If you are taking a cruise on Fred. Olsen’s smallest ship, Balmoral, you might be wondering whether an inside cabin would suit you.
My parents booked a last-minute cruise on her and booked the cheapest cabin onboard. This is what they thought of that cabin.
This review is based on cabin 4151 on the Coral Deck ( Deck four)
Balmoral’s History
Balmoral is a very old ship by cruise ship standards. She has an interesting history and has sailed for other cruise lines before moving on to Fred. Olsen.
She was built in 1988 in Germany as Crown Odyssey for Royal Cruise Lines. She has also sailed as Norwegian Crown for NCL and Crown Odyssey for Orient Lines.
Fred. Olsen took delivery of the ship on 7 November 2007.
Between 2007 and 2008, Balmoral was lengthened by 30m/98 ft. This added a further 186 passenger and 53 crew cabins, as well as creating new and updated public areas
Balmoral is the smallest ship in our fleet and is well-loved by all of our teams, and long-standing guests. She has wonderful facilities – six beautiful restaurants, seven bars and lounges, two pools and lovely wide open decks which are perfect for when Balmoral is scenic cruising.
Fred.Olsen
My parents took a Christmas market cruise visiting Antwerp and Rouen. They travelled along the Schelde and Seine rivers, which was a wonderful experience.
She was the oldest ship my parents had ever travelled on, and some of her features were very dated. They thought she was a lovely ship though, with teak decks, a tiered aft, and lots of space per passenger.
Find out more about ship lengthening and why it is carried out here:
These Cruise Ships Were Cut in Half: Why and How (Royal, MSC, NCL & More)
Inside Cabin With Fixed Twin Bed Arrangement
If you choose a cheap “interior” cabin on Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral, you may end up with twin beds that are in a fixed position.
There is no option to have the twin beds reconfigured as a double, as you would find on the majority of cruise ships.
When my parents booked, they were well aware of this “L” shaped twin bed arrangement.
It was stated very clearly when they booked, and the booking confirmation said:
“CABIN ATTRIBUTES – L-shaped bed arrangement, Shower only, Fixed twin beds”
I am not sure they would consider this feature as a “cabin attribute” but the situation was made very clear.
Interior staterooms measure approximately 160 Ft ²/14.8 metres ². They can be found on decks 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, so there is a good choice for passengers who prefer to be on lower or higher decks.
This size is quite average within the cruise industry. It certainly didn’t feel particularly small or cramped.
To learn more about how the size of cabins compares across cabin grades, check out this post:
How Big Are Cruise Ship Cabins? 27 Examples, All Cabin Types
The cabin is made up of the following:
- Two single beds, laid out in an L-shaped arrangement
- A, what could only be described as a Radiogram (see picture below)
- A Desk
- A Chair
- Drawers and Closet Space
- TV
- Phone
- A circular table
- Bin/Trash Can
- Tea and coffee-making facilities (hidden originally in the wardrobe/closet)
There were drawers below the radiogram but no bedside tables at all to put your morning cup of coffee, so they had to go on top of that piece of furniture.
Cabin Design
It has to be said that the cabin was extremely dated, although perfectly clean and comfortable.
The artwork was the type where you think you could probably do better yourself! Probably bland enough not to offend anyone – but it’s impossible to have artwork that suits everybody.
Which Plug Sockets Are In The Inside Cabins On Balmoral?
All of the useable sockets were over by the desk area of the cabin.
On many modern cruise ships, you’ll find USB sockets by the beds so that you can charge your phone.
Understandably there was nothing like this on Balmoral. There wasn’t even a bedside table to put your phone on anyway…
Two European and one American socket can be found in the desk area.
If you are ever in doubt about which plug sockets a cruise ship has, check out this searchable table:
There was a kettle, and tea or coffee-making facilities in the cabin. Fred. Olsen has a mostly British clientele, and they do appreciate being able to make hot drinks in the cabin.
Most British cruise lines, and sometimes European cruise lines sailing out of Great Britain (like MSC) supply tea and coffee-making facilities in the cabins
There Was a TV On The Wall
The TV showed a variety of shows, but they didn’t really use it on this short cruise.
Annoyingly, the bow cam didn’t seem to work. It is nice to be able to see what is going on outside and what the weather is like when you are in an inside cabin. It didn’t work for the duration of the cruise.
It would be quite hard for both occupants of the cabin to comfortably watch the TV at the same time with the unusual bed arrangement. The person in the end bed wouldn’t get a very good view.
Sunrise Alarm Clock
The white lamp in the photo is a daylight alarm clock. It lights up slowly to mimic the sunrise.
This means that you don’t wake up in the dark. We never cruise in an inside cabin without one. To find out more about mine, check out this post:
Sunrise Alarm Clocks – The BEST Inside Cabin Hack
Was There Enough Storage?
They found there to be more than enough storage in the cabins for their short cruise – there were plenty of shelves, hanging space and drawers.
It was rather inconvenient that you couldn’t have a bedside table or shelf, but due to the fixed bed position, that isn’t an option in this cabin.
The Bathroom Was Tired And Dated
The bathroom was pretty standard in size, but dated. It could definitely do with some refurbishment.
The old-style hairdryer on the wall looked like it would have been a retro feature even back in 1988 when the ship was built!
There was a sticker stuck to the inside on the glass partition in the shower, suggesting that you tested the water temperature to make sure it wasn’t too hot.
From the main bathroom side, it looked like a squashed fried egg on the glass – which was rather off putting!
main bathroom side! Not nice…
It had the standard cruise ship clingy shower curtain. There was a shelf in the corner of the shower for your toiletries. Shampoo and shower Gel were supplied in bottles.
The shower wasn’t particularly powerful, but it was perfectly adequate.
The grouting between the tiles was discoloured, and this made the area look very shabby.
Would They Recommend This Cabin?
They would recommend booking this inside cabin on the Balmoral if you are travelling on a budget. The cabin was clean and functional – if rather dated.
Although we’ve seen larger cabins inside other ships, it felt cosy and warm, but not too warm. The air conditioning worked well, but again, the control switch was extremely dated.
They liked the bedtime chocolates – as did Captain Hudson. We miss them on cruise lines like P&O or MSC!
Things They Weren’t So Keen On…
They didn’t really like the two single bed arrangement, particularly as there was no bedside shelf or cabinet to put a drink or your phone on.
One advantage they hadn’t thought of with this arrangement was that when the sea got rough, you could choose whether you wanted a bed that was rocking from bed side to side with the ship’s movement – or going up and down from head to toe instead! Handy if only one of you gets seasick…
The worst thing about the cabin was the very large step into the bathroom. We are all used to having a step up, but on Balmoral, it seemed far larger than on any other ship.
Luckily neither of them fell into or out of the bathroom, they were very careful – but it certainly was a trip hazard.
Find out about the cruise I took on Fred. Olsen’s Bolette “In Search of the Northern Lights” below. Although I did see the Northern Lights, I have never felt so seasick…
Before You Go
Find out about the risky rules I have seen guests break here:
Risky Rules I’ve Seen Guests Break on Cruise Ships (Dangerous,
Cruise ships can travel at 30 MPH, find out why they rarely do here:
Cruise Ships Can Travel at 30 MPH, Here’s Why They Rarely Do
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