richard_london

The summer 2023 cruise list is available on Fred's website.  Unfortunately single fares are too pricey for me.  Some nice itineraries if you wanted to take a look.

18 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

as crappy as it is, it seems like it was a well-calculated risk that they took.  brand exposure to millions of their target demo in the US vs. cancelling a few voyages that were probably not very well sold to begin with. 

 

it sucks, but they likely determined that the positive exposure + the free trips for impacted pax outweighed any ill will from a very small portion of their customer based that had been booked on those voyages.  communication could definitely have been improved though!

Sounds like there is more in it for Virgin than for the TV producers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bachelorette_(American_TV_series)#Ratings

I've never seen it, not sure it is shown in the UK.  It doesn't sound like a big audience for the US.  Is the show popular?  1.8 million viewers 18-49 for the last year there are figures for - if we assume this is Virgin's demographic. 

There is a recently added on the Cunard website about the Queen Anne's design.

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/inspiration/queen-anne/Unveiling-Queen-Anne/queen-anne-design-team

If you look on the right you can see the Queens Room signage.  Also a spiral staircase at the back of the room, so perhaps a proper double height room.  Might mean more seating for afternoon tea which always seems overcrowded on the QV and QE. 

Just read about it here (https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/26996-three-april-2022-sailings-on-valiant-lady-cancelled.html) and I am shocked at how shoddily Virgin are treating its customers. Aren't they meant to be customer savvy?  If this is how they will do cruising differently to everyone else then I think I will skip.  It's still a new line, and a new ship, so people will be trying them out for the first time. Hardly the best way to start by disenfranchising three shiploads of customers. I feel very sad for all those affected.  We've all had so many cruises curtailed because of Covid but these cancellations are completely avoidable.  If it is as rumoured, this TV series in the US then it does seem Virgin are greedy for the publicity with that programme's demographic at the expense to people who have already paid their hard earned money to sail.  It is a poor look from Virgin in my opinion.  And asking you to pay fees and taxes is a mean look too.

Also, they like using the same shots again.  The shot of the bell boy with has hand on the staircase at ~0:13 in the Alaska video appears in this week's Queen Anne 7 minute video at ~7:11.  I don't know why they like that shot so much!  I've only seen the bell boys in the Cunard red uniform on the Queen Mary 2.  Do they also wear  it on the QE and QV?

6 hours ago, Britboys said:

Personally, I think Bolette has quite pleasing lines externally. To me though, the aft upper decks extension that HAL made to the now Borealis looks a real bodge job and ruins her lines.

I looked at some pictures from the stern of both ships and see what you mean. This shows the difference well.

I hadn't realised that was added, and you are right Bolette looks much better without it.  The original front without those large rectangular windows above the bridge looked much better as in this photo (source https://crew-center.com/borealis-itinerary)

8 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

I'd be careful about how far to take this comparison. For example, although QV is a Vista ship like several HAL ships, you really can't compare the interior configurations aside from gross-level "the theater goes here and the main dining room goes there" comparisons. QV/QE's lobby atrium doesn't have a parallel on a HAL Vista. You can consider how many decks are available for public spaces vs. passenger accommodation but even the lifts could be located differently.

Oh yes, it is entirely speculative, but put the Koningsdam deck plan PDF alongside the QE plans and you will see a lot is in the same position.   The Koningsdam  has an atrium.  It is on the deck plans, decks 1 to 3, the same decks it has been mentioned for the Queen Anne.

22 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I'm thinking maybe Boardwalk Cafe

Before they introduced the Verandah Restaurants I remember doing a survey for Cunard on alternative dining options.  I remember the steakhouse option, since it became the Verandah, but I can't remember what the others were.  Does anyone else recall the same Cunard survey?

I had a quick look on MarineTraffic and she is still in the floating dry dock in Croatia.

Less than 4 weeks to go now until her maiden voyage.

If you haven't seen there is a Facebook group as there are limited photos on the official FB page for Ambassador.

https://www.facebook.com/pacificdawnpage/

You don't need an account to view the page.  The latest photos show she is getting her white/green/purple livery at the moment.

She is looking a lot sharper freshly painted.  I wonder what she will be like inside.

On 3/10/2022 at 10:42 AM, twotravellersLondon said:

Traditionally over the years "Fred" has made a loss on the cruise business. 

 

"Fred" acquired what's now the "Borealis" and the "Bolette" in mid 2020 and there's no payment due to Holland America until mid 2023. "Fred" will then have two more years to pay off the ships in annual instalments of £7.43 million at a 2.5% fixed interest.

 

That seems to be a lot of money but pre-covid "Fred" had operating revenues of over £200,000,00 and, by comparison with the amount of money that "Fred" has borrowed over the last couple of years from Bonheur ASA, £7.43 million is a relatively small amount.

 

The real question is: now that "Fred" has so much more capacity can he retain his loyalty customers and can he attract more customers than he did pre-covid to make his four ships pay? 

Thank you for explaining the payment terms.

I fear Fred. are facing an uphill battle on this.  More capacity but at higher prices means even more cabins unfilled, if his past passengers such as ourselves decide they can no longer cruise with them.

I know the new ships had a loyal following with HAL but they just aren't for me.  The latest cruise ships are criticised as floating blocks of flats, but the Bolette and Borealis are unfortunately not very pretty.  Their form is quite blocky, the stern is very square (unlike the cascading rear decks on the Braemar and Balmoral) and the bridge front isn't very attractive, and the two funnels don't look good when you compare the funnels on the Braemar, Balmoral and the two retired ships.  The interiors look very dated and seem not to have been updated since built, unlike Fred's previous fleet which had had many refits to keep them looking contemporary inside.

Unless you are extremely loyal to Fred. I can't think why you wouldn't spend the money and go with Viking or Saga (I'm not quite old enough for Saga yet), or on a budget go with Ambassador when they are up and running.  Cruising for me is more about the ship than the destinations and Fred's decision to go with these HAL ships just isn't an attractive offering.  I know the Black Watch and Boudicca were old, but they had a loyal following with Fred's cruisers and I'm not sure the new ships will ever gain that affection.

I will stick to the Balmoral and Braemar, if I can afford to, but that doesn't seem likely.  Failing that I can give Ambassador a go as they seem to offer more varied itineraries as Fred does.

On 3/9/2022 at 9:04 PM, Britboys said:

Interesting to see all your posts. I have only cruised once with Fred but had another one booked that was twice changed, itinerary wise, and ultimately cancelled. Fred seems to operate differently to most other lines in a key way - their launch prices are generally ridiculously high, with better offers coming later. Two of their UK competitors (P&O and Ambassador) operate their prices the other way round. Apart from late deals, Fred's recent prices have seemed very high to me - especially so for solo travellers.

The other thing I have found irritating of late with Fred, is the drip, drip release of itineraries. I - and I'm sure many others - like to see what is available across a whole season before deciding what to book. I guess this could be in part due to current circumstances but as far as I am concerned, it's not helpful.

I agree entirely on both points.  Solo prices are exorbitant and are a complete no-no for me, which is disappointing as the itineraries are more interesting than P&O.

Also, yes, the drip drip release needs to be improved.  They used to send out the big cruise calendar books with all of the itineraries and it was nice to be able to compare different options.  With limited funds for holidays, I usually create a short list of cruises I want to try and then go for the one I like the best, but it's not really possible when they don't publish them all in one go.

A number of you mentioned the Queen Anne will be based on the Koningsdam so I was looking at the deck plans (https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/KO/pdf/hal-ko-deck-plan-051021.pdf) and in my head trying to work out what each space could be on the QA. 

So rather than just keeping it to myself I thought I would write it down and share with you.  This is just an educated guess, comparing the Koningsdam deck plan to that of the Queen Elizabeth and filling them in.  Some are obvious like the main restaurants, theatre and casino.  I then looked at Queen Mary 2 deck plans to see if any venues on there could fill in some of the gaps.

The numbers in brackets were me trying to tally 15 restaurants (or places where you could get food and drink).

Please mind this was just me trying to counter my enthusiasm so is not based on any prior knowledge of the actual QA internal arrangements.

Deck 1:
One of these meeting rooms becomes the Card Room?
Other meeting rooms renamed after historic Cunard liners?

Deck 2:
World Stage = Royal Court Theatre
Billboard Onboard = Library? (was running out of places to put this)
Rolling Stone Rock Room = Golden Lion Pub (1)
Merbella = Luxury shop
Lincoln Centre = Queens Room (as this is the only double height space I can see)
The shops = Same
Pinnacle Grill = Verandah Restaurant (2)
Atrium = Same
Sel De Mer = New dining venue, Sir Samuels (like on QM2)? (3)
Ocean Bar = Midships Bar (4)
Blend = Champagne Bar (like on QM2)?
Club Orange Dining Room = Britannia Club Restaurant (5)
Dining Room = Britannia Restaurant (6)

Deck 3:
World Stage = Royal Court Theatre
Casino = Same
Art Gallery = Same
The shops = Same
Future cruises + guest services = same
Grand Dutch Cafe = Cafe Carinthia (7)
Photo Shop = Same
Dining Room = Britannia Restaurant (6)

Deck 9:
Fitness Center = Mareel Spa
Movies poolside = Children's area?
Lido Bar = Pavilion Bar (8)
Dive In + Gelato = New food experiences? (9/10)
Canaletto = New high end dining experience? (11)
Lido Market = Lido Restaurant (12)
Sea View Bar = Lido Bar

Deck 10:
Spa and Salon = Hair salon
Covered area = Pavilion pool
New York Deli & Pizza & Panorama Bar = Garden Lounge (13?)
Club Hal = Yacht Club
Club Hal = Grills Lounge
Tamarind & Nami Sushi = Princess and Queens Grills (14 + 15)

Deck 12:
Crows Nest = Commodore Club
Explorations Cafe = Admirals/Churchill Lounges
The Retreat = Grills Terrace

Thanks for the Bonheur link.  Looking at the Q3 2021 report it says:

The remaining cruise ships are planned to be gradually phased into operations through to 2Q 2022.

Due to the new and negative development of Covid-19 in the UK, early autumn 2021, the UK cruise industry is now experiencing discounting ticket prices for the coming winter season. From Spring/Summer 2022, and going forward, FOCL is experiencing substantial demand at normal prices for it’s cruises.

But then in the Q4 report it says:

Balmoral is planned to commence cruising during 2Q 2022 and Braemar is planned to commence cruising in 2Q 2023.

So Braemar returning to service a year later than announced just three months earlier doesn't tally with a "substantial demand" for cruises. 

I am keen to try the Braemar, just 2023 seems a long way off and there still seems so much uncertainty in cruising.

I did see one thing, it says:

FOCL has a seller credit of GBP 22.3 million of 5 years tenor with 3 years of zero amortization and subsequent annual instalments of GBP 7.43 million at a 2.5% fixed interest cost.

I don't really understand what that means, but you said FOCL made a small profit in 2019.  £7.43 million is a lot to pay back each year when profits are small.  Have they already had to start making repayments?

35 minutes ago, etruriaguy said:

Absolutely. I remember many a comment about how the QV was a disneyfied version of “old classic liners” and the QE was too similar etc etc.  

I recall too, people saying they were a pastiche.  Having stayed aboard the original Queen Mary in Long Beach a couple of times I can see elements where they've drawn inspiration from, but a lot of the QV/QE interiors are a modern idea of Art Deco is about rather than anything seen on a previous Cunarder.

For example. the casino, with the clock (that clock is not Art Deco, it looks Victorian in style to me) and the Queens Room are not Art Deco, but they have a look and the Queen Anne is so far them to make her seem like a ship from a different company.

With the three existing Queens you could say that was an overarching aesthetic that grouped the three together, so if you felt at home on one you would feel at home on another.

But this is going to be like switching companies, so I wonder it might alienate some of the existing Cunard cruisers.

As others have said, renders make it difficult to judge so I shall reserve judgement until I see.  I will definitely try a voyage to see what she is like.

I took some screen captures from the video for those who aren't able to see the video.  I'm interested to see what you all think of the new look Cunard interiors.  I understand these views are:

The Lobby (decks 1 - 3)

One of the 15 restaurants, I assume the Britannia (yes they said 15!)

The Golden Lion pub

A Queens Grill suite

A suite bathroom

Just looking back through my emails, Fred. are pushing out at least two emails a week plus their "latest from the Bridge" mailings.  There are an awful lot of deals at the moment.  Does anyone know if they are doing okay?  I get marketing emails from other cruise companies but none seem to be as heavily into the email offers as Fred. at the moment.  Are they struggling with filling the newer ships given their newer ships carry close to 1400 passengers and the Black Watch and Boudicca carried 900.  That's 55% more people on board, and given they seem in no rush to put the Braemar back into service a bit worried the signs aren't the best.  Hopefully just reading too much into things, but with the loss of so many ships during the pandemic the choices are already depleted enough.

The point I was making was the Russian regime is extremely homophobic and actively discriminates against LGBT people.  Cruising is a very gay-friendly experience and many LGBT cruisers would never step ashore in St Petersburg on principle, so any restrictions on what you can do ashore are irrelevant.

6 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Years ago, my wife and I cancelled a cruise to the Baltics, when Putin started driving up the anti-gay hate and violence in Russia, and haven't looked back.

That's my own personal reason for never having booked a Baltic cruise, since most since to overnight in St Petersburg.  As a solo traveller I wouldn't feel safe ashore, as I like to explore ports of call on my own.  But then, why should I go ashore and spend my own hard earned money in a country that is so hostile to people like me?  

And for all the other evil stuff he and his regime has done to destabilise the west and your country it makes it quite an easy decision.

Well done NCL.  We can't as cruise passengers be supporting the Russian economy whilst it invades Ukraine.

I'm just emailing the cruise companies I am booked with saying querying their policy calling at Russian ports.

As an individual I feel there is little I can do to help, I can support charities helping the people of Ukraine but the biggest thing I can do is to not do business with companies that put money into the Russian economy.  Most cruise companies operating in the Baltic call at St Petersburg, including overnighters, and that is foreign money directly into the Russian economy in terms of port fees, excursion fees and passengers spending money ashore. 

So I have said in my email that if they continue to call at Russian ports then morally I can't do business with them and will cancel my cruises before the balance is due.  It would mean sacrificing my deposits, but I need to make a stand in my own way and this is one way I can.

1 hour ago, twotravellersLondon said:

Like you, we will also wait and see what the remaining 2023 itineraries looks like and hopefully we'll have an interesting cruise on the  Braemar or the Balmoral. In the meantime we have a cruise booked with SAGA this year and we're on the priority list for the new 2023 SAGA season.

Fingers crossed.  Hope you enjoy the Saga cruise.  They do look nice ships!

30 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

The opportunity to pick up these two ships for a song came at a time that everybody in the industry knew that CMV was in a bit of a financial pickle and the purchase may have seemed to be opportune at the time when many people thought that Covid would be all done by Christmas and someone else could pick up CMV's client base.

 Yes, at the start of the pandemic it must have seemed a sound investment but one predicated on the assumption that Covid would come and go quickly and we would be able to resume cruising promptly.  Assuming deal with HAL/Carnival was preferential, the cost of a light refit (mainly soft furnishings and an external repaint (I don't think Bolette and Borelais were drydocked), then the economics must have looked favourable if they were able to fill the ships to capacity.  I imagine they hadn't considered the reduced occupancy rules would go on for so long.  If the marketing emails are any indication, it looks like there are cabins to fill on lots of cruises.

I haven't cruised since November 2019 and at the start of the pandemic I think I had four cruises booked, mostly of shortish duration.  What with cancelling and shifting cruises, I have switched so many times - 16 missed cruises, and still the four booked into the future.  So I can understand the reluctance to return to cruising. 

I was looking at a Northern Lights cruise and compared Ambassador,  Cunard, P&O and Fred and Fred's was the most expensive by a significant amount for me as a solo traveller. I'm not sure what the difference in price gives me.  For a cruise of the same duration, for the price of an interior cabin on Fred I can get a balcony with Cunard and P&O, so for me the decision becomes less about preferring smaller ships than the cost, since the itineraries are broadly the same ports of call.

So if, with the new bigger ships are going to the same ports of call as other lines, but for higher costs, Fred are relying on brand loyalty.  However, their product is changing, so perhaps they are testing that loyalty?  I will wait and see what the remaining 2023 itineraries looks like, hopefully there will be some distinctive Braemar and Balmoral cruises I can consider.

11 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

If the Olsen Way is for "cabins to be called cabins," "ships to look like ships" and for "the onboard experience to be uncrowded, warm and civilised" there can be few better ships to provide that than the Braemar.

Thank you for your comments, there are very insightful.

I had seen about Blueworld and their plans for the MV Gemini.  I always wished that Fred had purchased her as a running mate to the Braemar.  It would have been an excellent combination.

I hadn't considered that Fred could get squeezed by Saga and Ambassador.  Ambassador have already lined up a second ship and seem keen to expand.  I wonder how this will all work out.  The Saga ships and the Bolette/Borealis are very similar in terms of dimensions but the Fred Olsen pair have the higher gross tonnage (+4600 GRT), but as you say all that extra enclosed space doesn't necessarily advantage passengers.  Looking at the virtual tours of the Saga ships they definitely have the advantage over the Fred pair (also, they aren't 20 years old already) when it comes to cabins, public spaces and the overall feel.

You said capacity had increased from about 3,879 beds to about 4,959 beds, have Fred Olsen gone too big with these new ships, if they haven't been filling them?

2 hours ago, tring said:

I cannot help but think that the Renaissance ships are just what is being described in both of the previous posts.  Real expedition ships as new builds seem to cost more like £500 pppn which is above what we (and I am pretty sure most Fred customers) would consider paying, though I must admit for a real expedition itinerary, we may well consider it, probably as a one off though.

 

The other new cruise ships of any sort of reasonable size, all seem to be more of less clones of each other.  Basically 60,000 ton or thereabouts and all balcony cabins, so again not that small and no cheaper alternative to go on those ships if you do not want all the extras that some of them include (if you are not interested in what is given as the extras).  Most seem to be marketed as luxury ships as well - again we do not particularly want the sort of luxury that is offered.  A decent standard of cruise to some really good destinations fits our requirements to a T - we do not need more.

I was more thinking of Balmoral/Braemar sized ships, rather than expedition-type ships as these seem to command a premium for prices.  Perhaps the economics doesn't work any more for Balmoral/Braemar sized ships?  For example Cunard and especially P&O are accelerating towards larger ships and having cruised with them the larger ships can be a bit much. I am hoping this isn't what will happen with Fred Olsen in the future, but Ambassador Cruise Lines born out of CMV is going with larger ships as all the smaller, older ships have gone for scrap. But, in this day and age, do small ships still make money at Fred's traditional prices?  (Your comment about the Braemar got me worried, I do hope she stays in service).  Fred Olsen's offering pre-pandemic was different, and...it's hard to describe....cosier, more comforting?   The itineraries were definitely more distinctive. I can't really afford beyond a week for a cruise and when that is your limit with Cunard and P&O you find the itineraries are all the same year in year out.  

Advertising Bolette and Borealis as smaller ships is fine, since compared to Royal Caribbean and MSC they are definitely smaller, but they are big ships however Fred presents them (they can't do the itineraries of the Black Watch and Boudicca).  And they seem to be more expensive, as a solo traveller.  I know things change and the pandemic has forced these changes to some extent, but I feel a bit sad, as the Fred Olsen product I've experienced before is not really available to me anymore.  T

18 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

What we have instead, the Bolette and the Borealis, seems to be the total antithesis of what we were looking forward to.

I sadly have to agree with you.  Due to the pandemic I lost two cruises with Fred.Olsen, one on the Braemar and one on the Black Watch.  I haven't booked replacement cruises with them because the Braemar's return to service keeps getting pushed back, and now isn't until the end of April 2023.  The new ships don't have the exterior elegance of the Black Watch or Boudicca, sadly.

One thing I've noticed is that all the mass market brands, whichever level they are pitched at are all introducing larger and larger ships.  P&O has shed all of its smaller ships, Cunard is now mass-market luxury and the new Queen Anne is huge.  The new ships are much larger than those they replace and they don't fit the "smaller is better" concept Fred are pushing now.  I, like you, wish they would go smaller and think these purchases which will undoubtedly be a success for Fred are taking the company in a different direction for that pointed in your post.  What direction is Fred going with these ships? 

I've only sailed on the Balmoral but she is a fine ship, easy to get round, and you don't feel overwhelmed with other passengers.  Looking at the virtual tour of the Braemar she has the same feel.

With so many ships sent for scrap due to the pandemic there are very little future options for Fred when it comes to second hand vessels that could be drafted in when they want to replace the Balmoral and Braemar.  I hope that doesn't happen soon, but only the Braemar can squeeze through the Cornith Canal and only the these two ships can do the Kiel Canal (which the Black Watch and Boudicca).  Second hand tonnage is cheaper, but then it would mean bigger ships that the Bolette and Borealis.

If they want to keep the "smaller is better" concept in the future they would have to go down the direction of new builds.  Then finally, we could see what the "Olsen Way" is, not only in terms of style of the ships but in the direction they are taking the company.