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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Reviews 

14,046
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 9,166 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for being incredibly attentive, helpful, and friendly, making every interaction special and welcoming from check-in to disembarkation. The overall service, including smooth processes and well-organized tours, contributed to a superb and memorable holiday experience for many. People also highlighted the excellent quality of the food, diverse entertainment options, and comfortable, clean cabins, often exceeding expectations for their trips. However, some people mentioned concerns regarding the itinerary, with several reviewers feeling there was insufficient time ashore at certain destinations or that ports felt rushed.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff, consistently highlighting their helpfulness, attentiveness,... See more

Service

People report positive experiences with service, often highlighting the excellent organization and... See more

Holidays

Consumers express high satisfaction with their holidays, often describing them as fantastic, amazing, and... See more

Quality

Customers consistently note positive experiences with quality, particularly praising the excellent and varied... See more

Location

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about location, with some expressing satisfaction with certain ports and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Check in was welcoming. pleasant and seamless. The staff on board were efficient and very friendly. The entertainment varied and enjoyable. Excellent food, especially enjoyed the evening dining ex... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Myself and my mum thoroughly enjoyed our Fred Olsen cruise. Check in was smooth and much faster than our experience with other cruise operators. Food provided in all the restaurants was varied... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The whole FO experience was magical. From embarking,the staff were incredible and always made you feel special. The food amazing. The ship so clean and you are welcome wherever you go, bar, lounge... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was our 1st experience cruising, we have been married 61yrs and said we would never do a cruise .We couldn't fault fred Olsen and are looking to repeat it next year .The staff couldn't be more... See more


Company details

  1. #5 of 7 best companies in 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.


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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

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(14,046)

8,728 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

IndWe all feel special!! You cater for everyone so well and…

You cater for everyone so well and sensitively. We feel specially treated, and you respond to every neew. An example is my poss of hearing due to my hearing aid malfunction, and your providing me with special aalarm equipment to make sure I was in touch if any emergency happened.

A super cruise altogether, and many thanks to youand all the staff!

Arthur

14 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We throughly enjoyed the cruise

We throughly enjoyed the cruise, I would say that the staff was a major factor in this. The service, the food and the warm welcoming feel on the ship was exceptional. This is our first time on a Fred Olsen cruise and as I have already mentioned we really enjoyed the whole experience. I would say that the ship did show it's age in places and in particular the carpets in our cabin were frayed but that said the cabin was comfortable and keep clean and tidy by our excellent cabin steward. All in all we loved it!

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Iceland on Borealis

we were treated very well by the crew, the lectures were entertaining and informative, and the evening entertainment was first class, also the food was excellent.

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The cleanliness of the ship.

The cleanliness of the ship.
The lovely staff.
The wonderful food and drink

My only concern was the lady in the Atlantis Spa that intimidated me to buy the products without telling us the price beforehand.

14 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything went very smoothly Your…

Everything went very smoothly Your staff were excellent I liked the ship’s layout with all the different lounge areas. The food was nice with so much choice and seating arrangements fine. I enjoyed my time ashore. Most of all I enjoyed the company of all my fellow travelers. Many thanks. Mary Elphick

14 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lovely crew

Lovely crew, ship immaculately clean, food superb, likewise entertainment. Wonderful experiences in ports of call.

14 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The best

I have travelled for many years on Fred Olsen and intend to travel for many more with this company.
The staff are just the best. Always happy and smiling. Always ready to help. Just like meeting family again and they always remember you.
The ships are very clean throughout and cabins especially. Thanks to the cabin maids.
The entertainment is exceptional and varied sometimes amazing.
Food! Well what can I say. Large varied menu to choose from always cooked to perfection. Portions in the restaurants large so I order a small portion and just right for me.
All in all Fred Olsen Cruises are the best.
Thank you Fred

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Staff were excellent in every…

Staff were excellent in every department and definitely service 5 star .

The 8pm sitting in the restaurant didn’t work well for us and we only attended 3 times , the food was noticeably superior to the buffet dinning .

I mainly eat vegetarian with occasional fish but I didn’t find the quality of either to be fresh and appealing when we ate (around 7pm ) in the buffet .

Entertainment was varied and of a good standard .

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The ship is generally excellent

The ship is generally excellent. With one notable safety issue.
Cabins spotless cabin stewards extremely hard working. Fred Olsen need to work on their dining room food delivery. Food often just not hot enough, and tea and coffee always luke warm. It must be possible to deliver hot food and hot drinks!
The evening shows were fun, well worth watching, and the guest speakers during the days were excellent.
Some of the pre booked excursions were very poor value for money £125 a head for a 2.5 hour bus ride around Mull from Tobermory is extortionate.
The tours around Reykjavik and Belfast were excellent. The museum in Reykjavik is simply superb, Do not miss!

26 June 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant cruise

Great staff, great food, lovely shore excursions. Whales, dolphins White tailed eagles, puffins, red deer, otters, all amongst stunning scenery. We have booked the Greenland cruise for July 2027. Same ship!

14 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fred Olsen

Fred Olsen, offers a great experience for adult cruisers.
The staff are so friendly and happy, with service second to none.

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Cruise three back to backs 35 nights in total, excellent.

Food, cabin, ship, destinations, everything perfect. Staff very friendly, crew very helpful. Made me realise how much better Fred does cruises than other cruise companies. But you have to pay more as single passengers, as usual, pay more than twin passengers pay for whole cruise. Not fair. There should be more single cabins and no single supplements.

14 July 2026
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Borealis cruise to Iceland and British…

Borealis cruise to Iceland and British Isles
Staff were excellent.
Good that food was easily obtainable and a good selection.
Entertainment and activities very good plus many options..Did enjoy the Daily Bulletin
Trips were good choice and leaders excellent
Boat ID card was really good.

14 July 2026

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