All you need to know in preparation for your cruise.
General Information
YOUR HOLIDAY PRICE: WHAT’S INCLUDED
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Accommodation on board
All meals and snacks throughout your cruise
Complimentary tea and coffee at selected venues
All entertainment and sports and leisure facilities
Flights, when booked and paid for as part of a
fly-cruise holiday
All port taxes for UK ports, Scottish ports of call and UK
airport departure taxes (where collectable in advance)
Porterage on board
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
• Travel to/from your port or airports
• All drinks on board (optional ‘All Inclusive Package’
available on selected cruises)
• Shore Tours
• Hairdressing, health, beauty treatments, and
selected fitness classes
• Personal laundry and dry cleaning
• Passports and visa costs
• Holiday Insurance
• Government levies or taxes introduced after
publication of this brochure
• Discretionary gratuities to the crew, drivers, guides,
etc. on board and ashore
• Evening dining at The Grill restaurant
• Chocolates and beverages from the The Bookmark Café
PROXIMITY OF DESTINATIONS
In all our ports of call, we aim to dock the ship as closely as we can
to the destination. Often we will be walking distance or a short bus
ride from the local centre. A shuttle bus may sometimes be pro-
vided, either by Fred. Olsen or the local port authority (a nominal
fee usually applies). It is sometimes the case that the port is further
away. Where this arises, it may be necessary to book a tour to visit
the main destination (although it may also be possible to travel
there by taxi or public transport). This is shown as “from” within the
cruise itinerary (for example, “Oporto [from Leixoes]”). We aim to
keep these instances to a minimum.
FOREIGN CURRENCY SERVICE
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have appointed City Forex (FCA id 524412),
a specialist provider of foreign exchange services, as preferred sup-
plier of foreign currency for all our ships. City Forex offer a unique
service for our passengers: order your foreign currency before your
cruise departs and it will be available at Guest Services on board at
the beginning of your cruise*.
Advantages of this service include:
• Highly competitive rates
• No commission charged
• Remove the worry of postal deliveries or
collecting large amounts of cash from the high
street. Your pre-ordered currency will be waiting
for you on board
• No exchange rate worries – your rate is fixed at time
of order, not collection
• No hidden transaction costs from making purchases
using your credit card ashore
• Buy-back guarantee on U.S Dollar, Norwegian Kroner
and Euro notes, meaning unused currency can be
returned on board at the same rate as purchase
*Service may not be available where cruise embarkation is
at a port outside the UK.
CLOTHING
HOW MUCH LUGGAGE CAN I TAKE?
Luggage Allowance
Your luggage allowance will vary depending on the type of cruise
you have booked. If you are sailing from a UK port 200lbs (90kgs) of
luggage is allowed. For safety reasons no one piece should weigh
more than 20kgs. On fly-cruises, your allowance will be subject to
the conditions imposed by the air carrier and will vary from airline
to airline. On scheduled air services, the free baggage allowance
in economy class is normally 20kgs. On Fred. Olsen operated char-
ter flights, the allowance again varies from airline to airline and is
subject to change at the start of each fly-cruise season. You will be
advised of the allowances on your flight prior to your fly-cruise.
Please note excess baggage charges apply. Please check when
booking and on receipt of your holiday tickets. Always pack your
travel documents, valuables, fragile items and any medication for
your journey in your hand luggage. We strongly recommend that
you carry dress/suit carriers as hand baggage since these can get
damaged when passing through the room baggage scanners.
Some UK ports will actually insist upon you carrying these on
board. Prohibited items: To ensure a safe and secure environment
for our guests and crew, there are strict regulations regarding items
that may be considered to be an offensive weapon (in particular
knives, including skean-dhu’s with a blade of over 7cm). Any item
found will be confiscated. Alcohol brought on board will be confis-
cated and returned to you prior to disembarkation.
UK DEPARTURE PORTS
Our aim is to make joining your cruise as easy as possible, so our
ships sail from ports around the UK. The use of smaller ports which
have fewer cruise departures does mean that guest facilities at
some of these locations are very limited and not comparable to the
larger south coast cruise ports. For your own comfort we therefore
ask that you follow the check-in times (not embarkation times)
detailed on your final holiday documentation, sent to you within
two weeks of your sailing date.
Daytime wear is casual: comfortable shoes are essential for going
ashore, sightseeing and walking on deck, and as the sun begins to
set, a lightweight jacket or coat is recommended too. During the
day, the restaurants request you adhere to an appropriate dress code
e.g. no swimwear. Most evenings on board have a smart casual
dress code, so you can feel relaxed and comfortable whilst enjoying
your dinner. For men, a pair of trousers, chinos or smart dark jeans,
coupled with a polo shirt or shirt is perfectly acceptable. Some
guests prefer to wear a jacket or tie which is also fine. Ladies’ wear
may range from tailored trouser suits and stylish dresses to casual
separates and summer dresses. Please note trainers, t-shirts, shorts
and tracksuits are not allowed in the restaurants for evening dining.
Depending on the length of your cruise there will be one or more
formal evenings whilst you are on board. Men should wear either a
dinner jacket or dark suit and tie. Ladies may choose from a range
of clothing, from a cocktail style dress to a full-length ball gown. All
Fred. Olsen ships have an additional, buffet restaurant that offers a
casual-dining option for those guests who do not wish to partake
in the formal evenings: the dress code in these restaurants is always
smart casual. Hats should not be worn in the restaurants.
WELL-BEING AT SEA
Health & Safety
Whereas we will advise you of any mandatory vaccination require-
ments for your chosen cruise, health regulations are ever changing.
We therefore strongly recommend you consult with your GP or local
medical centre at least 12 weeks before departure as they receive
regular updated information from the World Health Organisation.
In addition, general travel advice is available from the government
website www.smarttraveller.com.au. In some countries, gen-
eral standards of hygiene, care and safety may differ from those in
Australia, so when going ashore common sense is the watchword,
especially when choosing drinks or sampling local cuisine. At all
times we would ask you to pay particular attention to personal
hygiene, particularly vigorous hand washing with soap and the
additional use of the hand sanitisers found at numerous locations
around the vessel.
Medical Facilities
For your peace of mind all our ships have a medical centre offer-
ing primary and emergency care, with a doctor and/or nurse on
call at all times. The medical centres operate outside of British and
European health services and charges are levied for consultations,
investigations, prescriptions and room visits. A scale of charges is
displayed in each medical centre and charges incurred will be billed
to your on board account. We would ask that any guest taking med-
ication bring adequate supplies to last the duration of the cruise.
Please ensure you pack medication in your hand luggage if required
en route to the vessel. All ships have two qualified nurses on board. for whom you are not the parent or legal guardian, it is a legal re-
quirement that you obtain the written consent of the parent/legal
guardian and produce this upon request when checking in at the
port/airport. Failure to produce this documentation may result in
refusal of passage. Unfortunately, we regret we are unable to accept
infants under 6 months of age.
Disability/Reduced Mobility Special Occasions (including Renewal of Vows)
Whereas we warmly welcome guests with disabilities and/or
reduced mobility necessitating the use of a wheelchair or scooter,
it must be recognised that our fleet is not ideally suited to those
fully reliant upon such a device or those unable to climb a stepped
gangway. Other than in the larger UK and overseas cruise hubs, an
overhead walkway or air-bridge is seldom available, necessitating
the use of a stepped gangway to both embark and disembark the
vessel. Subject to tides and local port infrastructure, the angle of
the gangway can be steep and requires the negotiation of up to
25 steps. In compliance with International Maritime Regulations
governing safety of life at sea, we must limit the number of guests
requiring assistance, in the event of an emergency that we can
safely evacuate. On all vessels this capacity is set at 6, with the ex-
ception of Balmoral, where we permit 12. Subject to further quotas,
additional wheelchairs/scooters may be stored for ‘use ashore’ only.
Since a holiday afloat is very different to one on land, we strongly
recommend you be accompanied by an able-bodied companion.
On safety grounds, devices weighing in excess of 25kgs, and that
do not dismantle, cannot be carried ashore unless we have the use
of an overhead walkway/air-bridge. Under no circumstances will
FOCL’s staff agree to carry or lift passengers to facilitate embarkation
or disembarkation. All wheelchairs/scooters must be advised at the
time of booking. Failure to do so may result in refusal at check-in.
All wheelchairs/scooters must be presented at check-in and not
passed to the baggage handlers with room luggage. Only those
rooms indicated as adapted for wheelchair use have private facili-
ties for wheelchair users. Whereas we have four adapted rooms on
Braemar, the turning circle into the bathroom from the living area is
limited and requires the assistance of the able-bodied companion.
We therefore do not recommend the adapted rooms on Braemar to
guests who are fully reliant on a wheelchair. Please note that the
Sun Decks on Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch are not served
by a passenger lift. Guests will need to climb steps to access the
Sun Deck.Furthermore, unless able to board a coach unassisted, it
will not be possible for guests to participate in our organised Shore
Tours programme. However, our Shore Tours Department may be
able to arrange private tours with the use of adapted vehicles. We
also politely refer you to the section under ‘Tender Services’ in this
Gazetteer as well as further useful information on our website
www.fredolsencruises.com.au/pages/help-and-faq relating to dis-
ability/reduced mobility. If you are celebrating a special occasion during your cruise we
would be delighted to make the occasion even more memorable.
Any guest celebrating a birthday during a Fred. Olsen cruise will
automatically be presented with a birthday cake at dinner in the
formal restaurants. Should you be celebrating a landmark anniver-
sary or birthday, we will even provide a fantastic package with our
compliments*. In addition to this we offer a choice of Celebration
Packages, including Renewal of Vows,which may be purchased in
advance. To find out more about our Celebration Packages please
contact your CruiseAbroad Consultant. * Our complimentary cel-
ebration packages include Cava and not Champagne. Canapés are
not included in the complimentary Anniversary package.
Security Meal times are as flexible as possible – after all you are on holiday.
Breakfast is normally served between 7.15 and 10.00am and lunch
between 12.00 and 2.00pm in the main restaurants. A buffet break-
fast and lunch will also be served in the Palms Café on Braemar and
Balmoral, and weather permitting, The Grill on Black Watch and
Boudicca. Most evenings, open sitting evening dining is offered
as an informal option in the Garden Café on Black Watch, Secret
Garden on Boudicca, and Palms Café on Balmoral and Braemar. On
selected evenings, The Grill (on all ships) offers good quality food
for you to enjoy outdoors, for an additional supplement. Balmoral
also has inside seating. This must be pre-booked on board.
We know that many of you would like friends and family to join you
on board prior to sailing but, for security reasons, no visitors are al-
lowed beyond Security either in the UK or abroad. To ensure the
comfort and safety of all guests, we reserve the right to disembark
anyone failing to comply with our on board policies.
Tender Services
Some ports will require passengers to go ashore by tender, with
access down the steps of a gangway. There are 25 steps from the
ship to the tender on all our vessels (except Braemar where there
is a maximum of 7). Please ask about your particular cruise at the
time of booking. On safety grounds wheelchair bound passengers
or those requiring more than minimal assistance to board/alight
a tender will be prevented from going ashore on these occasions.
Smoking & Electronic Cigarettes On Board
Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is no longer permitted in
any inside deck area. Smoking is however permitted on designated
open deck locations and room balconies, except for Terrace Balco-
nies (grades TS, TC and TK).
Single Travellers
Our single guests need never be alone on board as we have the
reputation of operating the friendliest cruise ships afloat. Our staff
will be waiting to greet you from the moment you arrive and special
activities will be arranged throughout the cruise to give you the op-
portunity to meet with fellow single travellers if you wish. Hosts
will be on hand on all cruises to make sure our single guests never
go too long without a dance partner in the evenings.
Children On Board
If you are travelling overseas with children under the age of 16
Visit fredolsencruises.com.au or call 1300 786 863
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LIFE ON BOARD
Your Accommodation
Accommodation on board is outlined in our Deck Plans (see links
on top of page 33) or on our site www.fredolsencruises.com.au. We
would be grateful if you would note that with the general exception
of suites and rooms on Braemar, Boudicca and Balmoral, there are
very few double bedded rooms available. Please ask at the time
of booking. In addition to those facilities mentioned in our room
descriptions, certain grades of suite accommodation enjoy extra
benefits as part of our ‘Suite Dreams’ programme. Please check
when booking.
Dining
Subject to availability at time of booking we can guarantee your
preferred dining option of either first (6.15pm) or second (8.30pm)
sitting (guests booked on an ‘Anchor Fare’ basis will need to pay a
nominal supplement to secure their preferred dining in advance of
sailing). Table size will remain on a request only basis. When you ar-
rive on board you will find a Restaurant Seating Card in your room,
which will advise you of your table number and dining time. This
will be your allocated table for the duration of the cruise.
The main restaurants are:
• Black Watch – Glentanar Restaurant and Orchid Room
• Boudicca – Four Seasons, Heligan Room and Tintagel
Restaurants
• Braemar – Thistle and Grampian Restaurants
• Balmoral – Ballindalloch, Spey and Avon Restaurants
Catering For Special Diets
We will do our best to accommodate most dietary requests on
board. We currently cater for vegetarian, low fat, dairy free, gluten
and wheatfree diets. All special requests must be specified on
the booking form and we will endeavour to source the products
required, but cannot guarantee specific brands. (Some special re-
quests may not be possible due to the location of the vessel and
availability at local ports). Please give us as much notice as possible.
Telephones
Our ships operate satellite telephone systems. All rooms on Black
Watch, Boudicca, Braemar and Balmoral are equipped with tel-
ephones.
Use Your Mobile Phone On Board
You can now keep in contact with your friends and family when
on board. All you need to do is contact your home mobile operator
to enable ‘International Roaming’ and make sure to take your phone
with you! Please contact your home mobile operator for further
information on call charges and any other bill related enquiries.