Tag Archives: Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

Three Fred Olsen ships to be revamped before Christmas

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Three Fred Olsen ships to be revamped before ChristmasThree Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ ships – Black Watch, Braemar (pictured) and Balmoral – are to be refurbished before Christmas.

The vessels are all due to enter dry dock in Hamburg in November and December in preparation for the forthcoming winter cruise season.

Work has started with 804-passenger Black Watch ahead of a 14-night mystery cruise departing from Tilbury on November 15. An additional 27 balcony cabins are being built as part of the revamp.

The 929-passenger Braemar will arrive in Hamburg on November 12 for work prior to a three-night cruise to France from Southampton on November 20.

Balmoral’s dry dock work starts on December 9 with the 1,350-passenger ship leaving the shipyard for a two-night pre-Christmas sailing from Southampton on December 19.

The line’s managing director, Mike Rodwell, said: “We experience extremely high demand for balcony cabins across our fleet, and in particular on board the smaller-sized Black Watch, and our new balcony terrace cabins are an innovative response to this.

“We are also looking forward to being able to give guests the experience of fine coffee and chocolates on board Balmoral and Braemar, as they have already been enjoying on Boudicca and Black Watch.

“Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is pleased to be returning to Blohm+Voss for this important work. Balmoral and Braemar are both well-known to the Hamburg shipyard, as they both underwent mid-section extensions in 2007 and 2008 respectively.”

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Top tips for an adventure at sea

Fancy unleashing your inner Sir David Attenborough or Bear Grylls? Here are our top tips for going off the beaten track…

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TOP TIPS FOR THE FROZEN PLANET

Only 100 passengers are allowed to land at one time on Antarctica, so small ships are best.Go in November/December to see penguins or in January/February to see whales.

“Whether you want to follow in the footsteps of Scott and Shackleton, be overwhelmed by the  number – and smell – of the penguins or just witness the serenity and beauty of wind-sculpted ice then the Antarctic will be your ultimate challenge. The spectacular wildlife includes orcas, humpback whales and sea birds.”Deborah Stone, Contributing Editor

Most Antarctic expedition cruises start from Ushuaia (Argentina), followed by a two-day sail across Drake’s Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. Captain’s Choice has luxurious trips to Chile and Antarctica

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TIME TRAVEL

Interested in learning while you cruise? Specialist cruise lines such as Voyages to Antiquity(voyagestoantiquity.com) have well-known lecturers on board to help you discover more about the history and culture of the places you’re visiting.

Specialist cruises tend to be casual, and entertainment will be a lecture about geography, history or culture. They usually involve early morning starts to help you make the most of the destinations you’re visiting.

Cruise International

EXOTIC ADVENTURES

Luxury cruise line SeaDream (seadream.com) has Asia cruises for diving and snorkelling in Komodo Island’s National Park. And one of the hottest trends right now is cruise and safari. Spend a few days in Namibia or Kenya and join a game drive before heading off for your cruise. Fred. Olsen, Voyages to Antiquity,Cunard, MSC and P&O all offer cruises to Africa.

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EXTREME ACTIVITIES

Voted winner of Best Destination (Rest of World) in the 2013 Cruise International Awards, the untamed landscape of Alaska is a cruise adventurer’s dream, where you can experience everything from whale spotting to dog-sledding and white-water rafting. And in the Arctic you disembark and explore by zodiac boat, taking you up close to glaciers and icebergs.

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WILDLIFE WONDERS

Cruise to the Galapagos Islands to see giant tortoises and flamingos. Variety Cruises (varietycruises.com) visit the Seychelles for rare black parrots and the bird nature reserve on Cousin Island, while Princess Cruises (princess.com) offers a range of cruises to South America and the Pacific.

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NORTHERN LIGHTS

Go in search of the Northern Lights on a Scandinavian cruise. The best time to catch this natural phenomenon is between autumn and early April when it’s dark from 6pm to 1am, and the best spots are above the Arctic Circle. Hurtigruten (hurtigruten.co.uk) has cruises departing from 1 November to 31 December 2014 with snowmobile safaris and reindeer driving.

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UP THE AMAZON

A cruise on the Amazon River takes you into the heart of the jungle, past villages and banks covered by dense rainforest, plus the chance to spot wildlife including spider monkeys, three-toed sloths and macaws.Fred. Olsen sails the Amazon and the Caribbean on 22 March 2014 (fredolsencruises.com).

WHAT TO TAKE

For cruises to the Arctic take rubber fishing boots, with extra-thick soles, to keep feet warm and dry. You’ll also need waterproof trousers and layers to stay warm. For the Amazon, you’ll need insect repellent, sturdy footwear, antihistamines, anti-diarrhoea tablets and rehydration sachets may be useful. Always check with your GP in case you need any vaccinations before travelling, and travel insurance is a must.

Princess Cruises to appear in fly-on-the-wall documentary

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By Robin Searle

Princess Cruises to appear in fly-on-the-wall documentaryPrincess Cruises is to appear in a primetime four-part fly-on-the-wall documentary on ITV.

The cruise line has revealed that camera crews were given behind-the-scenes access to Royal Princess after it was launched last year by the Duchess of Cambridge.

The results will appear in four episodes of The Cruise Ship, though broadcast dates have yet to be announced.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises managing director for the UK & Europe, said the line was given no editorial control over the series.

But he believes the results will provide a boost for the cruise industry in general, and Princess sales in particular.

“This is the single biggest thing happening for cruise this year as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“This idea has been in the pipeline for a while now and it quickly became something very exciting.”

He added: “It will show the cruise industry in a really positive light and demonstrate the incredible experiences our guests have on board. Our crew are the stars of the show and it reflects how hard they work.”

The programme allows Princess to once again capitalise on the excitement generated when the duchess helped christen the ship, according to Ludlow.

“There was a great feeling in the industry when the Duchess of Cambridge launched Royal Princess and this will bring back a lot of that feeling,” he said.

“This will only have a positive effect for us as a brand and for bookings.”

Last year, BBC2 broadcast The Cruise: A Life at Sea, a series focusing on the chaplain on Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral. It drew criticism that it reinforced perceptions that cruises were for older people, but the line’s Nathan Philpot reported “over £1 million in sales” in the three days after the first show.