OWT's Katie Visits Fred Olsen's Beautiful Bolette

On the 13th November I had a ship visit onboard the beautiful Bolette, Fred Olsen’s flagship. Our day started with an amazing selection of pastries and cakes in The Observatory. This was a very cosy room where guests can enjoy cocktails or a coffee with stunning views of wherever they may be.

After filling up on brunch we were very lucky to be invited to the bridge. This was a very exciting experience where we learnt about some of the controls of the ship including how the stabilizers work in rocky seas and that Fred Olsen are one of the fastest cruise lines! We also had some fun taking photos in the captain’s chair which you can see in the photo below!

We then proceeded with our tour of the ship looking at all the different cabin types available to guests onboard. We first looked at an E Grade Ocean View Cabin. This was a spacious room with a small living area before the twin beds or double if you prefer. It was interesting to know that none of the cabins are below the water line on any of Fred Olsen’s fleet. We followed with an I Grade Interior Cabin and a Terrace Cabin. This is a great option for guests wanting the luxury of a balcony but not wanting to pay the balcony price. With the Terrace Cabin you have a reserved sunbed on the deck area, so you still have the option for fresh air just without the level of privacy that you get with a Balcony Suite. The windows are tinted so that no other guests can look in.

We continued our tour of the ship looking at some of the facilities and eateries onboard. We saw the famous Bolette clock to start with which is a very popular place for pictures on formal nights for obvious reasons, its stunning! Each of the Fred Olsen ships have their own theatre company bringing guests the best entertainment including singers, comedians, and magicians. The theatre is an exciting place to be onboard of an evening, the theatre layout on Bolette is unlike other layouts on other cruise lines and has a very relaxed feel with comfy sofas and chairs surrounding the stage. We then visited what would be one of my favourite spots on the ship, the Atlantis Spa! They had what I believe was a great deal where you could rent the Thermal Suite for £20 per couple for an hour. This enabled you to make full use of the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, having the facilities all to yourself which is something quite unique. You also had the option for bubbly and canapes to be bought in to the Thermal Suite, the ultimate pamper session. Guests can book this whilst onboard, but spaces do fill up very quickly.

It was soon time for a drink as we had a quick 5 minute break from walking in the Oriental Tea Room. Onboard Bolette there is a strong theme of nature and wildlife in the decoration and social areas of the ship. The Oriental Tea Room is just one of these areas, beautifully finished with powder pink colours and flowery designs where guests can enjoy a wide variety of drinks including cocktails and loose leaf teas. This is also next to the Bookmark Café where you can taste homemade truffles. Bolette has 2 different speciality dining restaurants which give guests the opportuninty to try new flavours. Head to Vasco for traditional Goan dishes or head to Colours & Tastes for Asian inspried dishes. You can pre book these restaurants for £10pp before sailing or £15pp whilst onboard.

Before heading to lunch we were lucky enough to take a peek inside the Olsen Suite. This is the highest grade of cabin available to guests and you can see why. A very spacious suite with a separate living room, dining area, walk in wardrobe/dressing room aswell as this very luxurious bath tub. When booking any type of suite guests will receive the Suite Dreams Package. This includes priority check in, fresh flowers in their cabin, daily canapes and fresh fruit aswell as bathrobes and slippers. Giving you a little touch of luxury within your cabin.

Lunch was served in the Bloomsbury restaurant where guests would spend majority of their evening meals. This room is sorrounded by windows and is beautifully designed. The highlight of the meal for me was pudding! We received a lovely service from the Fred Olsen waiting staff, who were determined to make us as full as possible! As if 3 courses wasn’t enough, a selection of chocolate truffles and hot drinks were offered to finish our dining experience. After lunch we were invited to the Auditorium where we met with some of the Fred Olsen team to extend our knowledge on the brand. The auditorium is used for a variety of events inlcuding cooking demonstration from the chefs onboard, educational talks and cinema evenings. I really enjoyed my time on board Bolette and can see why its such a loved cruise line for cruising enthusiasts.