The Palms Café [light & informal meals; alternative dining] located aft on Lounge Deck 7. A pleasant room with a central buffet area; 2 lines. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are served here, the meals sometimes being themed eg we had Italian one evening & a Neptune Seafood Buffet one lunchtime. Self service tea & coffee is available 06:30 - 01:00 Afternoon Tea & Late Night Snacks, 23:30 - 24:30 [A Fish & Chip 'special' was one Late Night Snack].

Tables are pre-laid with placemats, cutlery, napkins, glasses etc no need to carry these about and drinks served at the table. The aft section contains a bar with seating both inside and out, open to the main pool area. A Steel Drummer played here in the evenings. Selection of America’s Cup photos adorn the walls.

sometimes being themed eg we had Italian one evening & a Neptune Seafood Buffet one lunchtime. Self service tea & coffee is available 06:30 - 01:00 Afternoon Tea & Late Night Snacks, 23:30 - 24:30 [A Fish & Chip 'special' was one Late Night Snack].

Tables are pre-laid with placemats, cutlery, napkins, glasses etc no need to carry these about and drinks served at the table. The aft section contains a bar with seating both inside and out, open to the main pool area. A Steel Drummer played here in the evenings. Selection of America’s Cup photos adorn the walls.

The Morning Light Pub, named after Fred. Olsen's largest sailing ship, is located midships on Lounge Deck 7 between the Palms Café & Library. Extending the full width of Balmoral, there is a single entrance to aft, with the bar to starboard & entrance either side fwd.

The focal point is a model of the 1891 built "Morning Light". The Pub is full of pictures of previous Olsen vessels & panels between the benched alcoves are decorated with yet more.

The bar is open from 11:00 to 01:00 with live music at lunchtime & throughout the evening. The pub is also used as a hospitality meeting point for singles get-togethers; find someone to go ashore with etc; Masons & Service Club Meetings are also held here.

This is situated in the new mid section & I found the room lacked atmosphere, almost 'cold' during the day & early evening. Due to the layout of the furniture people tended to sit all around the edges forming a square, staring across the room at each other, not using the stools, thereby making social conversation awkward. A bit of shifting of furniture could do the trick & I am sure this will become a favourite watering hole. Maybe a few of the daily quizzes should be held here, rather than all in the Observatory Lounge.

entrance to aft, with the bar to starboard & entrance either side fwd.

The focal point is a model of the 1891 built "Morning Light". The Pub is full of pictures of previous Olsen vessels & panels between the benched alcoves are decorated with yet more.

The bar is open from 11:00 to 01:00 with live music at lunchtime & throughout the evening. The pub is also used as a hospitality meeting point for singles get-togethers; find someone to go ashore with etc; Masons & Service Club Meetings are also held here.

This is situated in the new mid section & I found the room lacked atmosphere, almost 'cold' during the day & early evening. Due to the layout of the furniture people tended to sit all around the edges forming a square, staring across the room at each other, not using the stools, thereby making social conversation awkward. A bit of shifting of furniture could do the trick & I am sure this will become a favourite watering hole. Maybe a few of the daily quizzes should be held here, rather than all in the Observatory Lounge.

Between the Morning Light Pub and Library to port - lined with yet more interesting pieces of art, Erling Enger images on the aft bulkhead with a fantastic Suchi* piece, Bombay 2006, flanked by 2 Bhairavi Modi pieces fwd. This area is used for playing Carpet Bowls and Golf Putting Competitions!

*http://www.emaksoftwares.in/Suchis/profile.htm

Bhairavi Modi pieces fwd. This area is used for playing Carpet Bowls and Golf Putting Competitions!

*http://www.emaksoftwares.in/Suchis/profile.htm

Balmoral's Library/Reading/Writing Room & Internet Room [along with the Card Room & Braemar Lounge] occupy the areas of the Crown Club & Crown Club Casino on Norwegian Crown, midships to port. Lovely rooms & again with many paintings and pictures lining the walls.
The Library is in the same 'circular' layout with compass on the floor as onboard Black Watch & Boudicca, with different colourings. In the centre of the Library is a large model of the C? Norwegian Warship ??? Books are available 24hrs, with a fair selection of foreign language ones too. CDs & DVDs are available for loan between 16:00 – 17:00 each day.

The Internet Room has 17 terminals [no wi-fi] but the cost is prohibitive. Access is by one's key card & charges accrue by the amount downloaded, not by time. So if you access a webpage with a continuously downloading banner or similar, the charges increase constantly. Merely logging onto my email cost £1.22.. with nothing looking urgent I logged off quickly. A tablemate spent over £9 replying to a single email, only for a 404 on 'send'. He was refunded. I heard no end of people complaining about the cost.

rooms & again with many paintings and pictures lining the walls.
The Library is in the same 'circular' layout with compass on the floor as onboard Black Watch & Boudicca, with different colourings. In the centre of the Library is a large model of the C? Norwegian Warship ??? Books are available 24hrs, with a fair selection of foreign language ones too. CDs & DVDs are available for loan between 16:00 – 17:00 each day.

The Internet Room has 17 terminals [no wi-fi] but the cost is prohibitive. Access is by one's key card & charges accrue by the amount downloaded, not by time. So if you access a webpage with a continuously downloading banner or similar, the charges increase constantly. Merely logging onto my email cost £1.22.. with nothing looking urgent I logged off quickly. A tablemate spent over £9 replying to a single email, only for a 404 on 'send'. He was refunded. I heard no end of people complaining about the cost.

Balmoral's Card Room, midships to port, is somewhere else packed with Olsen ship pictures! Bridge & Whist, Beginners & Improvers Classes, Duplicate Bridge & Rubber/Chicago, Card & Board Games, take your pick. Plenty of tables, but it was at times packed!

your pick. Plenty of tables, but it was at times packed!

The port entrance to the Neptune Lounge [Show Lounge fwd - Lounge deck 7] is the bar area, after passing a 'Peacock'? in a cage with fibre optic feathers surrounded by mirrors! On the walls of the bar hang 3 large pictures of Fred. Olsen Figureheads from previous vessels. Bataan 1947 [Ørnulf Bast], Bolette/Bollsta 1951 [see pool area on Braemar] and the third?.

hang 3 large pictures of Fred. Olsen Figureheads from previous vessels. Bataan 1947 [Ørnulf Bast], Bolette/Bollsta 1951 [see pool area on Braemar] and the third?.

Lounge Deck 7 to stb. The Braemar Lounge is really an extension to the upper level Atrium with seating & acts as a walk through to the Morning Light Pub & then Palms Café. The Library, Card/Internet Rooms are to port. No bar, but there is waiter service. Live music too at times.

The Atrium area is very bright with chrome & glass reflecting everywhere. 2 Boutiques. One containing jewelery & watches etc, the other clothes, souvenirs & sundries. See separate album for the model of Balmoral
http://public.fotki.com/Magwa/cruising/balmoral-2008/balmoral-interior-photos/balmoralmodel/

Rooms are to port. No bar, but there is waiter service. Live music too at times.

The Atrium area is very bright with chrome & glass reflecting everywhere. 2 Boutiques. One containing jewelery & watches etc, the other clothes, souvenirs & sundries. See separate album for the model of Balmoral
http://public.fotki.com/Magwa/cruising/balmoral-2008/balmoral-interior-photos/balmoralmodel/

The Neptune Lounge fwd on Lounge deck 7 is the main entertainment and cabaret venue. Also used for Concerts, Passenger Events, Port Talks, Lectures from Guest Speakers, Captain's Welcome & Farewell Cocktail Parties, Oceans Club Get-togethers, Dancing, Music and 2 Performances of the Main Show each evening.

Amongst the entertainers/lecturers on our trip were Arts Club – Comedy Speakers Vincent Powell & Don Reid, Commander Jeff Tall OBE RN “The Mechanical Whale” & “U – Boats in WWI”, Anthony Cooke “Let’s Get Away From It All” a light-hearted history of cruising “The Great Liners”, Bill Martin [Hit song writer] “Golden Age of Musicals”, Virtuoso Violinist Greg Scott, Variety Entertainer – Tufty Gordon, Dain Cordean, Stacey Wylde & You – Chiung Lin. Quite a selection for everyone.

Then there is the Grand Tea Dance

Cocktail Parties, Oceans Club Get-togethers, Dancing, Music and 2 Performances of the Main Show each evening.

Amongst the entertainers/lecturers on our trip were Arts Club – Comedy Speakers Vincent Powell & Don Reid, Commander Jeff Tall OBE RN “The Mechanical Whale” & “U – Boats in WWI”, Anthony Cooke “Let’s Get Away From It All” a light-hearted history of cruising “The Great Liners”, Bill Martin [Hit song writer] “Golden Age of Musicals”, Virtuoso Violinist Greg Scott, Variety Entertainer – Tufty Gordon, Dain Cordean, Stacey Wylde & You – Chiung Lin. Quite a selection for everyone.

Then there is the Grand Tea Dance