However, if you look at the review by Mec 1, at the photographs in the gallery and this summary it may help to provide an overall impression of the ship on this particular cruise.
Lux

To summarize (My opinion) of this ship on this cruise. I stress, these are my findings and feelings as they apply to me. No doubt others will have more positive things to say.

The décor and furnishing in the public areas are new, colourful and mostly very pleasant and comfortable. Money has certainly been spent in these areas. Some seating is small and rather too firm. Every suitable space has been utilised. A more imaginative use of electric light lighting in some of the public rooms could create a warmer effect. With a couple of exceptions, I really liked the decor.

Accommodation on decks 8 & 9 (possibly deck 7 too (?).) Have been nicely and extensively refurbished.
Many (or ? all) cabins on decks 5,4 & 3 have been partly refurbish recently, but not to a high standard and variable degrees from cabin to cabin. Lighting is poor in these rooms. Most fixture, fittings, panels and doors rattle and creak to a high degree - as one would expect in an old ship.

Air conditioning is too cold throughout, with ineffective controls.

Food was plentiful, but other than on a few notable occasions, unimaginative & not exceptional. The dining experience was poor, and it is noisy.
Some aspects of service are due to the newness of this ship (and 40% staff), as well as the fact that is the first cruise. - In which case this should definately improve. The waiters tried their (stunned) best, it was the first time on a cruise ship for some. A lot of delay was due to issues within the kitchens - organisation, manpowewr and equipment.
Tea and coffee however is far from plentiful. No self - serve stations. Exceeding sparse supply to use, unsociably, in the cabins. Served from jugs in select venues 3 times a day. Not available on the bar service menus. This is a disgrace and they ought to be ashamed of such meanness. It needs to be promptly rectified. There is too much emphasis on promoting the profit-making sale of alcohol. Service charge is not listed. (Usually 15%) – is should be transparent what ones is paying for.
This could well be a very nice, if rather overcrowded (and lacking in public spaces,) old cruise ship if all the issues are sorted out and passenger wishes and comfort is responded to by making some changes.

Entertainment and music was rather dull for the most part.
Tours were mainly via large coaches with difficult access for the less mobile. More should be done to arrange suitable excursions for those with limited mobility, and upon suitable mini-buses. This is not impossible. After all, a goodly percentage of their clients have such difficulties. This issue applies to most companies though, not just Olsen.

I would commend most of the ‘workers’ we deal with in the lounges, bars and restaurants, as well as the unseen crew in the murky depths of the ship; they made a shambles easier to bear. – I condemn the plain-clothes management types for denying that the ships facilities were unprepared for the cruise, and that there were “…a few minor problems…”
Most staff/crew on the whole were their usual sunny and helpful selves, when they had got over the shock- although the waiters good humour was wearing thin within hours due to the stressful circumstances. Reception got the complaints from the off. They are not the jolliest of people at the best of times – and this was not the best of times! Yes, they were rather sour, unconcerned and unhelpful. They could have been more conciliating. - Though the problems were not their fault; it lies firmly with those responsible for preparing the ships facilities and the staff for passengers and for the cruise, ultimately Fred Olsen Cruises. They were also overwhelmed, unfamiliar with the ship, truly out of their depth and facing angry passengers, albeit with wholly justifiable complaints. The ship spent 5 days in Dover before sailing. They had ‘Gala occasions’, visits from the Olsen Company, from selected Oceans members, ‘VIP’s’ and from travel agents. This time would have been better spent testing, repairing and completing the facilities that passengers had paid for and didn’t get.
The first few days, until we started getting time in ports were upsetting and unsettling due the many issue of unreadiness, inconveniences and poor service but the unpleasant memories are fading a little E.g. – no pools for a week, no internet or telephone lines out of the ship for 12 days, (insufficient tea!) and so on. Spirits lifted a lot after Madeira.

However, overall it was a sub-standard product for which we paid the ‘Inaugural Cruise’ premium.
Things can only get better. . . . .
. . . (Fingers crossed)

[ 03-12-2006: Message edited by: Lux ]