Things That Surprise First-Time Fred. Olsen Cruisers

This is a sponsored post for Fred. Olsen.

Before my first Fred. Olsen cruise, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it would be like.

I imagined a ship full of retirees, lots of quiet lounges, a few games of bingo and not much else.

Now, to be fair, there was bingo!

But there were also plenty of things that completely surprised me.

Some of the assumptions I’d made before boarding turned out to be completely wrong. Others were only partly true. And a few things that I’d always associated with Fred. Olsen simply aren’t the reality anymore.

If you’ve never cruised with Fred. Olsen before, here are the things that might surprise you too…

1. It’s Not Just For Retired People

Let’s get this one out of the way first. Yes, Fred. Olsen does attract an older crowd than cruise lines like Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises. There’s no point pretending otherwise.

But the atmosphere onboard wasn’t what I’d expected at all.

I think some people picture a floating retirement home, and it really isn’t like that.

What I found instead was a ship full of people who genuinely love travelling. Many were retired, of course, but they were active, sociable and incredibly well travelled. Many cruisers were younger too. I ended up chatting to people who had visited places I’d barely heard of and who had more cruise stories than I could possibly keep up with.

The atmosphere felt friendly rather than sleepy.

And while you won’t find thousands of children running around outside school holidays, Fred. Olsen does offer family sailings and school holiday cruises too. We had a great time when we took the kids (and they did too)!

2. Not Every Cruise Lasts For Weeks

One of the biggest misconceptions about Fred. Olsen is that every cruise is either a world cruise or a month-long voyage around somewhere exotic.

I can see why people think that.

The cruise line has built a strong reputation for longer sailings and world cruises, and when I boarded Borealis, I was joining the first few days of an 80-night world cruise. They really do offer some amazing longer itineraries, and people who cruise with them regularly are big fans.

But that’s only part of the story. There are plenty of shorter sailings too: weekend breaks, five-night cruises, week-long itineraries and all sorts in between.

In fact, some of the newly launched Autumn and Winter 2027 cruises are as short as five or six nights, making them ideal if you want to try Fred. Olsen without committing to a huge voyage.

You definitely don’t need to be retired with unlimited free time to cruise with them.

3. You Don’t Have To Travel To Southampton

Whenever I mention Fred. Olsen to people, one assumption comes up again and again.

“Oh, so I’d have to get to Southampton.”

Which is weird – because that’s actually not what Fred. Olsen is known for. One of the things the cruise line does particularly well is offering departures from around the UK.

Depending on the itinerary, you might be able to sail from Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth or Southampton.

For me, that’s a genuinely underrated benefit. Cruising from Liverpool was ridiculously easy – no overnight hotel. No massive drive. No setting off at 4am.

Sometimes convenience can be just as important as the ship itself.

4. Fred. Olsen Does Fly-Cruises Too

This was another thing I hadn’t really appreciated before looking more closely at the cruise line.

Because Fred. Olsen is so strongly associated with UK departures, it’s easy to assume that every cruise starts and ends here.

It doesn’t. If you’d rather fly straight to the sunshine and spend less time at sea, there are plenty of fly-cruise options too.

In fact the cruise line has just launched the Autumn and Winter 2027 programme, which includes Mediterranean itineraries visiting destinations such as the Greek Islands, Croatia, Italy and the Turkish Riviera. Just the kind of destinations where it’s much better to fly out first, so you get more time seeing those ports instead of sailing half-way across Europe just to get there.

The newest itineraries also include cruises to Morocco, Egypt and even a Mystery Cruise where guests don’t know exactly where they’re going beforehand.

That’s not quite the image many people have of Fred. Olsen.

And because the ships are smaller, they can often visit ports that larger ships simply can’t access!

For some people, half the fun is watching the English coastline disappear as the ship sails away. For others, getting straight to the sunshine is the dream. The nice thing is that Fred. Olsen caters for both with an excellent range of itinerary options.

5. The Ships Don’t Feel Dated Despite Their Age

I have to be honest, before stepping onboard Borealis, I was expecting the ship to feel a little old-fashioned.

After all, it isn’t a brand-new ship. None of the ships in the fleet are, really. But what surprised me was how quickly that thought disappeared.

The ship felt comfortable, very well maintained and surprisingly spacious. My cabin was far larger than I’d expected, with more storage than I knew what to do with.

In fact, I remember standing in my cabin wondering whether I’d accidentally been upgraded because there were so many wardrobes!

The décor isn’t ultra-modern, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It felt comfortable rather than trendy. And I think there’s a difference.

6. There’s More To Do Than You Might Think

If your idea of entertainment is a rollercoaster at sea, then yes, Fred. Olsen probably isn’t going to be your first choice.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening, oh no. On my short cruise, I watched theatre shows, listened to live music, played bingo, attended a craft class and spent plenty of time exploring the ship itself.

I even made a pair of earrings in the art studio, which was a very pleasant activity.

Some cruise lines focus on adrenaline, but Fred. Olsen focuses more on enrichment. And while it’s a different approach, for many people it’s actually much more relaxing.

7. You Don’t Need To Constantly Spend Money

One thing that surprises many first-time cruisers is how much is already included.

Cruising sometimes gets a reputation for endless extra charges: Pay for this, upgrade that, buy another package.

While there are certainly extras available if you want them, Fred. Olsen’s Freedom Fare now includes selected house beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, as well as gratuities.

I think this strikes quite a nice balance.

You can enjoy a drink with your meal without feeling like you’re constantly adding to your onboard account, but you’re also not paying for a huge drinks package if you only fancy the occasional glass of wine.

8. You Can Leave Your Phone In Your Cabin

Modern cruising has become increasingly dependent on technology.

Apps control everything:

• Dinner reservations.
• Entertainment bookings.
• Daily schedules.
• Sometimes even the cabin door!

Fred. Olsen takes a refreshingly different approach.

On my cruise, there was a printed daily programme, clear information in the cabin and straightforward systems throughout the ship.

I barely looked at my phone all weekend, and trust me, that’s rare. As somebody who spends far too much time staring at screens at home, I found that surprisingly liberating.

9. The Cruise Line Is Confident Enough To Offer A Satisfaction Guarantee

This might have surprised me more than anything else. In fact it’s probably the most surprising thing on this list, at least based on the reaction of people when I tell them.

Trying a new cruise line can feel like a gamble, especially if you’ve found one you already love.

What if it isn’t for you?

Fred. Olsen is so confident that guests will enjoy the experience that it offers a Satisfaction Guarantee for eligible first-time cruisers. If you decide after a couple of days that it’s not for you, the cruise line will arrange to get you home and refund your cruise fare. Wow!

That’s really not something you see very often. In fact, I don’t think any cruise line offers a similar promise.

And honestly, I think it says a lot about how confident they are in the product.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the biggest surprise about my first Fred. Olsen cruise wasn’t any single feature or activity. It was how different the reality was from the stereotypes.

Yes, the ships are smaller. Yes, the atmosphere is calmer. And yes, the average age is probably higher than on some cruise lines.

But that only tells part of the story. What I found was a friendly, relaxed cruise line that focuses on destinations, service and helping guests enjoy their holiday without unnecessary complications.

And after spending years sailing on some of the biggest ships at sea, that was a surprisingly refreshing change.

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