Wow, amazing! After being on board Borealis, I totally understand why Fred Olsen have such a large number of repeat guests. I was very honoured to be part of the celebrations in Funchal (Madeira) what a special day that was.
I started my journey in Cobh (Ireland) we flew from London Heathrow to board the ship. The moment I got on board I was made to feel very welcome by the crew. The check in process was very quick and easy. Our bags were taken from us and put straight into our cabins.
The cabin I had was a Balcony Suite cabin. There was lots of storage space, the bed was a queen size bed and super comfy. The bathroom was a good size with a large walk-in shower. There is also a seating area with a sofa and a TV. The balcony is large with plenty of space to have 2 chairs and a table. Tea and Coffee making facilities are available in your cabin along with a minibar. Because I was staying in a Suite, I had some added extras. This is called the Suite Dreams Package. This includes a Priority check-in, bottle of sparkling wine, fruit basket, flowers or plants in your suites, bathrobe and slippers, luxury towels, free pressing service for your formal wear, Binoculars, afternoon Canape service, daily newsletter, umbrellas, laundry service discount vouchers, Carafe of water which is replenished daily.
Once I had settled in it was time for dinner. This was something I looked forward to every evening. The food was absolutely first-class. With an amazing choice to suit all tastes and allergies. If you have an allergy, you choose what you would like for dinner in advance so they not what to avoid. This is also the case for the speciality restaurants. Everything is clearly marked, and they also have gluten-free stations in the buffet restaurant. If you don’t fancy any of the main meals there is always a choice to have steak, chicken breast with a choice of chips, jackets potatoes etc. There are 2 sittings for the evening meal 6:15 and 8:30.
You can also choose to eat in the speciality restaurants. The Vasco is an Indian cuisine and Colours and Tastes which is an Asian Fusion restaurant. If you prebook before you travel it’s £10 per person. If you book this on board the price is £15 per person. I would 100% recommend both of these restaurants, I could have eaten here every night.
I can honestly say that you never go hungry on board there is always somewhere you can get food. Breakfast can be eaten in The View which is a buffet restaurant from 7:30 until 10:30. There are several options to choose from, full English, pastries, egg station, omelettes, fruit and cereals. The Borealis restaurant from 08:0. Until 9:30, which is more a more formal sit-down menu and breakfast is served at your table. If you are a late riser, you can grab something at the poolside. They serve a breakfast menu from 10am until 12. This will serve things like Eggs benedict. It then turns into a lunch menu from 12 until 7pm serving things like salads, burgers, and fish and chips. Would recommend the burger probably one of the best I have ever had. There is also a good choice for lunch in The View. Buffett style serving a range of foods such as stir fry, pastas, salads, chips amongst other things. The menu is different every day. You could choose the option of the Borealis restaurant if you want to be waited on and have a 3-course meal.
After lunch there is afternoon tea served at The View or you can pay to enjoy in the Observatory lounge. This starts at 2:30 every day. There are yummy cakes, scones with jam and cream and stunning sandwiches, again gluten-free is being catered for. There is also a supper club served in The View from 11pm until midnight. If you would rather eat in your cabin, then room service is available.
I was on board for 7 nights and had quite a few sea days. When you are on your sea days there is plenty to keep you occupied. Each evening you have the Daily Times delivered to your cabin so you can see what is on during the day and where to go. You can do activities like Pilates classes, Yoga, legs bums and tums, gold putting, bridge classes, craft, kitchen creations, line dancing, Ukulele class, trivia, bowling, carpet bowls, singing, watercolour painting, killer darts and many more. You can take advantage of the classes, or you can lunge around the pool area where there are Jacuzzis too.
There are many other areas where you can sit and relax. On deck 5 they have many lounges to choose from. All are decorated differently and all are stunning. My favourite was the Bookmark Café and Lounge. The coffees and cakes that are served here are to die for. There is also the Oriental Tea Room, which is stunning, there are big windows to watch the world go by. Other areas are the Morning Light Pub and Lounge, The Earth room, The Arctic room and the Piano bar. If you would rather pamper yourself and really relax there is always the Atlantis Spa. I had an afternoon in the Thermal suite. It was so relaxing. There are heated ceramic relaxation beds which are designed to match the curvature of your spine and melt away muscle tension. There is a mineral bath which is heated to body temperature to alleviate sore joints and soothe away aches and pains. There is also a steam room which is filled with aromatherapy vapours which is a perfect way to unwind and de-stress.
The entertainment in the evening is fantastic. The show crew blew me away. Every night there is something different to see. Hits from the Flix was all songs from well-known films and musicals. The singing and dancing is something you would see in a West End show. The artist's paintbox. Explore the world of colour through song, dance and digital artistry. There is a lady called Sarah Sax who performs timeless classics from Bauer Street and Pink Panther to modern pop tunes. The shows are performed twice in the evening, so it does not matter if you are on first or second dining. There is always entertainment going on in the Observatory lounge until midnight. There are silent discos, bands and singers. One evening on the formal night we had a masquerade Ball. This was good, and all the guests enjoyed this.
The best bit about the whole trip was The Meet the Fleet in Funchal. What a special day that was. All three ships from the Fred Olsen Fleet meet. Balmoral, Borealis and Bollette were all lined up along the quayside. We were the last ship to arrive in port that morning and we received a special welcome from Bollette and Balmoral. This was a very special day for the passengers and also the crew as they often had family members working on the other ships, and it was a chance for them to get together. We got into Funchal in the morning, so I made the most of going off and exploring. It was beautiful. We went straight for the cable cart to get the best views. At the top, you can have a wander around some beautiful gardens and an old church. The view from the top was amazing and well worth it. We then took the Toboggans down the hill. This is a sledge that is weaved like a basket. 2 men dressed all in white with a straw hat and special boots to help them stop and direct the toboggan down the hill. You end up near the old town you can either walk the rest of the way or you can grab a taxi. We then went to look at the Market which was filled with fruit, plants, fresh fish etc.
We had to head back to the ship for all the fun that was on the quayside. Live music, meet the entertainment managers, captain, hotel managers from all three ships. The show team unite and put on a fantastic show. The bar tenders went head-to-head in the battle of the bartenders, more live music and the ultimate tug of war between the crew from all three ships. 4pm it was all aboard to get ready for the sail away party. There was live music from one of the talented bans and singers on board. This was amazing everyone was up on deck dancing, singing, waving their Fred Olsen flags. It was a competition for the loudest ship! All three ships sailed out of port and lined up side by side. The sound of the horns from the ship was amazing. Later when the sun went down, we had a wonderful firework show from Madeira. Madeira if very well known in producing the best fireworks. I was truly honoured to be part of it and in parts it was very emotional.
To summarise this was an amazing experience and learnt so much about Fred Olsen. I can highly recommend them. From the food to the entertainment, but the best thing about Fred Olsen is the staff. Nothing is too much trouble, and you are always served with a smile on your face.
