Breamar withdrawn

[twotravellersLondon]

 

 

2 hours ago, 1160451 said:

4 weeks, and still no refund of our deposit. ☹️

 

 

At the beginning of covid it took over eight weeks for FOCLs to refund our deposit for a cancelled Braemar cruise ... it took over 8 weeks... so we hope that your's arrives soon.

[Eglesbrech]

4 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

 

 

At the beginning of covid it took over eight weeks for FOCLs to refund our deposit for a cancelled Braemar cruise ... it took over 8 weeks... so we hope that your's arrives soon.

The legislation states 14 days but at the beginning of covid cruise lines we’re taking many months, 8 weeks is not too bad - certainly better than the time taken by other companies eg P&O.

[1160451]

Deposit refunded today.

Rang yesterday to ask where it was, as it was over 4 weeks ago that I asked for it.

Funny that or am I been unfair. 😂

[twotravellersLondon]

22 minutes ago, 1160451 said:

Deposit refunded today.

Rang yesterday to ask where it was, as it was over 4 weeks ago that I asked for it.

Funny that or am I been unfair. 😂

 

Delighted that you've got your deposit back! Happy crusing!

[1160451]

On 1/5/2023 at 1:05 PM, twotravellersLondon said:

 

Delighted that you've got your deposit back! Happy crusing!

Thanks very much. 
We have a Princess Cruise booked in May. First time with them.

Next Fred Cruise is Northern Lights in 2024. 
👍

 

[richard_london]

It looks like the future for the Braemar as a residence at sea is confirmed following this story:

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/11/villa-vie-to-announce-ship-purchase-agreement-in-december/

 

The Villa Vie Residences website has been updated with ship plans and rooms renders. The ship profile clearly is the Braemar and the deck plans are lifted from FO originals.  From the initial profile image it looks like she will be going back to a light hull colour.

 

https://booking.villavieresidences.com/ship-and-listing

 

There are some interesting renders of how the cabins will look. It helps you imagine how a refitted Braemar could have looked in service with FO, but sadly that just remains a dream.

 

We've seen a number of plans for residences at sea come and go (now Ambassador's Ambience was going to be the Satoshi and more recently Aida's AIDAuara was going to become Life at Sea), so it will be interesting to see if this gets off the ground.  I say that because I recall the Miray (behind Life at Sea) originally tried to use the Braemar's sister ship, MV Gemini (https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/worlds-first-three-year-cruise-runs-into-rough-waters-executive-team-parts-ways ) but pulled out of using that ship because it would be unsuitable for the purpose.  I know the Braemar was lengthened by FO but I wonder if she is viable as a permanent residence at sea.

 

Anyway, for those who loved the Braemar and are interested, these are the changes I could seem compared to the old FO deck plans:

 

2 deck - Community storage added
3 deck - Culinary centre replaces arts and craft room
4 deck - Thistle Restaurant becomes Marina Diner
5 deck - Neptune Lounge becomes Theatre, Morning Light Pub becomes the Morning Light Club, Library remains, networking area replaces gaming tables, meeting areas replaces Bookmark Cafe, shops, photo gallery and guest services, Coral Club becomes Club
6 deck - Palms Cafe and Grill becomes Wave Cafe
7 deck - no significant changes
8 deck - Observatory becomes Villa Vie Lounge, Marquee Bar becomes Sun Bar, Grampian Restaurant becomes Gourmet Restaurant

[safarigal]

Thanks this is interesting. I am not sure that she is ideal as a permanent live aboard ship, but she certainly is lovely.

[Leither]

On 11/29/2022 at 6:43 PM, richard_london said:

I was so upset to read this.  I have been hanging on for the Braemar to return to service to try and undertake a cruise on her, which I was planning to do before the pandemic hit us.  It definitely won't happen now.  Really cross with Fred.

 

Of all the publicity that Fred has had in the last few years the photos and footage of the Braemar squeezing through the Cornith Canal was the best the company has ever had.  It was such a good advert for their brand of small ships.  It was all over social media and in the cruise news.  Fred couldn't have wished for better positive news stories.  How badly now has it all ended.

 

Just like every other cruise company Fred are following the bigger is best approach (to their bottom line, not their passengers).  It makes a complete mockery of the small ships ethos that the have flogged for so many years.  But it just doesn't hold now.  When they got rid of the Black Watch and Bouddica they immediately killed off all the Kiel Canal transits those ships frequently did with the new HAL ships too big for it. 

 

Their statement that says the Bollete and Borealis still offer a small ship experience is ambiguous.  If I am being generous it is a spurious statement, but the way I am feeling right now it is akin to gaslighting.  They aren't small, and unforunately that aren't pretty.  Nor does the interior design gel with the traditional Fred fleet.  Adding their signature carpets doesn't distract from two ships with dated interiors, whereas the previous ships had been regularly refitted over the years.  They just don't appeal to me in the same way and I suspect this is part of the problem why Fred can't fill them.

 

Fred love to tout their family-firm curated itineraries, visiting the smaller ports that big ships can't reach.  Well that's going to be impossible now.  With this decision, they are really restricting where they can go.

 

I think this is the beginning of the end for Fred.  It is definitely the end of small ship cruising.  With their dynamic pricing they were already alienating many loyal customers.  Getting rid of the the Black Watch and Bouddica alientated the same and more.  Buying the HAL ships alientated even more and now this, is probably not the final nail in the coffin but one of the last.

 

If the company is still in operation a year from now I will be surprised.  But the Fred product we all knew and loved has gone now.  Yes, they still have the Balmoral but I suspect they won't keep her for much longer.  If they can't fill the two HAL ships and are bleeding money, then more cuts will have to come along the way.

 

What a sorry, sad state of affairs.  I'm feeling rather emotional and angry.

 

 

 

 

 

We did the Cruise through the Corinth Canal on Braemar in 2019 and it was excellent. But this year we cruised on Bolette to the Canaries, Azores etc and were very happy with the ship. So much so, we booked to go to Norway on her sister ship next year.

 

Regards.

[richard_london]

It's official, Braemar will become the "Villa Vie Odyssey". 

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/startup-agrees-to-buy-fred-olsen-s-braemar-for-3-5-year-world-cruise

 

Also, the website has been updated:

 

https://villavieresidences.com/meet-the-ship

 

There is a video which combines CGI artists impressions and old footage of the Braemar.  Some of the video clips used are of poor quality, so it looks like they haven't shot this specifically for this purpose but used clips in the public domain.

 

Apparently she will be setting sail on 15th May 2024.  FOCL will hand her over at the end of Feburary.  So that's two months to reactivate her and refit all the cabins?  Is that posssible?

[safarigal]

4 hours ago, richard_london said:

It's official, Braemar will become the "Villa Vie Odyssey". 

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/startup-agrees-to-buy-fred-olsen-s-braemar-for-3-5-year-world-cruise

 

Also, the website has been updated:

 

https://villavieresidences.com/meet-the-ship

 

There is a video which combines CGI artists impressions and old footage of the Braemar.  Some of the video clips used are of poor quality, so it looks like they haven't shot this specifically for this purpose but used clips in the public domain.

 

Apparently she will be setting sail on 15th May 2024.  FOCL will hand her over at the end of Feburary.  So that's two months to reactivate her and refit all the cabins?  Is that posssible?

I think that is very optimistic 🙂

[twotravellersLondon]

6 hours ago, richard_london said:

It's official, Braemar will become the "Villa Vie Odyssey". 

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/startup-agrees-to-buy-fred-olsen-s-braemar-for-3-5-year-world-cruise

 

Also, the website has been updated:

 

https://villavieresidences.com/meet-the-ship

 

There is a video which combines CGI artists impressions and old footage of the Braemar.  Some of the video clips used are of poor quality, so it looks like they haven't shot this specifically for this purpose but used clips in the public domain.

 

Apparently she will be setting sail on 15th May 2024.  FOCL will hand her over at the end of Feburary.  So that's two months to reactivate her and refit all the cabins?  Is that posssible?

 

There is a lot more to this story than whether or not the cabins will be ready.

 

The founder & CEO of Villa Vie is Mikael Petterson.

 

Before he left the company in May 2023, Mikael Petterson was previously the Managing Director "Life at Sea Cruises" which was very recently in the international press when it cancelled a three year cruise due originally to begin at Istanbul on 1 November 2023. The company had promised 1,095 days of travel, to seven continents, visiting 140 countries. Passengers would spend roughly 300 days at sea, 795 days at port and have 413 overnight port stays. The cruise was to cost anything from about  $40,000 to $100,000 per person per year.

 

"Life at Sea" originally planned to use the Gemini, the Braemar's sister ship... the two were originally virtually identical when they were built in 1992/1993 (Gemini = Twins). That deal fell through. It's been reported that Gemini is at the heart of a defamation lawsuit by the owners, Miray, against former managing director of Life at Sea Cruises, Mikael Petterson. The lawsuit states that Petterson called the ship “unseaworthy” – a claim that Miray vehemently denied. For anyone interested there is a picture of the Gemini @  https://www.gbnews.com/travel/cruise-life-at-sea-cruises-cancelled

 

"Life at Sea" then planned to buy the AIDAaura. That deal also fell through when on November 16, Celestyal Cruises,  announced that it had bought the AIDAaura.

 

"While the cruise was originally due to depart Istanbul, on November 1, shortly before that date, departure was changed to Amsterdam and postponed firstly to 11 November and then to 30 November but on 17 November... passengers... some already in Istanbul ready for the 1 November departure... were told that the cruise was off. One report is that only 100 cabins had been sold.

 

One big question is how is the purchase of the Braemar and the "multi-million" refurbishment to be financed? Will it depend on the sale of cabins? Will the running costs be dependent on the monthly fees? 

 

One of Mikael Petterson's mantras is, "Moving on to the next project Villa Vie Residences. 'For the Residents, By the Residents'." So will the residents... as seems to be suggested... be the legal owners... will they be responsible for the business? 

 

An interesting story to look out for as it develops... and will FOCLs ever get its money from the sale?