SPECIAL REPORT NEW TO CRUISE THE FIRST TIME
Cruising’s not for everyone, is it? That’s what John Gore assumed – that is, until he sampled the accommodation, entertainment, cuisine and offshore excursions onboard Fred Olsen’s ‘Balmoral’
O
K, I admit it and I apologise. Cruising is not elitist, boring and expensive; and please can
I go again? Like Scrooge I have seen the error of my ways, but unlike him it didn’t take three ghosts and one night, but just one cruise ship – Fred Olsen’s Balmoral – nine nights and Captain Olav Sovdsnes and his highly professional crew of 550. For years I had accepted that I would
simply not enjoy cruising and therefore instead endured numerous airport hassles, delayed fl ights, lost luggage, screaming children, dubious hotels, poor hire cars and other miseries – and all in the name of 'enjoying myself'. But why would cruising be any different? By modern standards Balmoral is a reasonably small ship at 43,537 tonnes. She has eleven decks, 744 cabins accommodating 1340 guests, fi ve
restaurants, three lounges, two bars, two swimming pools, four Jacuzzis, shops, casino tables, a library and an internet centre. Balmoral's cabins are confi gured to 21
different specifi cations, ranging from the Premier Suite on the upper deck to the Single Inside Cabin on the lower decks, so fi nding one to suit your clients' budgets shouldn’t be a problem. My cabin, a Superior Outside Cabin
on Deck Eight, was 165 sq ft in size and equipped with two very comfortable single beds, a large picture window, desk, bath/shower, safe and interactive television. Power is supplied at 220v and European two-pin adapters are required. Built-in audio equipment giving a range of musical tastes makes the ambiance feel just right and is very conducive to just lying on the bed and relaxing. For some this will be an ideal
way to spend their time at sea and If that’s what they want to do then nobody will stop them – but they will miss out on the non-stop entertainment which takes place all over the ship.
Cruising That's Entertainment
As Fred Olsen caters mainly for older British clientele (the average age of guests is 67) the lectures and demonstrations tend to be more on the sedate side, although for those looking for more active pursuits keep fi t and dancing classes supplement the more traditional deck quoits and golf. Regretfully, there isn't a climbing
wall on board (much to the regret of a couple I spoke to: she was 78, he was 82 and they bemoaned the fact that there weren’t 'more adventurous' activities available). But there’s always the fully-equipped
gym to work off the additional pounds which seem unavoidable with the superb meals and range of snacks and other treats that tempt you. During the evening there is superb entertainment, with a different show every night in both the popular Neptune and Lido Lounges. Fred Olsen operates a number of specially themed ‘Vista Cruises’, each with a specifi c theme: watercolour painting; photography; dance; wine; food and drink, to name but a few, which run in addition to the usual activities. Each are led by an expert. The crew evening on the penultimate night is defi nitely a ‘must not be missed’ occasion, and the engineering room staff’s Crazy Frog Dance is almost worth the whole cost of the cruise on its own! Another must-do night is the Grand Gala Buffet where the catering staff
20 May/June 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36