Aalborg Set To Welcome Fred Olsen

The Danish port of Aalborg will be opening its new city centre cruise berth this Wednesday (May 25), and the first ship to dock there will be Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ 1,350-guest Balmoral. The new Aalborg Royal City Berth is right in the centre of the town, making it extremely convenient for cruise ship guests to go ashore. This quay is also used by the Danish Royal Yacht, Dannebrog.

On inauguration day, there will be a ceremony on the quayside, with a performance of music and dance – Samba Show, performed by members of the Aalborg International Carnival, the largest carnival in Northern Europe. This will be a delightful spectacle for crew and guests on board ship and visitors to the quayside.

There will also be a ceremonial opening of the cruise berth, with Balmoral's Master, Captain Olav Soevdsnes, cutting the ribbon. The City of Aalborg will then present a plaque to the Captain, commemorating the ship's first visit to the new berth.

Find out more by visiting http://www.fredolsencruises.com/,

Fred Olsen's No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced a ‘No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee’ on all bookings made up to August 31 this year, for cruises departing from January 1, 2012.

Any Fuel Cost Supplement already applied to 2012 bookings – currently levied at 5.5% of the cruise fare paid after any relevant discounts have been deducted – will remain on the booking, but the ‘No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee’ now provides protection against any future fuel-related fare increases.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com or, for bookings, see The Cruise Line Ltd.

Agatha Christie Meets Fred Olsen!

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Easter cruise to Iberia and Morocco, aboard Balmoral, will be something special. To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of legendary author Agatha Christie, the cruise is being completely themed in conjunction with Agatha Christie Limited.

A highlight of this ArtsClub theme – Fred Olsen’s programme of special interests on board – will be talks and lectures on Christie and her work from exclusive guests, including her grandson Mathew Prichard, who will enthral the audience with personal memories of his grandmother.

Julius Green, producer at the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, will also be on hand to discuss the great crime writer with guests. In addition, there will be live performances of some of Christie’s rarely-heard 30-minute radio plays.

A special extra attraction can now be revealed – the chance to sample the exclusive ‘Delicious Death’ cake. This cake was specially created by Jane Asher to celebrate the 120th birthday and re-creates a deadly cake that featured in Christie’s 50th novel, A Murder is Announced (1950). In this novel, the victim has indulged in a birthday tea that includes the rich and decadent chocolate cake, before she is found dead from poisoning - although, of course, the Fred Olsen version will be entirely poison-free!

The cruise is of 10 nights, departing from Southampton on April 23. Ports of call are La Coruna (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Gibraltar, Portimao (Portugal) and Lisbon (Portugal), returning to Southampton. Prices are from £980 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘G’. The price includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. There is no additional charge for taking part in The ArtsClub’s ‘Agatha Christie’ theme.

More details can be found at www.fredolsencruises.com/ or from cruise agent specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Fred. Olsen Celebrates Burns Night!

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is proud to celebrate Burns Night aboard each of its four ships - Balmoral (above), Braemar, Black Watch and Boudicca. As the ships' names suggest, the cruise line has strong ties with Scotland, and Burns Night - January 25 - is always marked in style.

Details may vary from ship to ship, but the occasion is always a 'Formal Night' on board, so guests will be in full evening dress for dinner and are encouraged to add a "Hint of Tartan" to their outfits. Of course, many Scottish guests will wear the full Scottish formal dress, complete with kilt and sporran.

The evening begins with a themed cocktail party then, at dinner, there is the 'Parade of the Haggis', and 'Address of the Haggis' by a Scottish team member or guest on board. A special flyer on the history of Robert Burns is provided to all guests, and a themed quiz held after dinner.

Marketing Director Nigel Lingard says: "Many of our guests enjoy traditional celebrations and Burns Night is always popular. The Olsen family has long-established ties with Scotland and we are pleased to welcome many Scottish guests on our ships throughout the year - and, of course, we cruise from two Scottish ports, Greenock and Rosyth, regularly."

Find out more at www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the UK's leading specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

All Aboard with the Archers.

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Fans of the BBC's classic long-running radio soap opera The Archers will get a treat in 2011, when Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines hosts two Archers-themed voyages as part of its popular programme of special-interest cruises, The ArtsClub. Archers aficionados will get the chance to mingle with their favourite cast members from the long-running show, whilst cruising around the beautiful Mediterranean.

Various Archers cast members will be on board both cruises. They will be available to chat to at the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party and will perform a 'mock' recording whilst on board - complete with all the rural sound effects fans have come to associate with this much-loved show!
Balmoral departs from Southampton on a 10-night Easter cruise on April 23, 2011, calling at La Coruna, Casablanca, Gibraltar and Portimao (where she anchors), before returning to Southampton. Prices for this cruise start at £1,014pp, based on two adults sharing an inside twin-bedded cabin. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, plus port taxes.

The Balmoral cruise also offers the supporting ArtsClub theme of Wine, where guests can learn more about wines from around the world, and discover the onboard expert’s recommendations.

Black Watch departs from Dover on September 12, 2011 for a 13-night cruise around the Western Mediterranean, taking in Cadiz, Almeria, Ibiza, Mahon, Palma and Lisbon, before returning to Dover. Prices for this cruise start at £1,392pp, based on two adults sharing an inside twin-bedded cabin. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, plus port taxes.

The Black Watch cruise also offers keen golfers a dedicated package, Flagship Golf, providing the ideal opportunity to play on some of the finest courses in the region whilst relaxing in the comfort of Fred. Olsen's classic liner. The cost for this package is £375 per golfer.

Find out more at http://www.fredolsencruises.co.uk/ or through specialist cruise travel agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Cruising the Planet

By guest blogger Steve Newman

For those seeking the ultimate in cruising, a world cruise is hard to beat. So if you are thinking along those lines, or maybe considering just sampling one of these grand voyages in sections over a period of time, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has launched a mini-brochure featuring its longer cruises for 2012.

Their Black Watch undertakes a 106-night World Cruise departing from Southampton on 11th January 2012. This cruise travels in an easterly direction, visiting Egypt and the Suez Canal, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Borneo, Australia – including the Great Barrier Reef – the South Pacific - including Vanuatu, Fiji, Bora Bora and Tahiti - South America and the Caribbean.

Prices for this all-encompassing cruise start from £9,499 per person (based on two sharing an inside twin cabin) and include all meals and entertainment on board and port taxes. The world cruise can also be booked in four shorter sectors – Southampton to Singapore; Singapore to Sydney; Sydney to Callao (Peru); and Callao to Southampton.

Balmoral (above) has an epic voyage around South America, departing 5th January 2012 for 89 nights, also from Southampton. She travels via the Canary Islands and Caribbean and takes in some of North America, visiting Key West, New Orleans and Galveston (for Houston) as well as Cozumel in Mexico and transits the Panama Canal before travelling all round the coast of South America.

This itinerary is something of a departure for a South America cruise and combines a wonderful variety of ports. It can also be booked in four shorter sectors – Southampton to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Montego Bay to Valparaiso, Chile; Valparaiso to Rio (Brazil); and Rio to Southampton.
Prices for the full cruise start from £7,999 per person.

You can find out more at Fredolsen.co.uk

Fred Olsen will also be exhibiting at the big Cruise Show at Birmingham in October.