Tag Archives: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred. Olsen’s Bolette Completes Refurbishment

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Bolette has recently completed a refurbishment at the A&P Falmouth shipyard in England.

According to the company, the drydock was supported by 500 members of the facility’s workforce, including 32 apprentices.

“We are really pleased to further support the Falmouth economy by working with the team at A&P to maintain and refurbish our ships, and in particular providing their apprentices with new experience and opportunity,” said Peter Deer, Managing Director of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

After entering drydock in late February, the Bolette spent two weeks at the A&P Falmouth shipyard to undergo a program of works that comprised underwater painting, servicing of lifeboats, maintenance of stabilizers and more.

Other technical interventions included the exchange of the ship’s bow thrusters, which were replaced with newly overhauled ones.

The 2000-built ship also underwent a full underwater hull cleaning before receiving fresh antifouling paint.

According to Fred. Olsen, the new coat of paint helps reduce friction in the water while keeping the hull clear of barnacles and other marine life.

The crew cabins onboard were also refurbished, the company added, and all of the vessel’s lifeboats and davits underwent a main overhaul and overload test.

The Bolette’s Azipod propellers were removed for maintenance as well, while a new autopilot system was installed at the ship’s bridge.

On the guests’ side, Bolette also saw improvements to its photo gallery, which received digital screens for selecting and ordering pictures, according to Fred. Olsen, the new format saves time and paper.

A small studio where passengers are able to take professional, portrait-style shots was also installed in the photo gallery area.

Following the work, the 62,735-ton vessel resumed service on March 9. Sailing from the port of Newcastle, the Bolette is now offering a series of five- to ten-night itineraries to the UK, Norway, Iceland, the Baltic, Western Europe and more.

Originally built for Holland America Line as the Amsterdam, the Bolette was acquired by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2020.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Resumes Sailings from Scotland

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For the first time since 2019, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will resume sailings from Scotland this year aboard Balmoral, according to a press release.

The Balmoral, which welcomed her first guests back on board in May 2022, will set sail from Rosyth in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 8 for an eight-night “Hidden Gems of the Norwegian Fjords” cruise, taking travellers to Nordfjord, Sognefjord, Fjaerlandsfjord, Eresfjord, Molde, Skjolden, and Olden, according to the company.

The Balmoral, named after Queen Elizabeth II’s Scottish estate, joined the company’s new ships, Bolette and Borealis, both of which resumed cruising in 2021.

The Borealis became the first UK cruise ship to sail internationally in the post-pandemic era and the Balmoral’s first cruise was the “Canary Islands with the Funchal Flower Parade. ”Since then, she has sailed from Newcastle to Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia.

The Balmoral will depart from Rosyth for the rest of summer 2022, before sailing on a series of cruises from Southampton, Dover, and Portsmouth in September.

“This first departure from Rosyth will be extra special as Scotland is Balmoral’s spiritual home, and we always receive a warm welcome when sailing from there. There is a long and proud history at Fred. Olsen of naming ships after Scottish icons, which reflects the connections between the Olsen family and Scotland. It is wonderful to have three ships sailing again, which allows us to offer departures from more regional ports around the UK,” said Peter Deer, managing director, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Sample Cruises:

Cities & Islands of Sweden, Estonia & Latvia, Departing from Rosyth
Date: July 16, 2022
Duration: 13 nights
Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Liepaja, Latvia – Saaremaa, Estonia – Tallinn, Estonia – Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden – Visby, Sweden – Riga, Latvia – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland
Price: From £999 per person

Discovering Castles, Palaces, and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe, Departing from Rosyth
Date: August 19, 2022
Duration: 10 nights
Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Fredericia, Denmark – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Gdansk, Poland – Sassnitz, Germany – Szczecin, Poland – Kiel Canal Transit, Germany – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland
Price: From  £1199 per person

French Rivers With Bordeaux, Departing from Rosyth
Date: August 29, 2022
Duration: 11 nights
Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Lorient, France – Bordeaux, France – River Seine, Rouen, France – Honfleur, France – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland
Price: From £1199 per person

New Ship Preview: Holland America’s Rotterdam

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The Rotterdam will be the seventh ship in the history of the Holland America fleet to carry this name. The ship was originally named the Ryndam but Holland America changed it to Rotterdam following the sale of the previous Rotterdam to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2020.

The new Rotterdam is a sister to the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, part of Holland America’s Pinnacle-class of ships.

Ship: Rotterdam Cruise Line: Holland America

Capacity: 2,650 passengers Shipyard: Fincantieri, Italy

Estimated Delivery Date: July 2021

Features and Design: The 297-meter ship has 12 decks and 1,340 cabins. The what seems like never-ending entertainment includes live music spaces like the Rolling Stone Rock Room, the Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard, World Stage, and B.B. King’s Blues Club; a BBC Earth in Concert, a Microsoft Studio for creating photo albums and travel videos; the Greenhouse Spa & Salon; a casino; children’s club; and more.

The Rotterdam will also offer 11 dining experiences: from burgers and pizza to sushi and seafood, as well as dedicated French, Asian, and Italian restaurants. It also offers 24-hour in-room dining for those who get peckish at less convenient hours.

Debut Season: The Rotterdam is scheduled to spend summer 2021 exploring Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Following Itineraries: In autumn 2021, the Rotterdam is scheduled to embark on a couple of transatlantic voyages to and from the U.S., from where the vessel will change to Caribbean itineraries all the way until April 2022.