Here’s EVERY VENUE Onboard Balmoral, the Cruise Ship from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines: a Photo Tour

Welcome to my photo tour of Balmoral, the cruise ship owned and operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines! I’ve previously created and released a full ship tour over on my YouTube channel, but I’m aware that not everyone likes viewing things in video format. For this reason, I’ve also created a photo tour right here, to allow you to see every single venue onboard and learn a little more about each space at your own pace and in your own time.

This tour will move deck-by-deck, starting from the bottom of the ship and finishing up at the top. If you enjoy this tour, please do sign up to my free regular emails to be the first to hear about my newest content - I’ve got so much more to show you from my time onboard!

If you’d like to head across to YouTube to watch a full video tour of Balmoral, you’ll find the link below!

Deck 3

Olsen Art Studio

We’re starting our tour today in the Olsen Art Studio. This is the only public venue on Deck 3, and it provides the perfect hideaway if you’re looking to paint, draw, colour or craft. You’ll also find a wide range of activities taking place in here throughout your cruise - just keep an eye in your Daily Times (this will be delivered to your cabin each evening).

A range of art supplies are offered complimentary in here, but some classes may come with an additional charge to cover costs.

Deck 6

Main Atrium

The first venue that you’ll find on Deck 6 of the ship is the atrium. This is often where you’ll board the ship - there are gangways that lead directly into this space. Balmoral’s atrium is built in a round format, with a sweeping staircase going from the middle of the space up to Deck 7.

In this space, you’ll find two key guest facilities: Guest Services/Reception, and also Destination Services/the Shore Excursions desk, in addition to the Oriental Tea Lounge which I’ll show you next.

My top tip for the atrium? Use this space on formal night to get some brilliant photographs while you’re all dressed up!

The atrium of Balmoral provides a picturesque backdrop for your formal night photographs!

Oriental Tea Room

Also within the atrium section of the ship, you’ll find the Oriental Tea Room. If you like the sound of relaxing on a plush armchair or sofa with a cup of tea, then this could be the place for you. There’s a wide menu on offer here, so why not give something totally new a try?

The Oriental Tea Room features a wide menu of exotic teas - what’s your flavour?!

Take it from me - these sofas were COMFORTABLE!

This space is the primary venue on the lower floor of the atrium.

Photo Gallery & Floral Blooms Shop

Moving away from the atrium and heading towards the back of the ship, the next two venues you’re going to come across are directly next door to each other. These are the Photo Gallery, and also the Floral Blooms Shop.

The Photo Gallery is where you can speak with the onboard photography team, and also where you can purchase any photographs that have been taken during the cruise. Across the hall, you can use the Floral Blooms Shop to purchase flowers onboard. Perhaps you’d like to furnish your cabin with a fresh bouquet, or maybe you’d like to order a buttonhole for formal night - the choice is yours, and the team here will be delighted to help you out!

I always love walking down this corridor and being able to smell the flowers - the florist is such a welcome addition on the ship!

The Photo Gallery and onboard Florist are on Deck 6, Midship.

Ballindalloch Restaurant

Continuing our journey towards the back of the ship, we find the first dining venue of our tour today on Deck 6: the Ballindalloch Restaurant. This place is named after Ballindalloch Castle in Scotland, and it operates as the most formal of the dining options onboard Balmoral.

The Ballindalloch Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This venue operates with fixed seating for dinner, but breakfast and lunch are open to anyone - even those who are dining in another restaurant for their evening meal.

Deck 7

Promenade Deck

Moving up one deck, the next part of the ship to show you is the Promenade Deck. On Balmoral, there’s a fully wrap-around promenade deck, and it’s absolutely stunning out there.

It’s the perfect place to complete a few laps to help you to work off the potential indulgence that you’re encountering at meal times, and it’s a popular way to pass the time during a day ‘at sea’. 4 laps is the equivalent to 1 mile, so you won’t actually need to do too many laps of the ship to get a good workout ‘ticked off’.

If you, like me, enjoy finding unique views when you’re onboard a cruise ship, then you’re going to want to head towards the front of the ship on this deck. There’s an incredible viewing area directly underneath the Bridge, offering you sweeping views across the front of the ship. If you have any ‘scenic cruising’ experiences planned during your cruise itinerary, you’ll want to head out here!

Don’t worry - if relaxing on a chair watching the ocean sounds more your scene, there are lots of places to do that out here - you’ll find that there are a few parts of this deck that are entirely lined with chairs - you won’t have to look too far!

4 laps equal 1 mile - how many will you do during your cruise?!

Look at that view - couldn’t you just sit out there all day long?!

The forward views are remarkable from the promenade deck of Balmoral.

Neptune Lounge

The Neptune Lounge is Balmoral’s version of a traditional cruise ship theatre. Due to Balmoral being a smaller ship, she doesn’t require the more formal (and much higher capacity) conventional theatre, and they have instead opted for a ‘show lounge’ venue at the front of the ship.

There are a variety of sofas and individual seats in here - I’d recommend arriving a little earlier if you have a particular view in mind. In my experience, the onboard crew are absolutely fantastic at providing an efficient drinks service before each show begins in the evening, so you don’t need to worry too much about bringing one in with you.

You’ll find two shows per night in here of a highly diverse nature. One night, you might be watching Broadway-style hits being performed, followed by comedy the next night, and maybe even a crew talent show the following.

During the daytime hours, you’ll find a wide array of entertainment taking place in here, from enrichment presentations and lectures to ballroom dancing lessons and everything in between. In short, there’s a lot happening in the Neptune Lounge throughout the day and night!

Boutiques

Leaving the theatre behind, if you now begin walking towards the back of the ship, the next area that you’ll pass through is the upper level of the main atrium that we covered earlier. Here, you’ll find two boutiques, toilets, and also the team that you can speak to if you’d like to book a future cruise while onboard.

At the point of my cruise, one of the boutiques here was operating as a jewellery store, and the other as a Duty Free shop. At the latter, you can expect to pick up the usual things that you’d expect from a Duty Free outlet: chocolate, sweets, perfumes, toiletries, clothes and a fair bit more!

It’s important to note that the onboard shops aren’t allowed to open while the ship is docked, so you’ll need to wait until it’s out ‘at sea’ before going to see what’s on offer for yourself…!

This boutique operates as a jewellery store onboard.

Interested in Duty Free? This is where you’ll come!

Future Cruise Information

Want to take advantage of the onboard offers to book a future cruise while you’re on the ship? Easy - just pop by the team here during their opening hours and they’ll be more than happy to help! The hours here are different to the onboard shops - check your Daily Times, or the digital screen that you can see in the below picture, to find out when’s best to speak to the team.

The team at the Future Cruise Information desk will help you to navigate the incentives available to secure your next cruise while onboard!

Botanical Room

This one’s among my favourites on Balmoral. The Botanical Room stretches from the upper level of the Main Atrium along to the Bookmark Cafe (the onboard coffee shop which I’ll show you shortly), and it offers passengers a warm and comfortable space to relax.

There are huge windows throughout this space, and so it’s perfect for keeping warm and protected from the elements outside, while watching the world slip by on the other side of the glass.

I absolutely love the theming in this space. At home, I’m a keen gardener, and so I was delighted to come onboard and see what is a pretty unique theme for a cruise ship. If you’re green-fingered, you’re probably going to love it in here. The best part? There are SO MANY live plants in here. Have a look around and give them a count - how many will you be able to spot during your cruise?

Card Room

If you enjoy a card game while you’re cruising, then I might be about to show you your favourite spot onboard. This is the card room, where you can relax and spend time with your fellow players. This room’s open 24/7, so don’t worry about fitting in with opening hours etc.

Play Bridge? There will probably be various lessons and tournaments going on throughout the cruise - you’ll find out when these are in your Daily Times.

Here’s the card room - fancy a game?

Bookmark Cafe & Earth Room

If you enjoy a coffee, then you’re going to want to visit the Bookmark Cafe at some point during your cruise. Think coffee shop vibes, but with much better cake options than what you’d find at a coffee shop on land.

You can also browse and buy some of the beautifully made chocolates here too, which are perfect to either enjoy with a coffee or to take home as a gift. I particularly appreciated the fact that you’re able to buy chocolates one at a time, allowing you to have a little treat with each coffee that you order.

Note: premium drinks here aren’t included in your cruise fare - if you’re looking for free coffee, I’ll show you where to find that shortly. The cakes here also come with an additional charge - one to be mindful of.

The Earth Room is behind the serving counter of the Bookmark Cafe. Here, you’ll find a really interesting selection of books covering a range of sustainability and conservation topics - well worth a look! If you’re looking for more of a ‘library’ type of book selection, then you’ll find a bookshelf within the Bookmark Cafe. These are all available for you to ‘check out’ to read during your cruise - just speak to a member of the crew, or fill in the paperwork provided by the drop box.

Morning Light Pub

Who’s up for the pub?! Here, you can expect to find Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ version of a typical British pub, but at sea.

Comfortable sofas, armchairs and board games are on the agenda here - it’s a really relaxing space to come and spend a bit of time. I really appreciated the fact that there were bar stools in here, making it the ideal place to spend some time if you’re travelling solo. So many cruise lines removed things like bar stools after the pandemic, so it was great to see them here!

You’ll also find that Trivia sessions are held in here. I’ll warn you now - it’ll probably be ‘standing room only’ for them, so be sure to get down early if you’d like to take part!

While you’re onboard, have a look around the windows of the pub - each one has a beautiful artwork of a ship - worth checking out! There’s an example of one in the carousel below.

Thistle Restaurant & Scoops Ice Cream

The Thistle Restaurant is a space that was added during Balmoral’s 2024 dry dock upgrade. This is the onboard buffet, and it’s a beautifully modern venue to eat in. You’ll find the host or hostess as you enter the venue from the front, who will take you to the first available table. Note: if you’re willing to share a table, you’ll probably get seated much quicker than if you ask for your own!

Throughout the venue, there are some really clever nods to Scotland, which is something that I really appreciated. Even the carpets have thistles on them!

This place is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper club (the midnight buffet), so I don’t think you’re going to be feeling too hungry during your cruise…!

If you’ve got a suite tooth (don’t worry - I do, too!), then you might want to head to Scoops. You’ll find Scoops - the onboard ice cream bar - at the back of the Thistle restaurant, and it’s usually open all day, and will close following the dinner service. The ice cream here isn’t included in your cruise fare, but in my opinion it’s worth the prices that they’re charging!

If you’d like complimentary ice cream, then check the buffet stations during meal times - I usually would see at least 2 or 3 flavours of ice cream available during each meal. There’s also free tea and coffee in the Thistle Restaurant - you can find it at the ‘Tea and Coffee stations’, a picture of which is in the carousel below.

Swimming Pool

At the back of the ship on Deck 7, you’ll find an outdoor dining terrace. This is also where you’ll find the aft-facing swimming pool and sun deck, which is a perfect place to soak in some of the scenery during your cruise from (look at the picture below - stunning, isn’t it?!).

There’s also two hot tubs out there, so don’t worry about getting too cold if you’re not on a warm weather cruise. That said, the pools onboard Balmoral are among the warmest I’ve ever found on a cruise ship - I’m not a huge swimmer on cruise ships, but even I’ve made it into the water out there!

The pools are open all day, but I’d advise heading down for your swim either earlier or later in the day to have a greater chance of having it to yourself. If you’re planning to go in during the peak period of the day (usually mid afternoon on a sea day), then you should probably expect it to be more of a social hangout space than an exercise pool!

The views from the aft facing pool really are incredible at times!

Deck 8

Lido Lounge & Lido Bar

At the back of the ship on Deck 8, you’ll find the Lido Lounge and bar. This is where lots of the daytime entertainment will take place during a sea day, and where entertainment will take place every evening of your cruise.

During the day, things like dance classes, cookery demonstrations and small shows will take place in here. In the evenings, you might find live bands, karaoke, trivia, drinks events and a whole host of other events - this is a venue worth popping past to see what’s happening!

Colours & Tastes Restaurant

Have you heard of ‘Colours & Tastes’? If you haven’t, then this is the Speciality dining venue on Balmoral. To dine in here, you’ll have to pay a little extra, but you can save some money by booking your table before you board the ship.

I’ve been relatively vocal about this place in all of my reviews since coming home - this restaurant is absolutely worth the money, and I can’t believe the prices that they’re charging. If I were to go for a similar meal on land, I dread to think what my bill would come to at the end.

Think pan-Asian cuisine and you’ll probably land in the region of what you’d expect to eat in here. If you’re looking for my recommendation, it would have to be the bao buns - they’re among the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten on any cruise ship (high praise, I know!).

So, what are you waiting for? Log into your online account and book your table here before you head to the port!

Deck 10

Atlantis Spa & Fitness Centre

Looking to relax? Well, let me now tell you about the Atlantis Spa & Fitness Centre. You’ll find this place at the front of the ship on Deck 10, which means that you’re going to get some of the most spectacular views available from up here from the floor-to-ceiling windows that you’ll find in most of the rooms.

In terms of facilities within the spa, you’ll find a beauty salon and a number of treatment rooms. There’s a wide ranging spa menu onboard, and the pricing isn’t anywhere near as steep as I’ve seen on other cruise ships - it’s well worth thinking about treating yourself in here.

My top tip - lots of people don’t know this, but Balmoral has sauna rooms within the spa area, and they’re bookable FREE OF CHARGE! All you need to do is stop by the spa reception and confirm a time, and they’ll have the room fully prepared for you. This is a great place to relax and unwind - I’d particularly recommend booking for when you know you’re planning to go for a swim - imagine the feeling of coming out of the swimming pool knowing that there was a warm sauna waiting for you… Bliss!

In the Fitness Centre, you’ll find everything you’d expect from a typical gym - there’s both cardio and weights equipment available in there. You’ll also find a studio, which is where the onboard fitness classes will be held. Think yoga, pilates etc - this is where you’ll find them!

The best thing about the fitness classes on a Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ship is that they’re totally included in your cruise fare! Spaces are limited, so you’ll usually need to book a day early to secure a space, but it’s great that you don’t need to pay over and above your cruise fare to take part (like on so many other cruise lines!).

Avon & Spey Restaurants

Earlier in this tour, I showed you the Ballindalloch Restaurant down on Deck 6 of the ship. Now, we’re up on Deck 10 to look at two more included dining venues: Avon and Spey.

These restaurants are cleverly named to tie in nicely with the main dining room downstairs. The Ballindalloch Estate in Scotland has both the Avon and Spey rivers flowing through it, hence the names used up here.

You’ll find both of these restaurants (which are more or less identical) running down either side of the ship at the back of Deck 10, with a communal buffet area between that’s open during some meal times. Both of these restaurants are open for breakfast and dinner, with lunch occasionally being served depending on capacity and requirements.

One aspect that I really loved about both of these dining rooms was the volume of glass on the walls. It was impossible not to connect with the views outside while having a meal in here. During all of my cruises, I’ve been allocated the restaurant downstairs for my dinner, and so I really enjoyed eating breakfast in these restaurants - it provides a real mix!

Deck 11

Observatory

At the front of Deck 11, you’re going to find a really special venue: the Observatory. This is a real favourite onboard Balmoral, largely due to its’ intimate atmosphere, and the fact that the huge glass windows allow you to have a good view regardless of where you’re sitting.

This venue is directly above the bridge, and so you’re getting a view that’s almost as good as the Captain themselves.

Entertainment-wise, things are much more subdued and laid-back in here than in the other venues. Think things like jazz musicians and live pianists, and that’ll set your expectations about right for spending some time in this place.

Marquee Bar

Leaving the Observatory behind and heading towards the main pool deck, you’ll find the Marquee Bar. This serves as a pool-side bar but it’s all indoors, meaning that it offers a bright retreat even on colder weather itineraries.

During my cruises, I’ve always found the Observatory to be quite a formal venue, especially in the evening when people are enjoying a pre-dinner drink. For that reason, it’s quite difficult for me to feel comfortable popping in there to pick up a drink if I’m out by the pool. This is where the Marquee Bar comes in so useful - you can grab your drink here, and head back outside!

The Marquee Bar - the perfect place for a sun-drenched drink (or two!).

You’ll find plenty of rattan sofas in here. It’s the perfect spot to catch up with your friends, or maybe also make a new one!

Swimming Pool and Sun Deck

We’re now up on the highest open deck spaces on Balmoral, which is where you’re going to find the main swimming pool and sun deck areas.

There are lots of seating options out here, from the thick padded rattan sofas outside the Marquee Bar to the reclining sun loungers that you’ll find all around the swimming pool. I’ve always found there to be ample seating out here during all of my cruises!

The swimming pool up here is much larger than the one that we looked at earlier on Deck 7. It’s got two hot tubs - one on either side of the pool - and also a splash area around the side, meaning that you can sit on the wall and get your feet wet without having to commit to entering the pool in full.

This open deck is also where you’ll find two of the galleon figures that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is now so famous for. They both stand proudly overlooking the pool deck - you really can’t miss them!

Games Court

The final guest facilities to show you on our tour today is the Games Court, and also the Golf Nets. If you’d like to challenge your fellow cruisers to some traditional deck games, then this area will be perfect for you.

Not sure how to play? Don’t worry - you’ll find the rules for some of the games conveniently displayed on the wall for you. In other words, no cheating!

Fancy a game of Shuffleboard? Head to the back of Deck 10!

The rules for both Deck Quoits and Shuffleboard are on the wall - no cheating!

I hope you enjoyed this photo tour of Balmoral today. If you’d like to now watch it in video form, you can find the link below.