Whales and Wildlife with the Ocean Wildlife Encounters team

Balmoral Cruise Review to Polar Regions

Nikonshooter

Contributor Level: Second Mate

407 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 97

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Rugged & Remote Spitsbergen

Sail date: June 22, 2022

Ship: Balmoral

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

A wonderful reunion, back on Balmoral our favorite ship. fantastic staff and the inclusion of the Ocean Wildlife Encounters team, from day 1 to our return, they gave 100% we saw everything sometimes caught off guard without the camera, the sea is alive, though avian flu did show signs of its effects on wild bird life. The realisation If you want to see the whole of what Spitzbergen has to offer then you cannot do it from a cruise ship. It has to be an Expedition Cruise. Longyearbyen, has town limits, you cannot go out of unless you carry a firearm, its a deterrent against Polar Bears, You are not allowed to kill the bears and its Illegal to chase, pursue them or cause them harm.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

smooth and easy, onboard within two hours of arriving, including a short wait for covid testing result.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Whale watching, little time for anything else

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff are always the best, loyal staff most with multiple years service with Fred

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Love Balmoral, as all of Fred`s ships, loved by passengers and Crew

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Superior Ocean View, (forward Post Side), maintained by the cabin stewardess, immaculate all times

Ship tip

A very British experience, Fred`s ships are small and quaint, like visiting a small country village, where everyone knows your name

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

5 out of 5

Very good facilities, well organised

Thumbs Up 0

Olden, Norway

5 out of 5

a walk around the town, No excursion

Thumbs Up 0

Kristiansund, Norway

5 out of 5

a walk around the town, No excursion

Thumbs Up 0

Honningsvag, Norway

5 out of 5

Wildlife Seafari, Best I`ve ever been on, action packed, passionate guides

Thumbs Up 0

Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen, Norway

5 out of 5

the location was brilliant the whole reason for the cruise, but the schedule was cut and left a bitter taste, this could have been so much more, enjoyed what we did have. we had an excursion had a hike on the Tundra and saw the Husky pups, disappointed with a Local excursion offering a lot and giving nothing back, overpriced High Speed jetboat 5 hours of backbreaking discomfort. You do not always get what you pay for.

Thumbs Up 2

Tromso, Norway

5 out of 5

a walk around the town, No excursion

Thumbs Up 0