just do it ! i have been on two cruises now both on the same ship , everyone is really friendly and the food is lovely , you have one life live it , there is something for everyone on this ship its was the trip of a life time !

My wife and I did a Baltic cruise on the Braemar in June 2009. We had a wonderful time and almost everything was enjoyable: the food, the passengers, the crew, the weather and the ship were all first class. The entertainment was only average, however, and we felt the excursions were expensive. On board drinks were reasonably priced but the internet charging was so horrendous I gave up after one attempt and stuck with texts from the mobile phone. All things considered we would use Fred Olsen again.

Braemar,
SMOKERS BEWARE
We have just returned from Western Caribbean cruise on the Braemar starting on 19 March.
We enjoyed every aspect of the cruise apart from the very poor facilities for smokers.
Smoking is forbidden in all internal spaces and is limited to the port side only of the after outside decks 5 and 7 and to the upper foreward deck 9.
The result of this is that people cannot smoke anywhere near the pools and during days at sea (of which we had four)can only use the sunbeds on the windiest deck or walk to an approved area, and even worse in the evening when the ship is underway with the inevitable strong sea winds smokers have to seek out protection in the very limited areas aft - not pleasant when dressed in your finery and, for ladies a distressing experience after spending time preparing for formal nights.
To add to the difficulties the very limited number of tables which smokers can use aft (about 12 in all) are often used by non smokers on good days who make it very clear indeed that smokers are not welcome - resulting in several bouts of conflict.
This was mentioned to the Cruise Director, the Hotel Manager and to the Captain who all said nothing could be done and that it was company policy.
It is a great pity but Fred Olsen are being very unfair to people who smoke and whilst we survived the cruise around the Caribbean there is no possibility that we could go on a Norweigian or Baltic cruise much as we would like to.

We sailed on the mv Braemer's Western Caribbean cruise on the 19th March. Further to the smoker's comments. If he had booked a balcony cabin he could have smoked as much as he wished! We sailed on the Braemer before it was lengthened and so was interested in seeing it in its new shape. The new Grampian restaurant where we ate most of the time, our allocated restaurant, was great, the service was equal to a 5* hotel. Siggy, the overall chef for the whole ship, and his team went out of their way to cater for everyone's dietary needs whether they were vegetarians, diabetics gluten free etc. He made sure he saw people on special diets at the start of the cruise so that he could make sure they were happy with the food he planned. There was always an alternative. Going on the shore trips he always made sure that the special diet people did not go hungry and made individual lunch boxes for their day ashore requirements, considering there were over 900 people on board quite a feat! I was disappointed that the theatre which was always small had not be lengthened, but to compensate 2 different shows were put on at the same time at different venues. The crew treated everyone with respect and could not do enough. Behind the scenes they were cleaning and scrubbing at every opportunity. The new launderette was only £2 for a wash including the soap powder and drying, but did not remove any food stains just generally freshened things up. We found the internet very expensive (£2.25 spent before we even got on line!). Overall an excellent holiday, though I would add more for retired people than those with children.

i have been on the braemar 3 times now.my sister and i were on it in jan/feb.09 and saw a great difference for the good.the only disappointment i had was the small cabin. actually i fell out of bed in my sleep, so why did they not improve the cabins while they were doing the alterations? also i thought the theatre should have been improved as the seating is not suitable at all for a good view for everyone since the ship has been extended anyhow everything else was lovely and we are travelling again on braemar in july to the med.i do hope the dance hosts are just as good as it makes our holiday. anyhow heres hoping i dont fall out of bed next time.


georgina scott

Slight problem prior to sailing. Booked with Future Travel. They advised us they could not get us the grade we wanted but for extra payment we could have a guaranteed superior outside cabin with picture window. We agreed to this. It was only when the final documentation arrived that we found out the cabin was a restricted view. I telephoned Fred Olsen immediately to explain that, despite having cruised for many years and on many different ships, that we never thought to ask whether a superior cabin had a restricted view as we had always been told of such restrictions at the time of booking. They said it was between our agent and ourselves and could not do anything. They didnt despite the ship not being full and unrestricted view cabins available.

FLIGHT AND FLIGHT TIMES
Flew from Stansted on Titan airlines. Titan have an excellent seat pitch, very pleasant cabin crewe and decent food. Unless you are very tall I would not recommend asking for extra leg room seats as there is no need for this and the extra leg room seats have the tray within the seat making them very narrow. I had to move seats so that the middle seat of our row of three became vacant. The gentleman seated next to my husband was taking all the arm rest and his elbow was digging into my husband's ribs. I would certainly use them again as the 'ordianary' seats are a bit wider and therefore more comfortable.
Due to a problem with the Braemar we had to go to Palermo instead of Rome. This caused us no problems but some passengers were arriving very late at night. They had in effect lost a day of their holiday.
Our flight times were half past six in the morning (So had to be at Stansted at half past four)and leaving Rome at eight o'clock in the evening (Left the ship at four thirty in the afternoon). Considering this was a 'short hop' flight the times made it tiresome.

SHIP
This was our first time on any Fred Olsen ship. The ship was very clean and everything seemed fresh and new. It is not glitzy in any way and it does have the feel of a country hotel. I saw no signs of shabby or worn decor or furnishings. All in all I really liked it.
Thistle restaurant. Typical largish and busy ship restaurant.
Grampian restaurant. This is the one we ate in at night. It is a more intimate restaurant and has more of the feel of dining at ashore. This is a new restaurant. I was told it is allocated to passengers on decks 6,7 and 8. This did seem to be correct.
Library. Very nice room with an adequate selection of hard backed books. Paper backed books left by passengers. The place to collect the daily paper, crossword and quiz.
Main show lounge (Neptune?) The seating in here was peculiar with circular seating arrangements and tub seats. You need to get in here fairly early if you want a seat where you can face front and have a good view.
Coral Club. Used for daily quiz, bingo and alternative evening show. Very nice with an intimate feel. Seating here seems better.
Skylark Club. One section is for smokers, including cigars and pipes. This is the only area (including cabins and balconies) inside the ship where smoking is allowed.
Braemar room. A wide, long roomm (corridor) with excellent seating. Library, Internet Room etc., went off this 'room'.
I did use other rooms but not on a regular basis. All are tasteful and spotlessly clean.

CABIN 6068. Although this was a small cabin it was very pretty and the best use had been made of the available space. We had a 6' bed which seemed new and was very comfortable. The furnishings seemed brand new and were a duck egg blue shade. The storage space was adequate. If they had not put a little glass table and a chair in the cabin, which were of no use they could have given us a bigger shower. The size of the bathroom and in particular the shower was just too small. The main nuicance being the shower area which was tiny and cluttered, having a grab handle on one wall next to a container to put toiletries in. The shower itself on another wall and the tap system part way down the third wall. It was said by many a passenger that if you dropped the soap you had to get outside the shower to pick it up.
Shampoo etc. supplied.

FOOD.
This was fine. Despite the pretty presentation of the evening dishes it is not gourmet food and would not compare to some of the other cruise lines. There is nothing about it to complain about but nothing to 'wow' about either. We were on table 35 in the Grampian, which was a table for 6. Although we were all punctual we were always the last to finish the meal which was lasting from 8.30 to 10.30 or later, due to the slow service - meaning we could not get a seat to see the show. We did ask if we could take a proper turn in the service and this was partly done. They do have a set rotation when serving and we were last on the list. Ironically 2 couples next to us, who would always be in after us and finished and leaving the restaurant whilst we were still waiting to order our desserts, did not appear on the last 'tipping' night. They wern't the only ones who suddenly decided that the self service offered a better choice.
The balcony rooms appear to be the same as our room but with a balcony. Our friends had a balcony suite on deck 8. That was spacious and fantastic and was the nicest cabin I have seen on any ship.

THEMED NIGHTS.
Formal - I didnt see anyone who did not dress up.
Informal - A shirt and tie or a jacket required for the men. Unless you adhere to this you cannot eat in the restaurants.
Casual - Shirt without tie or jacket allowed.
Summer night - Garlands were provided and most people dressed in their most colourful outfits.
Western Night - Cotton neckchiefs, in choice of colours, provided. Some people in Western gear.
British night - Everyone dressed in clothes which were red, white and/or blue. Union jacks provided in the show.

ENTERTAINMENT.
The boys and girls worked very hard in the shows. It was the first time they had been together as a team. The costumes were good. I thought they were excellent. People who say 'Butlins entertainment' are quite incorrect and I find those comments sweeping and patronising.
Other entertainment were a trio of musicians, a female vocalist, a male vocalist, a commediane, a magic/commediane and a pianist.
The evening entertainment holds something for all tastes and should be looked forward to.

PORTS (not trips)
Katakolon. Main street with plenty of small shops some of which had lovely items as well as those with typical tourist items. Had a greek salad at the waterside. We enjoyed this port very much.
Khania, Crete. Walked to Souda Bay War Cemetry (about 45 mins). Very peaceful, quiet and very moving. Went to Khania which has lots of market type shops. Lovely place to shop, walk and have lunch. Nice port stop.
Piraeus. Busy concret jungle. Unless on a trip not much point in going ashore.
Marmaris. Long front to walk along. Bazzarr which is interesting but almost impossible to just look due to the persistance of the traders. Plenty of eateries. Nice port stop.
Rhodes. Evening. Stroll to walled area with plenty of shops and cafes. Coffe is 4 euros a cup. One lady knocked down and her bag was stolen. For us it was a nice port stop but perhaps caution should be advised to ladies walking alone.
Limasoll. Long flat prom so ideal if you want to walk. Beach. Two sun beds, umbrella and bowl to wash sand off your feet cost 7 euros. Good value. Some passengers found a market. Nice port stop.
Port Said. Lots of little stalls right off the ship. The hassle however is really bad. Bags are put onto shoulders with vendors insisting they are free and a present, once on although I tried to take it off the man kept holding my arm and pushing it back up. Of course then money is asked for. We agreed a price for a horse/trap ride around Port Said (merely to escape the vendors) at the end of the trip extra money was requested and it all became a bit fraught. We booked a trip on the Suez Canal for 15 euros each. Advertised as, unlimited drink. Sumpteous buffet. English commentary. 1 and half hour trip. The unlimited drink was 1 can of pop. No food at all. No commentary. Ship unable to move for half an hour despite much shouting and running about with a small blue screwdriver. We wouldnt have wanted to eat as the streets around the port are overflowing with 'hills' of litter which did smell. This was not a pretty tourist stop but I did find it very interesting and it gave me much food for thought.

PASSENGERS.
My husband is 60 and I would say we were among the youngest people there, the average age perhaps 70/75?

DOWNSIDE. Only one. The Guest Relations manager on the ship, (Valerie - I think?) telephoned our cabin over a query we had. My husband who, as I said, is 60 and has about 16 staff from young hot headed lads to middle aged men and has to interact with all of them cannot remember being spoken to in such an agressive and rude manner. So much so that he said "Valerie, you are being so agressive/angry that I am not prepared to listen to you. I am going to put the telephone down and I dont want to have to speak to you again. Goodbye". I do know that one couple who have booked a Caribean cruise are cancelling when they return home due to this attitude.
The concept of the Olsen 'family' is very evident and many passengers have done lots of cruises but only with 'Fred'. This concept is fine as all businesses have to have a marketing angle but once you are past this strata and need to speak to the business end I have to say they seem more hard headed and imovable than other cruse lines I am aware of. There is quite a sharp division between 'family' and the business reality.
These are my views only so they may not be yours. I think it is useful to gain varied reports and I hope some of this has been a help to someone.

We have travelled with Fred Olsen twice now on the Braemar and have booked again for the Balmoral next year.

We were very impressed with the ship though she can do the twist and shimmy a bit particularly over the Bay of Biscay.

The staff each time we have sailed with her were superb from the ships officers to the ever smiling stewards, I dont know how they keep so happy.

Its amazing how they remember you and cant do enough.

Yes I know they expect a tip at the end of the cruise so they are bound to make a fuss but personally I dont mind tipping if I have had good service and do it because I want to show my appreciation not because I feel I have to.

The ship on each occasion has always been very clean and staff seem to be cleaning all the time.

The food was always first class and the prices on board reasonable.

The entertainment what bit we saw was OK as we dont cruise to be entertained but to relax.

Fred Olsen does seem to cater more for the mature passengers which didnt spoil our holidays in the least, in fact they alone kept us entertained but they do need to update the tempo a bit.

Being in our early fifties even we like a bit of a boogie and a disco with some modern music from the 70s 80s and 90s
So come on Fred liven up a bit.

The ship was pretty old and quite small. Cabin stewerdesses were the best staff along with the dancers and singers. Waiters were quite rude and annoying. They say hello too much, they talk to much, interfere in your conversations and can be a bit pervy especially if you're young like me. I walked into the restraunt and they were all giving me pervy looks. The entertainment was good especially from the dancers. They work so hard 24/7 putting on a great show for us and in the day bless them they serve ice creams in the bar and what do they earn? PEANUTS. The guest relations lady, quite large, doesnt even lift a finger and she ears 10 times the amount they do. NOT FAIR. Cabin stewerdesses were the sweetest ever. They were so nice and understanding and they couldnt do more for you. We loved ours so much we bought her some pyjamas and gave her £100 tip. You only tip cabin stewerdess and your waiter which I think is really unfair as there are barmaids, engine boys, deck cleaners, receptionists, dancers, singers and plenty more people earning next to nothing. They dont share out the tips. Speaking of waiters, our waiter was TERRIBLE. Ever since the table next to us payed their tip early, he gives us no attention watsoever. He gave them free bottles of wine and acted like a total jerk towards us. He served them food that wasnt even on the menu. I ordered a starter and veal for my main course. He brought me the veal twice and never brought the starter.

I wouldnt recommend this ship to anyone. Almost everyone was complaining, the excursions are too expensive- £50 each to go and see a museum for one hour. RUBBISH!!!, The children onboard were so rude it was unbelievable. The girls being total tarts and the boys were just so ignorant. One elbowed me and didnt even apologize!! Only good things were receptionists, entertainment department and cabin stewardesses. I would never go on this ship again even if someone paid me.

My parents and I boarded Braemar for the second time at Dover. We especially chose Braemar as we were so satisfied with her the previous year. The Ships cleanliness remained as outstanding, the ships crew were constantly cleaning the vessel, however this did not prevent us from proceeding with certain activities, and as soon as we docked at each port, crew members began painting the exterior of the ship.

During our first trip aboard Braemar, as vegetarians, we found the food very good, however on our second trip we did experience a lot of trouble in requesting a vegetarian meal. Every lunch and dinnertime, my mum and I tried asking for something which didn’t contain any meat, however the Phillipino waiters didn’t have a clue what we were going on about. For those that eat meat, you would most likely be satisfied with the quality and standard of the food, however I had to give the ships food a two because of the trouble and problems that we experienced.

We found that a majority of the ships staff were very polite and efficient, however the rating has to be a 3 because the waiters experienced difficulty in answering passengers questions and queries. The member of staff that deserves a 5 was our cabin stewardess. She was very polite, and our cabin was clean & tidy at all times. She turned down our cabin every night, making it feel very cosy and comfortable.

The onboard entertainment was satisfactory. It would be untrue if I were to say it was good, because I thought personally it was below average. I felt that the entertainment was aimed more at those above 6o years of age, and little if any was targeted at young - middle aged individuals. The only source of entertainment in my opinion was a comedian who I have seen on three different cruise ships, named Billy Zany. He was extremely funny, and I felt that he was a comedian, which appealed to all ages.

In conclusion to our second trip aboard M.S Braemar, I did sense a slight decline within all areas, however I was still satisfied with Braemar overall. I think it is clear by the quantity onboard, that Fred Olsen Cruises target the more elderly aged passengers (no disrespect), however with the size of Braemar, I feel that this is appropriate. For those people who enjoy sailing aboard modern mammoth cruise vessels, with glitzy and classy facilities, Do Not consider sailing aboard any Fred Olsen Ship, as you will be devastated. Braemar is a very small ship, however has a very modern feel, which is excellent. I personally prefer larger ships which offer more facilities for younger ages, however I would cruise aboard Braemar again.

This was our first cruise with Fred Olsen, although this is about our 20th cruise! We were very impressed with the organisatiion for embarkation and disembarkation. We found the food excellent, as was the service in both the Palms and Thistle restaurants. Bar prices were excellent and much cheaper than on other cruise lines. Our cabin was all we wanted, clean and comfortable. The entertainment was good, apart from the juggler. The crew who entertained were excellent!All in all and excellent holiday to the Caribbean and we will certainly cruise again with Fred Olsen.