Fred Olson Baltic Cruise

This is the first time I have cruised with Fred Olson and didn’t really know what to expect of the Baltics or the ship itself.
At first there wasnƒ??t the wow factor when I got onboard, the atrium for example was quite plain compared to some ships I have been on. The general d??cor in places looked dated but the staff were immediately very friendly. The cabin was clean but again I noticed the mirror was chipped in the bathroom and a bit rough at the edges. The cabin was very comfortable and I didnƒ??t feel cramped with plenty of space for our clothes and lots of light from the picture window. We didnƒ??t have a balcony and I thought that I would really miss it but I think because of where we went we didnƒ??t need one and a window was fine. The bathroom was spacious we had a shower over the bathtub, we never used the bath but the shower was lovely. The cabin was a bit noisy with the air conditioning buzzing and also when the ship docked early in the morning, if I hadn’t taken earplugs I would not have slept very well. I liked having tea and coffee making facilities in the cabin. The ship was not big or glitzy but everything was understated and comfortable and I had no complaints about it.
My impressions of the ship did change during the cruise. At first I thought I would get bored and wouldnƒ??t fit in with the rest of the passengers because we were younger and wouldnƒ??t have much in common. However we fitted in well with everyone and took part in ships activities. We were also very lucky to sit with great people at dinner. We found the ship became more comfortable as the cruise progressed it had plenty of places to sit and relax and the atmosphere was very easy going. it was a good size ship to wander around during sea days. All the bars and dining rooms were easily accessible without having to walk all the way round the ship. The dining times were limited all the restaurants were open during the day between 12pm-2pm and if you didnƒ??t go then you didnƒ??t eat till the evening meal. There was the palm caf?? which was the buffet dining option in the evening when you could go when you wanted and there were different themes each night including Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine.
I was very surprised at how friendly people were and how well everybody got along no matter how old they were. we met some lovely people who were great company.
This ship would suit people who want to go on a relaxing holiday without many children onboard who are not bothered about having lots of activities. Passengers go on this ship to meet friends to enjoy the destinations. They would rather sit and read or go to lectures or play bridge or go ball room dancing.
I was very surprised at how much fun it was everyone got along great. We had more in common with people than we thought. The ship may not have been packed with modern features and activities but I had a great time. The cabins are spacious and the staff were lovely and the food was really good quality. I would definately recommend this cruise line!!!