In recent years, we have seen a new era emerging in cruising.
There is a trend for everything to get bigger and busier, and for a cruise to be seen as an alternative to a large luxury resort, with a limitless flurry of activity.
But this is not for us.
We believe that there is another way to cruise. A way that is based on five generations of seafaring.
Where cabins are called cabins, and ships look like ships.
Where the journey is as important as the destination.
In our world, smaller is better, and we believe in keeping the experience on board uncrowded, warm and civilised - treating passengers as guests, like the family-run business we are.
It would be easy to follow the trends and go with the crowds. But we never will.
Because this is our way, The Olsen Way.
W E L C O M E T O
T H E O L S E N W A Y
In recent years, we have seen a new era emerging in cruising.
There is a trend for everything to get bigger and busier, and for a cruise to be seen as an alternative to a large luxury resort, with a limitless flurry of activity.
But this is not for us.
We believe that there is another way to cruise. A way that is based on five generations of seafaring.
Where cabins are called cabins, and ships look like ships.
Where the journey is as important as the destination.
In our world, smaller is better, and we believe in keeping the experience on board uncrowded, warm and civilised - treating passengers as guests, like the family-run business we are.
It would be easy to follow the trends and go with the crowds. But we never will.
Because this is our way, The Olsen Way.
We’re small and proud of it because years of experience have shown us that smaller ships allow us to take you on the finest cruises in the world. There are many reasons for this but we’ve distilled them down to seven:
Our ships can reach locations that would be impossible for larger vessels. Low bridges, intricate fjords and narrow canals all conspire against big ships, leaving their passengers unable to visit many of the wonderful places that our guests enjoy.
Sail with us through places like the Corinth Canal in Greece, France's River Seine and the Kiel Canal in Germany, and deeper into beautiful, UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjords like the narrow Nærøyfjord.
You can visit more interesting places
You get much closer
Smaller ships have fewer passengers and therefore smaller groups, which can move more smoothly and efficiently both on board and ashore.
This is why, on a Fred. Olsen cruise, you’ll be able to see more, do more and enjoy more. All with a lot less hassle.
You can get on and off more easily
We believe in reducing our impact on the environment. Our smaller ships are powered by cleaner (and more expensive) fuel, and improved engineering has significantly reduced our waste. What's more (or what's less), we've banned single-use
plastics from all of our ships.
Minimising our environmental impact is a journey that never ends, we’re always looking for greener ways to sail the ocean waves.
You can be kinder to the environment
On our smaller ships, you’ll experience levels of service that other ships may be too big or too busy to provide. Unlike them, we’re not trying to deal with thousands of passengers, so we can provide a genuine and caring service for each guest.
We’re a family run business, not a giant corporation, so we take great pride in the way we look after our guests and go above and beyond the kind of service you can learn from a handbook or training course.
You’ll enjoy a more personal service on board
As optional extras, we offer immersive shore tours so you can 'discover' rather than just 'see'. For instance, in St Petersburg, you don't just see the ballet, you meet the dancers too, while in Seville you can not only watch flamenco dancing, but also try it yourself. You could even carve your own ice sculpture at the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Norway.
This level of service may explain why we have such a high percentage of guests who return to our ships time and again. They’re very loyal to us. And vice-versa.
And that’s equally true when we take you ashore
On a Fred. Olsen ship, you’ll have room to relax and enjoy yourself in a friendly and elegant atmosphere. And that amiable spirit continues ashore. Big ships often drop several thousands of people at one port, and suddenly the whole place is overrun.
With smaller ships and fewer guests, we can show more respect for the places we visit and for the people who live there.
You avoid overcrowding
