Fred Olsen: Scotland, Scilly Isles & The West Country 10 Night Cruise

At the ripe old age of 33, I packed my bags, hopped on the 30-minute train from Haymarket to Rosyth and into the waiting taxi on my way to the terminal where I would embark on my very first cruise.

To be frank, I didn’t think I would be enjoying the luxuries of a cruise for another 20 to 30 years, but I have to admit that I had skewed depictions of cruises in my head: over-excited children running around in floating waterpark hotels and organized excursions geared towards those with reduced mobility.

What was there for me, a girl who likes to meander down little side streets and get a little lost on such a trip?

So when Fred Olsen gave me the chance to go along on their Scotland, Scilly Isles & The West Country cruise, I gladly signed up to see what all this cruise fuss was about.

Cruising by Skye

We set sail on the Balmoral, their smallest ship, ideally sized for gliding through narrower passages like the Fjords in Norway and for sidling up to smaller ports in isles more difficult for larger vessels. To us it seemed huge as we explored its 11 decks, five restaurants, seven bars and lounges, three boutiques, two pools, a large show theatre and lounge, a spa and fitness centre, a café and library and multiple nooks and crannies where you could discover something interesting to do or see.

Restaurants 

I have two passions in life – eating and drinking tea. And luckily I could do both in abundance on this trip. While there are five restaurants on board with four included in the package, we primarily frequented the Thistle for its expansive breakfast and lunch buffets, and the Ballindalloch for its three-course á la carte with new dishes on the menu every day. However, if you are not an adventurous eater, there was a static menu with classic dishes.

Cod with dauphinoise potatoes and vegetables from the Ballindalloch

Each guest was assigned their own table for dinner (or could book into other restaurants) with the same serving staff on each night. That meant you got to know them and they got to know you and your preferences. Our waiter Rey and assistant waiter Jerome were both phenomenal and elevated our dining experience with their professionalism and friendly manner, often anticipating our needs and wants before we even had to ask.

Despite seeing the systematically organised kitchen in a behind-the-scenes tour, I was always in awe of how the kitchen staff managed to feed so many guests to such high standards. Nearly every dish was savoured and devoured from the sumptuous starters to beautifully plated mains to decadent desserts. As I had usually been grazing all day, I often opted for lighter dinners with seafood but there was usually a dish to suit various preferences and allergies.

Glazed Peking Duck from Colours & Tastes

I was especially keen to try Balmoral’s speciality restaurant Colours & Tastes serving Asian-fusion cuisine. This restaurant had a small flat-rate (£15 the first day/£20 every day thereafter). We booked in one evening – missing a martini making class that we could hear the excitement from – and I ordered Philippine pork sisig for an appetizer and glazed peking duck with shredded vegetables and not a crumb could be detected on my plate afterwards.

Room service was also available until 11pm at night with sandwiches, panini’s, pizzas being more tasty options. We ordered a pepperoni pizza one evening and enjoyed it on our balcony as we sailed past the Western Isles.

Bars, Lounges & Cafes

Feeling parched onboard is next to impossible as there is a bar, lounge or café in almost every direction. We had the drinks package, so all soft drinks, select wines by the glass and beers and ciders on tap along with the cocktail/mocktail of the day were inclusive. Alcoholic drinks outside of the package were half price.

Emperor’s Breakfast from Rare Tea Company while we waited for our tender.

On a sea day, the first place to spot me was in the boat’s tea lounge – partnered with Rare Tea Company – with a cup of Emperor’s Breakfast featuring a deliciously rich, robust and naturally sweet Golden Monkey tea. Guests could also order a latte complete with foam art or their favourite hot drink and baked goods upstairs in the Bookmark Café. A selection of board games were available for guests to enjoy with their cuppa.

One evening we had a tea tasting with Rare Tea Company, who took us on a tour of Japanese Sencha, Taiwanese Tie Guan Yin, Chinese Fujian White Peony and Bavarian Peppermint Tea.

Fitness & Spa

A cruise is the perfect place to shed your worries and why not add to that with a relaxing massage? The 50-minute full body Swedish massage with floral scents and soft sounds lulled me into relaxation as the wondrously adept masseuse worked all the stubborn knots out of my body.

From facials and Thalgo iBeauty treatments that hydrate deeply and tackle wrinkles to hot stone massages and scalp treatments designed to loosen tense muscles to a hair and nails salon, the Atlantic Spa had a holistic range of treatments to tackle both our inner and outer selves. I conveniently got my nails painted one afternoon before the formal night held that evening. 

In the same corridor as the spa, you can also find a fully equipped gym with fitness instructors and classes.

Pools

The Balmoral has two outdoor pools: one at the stern and one at the aft. Both pools were fairly warm and had decent barriers to block the cool wind, but if a stray breeze slipped by, one of the two hot tubs at each pool was waiting for you to warm up. Servers also made rounds at the pool, ready to bring you a cool drink of your choice.

Entertainment

Flautist Sofia Castillo’s solo performance

During sea days and port day evenings, guests don’t have to worry about finding something to do as there are always a host of activities. From pub quizzes to wine and cheese afternoons, to staff boat building competitions, silent discos and karaoke and theatre and music, there was always fun and interesting pursuits to chase on the boat. One of my favourite evenings was spent watching the ethereal flautist Sofia Castillo play classic European melodies followed by Latin American tunes a few days later.

Stops & Sights

Lerwick, Shetland

Seascape with the Bamoral in background, Lerwick, Shetland

Waking up one morning to step out onto my balcony with sleep-blurred eyes to the welcome sight of Lerwick was a dreamy experience. Though the sky was overcast, it added to the atmosphere of Shetland with its deep turquoise water and hilly green land. The town itself was quiet in the morning but there were plenty of shops to explore. We wandered into the LHD shop for a wee look before going to explore the stone walls and canons of Fort Charlotte.

There were several excursions guests could choose from that took you to all ends of the island – to see puffins and Shetland ponies or hear about shipwrecks on a boat tour. We chose the latter. The lovely father and son duo took turns narrating the tour around the West Voe of Sumburgh and despite not choosing the puffin spotting tour, we managed to see a few of the elusive wee birds.

Fingal’s Cave & Small Isles

Gazing at Fingal’s Cave, Staffa, Scotland

As we sailed from Shetland all the way around the west coast, we got to see the wondrous and drastic landscapes of Scotland. Skye is an internationally renowned destination for a reason. Its imposing landscape, shaped and scrupled by ancient glaciers, leaves a lasting impression, and this is true having now seen it from both the land and sea.

We cruised passed the Small Isles on the second sea day, spotting Bac Mòr or The Dutchman’s Cap and keeping out eye out for passing pods of dolphins (we overheard one person say they say a minke whale earlier that morning but we were not lucky enough to catch a glimpse!). However, it was circling around Fingal’s Cave in Staffa that was a dream come true for me.

St Mary’s, Isle of Scilly

View of Hugh Town, St Mary’s from Garrison Hill

After two sea days, we arrived at St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly. There is no port for cruise ships on the island so we anchored further out and got tender boats to the island. This was a nice trip in itself as the rain was very light and we got to see the beauty of Hugh Town on the way in. The island landscape feels almost tropical with its sand beaches and flora full of sun-fed succulents and colourful plants.

Falmouth

Jane Curtis in front of St Mawes Bakery

The southwestern Cornish coastal town of Falmouth happened to fall on our most rainy day. We didn’t mind the weather too much, however, as it added to the atmosphere of the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. We checked out a little of the pre-events before wandering the town’s many shops with local, national and international brands.

We wandered the cobblestone streets, stopped in at the Cabinet of Folklore and Magic to be in awe of its collection before heading for a proper cream tea at the Cornish Bakery with a lovely view of the busy high street. Before we headed back to the ship, we miraculously found a seat in the bustling Beerwolf Books for a pint and browse of their bookshop.

There were several excellent tours to take around southern Cornwall and though St Michael’s mount and The Eden Project tempted us, we decided to do something a little more local: A Cornish Pasty Workshop in St Mawes. The seaside village itself could be found next to the definition of picturesque. Our pasty-making instructors, Jane and Patrick, owners and bakers of the century-old family-owned St Mawes Bakery. Despite the step-by-step instructions, many of us proved that we were not going to be hired as a pastry chef any time soon but that didn’t stop us from enjoy our efforts afterwards.

Dartmouth

Dartmouth Habour

Our second last stop of the cruise landed us in Dartmouth, a very charming town with residents who all dressed like they owned sailboats. There were a few tea shops serving Devonshire cream tea and a lovely church that served as a focal point for the town. We walked along the seawall with an ice cream to a military battery and watched as youth fished crabs from the water with only a string and little bait. We finished our day in The Dolphin Inn, a traditional-looking pub that brews its own beer dating back to 1838.

We had left booking excursions too late again but one of our cohorts enjoyed a steam train through the countryside and English Riviera while another headed to Buckfast Abbey to learn about its history dating back to 907AD and present culture.

Portsmouth

Portsmouth Town Hall

Portsmouth was not only the final stop on our cruise but also my final destination as I wouldn’t be continuing up the east coast back to Rosyth. We didn’t have too long to spend there as we had to catch the train all the way back up to Edinburgh, but we enjoyed a wander around the Portsmouth City Centre. We gawked at the Neo-classical grandeur of Portsmouth Guildhall next to the train station before taking a stroll through the university and peeking at Spinnaker Tower in the distance. On our way back to the train station we walked through Victoria Park which was filled with families enjoying the sunshine.

If we had more time in Portsmouth, we could have had a historic tour of King Henry VIII’s Mary Rose or even headed to the Isle of Wight or Stonehenge. But alas, we only had a few hours before we were heading on our 8-hour journey back to Edinburgh.

View from the helm.

Final thoughts and tips

While a cruise is perfect for those with reduced mobility with its many lifts, spacious hallways and accessible rooms, some of the stops require a tender boat from ship to shore, which might not be suitable for everyone. Speak to the cruise agent about any concerns before booking.

The staff made a good cruise, a great one. Each member on board was truly phenomenal at what they do from the housekeeping staff to those in the engine room. We felt we truly got to know everyone and it felt like a little community on board. We attended a behind-the-scenes tour of the boat and got to see first hand how meticulous everything is run.

Solo travellers don’t have to worry about going along as there are plenty of events and gatherings designed to help you meet other solo travellers on board.

Fred Olsen is not blind to their ecological footprint. We witnessed some on of the ways they are committed to reducing their carbon footprint on the behind-the-scenes tour and you can read about their commitment to sustainability here. 

So what is there for a girl like me on a cruise? It turns out quite a bit. Quality food, good tea and engaging entertainment with the opportunity to still get a little lost on land days. I am still not sure if I am ready to start cruising regularly, but I am intrigued enough to consider more cruise destinations in the future.

Read more Reviews here.

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