Overall Experience
I did a European River Cities and Christmas Markets cruise. We caught the train from Cornwall and stayed overnight in Southampton Premier Inn West Quay which is perfectly located for the port and shopping in Southampton. I would highly recommend staying at West Quay Southampton the night before sailing to take away the stress of transport delays. We cruised overnight to Antwerp where we got to visit Antwerp Christmas markets. We stayed overnight and then went to Ghent Christmas markets. We had a day at sea and the cruised the Seine. We then visited Rouen in France before heading home to Southampton.
Business Seminar
I started my trip with a business seminar to learn all things about Fred Olsen. We then enjoyed a cocktail making class which was great fun. Antwerp Christmas markets are walkable from the ship and great to see the amazing architecture and Christmas markets
Afternoon tea and Ghent Christmas Markets
We were treated to afternoon tea on the ship which was accompanied by a great trio of musicians. Ghent Christmas markets were our next visit which were a coach ride away from Antwerp port. Another city with amazing buildings and canal boat rides available.
Cheese and Wine Pairing Cruising the Seine
We had a really interesting talk on cheese and wine pairing which we all enjoyed. We cruises the River Seine enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Behind the Scenes Tour and Rouen Abbey night visit
We had a behind the scenes tour where we got to visit the galley, store rooms laundry and got to visit the bridge. We got to meet the wonderful hard working crew. In the evening we went into Rouen where we learnt all about Joan of Arc and got to see the amazing St Ouen Abbey while it was lit only by candlelight. Rouen has lots of places to visit if you wanted to spend another day there including the Joan of Arc museum and the cathedral. The next day I elected to stay on the ship where I did some of the on ship activities including a quiz and got to talk to other passengers. We had a speciality dining meal on board.
Balmoral Ship
We each had our own ocean-view cabin on the Balmoral ship. We got to visit different empty cabin grades which was very helpful for discovering the different cabin options Fred. Olsen offers.
Final Thoughts
Fred Olsen is a fantastic company that truly values its guests. The crew works incredibly hard to make sure everyone has a great experience. The food and entertainment were excellent, and there’s a variety of spaces on the ship, so there’s something for everyone. The excursions and onboard activities were also fantastic, and the drinks prices were very reasonable. A special thanks to Kerry, Dan, and Ellie for looking after us so well – they made our trip even more memorable.
Karen Currie
