Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
A well-designed ship with a very British ambience for mature travelers
The Ship. Balmoral, formerly Norwegian Crown, is a well-designed and built ship, originally constructed for the long defunct Royal Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line then operated the ship for many years, before it was transferred to Orient Lines in 2000, and then back to Norwegian Cruise Line in September 2003.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines bought the ship in 2007 and gave it a major refurbishment, including a ‘chop and stretch’ operation involving the addition of a 99ft (30.2m) midsection. Although the company’s logo includes the Norwegian flag, the ship is registered in the Bahamas.
The ship has a relatively handsome, nicely balanced exterior profile, and one of its plus features is its full, walk-around teak promenade deck outdoors, although it becomes a little narrow in the forward section of the vessel. There are many nicely polished wood railings on balconies and open decks, plus a jogging track on the uppermost deck. Atop the ship is the Observatory Lounge, with fine ocean views, central dance floor, and bar. Out on deck, there is a heated salt-water pool, but little shade, and no glass cover for inclement weather.
The main public room spaces are on Lounge Deck. At the front of the ship is the Neptune Lounge (showlounge), with an integral bar at the back; the raised stage and wood dance floor are surrounded by amphitheater-style seating in banquettes with small drinks tables. To its aft are the shops – a curved staircase connects this deck with the reception lobby on the deck below.
Next is the Braemar Lounge, alongside a lifestyle area that includes an Internet center with good separation for privacy; there are also a library and a separate card room. Aft of the Braemar Lounge is the Morning Light Pub (named after the very first Fred. Olsen ship, Morning Light). This venue is more like a lounge than a real pub, although it does have draft beers. Aft is the Palms Café, the ship’s casual self-service buffet-style café.
The high lobby has a large gold sculpture in the shape of a globe of the world by the famous Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro (called Microcosm, Macrocosm); it used to revolve.
Balmoral offers a wide range of itineraries, which keeps people coming back to this very comfortable ship; passengers also receive a log of each cruise to take home. Niggles include an inflexible bed layout in some cabins, and dated decor in some older cabins.
Gratuities of £4 (around $5) per passenger, per day, are suggested. The drinks prices are very reasonable, but laundry/dry-cleaning prices are quite high.
Balmoral is best suited to British couples and solo travelers wanting destination-intensive cruising in a ship that has European style and character, a sense of space, comfortable surroundings, decent facilities, and realistic pricing. The mostly Filipino/Thai crew is warm and friendly, and should help make your cruise enjoyable.
Accommodation. There are several price categories; typically, the higher the deck, the higher the price. Most cabins are of the same size and layout, have blond wood cabinetry and accents, an abundance of mirrors, and closet and drawer space, and are very well equipped. All accommodation grades have a color TV, a hairdryer, music console (plus a button that can be used to turn announcements on or off), personal safe, and private bathroom with shower (many upper-grade cabins have a good-size tub).
All towels are 100 percent cotton, and quite large; a soap and shampoo dispenser is mounted on the shower wall, and a shower cap is provided. Duvets (single) are standard, but blankets and bed linen are available on request, as are double-bed-size duvets. Extra-cost, on-demand movies are available from the in-cabin Infotainment System.
The soundproofing is generally good. Some cabins have interconnecting doors, so that they can make a two-room suite – good for families with children.
The largest cabins are the suites on Highland Deck 10. They are quite spacious.and provide a sleeping area and separate living room, with nicely finished wood cabinetry and a large amount of closet and drawer space, together with a large, white marble-clad bathroom with a full-size tub and integral shower. There is a large private balcony, although some balconies can be overlooked from the deck above.
Nine wheelchair-accessible cabins provide plenty of space to maneuver, and all have a bathroom with roll-in shower. But wheelchair accessibility in some ports on the various itineraries operated by this ship – particularly in Europe – may prove frustrating, and wheelchair-accessible transportation may be limited.
Cabins in the added midsection have attractive, light, airy, contemporary decor. Some on the upper decks (decks 8 and 9) have bathrooms with a vertical window with a direct view from the large shower enclosure through the sleeping space to the outside, providing an enhanced feeling of spaciousness. Bathrooms have shower enclosures rather than tub/shower combinations (some have two washbasins), and enough storage space for toiletries.
Dining. The Ballindalloch Restaurant, in the aft section of the ship, has ocean-view windows on port and starboard sides, and operates two sittings. It has comfortable seating at tables for two to eight. However, the waiter stations are exposed and can be extremely noisy; indeed, the noise level in this main restaurant is high, so trying to hold a conversation can be frustrating.
Other dining options. The Avon Restaurant and Spey Restaurant, both named after rivers, are located aft on Highland Deck 10 – the deck that contains the higher-priced suites. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide lots of light. The decor is contemporary and minimalist, and the noise level is low, which makes for comfortable conversation. These venues also operate two seatings.
The 70-seat Palms Café is an alternative, more intimate venue for casual self-serve buffet meals.
All eateries aboard have open seating for breakfast and lunch.
Entertainment. The Neptune Lounge is the entertainment venue for shows, cabaret acts, lectures, and some social functions. It is a single-level room with tiered seating levels. Sight lines are generally good, but they could be better.
Revue-style production shows are staged by a resident troupe of singers and dancers.
Spa/Fitness. There is a reasonably decent – but small – indoor wellness facility, with a fitness room with great ocean views, plenty of gym equipment, and several body-treatment rooms.