Why is this forum so quiet?

I understand that Fred Olsen ships are smaller and more intimate so there is less of a customer base but this forum is so very quiet compared to others.

We are in our 40s and so automatically communicate with others going on a cruise through this type of media when sailing with other lines. Is it the customer demographic?

Any thoughts?

I understand that Fred Olsen ships are smaller and more intimate so there is less of a customer base but this forum is so very quiet compared to others.

 

We are in our 40s and so automatically communicate with others going on a cruise through this type of media when sailing with other lines. Is it the customer demographic?

 

Any thoughts?

In my experience the vast majority of Fred's cruisers are well over forty and are happy with the line and what it has to offer so there's really no reason to visit Cruise Critic let alone post anything on the forums.

Hope the cruise we have booked is livelier :)

We are in our forties too & looking forward to our first 'proper' cruise with FO this summer - have already done a couple of mini cruises with them & been very impressed & really enjoyed them!

I agree, this forum is very quiet in comparison to others & there is also an 'unofficial' FO FB page that too is very quiet.

I'm not sure if it's an 'age' thing as I wouldn't like to think the rest of the forums on here with others lines are just 'younger' people.....

We are in our late 50s but far from quiet, don't get me wrong were not rowdy but we like to enjoy ourselves, don't believe in being stuffy and get on with majority of people :)

We are in our late 50s but far from quiet, don't get me wrong were not rowdy but we like to enjoy ourselves, don't believe in being stuffy and get on with majority of people :)

Looking forward to your comments & thoughts of FO on your return Boatboy knowing you are a Thomson fan. Also, we have booked for Norway for next year so would be good to hear about that too.

I see we keep missing each other by a year lol - looking at your cruise list we have either been a year ahead or behind you with itineraries!

:) :)

We are new to Fred and I also noticed how quiet this forum is compared to the others but the main thing that struck me is how friendly it is compared to others where there is constant sniping and arguments. A pleasant change:)

It isn't always so quiet but remember that two of the FOCL ships are on world or long cruises and are only returning to the UK in the early Spring.

As a veteran of more that 30 cruises with this line and several with others I am glad to say that FOCL do read what is posted and very often take action on complaints.

American here piping in. As a future FO cruiser and past Swan/Voyager, I've also noticed the quiet on most of the British cruise line forums. Even with my past U.K. cruise line cruises, it was primarily the Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians, etc. who participated in the roll calls. I was thinking perhaps it was just not a British thing to join in. Or is there a British-based website that provides similar forums?

Although this forum is quiet, it IS read by Fred staff and they usually comment on things that may be of concern to people unlike other section on here.

Fred Olsen has only four ships, all of which are small in comparison to the mega ships of other lines. I also read the Cunard section, which only has three ships, but, you can almost get the entire Fred Olsen total passengers on any one of the Cunard ships, so I think that is the reason this section is quiet. But, I read every post on this section unlike Cunard where I only scan the topics of interest :D

American here piping in. As a future FO cruiser and past Swan/Voyager, I've also noticed the quiet on most of the British cruise line forums. Even with my past U.K. cruise line cruises, it was primarily the Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians, etc. who participated in the roll calls. I was thinking perhaps it was just not a British thing to join in. Or is there a British-based website that provides similar forums?

http://www.cruise.co.uk is a British site. FO is still quiet on there

http://www.cruise.co.uk is a British site. FO is still quiet on there

Thanks for pointing at this website; it's not one I was aware of and I'm always looking for new sources of information.

I've just come back from a FO cruise and it was very quiet on our roll call, but on the ship a lot of people were using tablets. However this was mainly to communicate with family at home and not really to explore options in ports, ask questions about their cruise etc. On our cruise the average age was 74 (number-crunched by one of the officers) and most of them just did Fred tours so didn't need to do research beforehand. Also very many were repeat cruisers who've never cruised with any other lines. As it was a long cruise the average age was probably higher than a cruise during school holidays etc.

boatboy2000 - don't hold your breath hoping the ship will be livelier. Things were fine during the day but we found it very quiet after dinner.

.

As a veteran of more that 30 cruises with this line and several with others I am glad to say that FOCL do read what is posted and very often take action on complaints.

Thanks, I've often wondered if Fred read the comments here.

wft

It's quiet on here because Fred gives its customers what they want.

Also we have been on around 6 Fred cruises and never gone to bed before midnight. It's as quite as you make it we have always found.

Might not be "rock and rolling" but always found like minded people to make the cruises great.

Cruised with RCI, PandO, Thomson and Holland America, so able to make comparisons.

Ok many older guests on Fred, so maybe not forum people.

But Fred folk don't complain when the carpet is a bit worn, or rust on a handrail, or they had to wait 10 minutes to get off the ship, or wrong kind of tea bags, or they can't smuggle booze on to the ship.

Just read the other forums it's full of keyboard warriors complaining just about anything.

We don't even get wound up when somebody asks can they wear flip flops, shorts and vests on Formal night...😀

Well maybe just one or two of us.........😀😀

I've just come back from a FO cruise and it was very quiet on our roll call, but on the ship a lot of people were using tablets. However this was mainly to communicate with family at home and not really to explore options in ports, ask questions about their cruise etc. On our cruise the average age was 74 (number-crunched by one of the officers) and most of them just did Fred tours so didn't need to do research beforehand. Also very many were repeat cruisers who've never cruised with any other lines. As it was a long cruise the average age was probably higher than a cruise during school holidays etc.

 

boatboy2000 - don't hold your breath hoping the ship will be livelier. Things were fine during the day but we found it very quiet after dinner.

Thanks tartanexile, we go week on Monday, not banking on good weather, never done Fred before, so we will play it by ear, not planning on doing a lot of ships tours, as long as we can get off and do out own thing we will.

...

Ok many older guests on Fred, so maybe not forum people.

But Fred folk don't complain when the carpet is a bit worn, or rust on a handrail, or they had to wait 10 minutes to get off the ship, or wrong kind of tea bags, or they can't smuggle booze on to the ship.

Just read the other forums it's full of keyboard warriors complaining just about anything.

We don't even get wound up when somebody asks can they wear flip flops, shorts and vests on Formal night...😀

Well maybe just one or two of us.........😀😀

Just loved this response. Made me laugh out loud :D

So far my cruise experience is limited but I do have a few bookings lined up (Celebrity, Princess and Viking) and am looking to make one with FO and so am reading the posts on this forum before I take the plunge ;)

I go on my first Fred cruise on Braemar soon, and am really looking forward to it, but haven't asked a lot as I enjoy discovering things myself. A voyage of discovery!! I do enjoy cruising though, and have already booked Balmoral for March.