Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
An older-style ship with a traditional British ambience and decor
The Ship. Acquired by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2005, this well-proportioned ship, originally built for long-distance cruising for the now-defunct Royal Viking Line (it was built for one of the three original shipping partners who formed the line – Bergenske Dampskibsselskab), has a sharply raked bow and a sleek appearance. The ship was ‘stretched’ in 1982 with the addition of a 91ft (28m) midsection.
The outer styling is quite handsome for an early 1970s-built vessel. The single funnel bears the company’s starfish logo and balances the profile of this attractive (now contemporary-classic) ship. The name Boudicca comes from the Queen of the Iceni tribe that occupied England’s East Anglia, who led a dramatic revolt against the Romans in AD 61; her body is supposedly buried under Platform 10 of King’s Cross Station in London.
The ship has a good amount of open deck and sunbathing space; in fact, there is plenty of space everywhere and little sense of crowding because the ship absorbs passengers well. There is a complete walk-around teak promenade deck outdoors.
The interior decor is restful, with a mix of English and Norwegian styles (particularly the artwork) with wide stairways and foyers, good passenger flow, soft lighting, and no glitz. In general, good materials, fabrics, and soft furnishings add to a pleasant ambience and comfortable feeling experienced throughout the public rooms, most of which are quite spacious and have high, indented ceilings.
There are lots of (small) public rooms, bars, and lounges, unlike on the newer (larger) ships built today, including a delightful observation lounge, a small casino, card room, large library, and the Secret Garden Lounge.
Boudicca is an extremely comfortable ship in which to cruise, with a moderate standard of food and service from a friendly, mostly Filipino staff, featuring extremely good value for money cruises in a relaxed environment that provides passengers with many of the comforts of home.
Although the ship has benefited from an extensive refit and refurbishment, it is now over 40 years old, which means that little problems such as gurgling plumbing, creaking joints, and other idiosyncrasies can occur, and air conditioning may not be all that it should be. Port taxes are included for UK passengers. Gratuities of £4 ($5) per passenger, per day, are suggested.
Passenger niggles include: cutbacks in food variety and quality; an increased use of packets of butter, margarine, and preserves; the lack of choice of sugar; very poor coffee; long lines at the cramped buffet; and too few wine waiters.
For the ship’s mainly British passengers, the National Express coach operator works in conjunction with the cruise line to provide a dedicated service via London’s Victoria Coach Station to the departure ports of Dover or Southampton.
Boudicca appeals to British couples and solo travelers seeking a sense of space, comfortable surroundings with decent facilities, and realistic, value-for-money pricing, with British food and entertainment.
Accommodation. There is something for every taste and wallet, from spacious family suites to small interior cabins. While most cabins are for two people, some can accommodate a third, fourth, or even a fifth person. There are 20 price categories of cabins (plus one for the Owner’s Suite, the price of which isn’t listed in the brochure), including four grades of cabin for those traveling solo – these are spread across most of the cabin decks, and not just the lower decks, as is the case with some cruise lines – and three of these have a private balcony. While most cabins have bathtubs, some lower grades have only a shower enclosure.
Some of the quietest cabins are those located just under the navigation bridge, on Lido Deck, as well as those suites and cabins on Bridge Deck. In the refit, a vacuum toilet system was fitted.
All grades have duvets, large cotton bathroom towels, a hairdryer, and a shower wall-mounted soap and shampoo dispenser. Suite-grade occupants also get a cotton bathrobe and cold canapés each evening, and priority seating in the restaurants.
The room service menu is limited and needs improvement, but there is an abundance of food available at most times of the day. All cabins have had a facelift. Only a few suites have private balconies.
Dining. The main dining room is divided into three venues: Heligan, Tintagel, and Four Seasons; each has a high ceiling, and ample space at each table. Although the decor is reserved, the chairs, which have armrests, are comfortable. Window-side tables for two are the most sought after, naturally.
Breakfast and lunch are in an open-seating arrangement, with two seatings for dinner. Self-service display counters are provided for cold food items for breakfast and lunch.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has above-average cuisine that is attractively presented and includes a good range of fish, seafood, meat, and chicken dishes, plus vegetarian options, and a wide selection of cheeses to suit most British tastes. You’ll also find popular British pub standards such as bangers and mash, toad in the hole, and spotted dick. Breakfast buffets tend to be repetitious, although they appear to satisfy most passengers. There is a reasonably decent range of wines, at unpretentious prices.
Coffee and tea are available in the Secret Garden Café (part of the Secret Garden Lounge), just aft of the main dining venues – but, sadly, not round-the-clock, although there are late-night ‘supper club’ snacks.
Casual self-serve deck buffets are provided outdoors at the Poolside Café. An 80-seat poolside Grill Restaurant costs extra for dinner, but menu items include premium steaks and lobster, and the surroundings are pleasant.
Entertainment. The Neptune Lounge is the venue for shows, cabaret acts, and lectures. It is a large room that seats about 400, although some pillars obstruct sight lines from some seats. The entertainment consists of small-scale shows presented by a small team of resident singers/dancers, and cabaret acts.
There is plenty of live music for social dancing (many of the musicians are Filipino) and listening in several lounges, and good British singalongs are a feature on each cruise.
Spa/Fitness. A decent amount of ocean-view space is given to providing health and fitness facilities, which include sauna/steam rooms, gymnasium/aerobics room, changing rooms, while the beauty salon is located in an area without windows.
Some fitness classes are free, while some, such as yoga and kick-boxing, cost extra.
It’s best to make appointments early, as treatment time slots go quickly. Sports facilities include golf practice nets, shuffleboard, and ring toss.