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Would you sail on FRED OLSEN FOR ROTTERDAM & AMSTERDAM???🚢🚢


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7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No experience in trying to book Fred Olsen, but trying to book P & O Australia became impossible doing so with a North American travel agency that is very experienced.  I gave up.

 

If Fred Olsen has any interest in trying to attract North American guests, some things need to be changed on their end of the equation.  Same with Saga Cruises.  Book with them directly or you don't book.

 

But herein lies precisely my point - Fred Olsen has shown ZERO interest in courting passengers from North America, and more specifically the USA. For that matter neither have Saga, Thompson, or P&O (both UK and Australia divisions).

 

These companies could establish North American sales offices anytime they wished, sell in USD/CAD and market in North America. They choose not to.  If passengers from North America wish to book they can do so via the UK or Australian sales offices (depending on the line), in local currency at prevailing exchange rates and subject to the terms, conditions and consumer laws of the country they are headquartered in. 

 

These companies have catered the experience and itineraries for the UK and Australia home markets. The passengers prefer NOT to have a boatload of Yanks aboard.  They want the product to remain essentially "British".  I don't see that philosophy changing much.

Edited by AtlantaCruiser72
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16 hours ago, jhannah said:

No, I wouldn't opt for Fred Olsen just to sail my favorite ships. As another has said, it's the HAL crews that have kept us coming back.

And you have first hand knowledge that the FO crews are not up to your HAL crew standard ??? For all we know they might be a tad better!

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Just visited the website and they have several cruises I would be interested in: some around the UK and a few in the America’s. Pairing a trip to Britain with a cruise on a British ship around the UK really appeals to me. 

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Last summer we took a P and O cruise to the Baltic, as it fitted into our subsequent travel plans better than the equivalent HAL cruise. We were made very welcome by the British contingent and were impressed by the crew who, like HAL were from various Asian nations. Service was up to Hal's standard and food delicious. Entertainment was like HAL precuts and prices worked out similar. We have seen the Fred Olsen ships in various ports on our travels and 3 of them are under 30,000 GT. The Amsterdam and Rotterdam will be twice their size!

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Our trip to Svalbard and other northern Norway ports on the Veendam was canceled with the sale of the Veendam. So, with the A'dam and R'dam going to Fred Olsen, I checked their itineraries and saw one on on the Boudicca that was not comparable to any other I've seen...Greenland, etc. too...very nice itinerary. IF they get rid of the Boudicca (which rumor says on their CC site), then PERHAPS it will allow the A'dam or R'dam to be used for that itinerary.  Could pair it with a stay in the UK with friends and try to hitch a ride back on a HAL ship...my preferred way of getting back from the Europe.  So...am staying with an open mind...but have checked all other cruise lines that I can afford and don't see any other options...running out of cruise years...disappointed the WC for '21 is pushed to '22 since we didn't care for '21's itinerary and were hoping for a better one for '22....alas...lots of mixed up feelings...4 cruises canceled with sales or virus. UGH!

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In the past we have done several short cruises up to five days on Fred Olsen (six in all) and have found them perfectly satisfactory for short jaunts to the continent.  We have always said however, that we would not want to do a 14 day cruise.   The last was a few years' ago, but no we did not think the food was as good as HAL though it was OK.   Our trouble with FO is we do not liked fixed sitting, we do not like having to dress up for formal nights, and a terrible thing to say we are from UK but do not like sailing on ships with all UK passengers.  Part of our holiday is to meet people from US and Australia and Canada (and other places) as chatting with them is generally far more satisfying and I think we all learn a lot.

 

We are shattered by four ships leaving HAL at one go, Rotterdam is the ship we have been on the most, about 10 times.  We also liked our trip last year on Maasdam - our sort of cruise.  I have nothing against Volendam which we have had three good cruises on but not been on Zaandam.   We do feel however,that with only two smaller ships to choose from there will be a vey limited itinerary choice.  In any case Zaandam will be tied up with the world cruises which would just leave Volendam at the very time we prefer to cruise and unless they switch ships around we have done the Volendam Far Eastern itineraries.   

 

I will say that FO has had a very good South African cruise which is an area I would love to do.   If it was the Rotterdam or Amsterdam we might just be tempted.

 

However, we have also now found Oceania and Viking both of which suit us well, just as HAL has done for 18 cruises.

 

Angela

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21 hours ago, Rotterdam said:

It's an easy enough question...how much does a ship mean to an individual.

 

I'm a sentimental guy so ships I've sailed mean a lot to me, but I have a love/appreciation for all ships and I care about all of them.  

 

As to the OP, I'm too far away from the FO market, the costs to sail these ships will be way too much, I might as well sail Cunard at this point, in fact Cunard might even be less.  

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Someone mentioned the PRINSENDAM which was another ship built for ROYAL VIKING LINE ...it was well loved by RVL & HAL crew & passengers.  I did a transatlantic & European cruise on her & it was wonderful.  The way she handled the Atlantic Ocean  was amazing. It was more club like. I preferred her to the Veendam, Rotterdam, Noordam & Volendam.

As far as crew I've found that across the board I've had wonderful service on most lines.  I do miss the old days when I sailed on Italuan Lines & everyone from the cabin steward, wait staff, pizza man & officers were Italian.  Those waiters making pasta tableside were like gods...&  the officers delicious.

It's funny the prejudice but saying on cunard w Brits was always fun & if you've never been in an English pub you've never lived.

Today the crew is just an economic factor. conglomerates like RCCL & CARNIVAL broke the unions that supported particular staff.  Now I wonder where the lines will staff their ships.

Last October I took a repo cruise on msc from NYC to Miami..13 days.  My first time on a mega ship(aka a floating mall). I thoroughly enjoyed the European feel, the food was quite varied. the balcony cabin very comfortable and the international crew could not do enough for me. I'd choose msc over hal if the itinerary was interesting.

The times they are a changing.

 

 

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19 minutes ago, atexsix said:

 

I'm a sentimental guy so ships I've sailed mean a lot to me, but I have a love/appreciation for all ships and I care about all of them.  

 

As to the OP, I'm too far away from the FO market, the costs to sail these ships will be way too much, I might as well sail Cunard at this point, in fact Cunard might even be less.  

I understand...I love the great liners of the 1920's to 1980.  Even more i love being in the middle of the ocean...so aft pools, full promenade decks, a balcony & the fresh air is wonderful.

As the ships change I've adapted...but i still hope to get on Boudica & Black Watch as they are truly the end of an era.

FULL MOON & BLUE SEAS to you

Edited by Rotterdam
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Just spent sometime on You Tube looking at. fred Olsen.   Anyone who many be considering them to get on the. amsterdam or Rotterdam I suggest you look here, pmarticularly the one on. Boudicca cruising to Norway.   The couple doing it did a daily blog which also showed pictures of their dinner each night and part of the evening entertainment.

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Blue Sea Cruises:  There may be a legal conflict coming over the name of this start-up.  There is a Blue Sea Cruises (Kailua-Kona) in existence already.  Reading about this Company, it does not sound like one that would suddenly jump into the large passenger ship market.  

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11 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

But herein lies precisely my point - Fred Olsen has shown ZERO interest in courting passengers from North America, and more specifically the USA. For that matter neither have Saga, Thompson, or P&O (both UK and Australia divisions).

 

I suppose 15 years ago or so, I would regularly get literature and ads from Saga.  That was a time when I was a subscriber to a freighter-oriented travel publication that operated a travel agency that booked freighter voyages and other "unusual cruises".  Since I ended that subscription, nothing more from Saga.  

 

I have tried to make inquiries through two major travel agencies--one totally devoted to cruising--about P&O Australia and P&O.  They were not able to obtain brochures/literature/information from either Company.  Any contact with them had to be through their website and/or a travel agency in Australia, New Zealand, or the UK.  

 

Your conclusion that we, Americans, are not really wanted to be guests on their ships seems accurate based on my experiences.  That's too bad--for me.  I have found Australians and New Zealanders--as well as other nationalities, i.e. Canadians,-- to be delightful and interesting cruise companions.  

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1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Blue Sea Cruises:  There may be a legal conflict coming over the name of this start-up.  There is a Blue Sea Cruises (Kailua-Kona) in existence already.  Reading about this Company, it does not sound like one that would suddenly jump into the large passenger ship market.  

 

Two different beats, hence the extra "s" for the start up company

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18 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Two different beats, hence the extra "s" for the start up company

John B. Richards will be at the helm, he is a former president for Starbucks. N.A., they will focus on the outdoor activity market, golf, water sports, cycling etc. So no chocolate on board...

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17 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Good idea.  You could ask questions there.  Also you could look at reports on past cruises.

I booked Fred.Olsen direct from Australia, with no problems.  I would like to cruise with Fred.Olsen again on Amsterdam (Bolette - where did that name come from?).

Ms Bolette was a former Viking ship,  also called Viking 5 I believe and was a ferry up in Scandinavia..

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2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Your conclusion that we, Americans, are not really wanted to be guests on their ships seems accurate based on my experiences.  That's too bad--for me. 

 

I'm not sure I would say that they don't WANT Americans, just that they don't go out of their way to market to them. If Americans find them, they are fine with it. 

 

At least that has been my experience on such tours/cruises. On a Swan Hellenic cruise (probably 95% British passengers), I remember sitting down to dinner with a table of British passengers who wanted to know how I even found out about the line. My friend and I were two of only a handful of Americans aboard. But we never felt unwelcome.

 

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14 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm not sure I would say that they don't WANT Americans, just that they don't go out of their way to market to them. If Americans find them, they are fine with it. 

 

At least that has been my experience on such tours/cruises. On a Swan Hellenic cruise (probably 95% British passengers), I remember sitting down to dinner with a table of British passengers who wanted to know how I even found out about the line. My friend and I were two of only a handful of Americans aboard. But we never felt unwelcome.

 

 

I think that assessment best sums it up - we are more than welcome, but they are not courting our business either 

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28 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm not sure I would say that they don't WANT Americans, just that they don't go out of their way to market to them. If Americans find them, they are fine with it. 

 

At least that has been my experience on such tours/cruises. On a Swan Hellenic cruise (probably 95% British passengers), I remember sitting down to dinner with a table of British passengers who wanted to know how I even found out about the line. My friend and I were two of only a handful of Americans aboard. But we never felt unwelcome.

 

Possibly with the purchase of the HAL ships FO is expanding their marketing and welcoming hoodlums from the U.S.A.  It seems like a win-win for FO.  They are making many in their current market happy with the new ships and broadening their marketing horizons.  Sounds like a profitable purchase to me.  JMO  Cherie 

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On 7/16/2020 at 3:55 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Veendam isn't one of the ships going to Fred Olsen. It's Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

 

(Veendam appears to be headed elsewhere....)

Another reason I am unlikely to sail a former HAL ship on Fred. Olsen. Sorry, I got my threads jumbled up, more going on here than my little brain can handle.

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17 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

I think that assessment best sums it up - we are more than welcome, but they are not courting our business either 

 

 

"More than welcome":  maybe.  I'd have to sail on the line in order to determine that for myself.

 

I think back to a new car shopping experience that I had in the early 1980's.  On a rainy Saturday afternoon with no other customers in the showroom, I walked into my sole community Oldsmobile dealer because I was interested in one of their models.  Salesmen stood/sat around the perimeter of the showroom.  None approached me.  I felt "not welcome".  I left.  We know what happened to Oldsmobile.  

 

If Americans are going to be "welcome" to sail on Fred Olsen, Saga, P&O, etc., that "welcome" feeling needs to start with the marketing and sales.  It isn't there currently.

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7 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

If Americans are going to be "welcome" to sail on Fred Olsen, Saga, P&O, etc., that "welcome" feeling needs to start with the marketing and sales.  It isn't there currently.

 

Sounds to me as if you are looking for issues where there are none.

 

Personally I prefer being quietly made welcome to aggressively selling me on something. 

 

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