Northern Lights Christmas in Fred. Olsen Cruise Line Posted January 9, 2015 Over all the trip was fantastic and we saw the Northern lights 5 times in all its splender. We actually stayed out in min 23C in a Sami tent (Lavvo). The inside was TOO hot as we had a wood stove going all night and a double bed with a huge duvet on it. We also did a dog sled ride at night which was fantastic going through the woods in the moon light snow. Some trips were cancelled due to a lack of interest. Cannot understand why people pay all that money and not want to do just a little out of the ordinary! Anyway over all the trip was great. as for the ship...... well the sooner the Blackwatch is scrapped the better. It is just an embarrassing leaking rust bucket. The owners have recently added balcony's during a dry dock stay. I think this is just a last gamble to get more money out of us before she is scrapped. We got moved from our balcony room because the air conditioning would not warm the room, I have a heart condition and need a reasonable amount of heat in a room. This room got colder by the day until I really started to suffer. they moved us to their best suite, what a laugh. I really pity anyone who has paid for this type of room. Old dirty and worn out is saying good things. After moving in after 5 days of the other room, this one flooded with over an inch of water throughout the suite! two other adjoining suite where also affected. So we had to move again for the night to a single cabin while they pulled up the carpet and underlay and try and dry them out. The underlay they replaced with new after they had dried the floor but put back the same carpet which was not dried properly or refitted correctly. Inside the wardrobes was still damp and really smelly and the carpet was still damp to touch. We were told that the water was because of melting snow on our balcony. Hog wash! we had a mere coating if I could have collected it in a container it would only amount to less than half a bucket. An inch of water covering the whole of the suite is more than half a bucket. More like a leak or drain water. The rest of the ship is a disgrace with so much rust everywhere. We even saw one patch that had eaten away the metal on the port side. Looked like a very long time leak that just kept getting painted over till there was no metal to paint. We got the impression of crew that it is worse below decks. How does a ship like this keep going? On the Balmoral in September there was also a problem getting into New York because of the way the ship looked! That we got from the crew also. Fred Olsen uses ships that are out dated and should be scrapped for more modern. We will not use this line again until they modernise their fleet. Three cruises this year with them has made our minds up. Cute they may be but outdated and not worth the money. BEWARNED
Northern Lights Christmas
in Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Posted
Over all the trip was fantastic and we saw the Northern lights 5 times in all its splender. We actually stayed out in
min 23C in a Sami tent (Lavvo). The inside was TOO hot as we had a wood stove going all night and a double bed with a
huge duvet on it. We also did a dog sled ride at night which was fantastic going through the woods in the moon light
snow. Some trips were cancelled due to a lack of interest. Cannot understand why people pay all that money and not want
to do just a little out of the ordinary! Anyway over all the trip was great. as for the ship...... well the sooner the
Blackwatch is scrapped the better. It is just an embarrassing leaking rust bucket. The owners have recently added
balcony's during a dry dock stay. I think this is just a last gamble to get more money out of us before she is scrapped.
We got moved from our balcony room because the air conditioning would not warm the room, I have a heart condition and
need a reasonable amount of heat in a room. This room got colder by the day until I really started to suffer. they moved
us to their best suite, what a laugh. I really pity anyone who has paid for this type of room. Old dirty and worn out is
saying good things. After moving in after 5 days of the other room, this one flooded with over an inch of water
throughout the suite! two other adjoining suite where also affected. So we had to move again for the night to a single
cabin while they pulled up the carpet and underlay and try and dry them out. The underlay they replaced with new after
they had dried the floor but put back the same carpet which was not dried properly or refitted correctly. Inside the
wardrobes was still damp and really smelly and the carpet was still damp to touch. We were told that the water was
because of melting snow on our balcony. Hog wash! we had a mere coating if I could have collected it in a container it
would only amount to less than half a bucket. An inch of water covering the whole of the suite is more than half a
bucket. More like a leak or drain water. The rest of the ship is a disgrace with so much rust everywhere. We even saw
one patch that had eaten away the metal on the port side. Looked like a very long time leak that just kept getting
painted over till there was no metal to paint. We got the impression of crew that it is worse below decks. How does a
ship like this keep going? On the Balmoral in September there was also a problem getting into New York because of the
way the ship looked! That we got from the crew also. Fred Olsen uses ships that are out dated and should be scrapped for
more modern. We will not use this line again until they modernise their fleet. Three cruises this year with them has
made our minds up. Cute they may be but outdated and not worth the money. BEWARNED