Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines wins five top accolades in the Cruise Critic ‘UK Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2015’

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is delighted to win five major awards in Cruise Critic’s prestigious ‘UK Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2015’, chosen entirely by cruise guests, in two ‘Mid-Size’, and three ‘Small Ship’ categories, for Balmoral and Black Watch respectively. Notably, Black Watch scooped the maximum five out of five rating in the ‘Best Small Ship for Service’ category, and was awarded the title of ‘Best Small Ship for Shore Excursions’, for the second year in a row.

Cruise Critic’s ‘UK Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2015’ are based on reviews submitted on the influential website by UK-based holidaymakers who cruised during 2014. Cruise Critic boasts the largest online cruise community in the world, with more than 100,000 independent reviews.

Fred. Olsen’s flagship Balmoral, with a capacity of 1,350 guests, was named Number One in the following ‘Mid-Size’ categories:

- ‘Best for Shore Excursions’ – scoring 4.4 out of 5

- ‘Best for Value’ – scoring 4.5 out of 5

Fred. Olsen’s 804-guest cruise ship, Black Watch, has been named as the winner in the following ‘Small Ship’ categories:

- ‘Best for Service’ – scoring 5 out of 5

- ‘Best for Shore Excursions’ – scoring 4.2 out of 5

- ‘Best for Value’ – scoring 4.7 out of 5

Balmoral was named third in the top five ‘Best Mid-Size Ship Overall’, being rated number 4.2 out of 5; Black Watch was ranked second ‘Best Small Ship Overall’, with a score of 4.3 out of 5, and Braemar was voted fourth, with 4.1 out of 5.

Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral also achieved four top-five placements in the ‘Mid-Size’ category for ‘Dining’ (second), ‘Embarkation’ (fourth), ‘Fitness’ (fifth), and ‘Public Rooms’ (second).

Fred. Olsen also achieved 11 top-five ‘Small Ship’ placements, in the following categories:

- ‘Cabins’ (Black Watch, fourth)

- ‘Dining’ (Black Watch, second; Braemar, third; Boudicca, fourth)

- ‘Embarkation’ (Braemar, second; Black Watch, third)

- ‘Entertainment’ (Black Watch, second)

- ‘Fitness’ (Braemar, fourth)

- ‘Public Rooms’ (Black Watch, third)

- ‘Shore Excursions’ (Braemar, second)

- ‘Value for Money’ (Braemar, third)

Adam Coulter, UK Editor at Cruise Critic, said:

“Winning a ‘Cruisers’ Choice Award’ is a fantastic accolade for cruise lines, particularly as they’re based entirely on review ratings submitted by cruisers over the course of the past year, rather than votes. The ‘Cruisers’ Choice Awards’ recognise the top cruise lines, and because they are based on first-hand experiences, provide valuable insight to anyone researching a cruise holiday.”

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, we believe in providing the very best customer experience that we can on our cruise holidays, from start to finish. We are renowned for our ‘service with a smile’ on our smaller, more intimate ships, which is why 58% of cruise guests choose to return to the ‘friendliest fleet afloat’ each year – one of the highest repeat rates within the travel industry.

“We would like to thank all those valued cruise guests who voted for Fred. Olsen, and we look forward to welcoming you on board with us again in the very near future!”

Fred. Olsen was proud to be named a ‘Gold Trusted Merchant’ by independent review site Feefo in 2015, for the second year in a row. This accreditation is based on genuine customer feedback and, to date, Fred. Olsen has received over 10,500 reviews, with 95% of these being in the ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ categories.

Fred. Olsen was also recognised as one of the Top 3 UK cruise lines and awarded a coveted ‘Recommended Provider’ accolade, in Which?’s first-ever dedicated cruise survey in 2014.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Find out more about the Cruise Critic ‘UK Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2015’ by visiting

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/cruiserschoice_index.cfm