In what has become a key cruise industry tradition, seven ships are ready to ring in 2023 in Funchal as the vessels will sit in the harbour and nearby anchorages for a firework display at midnight.
By morning on Dec. 31, five ships were already in port getting ready for the festivities, including:
Image from Last Year’s Fireworks.
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
Cruise lines have begun moving customers over to future sailings to stay within government capacity limits after restrictions on the number of guests allowed on board were extended.
The Department for Transport confirmed on Tuesday (15 June) rules capping guest numbers on domestic cruises at 1,000 people or 50% of ship capacity, (whichever is lower), could remain in place until 19 July.
Limits were due to be lifted on 21 June under the next stage of the government’s “unlocking roadmap” but a four-week delay was announced by Boris Johnson at the start of the week.
In response, lines have taken steps to stay within the regulations and have been contacting customers about switching sailings to later in the summer.
In a statement on Friday (18 June) Royal Caribbean International said it had been “working collaboratively” with the UK government in the build-up to its return to UK service next month and that its “guest capacity and protocols on board are all in line with the current recommendations”.
“In line with the most recent government announcement, unfortunately, we had to move some guests on our first sailings to a future sailing later in the season. We are excited to sail and can’t wait to welcome our first guests onboard,” the line added.
Royal’s announcement followed that by Fred Olsen, whose director of product and customer service, Clare Ward, said as the line “had already planned to sail with a reduced capacity” for its initial programme of Welcome Back itineraries, “only a small number of bookings were affected, and only on one sailing”.
“We contacted all guests on the affected cruise, giving them the opportunity to move to one of our other, longer, British Isles sailings. This offer was well received, and as such we do not need to make any further changes in light of the extension to restrictions,” said Ward.
Earlier in the week, MSC Cruises also confirmed plans to switch guests over to future sailings, saying in a statement “a number of UK guests who have booked a cruise departing after 21 June but before 19 July may need to be assisted to rebook on a sailing departing after the restriction is removed”.
MSC said it was “disappointed” with the government’s delay in easing restrictions in England and “had fully expected” measures to be lifted.
“Whilst still seeking further clarifications from the relevant authorities and continuing to monitor for developments, the company will initially begin by contacting those affected guests due to embark between 23 June and 26 June,” the line said.
MSC said it had adopted “a fair criterion based on the earlier date of booking” so the first 1,000 guests booked would keep their places on board.
“MSC Cruises looks forward to the eventual easing of Covid restrictions in the UK so cruising can play a bigger role in the vital restart of British tourism and its contribution to the economy, and it can offer more UK residents that safe and richly deserved holiday option this summer,” the line added.
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