Balmoral Cruise Ship

Balmoral at the Rouen cruise terminal.
Photo: Wuyouyuan
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped by CruisePing

Balmoral is the ship that most clearly expresses Fred. Olsen’s smaller-ship argument. At 43,537 GT and 1,250 guests, she is substantially smaller than Bolette and Borealis and can feel more intimate, more traditional and more closely connected to the water. She is also the oldest ship in the fleet, and that advantage in scale comes with real compromises.

The current Balmoral guide lists 710 cabins, 537 crew and two pools. The fact that she has more cabins than the larger Bolette reflects a high number of single rooms and a more compact accommodation plan – not greater spaciousness.

Why Balmoral can be the best itinerary ship

Balmoral’s dimensions make her particularly persuasive on river approaches, scenic waterways, smaller harbours and regional itineraries. Her open decks and closer relationship with the sea suit voyages where the passage itself matters. The benefit is strongest when the published route names the waterways, size-restricted calls or central berths that larger ships cannot use.

Do not assume every Balmoral cruise gains this advantage. On a routine itinerary of large ports, Bolette may provide more cabin choice, wider public rooms and greater comfort. Balmoral should be selected for a reason, not merely because “smallest” sounds automatically premium.

The 2024 refit addressed important areas

A December 2024 dry dock refurbished the Neptune Lounge’s technical equipment, renewed a number of cabins and bathrooms, improved Wi-Fi capability and completely rebuilt the buffet venue as the Thistle Restaurant.

The work makes a practical difference, particularly in the refreshed buffet and treated cabins. It was not a ship-wide replacement of every bathroom or fitting. Recent photographs of the exact cabin grade remain important, and passengers should expect variation.

Cabins: excellent solo choice, limited balcony supply

Balmoral has 65 dedicated solo cabins – the highest number in the fleet – and offers interior, ocean-view and selected balcony or suite options for solo travellers. This is a significant strength on longer voyages, where a well-priced dedicated room can be more important than the newest décor.

Balcony cabins are less plentiful than on Bolette and Borealis. Many passengers will therefore choose an ocean-view room, which can be good value on port-rich or cooler itineraries. Cabin size, obstruction, bath-versus-shower arrangement and location vary, so a Freedom Fare’s room choice can be particularly valuable.

The ship’s smaller size does not mean every room is close to every venue. Her long profile and multiple cabin grades still reward careful deck-plan work.

Dining and public rooms feel more compact

The main dining system uses fixed sittings, while the refurbished Thistle provides casual meals. Colours & Tastes offers the fleet’s supplement-based speciality concept. With fewer large alternative venues, the quality of the allocated dining time and table matters greatly.

Balmoral’s lounges, library and theatre can feel warm and sociable, but they fill more readily than the equivalent spaces on Bolette. On a poor-weather sea day, passengers experience the compactness directly. Those who like recognising faces will see this as atmosphere; those who want multiple empty lounges may see it as crowding.

Two pools – but no thermal suite

Balmoral has two pools and four whirlpools according to the current ship information. That is a useful outdoor provision for a vessel of her size. She does not have the same thermal-suite proposition as Bolette and Borealis, so spa-led passengers should compare facilities carefully.

The pools do not turn Balmoral into a family resort. Children are accepted, but there is no organised children’s programme, and the ship remains aimed primarily at adults interested in destinations and traditional cruising.

Movement, accessibility and age

A smaller and older ship may move more noticeably in rough conditions than a large modern resort vessel. Individual experience depends on sea state and cabin position, but motion-sensitive passengers should favour lower, more central accommodation rather than choosing a high balcony or suite solely for status.

Accessible cabins are limited. The exact bathroom, door widths, lift route and tender ports must be confirmed before booking. Compact dimensions can help orientation while still creating narrower or busier routes through the ship.

Balmoral compared with the larger sisters

Choose Balmoral for her itinerary, intimate atmosphere, solo-cabin inventory and ability to use smaller waterways. Choose Bolette for more spacious public rooms, a wider balcony choice and the easiest first experience. Choose Borealis when adults-only matters more than minimum ship size.

CruisePing would happily choose Balmoral for a route designed around her dimensions. It would not pay extra merely for the romance of the smallest ship if the itinerary and cabin were weaker.

Official planning links

Use the official Balmoral overview, current deck plans and the 2024 refit report before selecting a room.