Three of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ships will undergo multi-million pound refits this winter – in preparation for the start of the 2018/19 cruise season, the company confirmed.
Two of the ships – ‘Braemar’ and ‘Balmoral’ – will be refurbished before Christmas with the third, ‘Boudicca’, upgraded in March, 2018. Each vessel will be drydocked at Blohm + Voss, Hamburg. ‘Black Watch’, underwent extensive improvement work at the end of last year.
Mike Rodwell, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines managing director, said: “We are very proud of our smaller, classic cruise ships and we recognise the importance of investing in ongoing upgrades to ensure that our guests can continue to enjoy them at their best. The refreshed ‘Black Watch’ has been very well received by both new and existing guests, so we are delighted that the rest of the fleet will also benefit.”
The work schedule includes: upgrading the existing public areas, creating new facilities – such as a new restaurants and gelato bar on ‘Balmoral’, a new dining room on ‘Boudicca’, a new buffet restaurant on ‘Braemar’ – and cabin enhancements across the fleet.
The 929-pax ‘Braemar’ will sail from Southampton to Hamburg on 23rd November 2017 for a nine-day drydocking at Blohm+Voss. Her first sailing after the refit will be a 16-night ‘Voyage to the Caribbean’ cruise from Southampton on 5th December, 2017.
Fred. Olsen’s flagship ‘Balmoral’, will arrive in Hamburg on 10th December, 2017 for a nine-day drydocking, before the 1,350 pax-ship departs on a 16-night ‘Canaries Christmas & Funchal Fireworks’ sailing from Southampton on 21st December, 2017.
The 880-pax ‘Boudicca’ will undergo a more extensive 13-day refurbishment, entering drydock on 16th March, 2018, before leaving from Dover on 29th March, 2018 on a five-night ‘Mystery Cruise’.
