay War Cemetry (about 45 mins). Very peaceful, quiet and very moving. Went to Khania which has lots of market type shops. Lovely place to shop, walk and have lunch. Nice port stop.
Piraeus. Busy concret jungle. Unless on a trip not much point in going ashore.
Marmaris. Long front to walk along. Bazzarr which is interesting but almost impossible to just look due to the persistance of the traders. Plenty of eateries. Nice port stop.
Rhodes. Evening. Stroll to walled area with plenty of shops and cafes. Coffe is 4 euros a cup. One lady knocked down and her bag was stolen. For us it was a nice port stop but perhaps caution should be advised to ladies walking alone.
Limasoll. Long flat prom so ideal if you want to walk. Beach. Two sun beds, umbrella and bowl to wash sand off your feet cost 7 euros. Good value. Some passengers found a market. Nice port stop.
Port Said. Lots of little stalls right off the ship. The hassle however is really bad. Bags are put onto shoulders with vendors insisting they are free and a present, once on although I tried to take it off the man kept holding my arm and pushing it back up. Of course then money is asked for. We agreed a price for a horse/trap ride around Port Said (merely to escape the vendors) at the end of the trip extra money was requested and it all became a bit fraught. We booked a trip on the Suez Canal for 15 euros each. Advertised as, unlimited drink. Sumpteous buffet. English commentary. 1 and half hour trip. The unlimited drink was 1 can of pop. No food at all. No commentary. Ship unable to move for half an hour despite much shouting and running about with a small blue screwdriver. We wouldnt have wanted to eat as the streets around the port are overflowing with 'hills' of litter which did smell. This was not a pretty tourist stop but I did find it very interesting and it gave me much food for thought.
PASSENGERS.
My husband is 60 and I would say we were among the youngest people there, the average age perhaps 70/75?
DOWNSIDE. Only one. The Guest Relations manager on the ship, (Valerie - I think?) telephoned our cabin over a query we had. My husband who, as I said, is 60 and has about 16 staff from young hot headed lads to middle aged men and has to interact with all of them cannot remember being spoken to in such an agressive and rude manner. So much so that he said "Valerie, you are being so agressive/angry that I am not prepared to listen to you. I am going to put the telephone down and I dont want to have to speak to you again. Goodbye". I do know that one couple who have booked a Caribean cruise are cancelling when they return home due to this attitude.
The concept of the Olsen 'family' is very evident and many passengers have done lots of cruises but only with 'Fred'. This concept is fine as all businesses have to have a marketing angle but once you are past this strata and need to speak to the business end I have to say they seem more hard headed and imovable than other cruse lines I am aware of. There is quite a sharp division between 'family' and the business reality.
These are my views only so they may not be yours. I think it is useful to gain varied reports and I hope some of this has been a help to someone. |
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Whitney from London sailed on Braemar with
Thomas cook
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 1
2007 |
Whitney
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment |  |
| Whitney said: I thought the ship was clean and well presented. However, it was VERY small. Hardly any room to move. As both me AND my boyfriend are clusterphobic we were very upset. The ship was packed with wrinkly hairy grannies and grandads.. aka.. OLD PEOPLE! It smelt alot and I was absolutely repulsed-Dont take your children there. I thought the food was quite nice suprisingly. I put on 5 kg and spend like 3 weeks in the gym just burning all the food I ate off. By the way, theres no gym on board so if you're a fattie I'd recommend losing weight and THEN going on your cruise. Or you could sue macdonalds. The staff were very friendly and supportive although none of them were really buff :( oh well.. . I didnt really enjoy the on board entertainment as it was mostly aimed at people from the stoneage who love bingo and im like only 17. In general I didnt really enjoy it and would never sail on that ship again. I recommend the MSC Lirica. The boys in the entertainment team are bare buff and theres like 200 restraunts. Lots of space, 12 decks, not expensive and its great! |
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2nd Cruise Aboard Braemar from Ware sailed on Braemar with
Fred Olsen Cruises
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5
2007 |
2nd Cruise Aboard Braemar
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| 2nd Cruise Aboard Braemar said:
My parents and I boarded Braemar for the second time at Dover. We especially chose Braemar as we were so satisfied with her the previous year. The Ships cleanliness remained as outstanding, the ships crew were constantly cleaning the vessel, however this did not prevent us from proceeding with certain activities, and as soon as we docked at each port, crew members began painting the exterior of the ship.
During our first trip aboard Braemar, as vegetarians, we found the food very good, however on our second trip we did experience a lot of trouble in requesting a vegetarian meal. Every lunch and dinnertime, my mum and I tried asking for something which didn
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David from Dunfermline sailed on Braemar with
Fred Olsen
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2009 |
David
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| David said: Braemar,
SMOKERS BEWARE
We have just returned from Western Caribbean cruise on the Braemar starting on 19 March.
We enjoyed every aspect of the cruise apart from the very poor facilities for smokers.
Smoking is forbidden in all internal spaces and is limited to the port side only of the after outside decks 5 and 7 and to the upper foreward deck 9.
The result of this is that people cannot smoke anywhere near the pools and during days at sea (of which we had four)can only use the sunbeds on the windiest deck or walk to an approved area, and even worse in the evening when the ship is underway with the inevitable strong sea winds smokers have to seek out protection in the very limited areas aft - not pleasant when dressed in your finery and, for ladies a distressing experience after spending time preparing for formal nights.
To add to the difficulties the very limited number of tables which smokers can use aft (about 12 in all) are often used by non smokers on good days who make it very clear indeed that smokers are not welcome - resulting in several bouts of conflict.
This was mentioned to the Cruise Director, the Hotel Manager and to the Captain who all said nothing could be done and that it was company policy.
It is a great pity but Fred Olsen are being very unfair to people who smoke and whilst we survived the cruise around the Caribbean there is no possibility that we could go on a Norweigian or Baltic cruise much as we would like to.
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Jennifer Fray from Orpington sailed on Braemar with
Co-op
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2009 |
Jennifer Fray
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Jennifer Fray said: We sailed on the mv Braemer's Western Caribbean cruise on the 19th March. Further to the smoker's comments. If he had booked a balcony cabin he could have smoked as much as he wished! We sailed on the Braemer before it was lengthened and so was interested in seeing it in its new shape. The new Grampian restaurant where we ate most of the time, our allocated restaurant, was great, the service was equal to a 5* hotel. Siggy, the overall chef for the whole ship, and his team went out of their way to cater for everyone's dietary needs whether they were vegetarians, diabetics gluten free etc. He made sure he saw people on special diets at the start of the cruise so that he could make sure they were happy with the food he planned. There was always an alternative. Going on the shore trips he always made sure that the special diet people did not go hungry and made individual lunch boxes for their day ashore requirements, considering there were over 900 people on board quite a feat! I was disappointed that the theatre which was always small had not be lengthened, but to compensate 2 different shows were put on at the same time at different venues. The crew treated everyone with respect and could not do enough. Behind the scenes they were cleaning and scrubbing at every opportunity. The new launderette was only |
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georgina scott from banbridge co. down sailed on Braemar with
r.o .i
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 1
2009 |
georgina scott
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| georgina scott said: i have been on the braemar 3 times now.my sister and i were on it in jan/feb.09 and saw a great difference for the good.the only disappointment i had was the small cabin. actually i fell out of bed in my sleep, so why did they not improve the cabins while they were doing the alterations? also i thought the theatre should have been improved as the seating is not suitable at all for a good view for everyone since the ship has been extended anyhow everything else was lovely and we are travelling again on braemar in july to the med.i do hope the dance hosts are just as good as it makes our holiday. anyhow heres hoping i dont fall out of bed next time.
georgina scott |
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Mike from South Wales sailed on Braemar with
Gills
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2009 |
Mike
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Mike said: My wife and I did a Baltic cruise on the Braemar in June 2009. We had a wonderful time and almost everything was enjoyable: the food, the passengers, the crew, the weather and the ship were all first class. The entertainment was only average, however, and we felt the excursions were expensive. On board drinks were reasonably priced but the internet charging was so horrendous I gave up after one attempt and stuck with texts from the mobile phone. All things considered we would use Fred Olsen again. |
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Shaun Wadsworth from Scarborough sailed on Braemar with
Bolsover
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10
2008 |
Shaun Wadsworth
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Shaun Wadsworth said: We have travelled with Fred Olsen twice now on the Braemar and have booked again for the Balmoral next year.
We were very impressed with the ship though she can do the twist and shimmy a bit particularly over the Bay of Biscay.
The staff each time we have sailed with her were superb from the ships officers to the ever smiling stewards, I dont know how they keep so happy.
Its amazing how they remember you and cant do enough.
Yes I know they expect a tip at the end of the cruise so they are bound to make a fuss but personally I dont mind tipping if I have had good service and do it because I want to show my appreciation not because I feel I have to.
The ship on each occasion has always been very clean and staff seem to be cleaning all the time.
The food was always first class and the prices on board reasonable.
The entertainment what bit we saw was OK as we dont cruise to be entertained but to relax.
Fred Olsen does seem to cater more for the mature passengers which didnt spoil our holidays in the least, in fact they alone kept us entertained but they do need to update the tempo a bit.
Being in our early fifties even we like a bit of a boogie and a disco with some modern music from the 70s 80s and 90s
So come on Fred liven up a bit. |
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maureen from newcastle sailed on Braemar with
fred olsen
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12
2009 |
maureen
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| maureen said: i was a bit nervous as this was my first cruise,however it turned out to be one of my best holidays ever,and i have had a few!!!the staff are so attentive we ate in the thistle restaurant every night and the food was first class with lots of choice,it was waiter service and we had 3 formal nights where we got really dresses up i felt so important it was lovely......the chrismas gala night was a real treat.
the itinerary was very good and we visited every island we went to ,we did not use the onboard trips but the local taxi services are very good
smokers do not need to beware as you can smoke at the back of the ship on the 5th+7th decks where there is outside entertainment so you dont need to be inside at all..book with fred and enjoy x |
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julie salmons from sheffield sailed on Braemar with
fred olsen
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 4
2010 |
julie salmons
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| julie salmons said: My husband and I travelled on the Braemar Ship in April 2010 to the Caribbean, to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
We were advised that the ship would be suitable for our age group (we are 45 and 46).This was our first cruise.
The ship throughout was absolutely spotless,the food was 5+ star rating,we could not find fault anywhere.
All the staff were brilliant,friendly,helpful and a credit to Fred Olsen cruise lines.
Unfortunately most of the entertainment was geared up for older people;the string quartet,the Irish singer.
The singer Jan Lesley had a good voice but on the 'Diva night' the most modern 'Diva' was Barbara Streisand so it really needed updating to accomodate the younger passengers.The comedian was really funny but the magician wasn't that good to be honest!
The Braemar show group were all young dancers and singers and were brilliant,and were all really lovely people aswell,although the shows could have done with updating!!
There was a late bar/nightclub for the younger people(there were teenagers on this cruise too)but even there, the music was from years ago so people stopped coming in.The ships entertainers were all in their 20's so the potential was there, but I think Fred Olsen like to keep their regular older clients happy so they keep coming back!!(We were told this on many occasions)
We did still have a great time and met some good friends.
The organisation of the trips,docking at the ports etc
were dealt with very efficiently and we couldn't find fault there.
Though only good comments can be made about the ships restaurants,and all the staff,unfortunately until it is brought upto date to cater for the needs of 30-50 year olds we would not travel on theis ship again.
One further point in their favour though;
On the day we were due to fly home the Iceland volcano erupted.There was no visible panic from the staff and we were informed we could stay on the ship another day.When the passengers due to join the ship for the next part of the cruise arrived in Barbados the next day, we were then taken to the airport to fly back on their plane.
On arrival at the airport, we were informed the flight was cancelled, and we were taken to a 4* all inclusive hotel on the beach in Barbados and were looked after brilliantly there for another 6 days at no extra charge!
The staff from Fred Olsen kept us informed,helped out with medications and generally looked after us exceptionally well and for that we are extremely grateful.
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Phil Row from Manchester sailed on Braemar with
Readers Offers Ltd
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2010 |
Phil Row
rated the Braemar as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Phil Row said: The cabin [or shoebox] was ridiculously small on deck 3; we asked to change on the first day and every day but to no avail.
The dancers and entertainers were all fantastic but the Neptune 'theatre' on a single deck was hopelessly too small; it had insufficient seating every night and squabbles regularly occurred due to the seating problems.
The stretching of this 20 year old tired-looking ship only seemed to cram more passengers on board resulting with the theatres being too small.
The tours were expensive and one had a guide who barely spoke English. However, the St.Petersburg guides were all excellent.
The age group was roughly >65 and there was not much going on after 11.30.
The ship was clean and the staff generally were pleasant and hard working. The tips should be shared out with all the staff, not just going to the waiters and chambermaids.
Having been on Cunard liners, the Braemar is in a totally different league in every way. So any future cruises with probably not be with Fred. Olsen. |
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