Fred Olsen's Flagship - The Balmoral
I booked car parking at the cruise terminal which was so effortless. I drove straight in and right up to the ship where I unloaded my luggage, which was quickly whisked away and processed whilst I was directed to a parking bay and shuttled back to the ship.
Once on board my luggage was waiting for me outside my cabin which was an outside cabin with a large window, and twin beds – first impressions were that the amount of storage space was more than adequate for 2 people even though I had the cabin to myself. What with the flat screen TV with loads of interactive features that saved you queuing at reception. With this interactive TV you could open up an onboard account and be able to view your balance at any time, you could order shore excursions or book Spa treatments to name just a few.
Once settled in I began my familiarisation of the ship which is always the same when I go on a cruise - straight to the top deck and walk around every feature on the Balmoral. The very top was the Observatory Lounge which is a great place to see the world sail by and at night it became a Piano Bar and after that a disco. On this deck is also a bar which serves ‘sandwich & soup of the day’ from 12pm to 2pm. Outside on the top deck is a swimming pool and a couple of Jacuzzis as well as a sun deck and finally golf nets for those wishing to practice their swing.
Deck 10 or ‘The Highland Deck’ is home to the Beauty Salon, Fitness centre which was larger than I expected, a steam room and sauna. There are quite a number of Suites on this deck and at the stern are a couple of delightful smaller restaurants. The Avon & Spey are either side of the ship and offer a different dining experience due to the décor and large glass walls offering great views.
Two decks down on the Lido deck I found the Lido Lounge where by day it is a place used for many different activities from ‘fun fitness’ to bingo to lectures and in the evening it transforms into a place for dancing then an entertainment show. I found another bar with both inside and outside seating. And for the gamblers they have a roulette and black jack table.
The main deck known as the lounge deck is where most of the activity is with the Neptune lounge where all the main evening shows take place. You have a library, an internet room, a card room, boutiques, a pub and the palms café - another alternate to the main restaurant, and outside you have another pool and some more Jacuzzis
The main restaurant Ballindalloch is found on deck 6 and further below on deck 3 are the Launderette, an arts and craft room and the medical centre.
The cruise itself sailed from Dover and our first point of call was Guernsey. After breakfast in the Avon Restaurant I went shore side. I could have explored St. Peter Port as many others did but I have been here a few times so I arranged to meet up with a client who has a business on the island. We had a coffee and caught up – he told me over 90 cruise ships a year visit the island.
Next stop was Cobh in Southern Ireland which is just a small town really with not much going on so I went on an organised excursion to Cork City and onto the Jameson’s Irish Whiskey Distillery in Midleton. The tour was fascinating and made all the better by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide and of course we got the opportunity to sample a drop at the end. (Check the photos to see the taste challenge)
Overnight we set sail for France and visited a delightful town called Honfleur (see pics)
Overall the trip was great – I interviewed guests and found out why they choose Fred Olsen. The main responses were Value for Money - pub prices - 5 star food & service – excellent entertainment. This cruise is highly recommended.