Pugwash123

We have cruised with P&O once and will not cruise with them again. We have cruised on Fred Olsen Braemar many times and although we try other cruise lines we always end up going back to Fred. If you like a more traditional cruise experience catering for older passengers you will not be disappointed with Fred. 

Hello Stella, we have cruised to St Petersburg 3 times, on the first time we took the ship's tour, on the second time we took a private tour for eight and on the third time we took a private tour for the two of us. The private tour for two was by far the best experience as SPB  tailored the tour around the things we wanted to see, we also had time to include an impromtu visit to the war memorial as I had expressed an interest in seeing it. My wife particularly enjoyed the Faberge Museum. 

I shouldn’t ever count on a particular restaurant being ‘guaranteed’. When we were on Boudicca at Easter, on a Freedom fare, booked at launch, we had a specific restaurant on our booking, in writing. When we boarded, we found we were allocated a table in the other one! Didn’t really matter, so didn’t protest, but it shows it isn’t guaranteed, ever!

 

 

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We have our favourite restaurant on Braemar and always book at least a year in advance to ensure the availability of this restaurant. If I were to find we had been moved to the other restaurant I would certainly make my displeasure known. So far we have always been allocated our favourite restaurant on every cruise we've done with Fred.

That’s not strictly true, well at least not for the sitting anyway. Probably true for the venue as the smaller restaurants go quickly.

 

They offer you the choice when booking an Anchor as long as you pay for it. They take the money along with the balance of the cruise fare so at that point it is part of your contract.

 

Has anyone ever been refunded their £2 pppn once onboard and not got the dining time they paid for on Anchor?

I agree that you can pay the £2.00 per person per night to guarantee your dinner sitting with an Anchor fare but you cannot guarantee which restaurant nor request a table size. When booking with Fred I make sure that the restaurant and sitting are available and guaranteed before I confirm the booking, otherwise I look for a cruise where they are available.

If I had paid the Anchor fare with the dining supplement and then not been allocated the sitting I had requested I would not be a happy bunny whether I got my £2 per person per night back or not.

The only way to guarantee your choice of restaurant and sitting is to book a freedom fare as early as possible and check that your choices are confirmed on your invoice. What disappoints me is that they will not guarantee your preferred table size.

I would not book a particular cruise if I could only be allocated first sitting.

Hi can anyone advise me on best place to park in southampton in November, fred hasn't said which terminal we sailing from so not sure where to book car in for duration of cruise.

 

 

If you go to the APB Southampton website you will be able to enter your cruise details and book your parking. We use ABP and always been pleased with their service and security. Where you will actually park is dependent on which terminal the ship is using but ABP will take care of all the details for you. Another alternative is to take one of the stay and park deals offered by some of the hotels.

We have visited St Petersburg on three different cruises. On the first cruise we took the tour organised by the ship, on our second cruise we took a private tour for eight of us and on the last cruise we took a private tour for the two of us. As part of a group of 35 people we didn't enjoy the ship organised tour very much at all. The private tour for eight was very good but the private tour for the the two of us was the tour we enjoyed the most.

Yes to everything but we didn't order any wine through the interactive TV so I can't confirm if that option is working.

Thank you for the information Coravel,

I agree with other posters. We've just come off the Braemar and confirm a good selection of TV channels, films and music along with continuous live feed from the Neptune Lounge. Very satisfied.

We're back on Braemar later in the year. Have the televisions been updated and can you easily plug in external sources? Can you still view your on board account on line and does the on line wine ordering now work.

We like a table for 8 at dinner but don't mind what size table for breakfast or lunch. Quite often my OH will not bother with lunch so I often get sat with strangers but don't mind this as it is usually nice to meet and talk to new people.

I do not believe the dress code either requires or requests socks of any description.

 

Similar omissions have been the bane of every legislative or rulemaking body throughout human history.

I did not mean to suggest that dress socks should be a compulsory part of the dress code merely that when sitting down they ensure a gentleman does not expose his bare leg unintentionally.

I have followed this thread with interest as I have often wondered how a person can go to the trouble to dress in formal attire and then spoil their appearance by wearing a pair of unsuitable shoes.

May I add to the debate by suggesting that dress shoes shoes should be accompanied by dress socks.

Shuffleboard Dude, the problem is that we are not in Flam for very long, and people on the cruise tours take precedence on the train, so by the time we would get to the head of the queue, we would probably not have time for the trip. Those on ship excursions are guaranteed to be back on the ship by sailing time, although normally we would organise such trips on our own.

When we visited Flam with Viking Oceans I pre-booked our railway tickets on line and printed them at home.. I chose a late morning train time and had no problem finding a seat on the train as the cruise tours seemed to be allocated their own carriages. We managed to make the journey there and back with plenty of time to spare.

Do Fred offer a selection of films and music on the in cabin TVs?

 

While we have no intention of spending the holiday in front of a TV odd times it might be nice to chill with a good film.

There is a good selection of modern and classic films available to view. There is also music available although I tend to take my own. There are TV channels available but reception is dependent on the location of the ship.

The in cabin entertainment system could definitely do with an upgrade.I believe the system has not been upgraded since it was installed some years ago and can be slow to operate.. The flat screen televisions are small and look dated compared to modern flat screens and there is no easy way of plugging in your own devices. The one thing I do like about the system is the ability to access your on board account at any time. There is also the ability to use the system to order wine for lunch or dinner, although on our last cruise on Braemar (a short 3 day cruise) this facility was either not working or as being ignored.

Thankfully informal nights are a thing of past on Fred, only formal and smart casual now. No longer a need to take an extra jacket or tie, although nothing to stop you wearing them if you wish. I'm almost certain that formal wear cannot be hired on board but, as Pugwash says, it is relatively cheap to buy an outfit these days including from M&S. Might be a better investment, however, to buy a dark suit unless you are considering further cruising in the future

Although not strictly required I take a jacket for those cooler evenings.

Hi everyone, we are looking forward to our first cruise next week, with Fred Olsen to Norway.

 

As the title says, we are a couple in our 30's. We have young children and as such, we really haven't had a chance to dress up in the last 8 years or so. We need to buy some new clothing to meet the dress code for dinner and formal nights. I'm aware that the cruise is usually over 60's, which isn't a problem as we love to get to know people of all ages, but I don't want to offend by not wearing suitable clothing.

 

Firstly, can we rent a suit on board for formal night? My husband has a mid grey suit that he wears to work and several french cuff shirts, which look very nice on him but I'm not sure this will be suitable for formal night (x2).

 

For normal, evening dining in the restaurant what kind of shirt is my husband expected to wear?

 

I like to dress quite stylishly and sharp most days, but I often wear dark black, slim fit jeans with a nice blouse/top and belt. Would this kind of thing be suitable for the other 5 nights? Or should I go buy some dark trousers instead? (I only own jeans!) I'm not very comfortable in dresses so I'd rather not wear one every night to dinner and entertainment.

 

Any advice is appreciated, I understand my experience of what "smart casual" means is probably different to what other Fred Olsen passengers expect, so I would like to know your thoughts!

As a man I take a dinner suit, dress shirt and black bow tie for formal nights. I am not sure if you can hire a dinner suit on board but a full outfit can be bought for less than £100 at outlets such as Matalan. For informal nights I take a blazer or jacket and dark or grey coloured trousers with a plain coloured shirt and tie. For smart casual I wear the same trousers with a short sleeve patterned shirt and no jacket or tie. You should have received notification of how many formal, informal and smart casual nights are on your cruise, If you have only one formal night you can give it a miss by eating in the alternative restaurant. Are you excited about going on your first cruise? I know I was. I hope you have a wonderful time on your first cruise and have many more to come.

We will be disembarking the Queen Victoria on Aug.24th and boarding the QM2 on Sept.2nd. Looking for recommendations on where to stay for those 9 days between cruises and what we should see and do other than the London highlights. Thanks for all ideas and suggestions!

May I recommend the web site Londontown.com, it has a lot of information on London tourism and a link to a London hotel interactive map. There are lots of coach tours available to places outside the capital. Places such as Kew gardens and Greenwich can be reached by tube or river boat. We have stayed at the Royal Horse Guards Hotel which we found convenient for sight seeing and would happily stay there again. The one thing I would not recommend is the open top tour bus as many of the major attractions in central London are within walking distance of each other. What ever you decide to do or wherever you decide to stay I wish you a very pleasant time in the UK.

In the "old days", a few years ago, tips were paid on the last night at dinner to the waiters and to your cabin stewardess the following morning. It became almost a ceremony. However, there was a downside. I was on a 72 night cruise round South America and one couple who had thoroughly enjoyed the cruise didn't appear for dinner.It was a biter blow to the staff. The current system at reduces the chance of such mean-mindedness.

You can have the gratuities removed from your account and then go into the final dinner in the knowledge that your dining companions and waiters will assume you have had the gratuities added to your account. We prefer to let our waiters and cabin steward know in advance that we will be following the old tradition of tipping on the last night and morning as we find this to be a more personal way of showing our appreciation. .

There is my favourite pass time, Eating and Drinking.

And if it's a really good day, a nice nap in the coffee port or bar area, this is so much better than sleeping on a bed in my cabin, as people can watch and I take up seating space away from others. It's so much fun, that nearly everyone else is doing it.

It's so much more enjoyable if you've left a book and other personal items on one of the prime location sun beds.

This is not a question for me as I am tone deaf! Do Fred offer karaoke sessions as part of the entertainment?

 

Also what else do they provide in addition to the usual cruise fare of stage shows, port talks, bingo, dolphin racing and quizzes?

I have never experienced Karaoke on a Fred Olsen cruise and would certainly stay well clear if one was offered. Fred usually lays on a passenger talent show. Passengers are invited to private auditions where the best ones are chosen to perform on the passenger show night Also the crew put on a show during the cruise which they seem to enjoy and is usually well attended.

I also remove the gratuities from my account at the beginning of the cruise, preferring to tip on a more personal basis. Before my cruise I purchase some nice thank you cards and ensure my waiters and cabin attendant receive the equivalent of the pre-paid gratuities and usually more if they have have been especially good. Where gratuities have been included as part of a cruise promotion I will still tip the waiters and cabin attendant if the service they have provided warrants it.

I wonder how many of my fellow Cruise Critic members would like to see gratuities removed altogether and the basic cruise prices increased to a level that would guarantee all the crew a decent wage.

One visit worth including on any St Petersburg tour is a short trip on the Metro. The stations are magnificently decorated.

Hello

 

I have been to Saint Petersburg twice on two previous Baltic cruises, most recently on the QE in 2012 ....I am joining the QV in August for another such cruise. In the past we have used the ship's tours in Russia so there was no need to obtain my own visa. This time around I am interested in retaining the services of a private guide. Does anyone have a recommendation or any tips? Your help appreciated. BTW, it will be nice to be back on the QV since the refit....thank you.

 

Deck Chair

We have visited St Petersburg three times and have taken twoprivate two-day tours. On our first tour we joined a party of eight andfollowed a pre-agreed tour itinerary. Because we were a small group we were allowedto bypass most of the entrance queues and our guide was able to spend more timeanswering our questions and provided amore personal service than that provided on a ships tour. On our last visit toSt Petersburg we took a two day private tour just for the two of us. We arrangedan itinerary with the tour company and our venue visits were organised to makethe best use of our available time. Because I was interested in the siege of Leningradour guide was happy to make a detour to the impressive war memorial and would haveadded a tour of the associated museum had it been open on the day we visited. Ifyou want to make the most of your St Petersburg visit then I would recommendyou take a private tour just for the pair of you and have the tour company helpyou create an itinerary to suit your interests. For our two private tours weused SPB and were extremely satisfied with the service they provided.

Yes agreed

I have travelled on Adonia which is smaller and the facilities were much better but this ship seems like it’s on its last legs

One thing is puzzling me though - anything I read about FO before this cruise praised the friendliness of the staff. This is not the case here. I smile at everyone and say good morning etc but get a grunt in return. On other ships when you come back on board you are asked if you had a nice day and welcomed back. Not on here - the security staff don’t say a word you you. Our waiters don’t want to chat. This is a strange experience and not like the cruising I am used to

We have cruised on Braemar several times and have always found the staff to be friendly. I have noticed over the years that waiter to tables ratio has decreased so the waiters are busier than they used to be and don't seem to have as much time to chat as they used to. A friend of mine took his first Fred Olsen cruise the other year and complained that the waiters were too familiar so I guess you can't please everybody. We were on Celebrity Eclipse a few years ago and found the waiters very chatty, unfortunately they always seemed to be chatting to other tables who were well into their meals while we were still waiting for our meal and wine orders to be taken. Although Celebrity Eclipse was a much glitzier and glamorous ship with larger and better appointed cabins we shall not be in a hurry to cruise with Celebrity again. I believe Fred has someone monitoring these threads who will hopefully pass on your comments for investigation and that by the time of our next cruise any problems will have been sorted out.

We are on Braemar at present in a balcony and are very disappointed. The space on the balcony is fine but there is a huge overhang so no sun and obstructed by a lifeboat below. I like to sleep with curtains open but this is not possible in port as our balcony has had a huge searchlight on overnight. I would never book this again - simply not worth the money

 

The cabin layout is very poor - we are in twin beds and have had to re-organise. Original layout had small bedside tables at foot of beds which just don’t work for us as we need somewhere for a glass of water and to leave specs. Also head of bed is not against a board or a wall so pillows kept dropping off. Worst cabin I have ever been in

In my experience Braemar cabins are smaller than the cabins that can be obtained for the same price on other cruise lines. Also I find a Fred Olsen cruise to be quite expensive so it can be disappointing when your cabin does not meet your expectations. In my opinion the best cabins on Braemar are the Superior Suits that were added when she was extended. These particular cabins are on deck 7 and can be identified by the fact that they have a bathroom with a bath and over bath shower. In the past we have not booked with Fred because despite trying to book well in advance these cabins have been unavailable so have booked with other cruise lines instead. Unfortunately so far we have been unable to find a ship that suits us as much as Braemar. With regard to the balcony overhang we don't actually mind it as we prefer the shade it provides. I believe the balconies on the cabins on deck 8 do not have an overhang but I have seen comments on previous threads that passengers on the deck above can see directly onto them. I can sympathise with your situation as there is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a holiday only to find it does not meet your expectations.