HELLO, FROM ME!
By way of introduction, I’m Fraser, and I absolutely love to cruise. For me, there are just so many benefits to choosing cruising as a way to see the world. For example, the feeling of waking up somewhere new every day – I find it effortlessly simple to unpack into my cabin on day one, then be taken to multiple ports of call, soaking up new sights, jumping into new cultures, and, ultimately, enjoying new experiences that you can’t get from staying at home.
Growing up, we never cruised as a family. Our holidays were always land-based and, to be honest, I knew very few people who cruised with their families. I’d always been curious to try a cruise, but the opportunity never presented itself.
In March 2018, that all changed when I boarded my first cruise ship for a seven-night Caribbean cruise in Miami, Florida. From the second I stepped on board, I knew I’d found my new passion. As that first cruise progressed – and with every cruise since – it became clear that this was an industry I was keen to learn so much more about and experience in much greater depth.
After graduating from University in Glasgow, I joined the graduate programme of a large retailer. While working full-time, I was building my YouTube channel and website (FraserAtSea.com), where I shared my cruise experiences, hoping they might become a source of information for anyone wanting to understand more about the cruise industry. Over the years, this grew into a community of almost 40,000 subscribers on YouTube alone.
In 2024, I made the decision to leave the corporate world behind and focus my efforts entirely on Fraser at Sea. This has unlocked so many amazing opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to explore previously, with one of the most exciting being my partnership with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Together, this led to the design and launch of our six-part series, Setting Sail at 60, which my Mum and I really hope you’ll enjoy.
Across the series, Mum and I embark on six very different cruises to ‘tick off’ 60 amazing experiences together in the year she turned 60.
You can watch episode one on Friday 20th February - subscribe to the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines YouTube channel.
What's Setting Sail at 60 all about?
Since taking my first cruise, I’d been trying to persuade my mum to do the same. We’re very similar people, so I strongly suspected she’d fall in love with cruising too. After my first few cruises, however, something major happened that affected my ability to get Mum on board: the 2020 pandemic.
Coming out of the pandemic, my mum had largely accepted that she probably wouldn’t travel again due to a real desire to avoid boarding a flight. That’s when I had an idea: what if we could board a cruise ship from a UK port instead?
Well, that was the beginning of Setting Sail at 60.
In 2025, my mum turned 60, and we worked closely with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to understand more about her bucket list – the things she’d always wanted to do, and the new experiences cruising with could unlock for her.
Our series is all about seeing the world through completely fresh eyes: my mum’s. Having never cruised before, we share what it’s like to step on board for the first time, including all the nerves that come with it. As the series progresses, the adventure builds, and we even persuade Mum to try a fly-cruise (yes, including a flight).
The series launches on 20th February 2026, with new episodes released weekly on the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines YouTube channel.
Until then, you can watch the trailer below.
First-time cruiser: Mum's Q&A
As a brand-new cruiser, my mum had so many questions before we boarded our first ship. I hope sharing these helps anyone reading who is feeling the same.
What do I wear?
We’re not a ‘super formal’ family, so this one had been playing on my Mum’s mind. I reassured her that the daytime dress code is pretty similar to what you’d expect from a hotel on land. There aren’t many rules during the day – just common-sense things like covering up in food areas or indoor spaces. In the evening, it’s a more formal affair, but it’s simple enough: pack a few dinner dresses and you’ll be absolutely fine.
Will I feel out of place?
Absolutely not. I always say ‘it takes all kinds of people to fill a ship’, so there’s never any need to worry about this.
What is there to do on sea days?
There’s so much going on while the ship is spending time at sea. For us, we loved spending time watching the ocean for wildlife, relaxing by the swimming pool and generally enjoying some downtime away from our busy lives back at home. We also tried a few games on board, although I can speak for both my mum and me when I say we were both pretty rubbish at most of them.
Will I get seasick?
It’s so difficult to provide an answer for this, but it’s relatively simple to be prepared. Before boarding, I made sure we had various motion sickness remedies with us: sea bands, motion sickness tablets and anti-motion sickness patches. I’m delighted to report they all remained unopened – Mum was absolutely fine.
The people behind the moments
We’d love to give a shoutout to the on-board crew across the fleet in this post. We’ve never encountered more genuinely friendly, caring and warm people before. They improved our experiences in ways that we can’t even explain.
It’s been so lovely to experience travelling with a smaller cruise line. We’ve been able to reconnect with crew members we met while filming earlier episodes when sailing on different ships later in the year. They really have been excellent, and I know their care and attention made Mum’s experience so much more incredible than it could have been.
Sea days made special
So, how do we like to spend our time at sea? One of our favourite ways to pass the time is wildlife spotting. Across our cruises, we’ve been fortunate enough to have seen sperm whales, orcas and even dolphins. Every sighting was such an exciting and emotional experience.
Another favourite is dining at Colours & Tastes, one of the speciality dining options that you’ll find across the fleet. Some of the best food we’ve enjoyed on board has been at this venue – if you’re considering trying it, take this as your sign to book a table.
But our favourite aspect of time at sea has got to be the sunsets. We’ve seen some absolutely stunning ones over the course of this project, with one of the most incredible being as Borealis sailed towards La Coruña in early December.
This or that with Fraser
To round things off, here's a little 'This or That' - a quick snapshot of how I like to cruise. Why not have a go yourself and see what you'd pick?
