written by on 05/10/2011
Smooth and efficient embarkation at Dover, cabin clean with sufficient storage space, proper wooden hangers. Bathroom clean but small. Restaurants great with tables with white table cloths, and very friendly staff, outstanding service and great and varied menu. Entertainment great - not only did they sing and dance but worked as onboard comperes and guides and always with a smile. The coral club quartet were great too, the girl singer so versatile, but we felt sorry for them because their prformance clashed with the entertainment in Neptune lounge and they were the losers. Such a pity having to sing and play to an almost empty room and they were not mentioned on the last night when all other entertainers were. Now for the negatives - Neptune lounge was very inadequate with poor seating, uncomfortable and not suited as a theatre which it was. The tour desk was not manned most of the time and was the weakest part of the ship's management.
written by on 16/12/2010
Much as expected - holiday camp on sea. Transfer from airport to ship took far too long as did getting our luggage. Booked balcony suite but thought that bathroom was very small and not worth what we had paid for the cabin. When sailing at night, cabin creaked and some nights we felt we would be tossed out of bed due to rough seas. On sea days (fortunately there were only 2) didn't like sitting on deck in rows like sardines and the pools were small. Enjoyed the food, the excursions we did were well organised and the evening entertainment enjoyable particularly 4th Dimension and the Braemar Show Company. The crew worked very hard and no doubt long hours so that things went smoothly. On the last day the waiting around on the Braemar and at the airport was too long although I accept this was due to the turn round.
Written on: 06/02/2011
This seems very similar to my thoughts. My husband and I went on this same cruise as we wanted to see many other Caribbean islands but whilst we enjoyed most aspects of the cruise such as 4th Dimension, the Braemar Show Company plus the food and the crew worked very hard we felt that the cruise was not value for money. We have holidayed in Barbados many times travelling by Virgin Atlantic but feel that cruises are vastly overatted. So it is back to a land based holiday next time on Tobago
written by Saloongirl on 31/07/2010
Our first cruise and we are so glad we picked this one. The crew were extremely polite and helpful, the entertainment was wonderful, Braemar show company especially. The food and restaurant service was great, couldn't have asked for more or better. The ports of call were lovely, we will be going back to some, especially Guernsey. My only niggle is tat the onboard photo's were a little expensive when buying several, we would have like the option to have them all on a CD. We will be back for more Fred Olson, and Braemar.
written by on 07/05/2009
Just returned from transatlantic on the Braemar and cant complain about a single thing.
Hi 4th Dimension, enjoyed the nights in the Coral bar !!
Written on: 22/11/2009
I found this review very helpful because... My husband and I have just booked to go on the Braemar in october 2010, and the majority of reviews I have read so far have all been negative so it is great to see a positive one for a change, as I was beginning to think that perhaps we had made a mistake but everyone has their own opinion and I will keep mine until we have been on the ship.
written by cazsmith on 05/05/2009
Problems at miami airport with husbands passport, found out that its a common problem, Fred Olsen Cruises have now pulled out of miami airport. Good food, lovely staff, nice cabin but overall too long at sea and missed out on a port due to a passengers ill health. Found it boring during the day, not enough activities and unless your over 65 years old and just want to sit around reading in the library all day then this is not the cruise for younger people.
written by on 01/04/2009
As first times cruisers, didnt quite know what to expect. Didnt like going through Miami airport, wouldn't like to do that too often. Cabin better than expected. Food OK, but wasn't quite as good as we thought, that said it was perfectly acceptable. The staff were wonderful, so nice and so very hardworking. The entertainment was great. Something for all tastes., although our favourites were 4th Dimension, especially the singer. Fab voice. Went on several tours, found most reasonable for money.
written by Dee25 on 18/02/2009
The boat was clean and well kept. The entertainment was good especially the comedian and the Braemar Show company. The staff, particularly the Philipino staff, were friendly and professional. This was our first cruise and we enjoyed it but will not travel with Fred Olsen again as we feel we can find a better cruise than this. The Braemar was okay but not what we had been expecting. We would also point out that the average on board was about 75 years. The food was not up to our expected standards. The dinners were especially not up to this standard.
Tours were over-priced and of mediocre quality.
written by on 09/01/2009
Fred Olsen Cruises, Braemar, its all good. I can't wait to go back. Sailed December 2008 and would recommend.
written by on 13/12/2008
Entertainers on the Braemar were good took time to speak to you. Only had four hrs in Antigua all shops were shut it was Sunday not enough time there to do island tour. We were at sea for over three days then we arrived in key west only had just over two hrs there we should have had 7. Will not go with Fred Olsen ships any more, went with first choice years ago ship not so big, food a lot better crew on board much politer.
written by on 15/04/2008
A first class holiday with lots of time to enjoy the sights on the Fred Olsen, Braemar. Friendly and helpful crew who are very experienced in dealing with British customers.
The restaurant and buffet were both very good and the evening shows and individual performers were top class.
We enjoyed it and will definitely be returning to this cruise ship and to Fred Olsen
written by rrodham on 05/04/2007
This was our 3rd cruise on the Braemar, and so we had high hopes for a pleasant and enjoyable cruise.
However, we did have a couple of problems; starting with the miserable flight out from Manchester to Barbados with Monarch Airlines.
Even though we paid for the Premium seating, the aircraft is obviously old, with no modern video screens etc (these are individually provided to premium passengers as a separate unit). They desperately need newer aircraft.
Two of the toilets packed up within 5 minutes of taking off, causing long queues throughout the flight.
If I did a fly/cruise with Fred Olsen again, I would make my own travel arrangements, as the so-called Premium is not the same standard as other airlines by a long way.
As for the ship - it was fine, but starting to look tired and in need of a refit.
One of the ports of call was changed at short notice, which prevented a tour we were looking forward to.
The 2 Jacuzzis on-board were closed down for 5 days; supposedly for maintenance, and I was sick for 3 days with tummy trouble. Plus it cost me £117 to consult the doctor!
So after 2 previously happy cruises, this one was not so good, and we had intended to book another whilst on-board, but we decided against it, and we are now considering other options.
After complaining to Fred Olsen on our return, we have just heard that as a 'one off'' they will refund £85 medical charges. As we paid around £6500 for the cruise and similar for the previous 2 cruises each, we will not be using the Braemar again.
written by mwe152 on 07/10/2006
You may wonder why I don't recommend the Fred Olsen Cruises, Braemar Baltic cruise when all my ratings are on the high side.
There is only one reason why I don't recommend Braemar, but it's a big reason. It's a flat-bottomed ship and it is designed for sheltered seas like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. The QE2, for example, 'slices' through big waves, but Braemar behaves like an aircraft hitting turbulence.
On the evening of October 7th (2003) the tail-end of a hurricane hit the North Sea and we were advised to remain in our cabins. Dinner was still served for those of us who were not seasick. During dinner the ship must have ridden a big wave and then dropped what felt like 50 feet. Crockery smashed, and some of us were flung off our chairs with injuries bad enough to draw blood.
Amazingly, the entertainers (the entertainment was very good) put on an impromptu show, after the evening's show was officially cancelled!
This cruise was definitely at the end of the Baltic season, because during the Kiel Canal transit, the Germans seemed astonished that a cruise ship should be transiting the Kiel in October.
Passengers don't normally leave the ship in the Kiel Canal, but my father was taken ill (NOT caused by Olsen/Braemar) and needed to be taken to a German hospital (ironic, considering the last time he needed medical treatment off the Germans he was a PoW!). This is how we know the Germans couldn't believe a cruise ship was doing the Baltic in October.
On the positive side, Braemar, unlike a lot of cruise ships, is small enough to get into the river that goes through Sankt Peterburg city centre, and we were there for 2 days.
It's very difficult to get independent visas to go ashore in Russia, and a lot of the tours sell out. However, Olsen used their initiative and did a city 'tour' with a couple of hours free 'shopping' time on a group visa! It was essentially a coach ride from the ship to the heart of the shopping area, with a guide pointing out a few buildings on the way! Very good!
Riga, Latvia was another high point of the cruise. Braemar moored in the river, within walking distance of the city centre. Riga is well worth a visit, but is often ignored by Baltic cruises; maybe some ships are too big to go there? Latvia is more interesting than Estonia because it's retained more of its Soviet character, whereas Tallinn (EST) seems to have Westernised too much.
Gothenburg (the city centre is a lot more picturesque and non-industrial than you'd perceive Volvo's home city to be), and Antwerp; another river mooring, within walking distance of the city centre, were more unusual ports of call for Baltic cruises that were well worth visiting.
The only low point was visiting Karlskrona (S) on a Sunday when the town centre was closed! Although the courtesy bus called at an open out of town shopping mall, if you were desperate to buy things.
Braemar weighs 19,089 GRT, and it was built in Spain in 1993, and was refitted in 2001 (when Olsen acquired it).
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Guest's Comment
Written on: 28/04/2012
We returned from the last Fly/Cruise to the Carribean on Braemar. We have travelled with Fred olsen many times, and have only praise for Black Watch and Balmoral, however Braemar, never, never again. The holiday started with a 2.5hour journey and wait on a coach with no air conditioning and a temperature of 38C. As soon as we got on the boat we had lifeboat drill which was absolutely farcical. A female with a loud hailer screaming in our face, no roll call, as I said a real farce. The cabin(we had a balcony) was a good size. however a common complaint was the size of the shower. Each time I had a shower the curtain stuck to me. In the end the only way to have a comfortable shower was not to use the curtain and wet the bathroom floor. Due to the experience of the bus trip we did not go on any trips at all, went independent on each island. The staff (apart from the screaming girl) was the usual excellent Fred Olsen standard, as was the food. The only other complaint is that we bought goods on board at the price shown on the box and as signed for. On checking our bill when we got home an extra £1.05 had been charged. While the ship has been extended for the extra cabins it appeared the public rooms had not been changed to accomodate the extra passengers. At the first seating people were leaving early to get a seat in the Neptune Lounge for the evenibg shows. We have been on many cruises on many cruise lines, it is only the Braemar and Constellation that we have vowed we will never use again