Completed in 1993 as the
Crown Dynasty, this ship then operated as
Cunard Dynasty,
Norwegian Dynasty, and
Crown Majesty. She was lengthened by 102 ft in May and June of 2008, her tonnage increased by 4,000 to 23,000 and her passenger capacity went from 733 to 986. Her officers are mostly Norwegian and the crew is mostly Filipino.
Fred. Olsen is an old-line Norwegian family firm that operates cruise ships for the British market and ferry services in the Canary Islands. While the headquarters are in Norway, the cruise line operates from Ipswich, Suffolk in England. The cruise fleet now numbers five, all but one second-hand ships that have been heavily refitted to suit its British clientele.
The line attracts mostly British passengers up there in age who like foreign travel as long as they can have all the comforts, food and services of merry Old England. American passengers would have to be Anglophiles to enjoy these ships. Currency is the British pound.
In the warm months, the Braemar is based in the English ports of Southampton and Dove for cruises to the Baltic, Norway, Canary Islands and the Mediterranean. Some cruises are one-way voyages to Malaga, Civitavecchia (Rome) or Piraeus (Athens) where the new lot of passengers flies out to join the ship there for a Mediterranean cruise.
Some departures from Mediterranean ports then sail back to England. In the late fall, she sails transatlantic to Miami where she is based for a winter program of two-week Caribbean cruises. Some Americans may join these cruises. In the spring she sails back to Britain.
With the ship's lengthening in spring 2008, there are additional facilities, cabins and a second pool. Large glass windows are a feature of the ship, so many rooms are light-filled to show off the solid color furnishings. The Observatory faces forward over the bow, while the Lido Bar and Skylark Club, a late night venue, face after over the stern. The Coral Club is suited for lectures, dancing and classical music concerts, while the new Morning Light Pub offers a great selection of beers and ales in a thoroughly English atmosphere. The Neptune show lounge is angled to face the port side rather than forward and routine after-dinner shows take place here. The small casino, Braemar Room, card room, library, Internet room, small spa, sauna and steam rooms round out the public spaces.
Two widely separated restaurants—the Grampian and Thistle—offer two traditional sittings for dinner and open sitting for breakfast and lunch. They have tables of from two to eight and both are non-smoking. The food is geared to British tastes with grills, chicken and fish, very good desserts and cheese selections. Salads are pallid by American standards. For informal dining, the Palm Cafe and a poolside grill are alternatives.
The now 510 cabins include 80 with balconies. The standard cabins are small yet nicely furnished and the TVs also provide the music channels. As the ship was originally designed for one-week cruises, the closet and drawer spaces are limited for Fred. Olsen's generally longer itineraries. But this is not a dressy ship beyond the formal nights.
The Braemar is a midsize ship, even after its lengthening, catering to a middle income British market that enjoys travel as long as the trappings of home are present. North American passengers need to know this before booking. The smaller ships of P&O Cruises are the closest competition.
