MS Balmoral Fred Olsen Cruise to Norway

Fred Olsen Norwegian Cruise from Newcastle on Ms Balmoral

Having just returned from 7 days cruising the Norwegian Fjords onboard The Balmoral with Fred Olsen. It was so convenient to leave from The Port of Tyne just 30 minutes from where I live. On previous Cruises, I‘ve had to make the lengthy drive to Southampton

I spent one day at sea followed by the Ports of Olden, Haugesund, Ulvik & Stavanger before a final day at sea for our return to Newcastle. The weather may not have been on our side, it was wet most days, but this did not detract from the stunning Norwegian scenery and in fact, made waterfalls and rivers even more impressive!

MS Balmoral is the smallest ship in the Fred Olsen fleet, with 710 cabins and 1325 passengers, which is standard occupancy. Because of her size, the Balmoral can reach areas larger ships can‘t so it was ideal for sailing through the Norwegian Fjords. There's still a good number of facilities on board the Balmoral, 6 restaurants, 7 bars & lounges as well as 2 pools with a Jacuzzi and a wrap-around promenade deck - perfect for scenic cruising. Both pools and Jacuzzi were heated so there was no excuse for not taking a dip.

The outside deck space was great with large open decks and covered areas to watch the scenery as you cruise. The wrap-around promenade was unique and ideal for getting those steps in after indulging in the copious amount of food available. We had a Superior Outside Cabin with a picture window and found this to be perfectly adequate. The Bathroom, particularly the Shower, was one of the most spacious on a Cruise Ship.

There are, however, lots of different room types available from Interior through to Balcony Cabins & Suites should you prefer.

You are allocated a dining room and main meal sitting (early or late) on The Balmoral so make sure you request this at the time of booking. We were allocated The Ballindaloch which had a fantastic selection of delicious dishes to enjoy over 5 courses and with a menu that changed daily the choice was enormous. The Spey & Avon Restaurants were available to us for breakfast and lunch and they offer spectacular views from the back of The Balmoral. Should you want a more informal meal, The Palm Buffet restaurant was open early til very late catering to your needs. Tea & Coffee station was available here 24hrs a day. The Balmoral has 2 speciality restaurants that I was lucky enough to try. Colours & Tastes (Asian Fusion) & Vasco (Indian / Goan), in both restaurants the food and service were excellent. These 2 restaurants on The Balmoral have a £10 pp if you pre-book before boarding or £15 pp if you book whilst on board. The Bookmark Coffee Shop is also available with speciality coffees, cakes and chocolates, all at reasonable prices. The Bars & Lounges were plentiful ranging from Neptune Show Lounge which had a production of guest artists every night, The Lido which had evening entertainment, the house band or quiz to The Morning Light Pub which was more low-key entertainment maybe a singer. The Observatory or Marquee Bar is right at the top of the ship for spectacular views or more classic entertainment like a piano player. The Balmoral also has The Atlantis Spa with lots of treatments available as well as the Sauna/Steam Room & a fully equipped Gym. The stand-out element for The Balmoral had to be the staff and the service on board, nothing was too much trouble and you were treated like old friends.

I enjoyed The Balmoral and The Fred Olsen experience. The Ship has no bells or whistles but it's homely and very friendly (Staff & Guests) so you just feel so comfortable on board.