WaterWorld by Malcolm Oliver

1998 Livery

In this age of mega-ships, owned by giant American corporations, it is very refreshing to find a family business that operates a small fleet of four intimate vessels.

History

The company originated in 1848 in Hvitsten, a small town in Norway, when the three Olsen brothers bought their first ships and began an international shipping company, originally specializing in cargo. Olsen now has various business interests, including the cruise line, which is very much geared towards British tastes. Five generations later, Fredrick Olsen (junior) is chairman of the company. The Olsen family have a love of Scotland and a home there, which is reflected in the names of their ships and public rooms, also the décor.

Black Watch was built in 1972. She is well maintained for her age. Her interiors are all of a particularly good standard. She is rated as four star ship and I thought that the food and entertainment justified this.

With any older ship you will find a few rust spots on the hull and you may be unlucky enough to experience a plumbing problem in your cabin.  Such cabin problems were quickly rectified by the maintenance team. The vibration from the engines, in certain areas of the ship, is a little more obvious than on a newer ship.

Embarkation

Embarkation at Dover’s charming cruise terminal was pretty painless, but Black Watch is no mega-ship. Part of the terminal building used to be a railway station, but like many  UK ports, the trains no longer serve them.

At the time my wife and I were still both in out 30’s. In fact the woman at reception desk asked if we were “crew or passengers”. This is because most of the passengers were actually twice our age. Olsen have always catered for the more ‘mature’ passengers, but we never found this to be an issue at all. In fact many of the passengers had more energy and were more interesting that people our own age.

Unfortunately, nobody asks us now if we are “crew or passengers”.

Public Rooms

For a smaller classic ship (800 passengers) the Black Watch has a remarkable number of smaller/intimate public rooms available, rather than vast unfriendly cavernous spaces found on todays mega ships. These include a show lounge, two main restaurants, fitness and beauty centres, two pool side grills, a general lounge (free self-service tea/coffee all day) an observation lounge, library, card/board games room, cinema (with tiered seating) smoking room, small casino/slot machines, a nightclub, various bars and a useful self service laundrette.

She has a traditional fantail design, with outdoor,  at the stern which is very attractive. There are two pools and three Jacuzzi’s, plus a great wrap around teak promenade deck. She has a very large amount of deck space for a small ship including areas for the traditional deck sports and table tennis, paddle tennis and golf driving areas. The Black Watch is more spacious than many other smaller cruise ships, which often have a higher density of passengers.

Food &  Service

The food was aimed at British tastes and was excellent! I enjoyed the evening meals in the Glentanar dining room as better than Celebrities food. The menus were incredibly varied, never repeating and included some unusual delicacies such as ‘Braised leg of Norwegian Reindeer’. The service was fast and efficient. Buffets were available for breakfast and lunch. My only complaint was that the tables were a little too close together in the Glentanar. The alternative, Garden Café, was charming and intimate.

Alcoholic drinks were reasonably priced and were NEVER pushed! You could sit in any public spaces all day and not be hassled to make a purchase. There was a free 24 hour room service facility available. The staff were genuinely warm and friendly even the day after they had received there tips (this is not always the case).

Cabins

All the cabins that I saw were adequate and comfortable, including the inside ones, although few compare with the many balcony cabins on modern ships. The amount of storage space was remarkable. You got three closets, numerous draws and space under the beds to put your empty suit cases. The bathroom had a proper toilet (no ear popping vacuum systems here) sink and a spacious shower. Even the rooms with twin port holes, on the lower decks, offered plenty of light and good views. I heard little noise from the adjacent cabins. The cabin air conditioning worked well. Each cabin had a coffee table, dressing table, TV, telephone and hair-drier.

Entertainment

Much of entertainment was aimed at British tastes, and was very good. The Cruise Director (Gary Nicholson), the band, the dancers and singers (Deja Vu) plus specialist acts were all of a high standard.

Activities

I would particularly recommend the Baltic itinerary. St. Petersburg was one of the high-lights.

A full program of activities including port talks, maritime history lectures, ballroom dancing, bridge and deck sports were on offer. Visits to the navigational bridge and engine control room were also arranged. There was something for everyone!

The ship carries a range of ages, but does tend to be particularly popular with the more mature  age group. The cruises from Dover (UK) are aimed at the British guests. Many of the passengers seemed particularly interested in Ballroom dancing and Maritime history.

New Livery (Tilbury, 2016)

Conclusion

If you want an American experience, on a big, shiny new ship, please look elsewhere. If you want a cruise experience, with a British flavour, on a more traditional and intimate vessel, look no further.

Also ask yourself this question first – do you prefer a pair of new shoes or a pair of old slipper?

Malcolm Oliver, 1998

(Smoking polices have changed since this review. My review of sister ship Boudicca, is more comprehensive.)

Boudicca review: HERE 

Braemar Review: HERE

Balmoral Review: HERE