Is Fred. Olsen for us?

Hello there,

We live near Liverpool and would love to be able to cruise from there rather than having to trek all the way down to Southampton. The only cruise line that starts cruises from Liverpool is, of course, Fred. Olsen.

I've heard that they cater, mainly, for a more - erm - mature clientele. I am 41 and my wife is 50; what is the general age range amongst the passengers and would we find that the entertainment is geared towards an older crowd's interest? We've previously cruised with Princess and P&O.

Many thanks in advance,

Rob.

Hello there,

 

We live near Liverpool and would love to be able to cruise from there rather than having to trek all the way down to Southampton. The only cruise line that starts cruises from Liverpool is, of course, Fred. Olsen.

 

I've heard that they cater, mainly, for a more - erm - mature clientele. I am 41 and my wife is 50; what is the general age range amongst the passengers and would we find that the entertainment is geared towards an older crowd's interest? We've previously cruised with Princess and P&O.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Rob.

I am mid 40's & my husband will be 50 on our first 'big' Fred Olsen cruise this year. We are taking our 2 teens & going with 3 friends who are all in their 40's I have done 2 mini cruises with Fred which may be different as far as passenger's ages go but there were all ages on both crusies I have been on.

I know of a couple in their early 50's who have been cruising for some time with Fred Olsen - they also have taken their children since they were in their teens too.

There has been a good atmosphere on board, the food was good, the staff were lovely & the entertainment was good. The ships are older & not full of glitz & glamour but the public areas are all really lovely.

I guess a lot depends on the itinerary & the time of year you go but why not give them a go - maybe try a mini cruise first to see how you like it & to give you a 'taster'

Freds passengers are mostly plus 55. We cruise with Fred and P and O.

There are plus 55 year olds on P and O.

If you compare entertainment. There are quizzes on both, there are port lectures on both, there are singers, dancers, comics and Shows on both. There is a library on both. There are dancing lessons on both. There are golf nets on both. The list goes on.

Ok kids clues etc are bigger on P and O

Basicly it's the ships that are different.

If by catering for mature clientele, there are no belly flop competitions, no climbing walls, no malls, no false grass.

If you enjoy P and O you will enjoy Fred, or rather we do.

Hello there,

 

We live near Liverpool and would love to be able to cruise from there rather than having to trek all the way down to Southampton. The only cruise line that starts cruises from Liverpool is, of course, Fred. Olsen.

 

I've heard that they cater, mainly, for a more - erm - mature clientele. I am 41 and my wife is 50; what is the general age range amongst the passengers and would we find that the entertainment is geared towards an older crowd's interest? We've previously cruised with Princess and P&O.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Rob.

We're mid-40s and cruise with our teenage children. The average passenger is more 'mature' that's true, but they are great people to chat to. We didn't feel that the entertainment was particularly geared to the older person, but it became a standing joke that we couldn't answer any of the 60s music quiz questions when our competitors could.

It's true that the late night disco didn't get a high attendance, but also true that I didn't see a single person who was the worse for drink. Also the ships are small enough that you hardly ever need to queue for anything and you can always get a seat for the evening show.

We have cruised P&O and Thomson, and definitely prefer Fred.

I think that sometimes people (including Fred) forget that the current crop of 60-70 year old cruisers were teenagers in the 60s and 70s.

This was the disco generation. They really don't remember the war, rationing or even National Service for that matter...

Much of the entertainment on-board has no age bias at all fortunately, but now and again it can drift back to things that really have no resonance for the majority of current cruisers under 75.

We have cruised with Fred quite a few times (now gold members) and have chosen those cruises because of the itineraries, some of which you would never get on cruises with the larger cruise lines.

Entertainments - I can only give our opinion, so that is what I am doing here. We are in our mid sixties and often get quite annoyed about the fact that most of the entertainments, (if you are talking shows and music played), are designed for a much older age group. As mentioned there is a 'late night disco', but it does not start until midnight and is not really the sort of disco that younger people would appreciate anyway. If you are ballroom dancers you will be exceptionally well catered for though.

We recently went on a 4 weeks cruise to Canada and found the age profile considerably older than we have before, some of whom, were less open minded then our previous cruise companions. Overall, I would say that really unusual cruises of a shorter nature, (i.e. Spitzbergen or Greenland), encourage more people of a wider age range, but if you are looking at a run of the mill itinerary, (especially if it is a longer cruise), you are much more likely to be with a lot of very old people who want to just spend time on the ship.

There are times we have been exceptionally happy with older people as companions, and became fairly friendly with a much older couple on our Canada cruise who were very good company. Some of our best table companions have been much older than us as well. I do not think age in itself is an issue, but in our opinion the entertainments could well be if you want a disco for instance. Fred tend to have good observation lounges with quieter music where you can have a conversation with others. Must admit though on our last cruise someone complained that we had been holding a conversation, (not loud), as the musicians were playing one lunch time!!

Thanks for all your replies, folks.

It sounds very much like zit might be worth our trying Fred. Olsen. We aren't ones for the nightclub and, even though we enjoy the entertainment we are generally back in our cabin by midnight. We also have enjoyed the company of passengers older than us on our previous cruises so I very much think that it's well worth us giving it a whirl.

Thanks again.

Thanks for all your replies, folks.

 

It sounds very much like zit might be worth our trying Fred. Olsen. We aren't ones for the nightclub and, even though we enjoy the entertainment we are generally back in our cabin by midnight. We also have enjoyed the company of passengers older than us on our previous cruises so I very much think that it's well worth us giving it a whirl.

 

Thanks again.

Midnight? On our last cruise the ship was dead by 10.30pm most nights. If there are a number of ports though it does make it easier to get up and out the next morning.

Just one other point about Fred is that, as the ships are older, there is a lot of judder and vibration which makes it difficult to sleep, especially to the rear and low down so be careful where you choose your cabin. We found Black Watch particularly bad in May/June and we had booked midship on deck 5.

Midnight? On our last cruise the ship was dead by 10.30pm most nights. If there are a number of ports though it does make it easier to get up and out the next morning.

Quite a few people I know have sailed with P&O & said exactly the same especially on the Adult only crusies! I guess an awful lot depends on the time of year & the itinerary as to the type & age of guest onboard. Another friend has just come back from the Oceana to the W Med & said it was very lively!

When I did my first FO mini crusie, we didn't get to bed until nearly 4am & the 2nd one we did, we 'retired' at about 1.30ish & the party was still going! Not too worried if it's a little earlier when we go in the summer - might actually get a few hours extra sleep!

Just one other point about Fred is that, as the ships are older, there is a lot of judder and vibration which makes it difficult to sleep, especially to the rear and low down...

This isn't something we have ever noticed, always slept very well on-board.

We tend to be high up and forward though, so if it is as you describe lower and aft then I can only say it isn't an issue elsewhere.

I agree, Mark.

We are usually fairly near the forward lifts ,and not too low down, and never have a problem with vibrations.

We often seem to sleep better on a ship than we do at home!

Mark and Callyuk

Your point is exactly why I put the comment in the first case and had said, 'so be careful where you choose your cabin'.

It is also relevant that the OP is asking about cruising from Liverpool and it is Black Watch within the last couple of months I was particularly highlighting, (it is sailing from Liverpool this year). We were on deck 5 a few cabins to the front of the rear lifts and we were very surprised to have problems there, but the judder on the ship could even be felt in the observation lounge on some occasions during that cruise which is extrememly surprising.

We were moved to a cabin which was on the other side of the ship and just one cabin futher forward. It was noticably better for some reason, but still a problem at times. The customer relations rep did say they were having a lot of problems with vibration on that cruise and suggested it was because we were travelling on all four engines at times to make the distance to Canada. We realised after that it was much worse when the ship was travelling faster, but on some nights in the St Lawrence, for instance, it was hardly a problem.

We had been in cabin 4156 deck 4 of Balmoral a couple of years ago and there was a lot of vibration, but it was a regular vibration which I 'sort of' got used to after a while, but on Black Watch this summer it was a very irregular judder which was far worse than that. A number of people were commenting about it.

Just one other point about Fred is that, as the ships are older, there is a lot of judder and vibration which makes it difficult to sleep, especially to the rear and low down so be careful where you choose your cabin. We found Black Watch particularly bad in May/June and we had booked midship on deck 5.

I am booked on my first Fred Olsen cruise for summer 2016 on the Black Watch and was assigned cabin 4107 as it was the "last" solo cabin available according to my travel agent who had to work through FO's American agency to even get me any booking. I'm worried about this judder you mention. Some vibration doesn't bother, me but if it is like the real shuddering passengers experience on Swan Hellenic's Minerva in the lower, aft area then I really am concerned. Also is there any banging noise along with the shudder?

We went on Minerva to Iceland about 3 few years ago and were in cabin B47 which is an outside bottom deck, jsecond cabin to the rear of the rear lifts and had no problems whatsoever. However, that was just before the ship went in for the renovation/addition of balcony cabins work the following winter and the reports of the problems seem to have come up since then, so I cannot speak for Minerva now.

There was no banging noise in our cabin on Black Watch. To be truthful I have a friend who was in a single cabin in a similar location, but one deck up from 4107 on the sister ship, Boudicca, last year and was not at all happy about it and would never consider that location again. Also, I have done a mock booking for that cabin on a cruise for May 2016 just now and see that the online booking system says there is noise and vibration in that cabin. I thought with bookings through an agent, the agent has to mention that before it is booked.

The cabin we were in for Balmoral, (4156), was a few cabins further forward than the ones that were marked as 'subject to noise and vibration', yet the vibration was very noticable to me. Some people are more easily disturbed than others though. I found taking sea sickness tablets helped me sleep on Black Watch recently when it was bad.

If you have particular problems, they will try to move you when onboard, (if possible), as I have known a lot of people move because of the noise/vibration.

Entertainments - I can only give our opinion, so that is what I am doing here. We are in our mid sixties and often get quite annoyed about the fact that most of the entertainments, (if you are talking shows and music played), are designed for a much older age group. As mentioned there is a 'late night disco', but it does not start until midnight and is not really the sort of disco that younger people would appreciate anyway. If you are ballroom dancers you will be exceptionally well catered for though.

 

and

 

There are times we have been exceptionally happy with older people as companions, and became fairly friendly with a much older couple on our Canada cruise who were very good company. Some of our best table companions have been much older than us as well. I do not think age in itself is an issue, but in our opinion the entertainments could well be if you want a disco for instance. Fred tend to have good observation lounges with quieter music where you can have a conversation with others. Must admit though on our last cruise someone complained that we had been holding a conversation, (not loud), as the musicians were playing one lunch time!!

We would be described as late sixties. With respect, I don't understand your comments about the entertainment being designed for 'a much older age group'. The Neptune shows are generally good and suit many people in our group well.

Re the Observation lounge, I've always been surprised by the level of conversation when the musicians are playing. Not so bad, maybe, when it's background music but, more than once, I have been to a show where the main entertainers make an extra show in the Observatory and level of talking is crazy, some people even shouting to be heard over the music.

I think the point being made was that people in their sixties now would have been more likely to have spent their teens jiving rather than ballroom dancing. I cannot comment on the suitability of the shows as we never managed to see one.

I think the point being made was that people in their sixties now would have been more likely to have spent their teens jiving rather than ballroom dancing. I cannot comment on the suitability of the shows as we never managed to see one.

No, we are that age group and it was ballroom dancing for us and we are still regular dancers. But we also do the jive and more or less anything else. When we went around South America on the Balmoral we were in a cabin on deck 5 (new part) but above the swimming pool. Every morning we were woken up at 5 am by a loud clanging noise which turned out to be a faulty valve in the swimming pool. It was never fixed but after a Herculian effort we managed to get the customer relations woman to give us another cabin which turned out to be dire. It was on deck 8 but twin beds neither of which were level. It was also a restricted view but far worse was the fact that the couple in the next cabin were extremely "active" if you get my drift (yes, on an Olsen ship!) :p and had few inhibitions. Thankfully after two weeks she became ill and was confined to her cabin for the remainder of the cruise while her husband tried to chat up the female staff.

Hello there,

 

We live near Liverpool and would love to be able to cruise from there rather than having to trek all the way down to Southampton. The only cruise line that starts cruises from Liverpool is, of course, Fred. Olsen.

 

I've heard that they cater, mainly, for a more - erm - mature clientele. I am 41 and my wife is 50; what is the general age range amongst the passengers and would we find that the entertainment is geared towards an older crowd's interest? We've previously cruised with Princess and P&O.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Rob.

I have quoted the original question on this thread, which is what I thought we were suposed to be answering. The person asking the question is 41 with a wife of 50, so they are much younger than the eras many people are talking about.

Regarding the sixties though, there may have been an odd dance hall around in some parts of the country that had ballroom dancing, but The Beatles became famous in the early sixties, as were The Stones and other sixties groups that were featured, (even on Fred's ships), when they used to have 60's nights. Even jive was more a fifties or a very early 60's style of dance. Certainly the night life in Liverpool, (and presumably other major cities), during the majority of sixties was predominantly of the disco era as Mark has mentioned earlier in this thread.

I accept other people have hobbies and dance styles that are different and that is their perogative, but as I was quoted a couple of posts ago, can I point out that my first words that were quoted were, (Quote) 'I can only give our opinion, so that is what I am doing here'.

I also appear to be several years younger than the person who quoted me. As I said I am mid sixties, so I was not 18 and going out regularly until 1968, (well, perhaps 1967 when I could get away with it)!

When you mention that folk have to shout to converse over the entertainment, I Just wondered if there is a quiet bar, somewhere where folk can chat together at all, or is there entertainment in all bars of an evening. Not been on Fred yet, but will be on Braemar in August and Balmoral in March.

When you mention that folk have to shout to converse over the entertainment, I Just wondered if there is a quiet bar, somewhere where folk can chat together at all, or is there entertainment in all bars of an evening. Not been on Fred yet, but will be on Braemar in August and Balmoral in March.

There are places you can go on the Balmoral for a chat together Gill. :)

You noted: "The cabin we were in for Balmoral, (4156), was a few cabins further forward than the ones that were marked as 'subject to noise and vibration', yet the vibration was very noticable to me. Some people are more easily disturbed than others though."

Where can one find the notations about cabins that you mentioned above? I could not find anything on FO's website.

Thanks.

I did not understand the comment about extra show/loud music/shouting in the observation lounge, so cannot comment on that particular case, but assume it must have happened.

We have been on a number of cruises of different types, including mini cruises, and have never experienced this when we have been onboard. The only time we have known the observation lounges being used for anything other than background music and people who were doing anything other than just having a conversation, was on Balmoral this May, as they have started doing a quiz up there on that ship, (I think about 10.00pm). The Braemar lounges are usually quiet as well and good to relax in with company and a drink.

I have known large groups of people booked on a Fred cruise, (U3A or family groups for instance), so there have been larger groups who have held a more prominent conversation in a quiet lounge. The instance I had originally mentioned though, was just before lunch with the Rosario Trio playing and no one sitting at another table in the lounge would have heard any of our conversation whatsoever. However, the man I mentioned had decided to sit on the window seat which was between our table and the window, which meant he was looking straight across our table at the musicians. He could easily have sat at another table as there was no shortage of seats. I have never experienced his sort of behaviour before either, and have no idea why he did not just sit at a table, instead of waiting until the musicians had finished their session, and then make the rude comment to us as we were walking off to lunch. It was very much a one off.

You noted: "The cabin we were in for Balmoral, (4156), was a few cabins further forward than the ones that were marked as 'subject to noise and vibration', yet the vibration was very noticable to me. Some people are more easily disturbed than others though."

 

Where can one find the notations about cabins that you mentioned above? I could not find anything on FO's website.

 

Thanks.

As I mentioned I had done a mock booking on the net yesterday, searching for your cabin number and that detail comes up before you have to enter your full details and payment. For our cruise, I had searched for the cabins in between ours and further back and there were about 3 or 4 that were not coming up as subject to noise and vibration between our cabin and the ones further back that were labelled as such.

I assume it could be difficult for you to ring Fred directly from the US, but you could discuss it with your agent who may be able to put you in touch with Fred, or perhaps you may be able to send an email direct to Fred. You may be able to go on a waitlist for another location further forward ,or sometimes I have known them offer double cabins for single occupancy, depending upon how full a particular cruise is. No harm in asking. On the other hand you may not be too bothered by it, some people must book those cabins.

I have quoted the original question on this thread, which is what I thought we were suposed to be answering. The person asking the question is 41 with a wife of 50, so they are much younger than the eras many people are talking about.

Cheers for attempting to get things back on track :D

We both like all types of music and especially enjoy 50s and 60s - both our mothers had excellent musical taste! So I suppose worrying about the entertainment is a little silly. We also enjoy ballroom dancing, although I am at a much lower skill level than my wife - she is a qualified teacher, I am very much a beginner!

I think that a Fred. Olsen cruise would suit us rather well. In all honesty, I can be 'old beyond my years' sometimes - I like classical, jazz, swing, big band and rock'n'roll and am very partial to the odd Werthers Original :p

When are the summer 2017 cruises normally available to look at on the website?

Cheers,

Rob.

I think you will love it and the food is far better than I have experienced on any other cruise line. I think it is a bit of a fallacy about only elderly people cruising with Fred. On our recent cruise every decade was well represented from children to people in their eighties.