Balmoral

Balmoral at a Glance

Balmoral is a mid-sized ship operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, carrying up to 1,250 guests and looked after by a crew of 537. With 710 cabins spread across her decks and a gross tonnage of 43,537, she is a ship that strikes a balance between genuine intimacy and a breadth of on-board life. A few things to know at a glance:

• Cabins: 710, ranging from inside rooms to the 109.7 m² Owner’s Suite
• Signature feature: an all-weather pool deck with retractable roof, usable year-round
• Departures: Southampton, Rosyth (Edinburgh), and fly-cruise ports in Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta

She sails a wide European programme: the Mediterranean, Norway, Scotland, the Canary Islands, the British Isles, and North Africa. Explore the full range of Mediterranean cruises from Southampton or Norway cruises from Southampton that feature Balmoral.

Dining on Balmoral

Balmoral’s included dining covers everything from formal five-course dinners to poolside brunches, so you will rarely feel the need to pay extra unless you want to.

The main restaurants are The Bloomsbury & Terrace Restaurants — elegant two-tiered dining rooms where a different five-course à la carte menu is served each evening. Menus draw on freshly prepared steaks, seafood, pasta, salads and soups, alongside daily specials that reflect the destinations on your itinerary. Homemade breads are baked overnight in the onboard bakery. The connected Australia Room offers a more intimate setting for smaller groups, bathed in warm auburn tones and included in your fare.

The View is the relaxed, open alternative: no assigned seating, ocean views, and rotating regional menus across breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner — all served to your table and all included. For deck-side eating, The Poolside covers late breakfasts through to casual lunches, with avocado toast, grilled burgers, fish and chips, and occasional barbecues.

If you want to pay a little more, Colours & Tastes blends pan-Asian dishes with Italian classics and premium grilled specialities. Its evening incarnation, Evenings at Colours & Tastes, lets you chart your own culinary path across those same cuisines. From the Grill is a dedicated onboard steakhouse where grilled meats arrive with vegetables such as onions, mushrooms and tomatoes — à la carte, with a separate charge. Both carry a supplement on top of your cruise fare.

For something quieter, the Tea & Coffee room pours classic Darjeeling, Assam and Earl Grey at no extra cost, and The Serenity Tea Room goes further with loose-leaf teas and herbal infusions from across East Asia, tea-infused cocktails and specialty beers from Japan, Singapore and Thailand — beverages charged separately.

Bars, Lounges and Entertainment

Balmoral’s social spaces cover every mood, from a lively pub to a two-level show lounge.

The Neptune Lounge & Balcony is the ship’s main entertainment venue, hosting live performances, comedy guests and the Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Parties across two levels. Before or after a show, the Ocean Bar offers cocktails — try a martini from the gin selection — and a resident band or DJ runs late into the evening. The Morning Light Pub & Lounge hangs its walls with historic sailing-ship paintings from the Olsen Collection and runs a popular pub quiz, live music and shuffleboard; entry is free, drinks are charged separately. The Piano Bar provides a quieter retreat with a talented pianist for those who prefer something more restrained. The Observatory sits at the top of the ship with views all round — ideal in fjords and island waterways — and comes alive in the evenings with live music; Champagne and cocktails are available at an extra charge. The poolside Lido Bar keeps the deck crowd refreshed throughout the day.

Beyond the bars, The Auditorium hosts cookery shows, film nights and presentations, all included in your fare. The Bolette Card Room is a quiet haven for bridge — lessons run on some sailings — and the Olsen Art Studio offers free access to painting and drawing materials, with paid instruction available from tutors. Two nature-themed spaces, The Earth Room and The Botanical Room, provide calm retreats for reading and reflection.

The Pool Deck

The Lido Deck centres on an all-weather pool and hot tubs, sheltered by a retractable roof so you can use them whatever the conditions outside. Sun loungers and The Poolside dining venue sit alongside, and the Lido Bar is within easy reach. It is one of the most practical features on a ship that sails into Norway and Scotland as readily as the Mediterranean.

Fitness and Wellbeing

The Fitness Centre offers complimentary access to treadmills, cross-trainers, exercise bikes and weights. Daily group classes — yoga, pilates and stretching — are included for all fitness levels; personal training with a qualified instructor carries an additional fee.

Cabins on Balmoral

Balmoral’s 710 cabins span four main grades. Full deck plans are on the Balmoral cabins and deck plans page.

• Inside Cabin G — 14.9 m², sleeping two. A well-proportioned inside room with plenty of space to unpack properly between port days.
• Single Balcony Cabin J — 20.3 m², sleeping two. Positioned on a higher deck with good sightlines and convenient access to the pool and bar areas.
• Balcony Cabin BA — 23.0 m², sleeping two. A private balcony giving direct outdoor access and personal sea views that inside and standard ocean-view cabins do not provide.
• Owner’s Suite OW — 109.7 m², sleeping up to four. The largest suite aboard, with three distinct living zones and a formal dining area — a genuinely spacious way to travel.

Where Balmoral Sails

The itinerary programme covers a wide arc of Europe. The biggest share of sailings touches the Mediterranean — both Western and Eastern — with departures from Southampton, Alicante, Málaga, Piraeus (Athens), Heraklion (Crete), Limassol and Valletta. Norway sailings depart Southampton. Scotland sailings use Rosyth (Edinburgh). The Canary Islands — including Santa Cruz de Tenerife — and North Africa also feature.

Roughly half of all sailings depart from UK ports — Southampton or Rosyth — so no flight is needed for those departures. For the rest, the cruise begins in Greece, Spain, Cyprus or Malta, and Cruise1st can book your flights, hotel either side and transfers as one complete holiday through our Cruise1st Packages service.

Useful starting points for browsing: Mediterranean cruises from Southampton in 2026, Mediterranean cruises from Southampton in 2027, Norway cruises from Southampton in 2026, Norway cruises from Southampton in 2027, and cruises from Scotland in 2026.

Why Book Balmoral with Cruise1st

Cruise1st is one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, which means we know Fred. Olsen’s programme in detail — not just the itineraries, but which cabin grades suit which kind of traveller, and which fare inclusions make sense for your circumstances. Our cruise experts are available on the phone before you book, and we put the whole holiday — cruise, flights where needed, hotel stays and transfers — on a single booking through Cruise1st Packages. There is no need to piece it together yourself.

For no-fly sailings from Southampton or Rosyth, the ship is the holiday from the moment you step aboard. For fly-cruise departures from Greece, Spain, Cyprus or Malta, we handle everything in between.

Alternatives to Balmoral

If you are comparing options, a couple of other ships cover similar ground from UK ports without a flight:

• Arcadia (P&O Cruises) — sails from the same UK ports as Balmoral and calls at many of the same countries, including Spain, Greece and Italy. A straight no-fly alternative worth considering alongside Balmoral. See also P&O Arcadia World Cruises 2026 and P&O Arcadia World Cruises 2027.
• Aurora (P&O Cruises) — another ship that sails from UK home ports and visits similar regions across Spain, Greece and Italy. No flight required. Browse Aurora 2026 departures from Southampton and Aurora 2027 departures from Southampton.
• Nieuw Statendam (Holland America Line) — sails many of the same countries, including Spain, Greece and Italy. Note that while some sailings depart from UK ports, others will require flying to the embarkation port.

Common Questions About Balmoral

Does Balmoral Sail from the UK Without a Flight?

Yes — roughly half of Balmoral’s sailings depart from Southampton or Rosyth (Edinburgh), so no flight is needed for those itineraries. The remaining sailings embark in Greece, Spain, Cyprus or Malta, and Cruise1st can arrange flights, pre-cruise hotels and transfers as part of a single Cruise1st Package.

Is Dining Included in the Cruise Fare?

Most dining on Balmoral is included in your fare: The Bloomsbury & Terrace Restaurants, The Australia Room, The View, The Poolside, and the Tea & Coffee room are all covered. Colours & Tastes, Evenings at Colours & Tastes, and From the Grill carry a separate charge on top of the cruise fare.

Which Cabin Grade Should I Book on Balmoral?

That depends on how you use your cabin. If you spend most of your time ashore or in the ship’s public spaces, an Inside Cabin G at 14.9 m² is well proportioned and practical. If you want your own outdoor space and sea views, the Balcony Cabin BA at 23.0 m² provides a private balcony without the premium of a full suite. Travelling as a group of four, or simply wanting the most space on board, the Owner’s Suite OW at 109.7 m² offers three living zones and a formal dining area. Our cruise experts can talk through the right choice for your itinerary and budget.

How Long Are Balmoral’s Cruises?

The sailings currently on sale range from short breaks up to 52-night voyages, so there is something to suit a fortnight’s holiday as much as a longer trip. The programme spans departures from late September 2026 onwards.

Can I Book Balmoral as Part of a Package with Flights and Hotels?

Yes. For fly-cruise sailings — those embarking in Greece, Spain, Cyprus or Malta — Cruise1st can arrange flights, transfers and hotel nights either side of the cruise as a single Cruise1st Package. Everything goes on one booking, and our experts handle the logistics so you do not have to coordinate separately.