Fred Olsen offers action-packed bucket-list cruise from UK city
Last summer my partner Geraint and I embarked on a nine-night sailing from Liverpool to Norway and around the towns and villages of Kristiansund, Hellesylt and Olden with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Planning every day to maximise the experience at all of the ports of call, we booked a hike to a glacier, a cable-car ride for some wow-factor aerial views, and kayaking in a web of craggy fjords, so we had lots to look forward to.
Not only that, we had four blissful days at sea where we had time to relax, eat, drink and make the most of what MS Bolette had to offer. The company's flagship, Bolette – named after Fred's great-grandmother – heads up a fleet of ships that are relatively smaller than some cruise vessels and built this way to manoeuvre easily through the fjords.
Bolette has 690 cabins and carries around 1,300 passengers and 645 crew. So if one of your reservations about cruises is that the ships seem overwhelmingly huge, I can confirm this is very manageable.
Car free holiday islands in middle of World Heritage site that no Brits know about
Our first stop was our room, a suite, with a living area and a lovely balcony. The space was light, airy and open and the outdoor area was perfect for relaxing, breathing the fresh, clean air and taking in the rolling views of all that beautiful scenery.
Bolette boasts an array of lovely bar areas and tea rooms, where sandwiches, scones and cakes are served daily. The Botanical Room and Earth Room lounges are decorated with the influences of the natural world in the former and the latter was teeming with books about our planet.
Both are conveniently close to the Bookmark Cafe where you can keep topped up with coffees and sweet treats. Nearby is the piano bar with luxurious, comfy seating and, yes, some ivories to tinkle. If traditional pubs with screens for live sport and games are more your style, The Morning Light Pub, named after one of the largest sailing ships owned by the Olsen family back in 1892, is ideal. We loved the shuffleboard and became quite hooked.
From buffets at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late-night feasts, to the Observatory Lounge table-service restaurant, the food is fabulous when cruising with Fred. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, you name your dietary requirements and the service team will go out of their way to accommodate.
The Terrace and Bloomsbury restaurants are more traditional and it feels like a nice treat to dress up for the formal nights and sample their a la carte menus.
But don't worry if casual dining is more your thing. The buffet is more relaxed in atmosphere and cuisine – with a mix of British choices, dishes from the region you're sailing in, and, as a lot of the staff on the ship are from across Asia the choice of Pan-Asian food is amazing. We booked into the two speciality restaurants, Colours and Tastes and Vasco. The latter is aimed at spice fans, serving delicious seafood to traditional curries and perfectly grilled meats – everything is cooked fresh and to order by the Goan team.
Colours and Tastes is perfect for those who love Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Filipino dishes. Also tasty for me was the chance to wake up surrounded by the natural wonders of Norway's fjords and waterfalls. Our itinerary took in the Atlantic Ocean road, an impressive structure built across islets on the edge of the ocean which featured in 007 flick No Time to Die and HBO's Succession.
My other favourite trips, booked through Fred Olsen, were to the Briksdal Glacier and kayaking on a fjord near Hellesylt. Both days we enjoyed fantastic weather which meant we could really make the most of the breathtaking views.
A short bus ride from Olden takes you to the Briksdal location for a decent hike, where there are some inclines that shouldn't be a challenge for a regular walker.
Make sure you pack some decent walking shoes/boots. You won't want to be worrying about your shoes and miss the waterfalls and natural beauty en route. At the other end of our trip at Hellesylt, a cute little town with a raging waterfall running right the way through it, we spent a morning out kayaking on UNESCO world heritage site, the Geirangerfjord. A beautiful location and a tranquil two hours on the water, it was one of the highlights of our week.
There was plenty of time to explore the village ports, too, once the activities were over. We visited Kristiansund, Andalsnes and the Troll Wall with lots of mooching about and navigated the top of the Romsdalsfjord, in Andalsnes, after a fun cable-car trip.
There are often trips available to book on shore as you disembark – but if convenience is for you, booking via Fred Olsen before you go, or during a sea day, will put your mind at ease. And the ship will wait for a delayed Fred Olsen tour.
Cruising to Norway is a brilliant way to see many fab locations. Being aboard Bolette also gives you the chance to relax. We had a ball doing the activities and the exertion level of the hiking and kayaking suited us well.
We certainly always felt like we'd earned our delicious dinner by the end of the day.
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