Fred. Olsen Cruises
Cruises with Fred. Olsen
Affordable, traditional and quintessentially British, Fred. Olsen Cruises have established themselves as experts in the industry since 1848. Since their small beginnings, they've gone from strength to strength with their smaller, more intimate ships- ranging from Balmoral to Borealis and Bolette- that voyage around the world.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Deals
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25 May 2024
Scenic Scottish Isles in Five Nights from Liverpool
£775 pp -
22 July 2024
Scenic Landscapes & Wildlife of the British Isles from Dover
£1,357 pp -
21 December 2024
Canary Islands Christmas & Funchal New Year from Portsmouth
£2,521 pp -
27 February 2025
Canaries & Carnivals from Portsmouth
£1,745 pp -
21 September 2024
Scenic Autumnal Norwegian Fjords from Liverpool
£1,261 pp -
23 August 2024
Discovering Normandy & the Channel Islands from Southampton
£921 pp -
04 January 2025
Two-Night Mini-Cruise from Liverpool
£349 pp -
10 November 2024
Winter Warmth in the Canaries from Liverpool
£1,648 pp -
24 August 2024
Exploring Ireland's Coastal Scenery from Liverpool
£1,261 pp
Fred. Olsen: Life on-board
- Total cruises 128
- Fleet: 3 Ships
- Destinations: 28
Popular with well-travelled cruisers as well as those just dipping their toes into the cruising world, Fred. Olsen Cruises create a friendly environment for all passengers. No matter where you're going, staff will go above and beyond to ensure your cruise is a home away from home.
Family
Dining
Entertainment
Recreation
Family
Looking to bring the whole family on your Fred. Olsen cruise? No problem! Children of 6 months and over are welcome onboard, making it a great cruise line for multigenerational holidays. Kids between 5 and 11 will be delighted by the Little Skippers Club, a fantastic kid's club supervised by fun and friendly hosts and hostesses. From making pizzas to going on treasure hunts, there's always a jam-packed programme of activities at the kid's club.
Little Skippers kids' club is available on peak-time cruise holidays.
Dining
Renowned for their outstanding service, dining onboard a Fred. Olsen cruise can be as laid back or as elegant as you wish. Begin your day with a light breakfast delivered to your room, or go for something hearty like a full English. At lunch, enjoy a range of hot and cold dishes and finally, at dinner, indulge in a five-course a la carte feast. Prone to feeling peckish late at night? Grab a light snack to keep you going. As well as inside dining at the ship's main dining room, guests will also be able to enjoy al fresco meals at The Grill, a speciality restaurant found on each ship.
Entertainment
Once the sun goes down, Fred. Olsen Cruises invite you to simply sit back and watch the show - literally! From hilarious stand-up comedy acts to glamorous cabaret, nighttime is a real highlight onboard any cruise. Once the show is over, the fun doesn't have to stop. Stop by a lounge for your favourite cocktail, dance the night away, or simply relax with some live music providing the perfect backing track to your evening.
Recreation
Fred. Olsen Cruises have carefully crafted their onboard entertainment programmes to be just as memorable as your time onshore. Whether you like to stay busy or are just looking for a relaxing afternoon activity during a peaceful sea day, there's plenty to suit every kind of cruiser. On board leisure facilities include swimming pools, Jacuzzis, a gym and spa treatments, so lounging by the pool whilst reading a book has never been easier.
During the day, you'll find programmes dedicated to immersing you in the history and culture of the region, as well as arts and crafts, quizzes, performances and fitness classes. What's more, there's an emphasis on enrichment through insightful lectures by expert guest speakers, workshops and language classes, meaning you'll come away from your cruise holiday with not only memories, but knowledge and new skills as well. Looking to stay active while at sea? Join a yoga or pilates class, or take part in a fun dance class. No matter what you choose to do with your time, you're free to be as sociable as you wish and are guaranteed to make like-minded friends.
Fred. Olsen Ships
Intimately sized and elegant in decor, comfort is at the heart of each Fred. Olsen cruise ship. From your stunning stateroom to the lounges and bars, each area is designed to be homely and spacious.
Fred. Olsen ship classes explained
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Balmoral
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Bolette
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Borealis
Fred. Olsen Highlights
Brexit Promise
Fred. Olsen have promised: - A full refund and future free cruise if your sailing is cancelled due to Brexit, as well as ABTA and ATOL protection. - No extra charges due to Brexit once your booking has been made and deposit paid.
Fred. Olsen Oceans Club
Fred. Olsen Oceans Club members can benefit from a range of cruise rewards such as discounts on future cruises, priority cruise news and more. Oceans Club members can still claim their benefits when booking future Fred. Olsen cruises through Planet Cruise.
Customer reviews for Fred. Olsen
Extremely courteous and polite crew who all worked very hard to keep the ship in spotless condition. From collecting your bags in the car park to helping you to disembark the entire crew were friendly, welcoming and helpful. Food and service was of the same excellent standard with huge choice all cooked to your liking and impeccably presented. Always plenty to see and do on board with a wide range of activities and demonstrations throughout the day and into the late evening. Drinks were expensive but not prohibitive, most upmarket hotels would charge more. Excursions seemed expensive but there was no pressure to buy and tenders to and from shore were frequent so you could organise your own time ashore if you wished. I had a terrace cabin with easy access to the promenade deck where I could use binoculars and take photographs from all around the ship. Many lounges, bars and restaurants around the ship where you could if you wished eat and drink all day, made easy by the personable staff. Overall a very hospitable voyage in a comfortable cabin with great service. I would repeat the experience to a different destination but personally a week is just long enough to indulge and recharge.
Could not fault anything. Ship, service, food, scenery. Now converted and will cruise again, if only from Newcastle.
Definitely the best ship I've sailed on so far out of 16 cruises with nearly every cruise line. Very laid back, beautifully decorated, impeccable service. I would say the average age was 75, but that suited me. Would recommend Fred Olsen to anyone.
My experience on Bolette with Fred Olsen has been amazing. I was honestly impressed with all the staff on board. They were really professional, all of them - starting from the cleaners to the reception staff, the entertainment, the staff from the restaurants. It was an amazing experience and I am honestly looking forward for my next cruise with Fred Olsen.
Fred. Olsen Destinations
Whether you're sailing from the UK or embarking on a fly cruise, Fred. Olsen brings passengers to the world's best destinations. Thanks to the small ship sizes, you'll be delighted by unique ports and immersive shore excursions.
Fresh from the blog
Top FAQs
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All Fred. Olsen cruise ships are fitted with European 2 pin electrical plug sockets. If you don’t have an adaptor, there is a limited number available at guest services you can borrow or purchase in the onboard shop. Some cabins may have UK three pin electrical sockets but this cannot be guaranteed. Only Boudicca has electric shaver sockets in the bathrooms.
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Each Fred. Olsen sailing typically has two formal nights as well as a special “British” themed night. Men are to wear black tie suits for formal nights and simple smart-casual such as a polo shirt and chinos the rest of the time. Meanwhile, women can show off their best cocktail dress on formal nights and casual separates or summer dresses otherwise.
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Included in your Fred. Olsen fare is the following:
- Dining including all main meals, afternoon tea, snacks and room service
- Accommodation
- Tea and coffee
- All entertainment
- Swimming pools, Jacuzzis and gyms
- UK taxes
- Flights
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On a number of sailings, Fred. Olsen Cruises offer entertainment and activities perfect for families. On these family-friendly cruises, kids can take part in the Little Skippers Club for 5 to 11 year-olds, supervised by friendly, expert staff.
Please note, on sailings from 1st April 2022 Fred. Olsen’s child policy is:
- Infants (under 2 years) - no longer accepted on any sailings
- Children (2-11 years) - can only travel on cruises with less than 72 concurrent hours at sea
- Youths (12 -17 years) - can travel on any sailing accompanied by at least one adult
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Fred. Olsen mostly consist of no-fly cruises from the UK. Fred. Olsen cruise out of the following ports around the British Isles.
- Southampton
- Dover
- Liverpool
- Newcastle
- Rosyth (Edinburgh)
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Yes, you’ll find self-service laundry facilities across the Fred. Olsen fleet with washing machines and products, driers and ironing equipment. The use of the machines requires a token which can be bought at reception for a reasonable price. Alternatively a laundry service is provided upon request.
- Southampton
- Dover
- Liverpool
- Newcastle
- Rosyth (Edinburgh)
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Guests can order room service between 10am and 10pm.
Booking and Excursions
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Shore excursions are not included.
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Due to the limited supply of single occupany cabins onboard the Fred. Olsen fleet, it is highly recommended solo travellers book far in advance. Twin rooms are available for solo travellers, however, there will be a single supplement.
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While Fred. Olsen Cruises are not all inclusive as standard, it is possible to upgrade to an all inclusive package. Prices start from just £15 per person per day, and packages can include a variety of drinks.