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Fred. Olsen Cruise LinesReviews 

13,667
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 8,700 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the outstanding and helpful staff, noting their cheerfulness, efficiency, and attentiveness, which significantly enhances the overall holiday experience. The service provided is frequently described as first-class, with many appreciating the smooth embarkation process and the high standard of food and entertainment. People also highlight the excellent quality of the amenities, including comfortable cabins and well-maintained ships, contributing to a very enjoyable holiday. However, some customers mentioned dissatisfaction with certain locations, finding some ports of call to be disappointing or lacking in accessible transport. A few other people also felt that the entertainment was not always up to their expected standard, and some noted issues with buffet service arrangements.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff, consistently praising their helpfulness, efficiency, and... See more

Service

Clients share positive opinions on service, with many reviewers consistently praising the excellent and... See more

Holidays

Reviewers express high satisfaction with their holidays, with many describing their experiences as superb and... See more

Quality

People report positive experiences with quality, highlighting the excellent food, entertainment, and... See more

Location

Customers had ambiguous experiences with location, with many expressing satisfaction with sailing from... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My husband and I had the most wonderful cruise aboard Balmoral. All staff outstanding including Romelyn cabin steward Ricki our head waiter Sharath our assistant Heru / Ronnie Maitre D. Food amazing... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We chose to book by telephone - friendly, helpful operatives guided us through the process. Arriving at the port of Rosyth we were met by smiling faces and guided through each stage of embarkation qui... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great two weeks on Bolette, excellent food better than we remembered. The entertainment was excellent especially the Bolette show team, with the best cruise director Corey Williams, we have ever had w... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Booking very straight forward, crew on ship very welcoming, everything very well organised. Lovely selection of food. Plenty of on board activities . Very clean cabin and exceptionally comfortable b... See more


Company details

  1. Cruise Line Company

About Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Written by the company

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operates a fleet of three elegant, smaller-sized ships, Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral. The size of our ships allows us access to more interesting places, and means we can dock in the heart of some of the world’s most beautiful cities, and our itineraries are carefully crafted so that our guests travel to these amazing places at the very best time of year.

On board, Signature Experiences showcase the history, culture, nature and flavours of the destinations you will visit – from Itinerary Insights, where special guest speakers and local experts will host talks, workshops and demonstrations to provide a deeper understanding of the destinations, to Treats of the Region, where guests can enjoy local delicacies and learn how to create delicious regional dishes.

Plus, with each ship carrying 1,300 guests or less, our ships are small enough to offer a warm, friendly and personal service where nothing is ever too much trouble.

At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, we channel our 175 years of experience into making your holidays simply unforgettable by meticulously crafting our cruises to provide an experience that helps to create memorable journeys for our guests.

With sailings from five departure ports around the UK, your next Fred. Olsen cruise is closer than you think.


Contact info

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Remarkable Moments Start Here

We channel 175 years of experience into making your cruise memorable.

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

14K reviews

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4.6

All reviews

(13,667)

8,351 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Fantastic! Food. Great staff, hardworking, helpful and friendly. Great entertainment. Lovely Norway and scenery. First cruise I’ve ever done and I’d highly recommend it.

July 1, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Five stars from us.

For ease of booking, through assistance in finding affordable insurance cover for a specific medical condition, to service onboard we are delighted to rate our holiday to the Norwegian fjords as a five star experience.
Dining, entertainment, talks and excursions were all first class.
Rashelle maintained our cabin in pristine condition, while the exuberance of our waiters, Christian and Rey Jay perfectly complemented the excellence of the fare they brought to our table.
Specific mention, too, should be given to the extensive range of gluten-free options available to one of our party.
We were also delighted to note the very reasonable pricing of beverages from the bars.
All in all, an outstanding holiday.

June 30, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Cruise to Norway on Borealis

Wonderful cruise to Norway on Borealis, food, entertainment and service were excellent. One of the best things about Fred Olsen are the crew, they are so welcoming, happy and attentive.

June 18, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

Been on only one cruise before and first time with FO.
They were outstanding in terms of organisation, crew attitude/service, goodness superb, ship very good .
All in all a very positive experience would definitely recommend.

July 1, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Experience on The Borealis

The excellent itinerary with spectacular views and excursions. Beautiful ship with all the facilities and comfortable cabin. Very helpful crew; great entertainment; buffet and restaurant staff were very good. The only issue was that the quality of the vegetarian food was poor.

June 18, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5th Cruise with Fred !!

As on all other previous cruises with Fred . Everything was superb . Staff second to none . Nothing too much trouble . Borealis now our favourite ship but Balmoral a very close second . Have booked again . Balmoral needs to be Adult only like Borealis as clientele want this with smaller ships

June 18, 2026
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

The cruise itself was fine

The cruise itself was fine, but I am not at all happy with your liaison with CMAC. CMAC's pre-paid taxi went to the wrong disembarcation location for MS Borealis at Southampton on Friday, 26 June. Inefficiency within CUMAC - not answering my call on the non-appearance of their taxi - cost me £240, the cost of a locally hired taxi to drive me home.
I am currently in dispute about repayment.

July 1, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What a great way to spend eight days

Made completely at ease from moment you booked in.Ship kept spotless,staff all very well trained,food excellent,and surprisingly entertainment good,first time and we were apprehensive,but one of our best holidays ever!

July 1, 2026

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