views AGENTS’


“I’ve noticed the staff-to- customer ratio and general attentiveness; any problem


is resolved quickly. I also appreciate the efforts to reduce waste, from toiletries on demand to purifying seawater for drinking.” Charlotte Mitchell, travel consultant, Perfectly Packaged Holidays


“I absolutely love the food, particularly in the Colours & Tastes speciality restaurant.


The Asian fusion dishes are out of this world. The £15 per person supplement, when pre-booked, is great value. If the fluffy bao buns are on the menu, I would highly recommend them.” Carrie Purnell, senior travel consultant, Ocean World Travel


“The staff are so welcoming. From the captain to the cleaners, everyone makes you


feel at home. A waiter even recognised me from 2017, when I was last on board a Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship. Balmoral has been recently refurbished, plus it feels homely and is small enough to get into the heart of ports.” Caroline Fenech, director, Cannon Travel


62 22 JANUARY 2026 w


arm sunshine, blue skies and palm trees welcomed me to Valencia, the Spanish city that combines


futuristic architecture and centuries-old traditions, as well as being the birthplace of paella. My dad was from Valencia, and his aromatic, sizzling pans of home-cooked paella were the best. So it was an ideal starting point to join a group of agents to experience Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Mediterranean fly-cruise programme on a Spain and Italy sailing. The flight-inclusive range has proved popular since launching last year, with nearly half of its fly-cruise bookings from new customers. Having been told by a well-travelled passenger on


the flight from London that ‘Fred’, as she fondly referred to it, was her favourite cruise line, I wanted to see why.


ORANGE SKIES Our 1,250-capacity ship, Balmoral, spent a laid-back two nights in Valencia’s port before setting sail, which meant I had two full days to explore. The near-constant sunshine in Spain’s third-largest city means evergreen orange trees thrive, providing shade to the urban streets, sweet-scented blossoms and enough fruit to supply more than half of Spain’s orange exports. In homage to the city’s citrus history, our first shore


excursion took us to Huerto Ribera, a family-run organic orange grove 40 minutes south of the city. Our


We dipped rustic bread and salty


white cheese into our homemade mayo, pleased with our efforts


guide Ana walked us through the lush grounds of the handsome 19th-century finca, established in 1870 and still occupied by the Ribera family. Although orange trees were originally imported


from China to be cultivated ornamentally, Spaniards fell in love with the zingy, citrusy fruit. Learning about the history of these oranges was fascinating, but sampling them brought Ana’s stories to life, as the excursion culminated in a tasting of varieties ranging from sweet clementines to juicy navel oranges. However, don’t try to eat the fruit that grows in Valencia’s streets as it’s sour.


DOWN TIME After settling in on Balmoral, the line’s smallest ship, we lounged on rattan sofas on the top deck, swapping stories and soaking up the sun. This was the perfect time to browse the Marquee Bar’s cocktail menu: among my tipples of choice were sweet ‘cocobanana’ mocktails (a refreshing blend of coconut milk, pineapple juice and banana) and maraschino cherry-topped piña coladas. Later, we cooled off in the small oval-shaped saltwater pool – though clients will find a larger pool


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