Hamburg refit this December for Fred Olsen’s Black Watch

Fred Olsen Cruises’ 804 passenger capacity Black Watch will enter drydock at Hamburg’s Blohm + Voss shipyard on 2 December to start a 12 day ‘fast track’ refit.  The work package on the 1972-built vessel includes a major refurbishment of the vessel’s public rooms, including the building of a new casual dining area which will be created in the space where the Braemar Lounge and Garden Café are currently situated – midships on Deck 6 (Lounge Deck).

The new casual dining area will be named the Braemar Garden and will have seating for over 120 persons. One section of the new dining option will be screened off; creating a 40-seat room that can be used for private dining. This new area will be completely refitted with new soft furnishings, a new bar and a buffet.

The design of the new areas is being carried out by London-based Space (formerly McNeece), which has previously worked on all of the ships in the Fred Olsen Cruises fleet.

Meanwhile, on the technical side, Black Watch’s last three open lifeboats will be replaced by two new totally enclosed lifeboats, supplied by Germany’s Fassmer Davit International.

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Fred Olsen starts series of cruises ex Portsmouth

Today (5 October), UK cruise line Fred Olsen Cruises starts for the first time a series of seven cruises from the south coast UK port of Portsmouth aboard its 839 passenger capacity Boudicca. Boudicca is the largest cruise vessel to operate from Portsmouth.

Boudicca sailed today on a 21-night cruise to the Adriatic and commenting on why Fred Olsen chose Portsmouth, Matt Grimes, Planning Director for Fred Olsen, said: ‘Why Portsmouth and not Southampton? In Portsmouth the road links are better. The train access is the same if not slightly better than Southampton, and from a nautical point of view the departure is quite interesting, sailing past the Round Tower, Gunwharf, the Spinnaker Tower. There are nice bits in Southampton Water, and some not so nice bits.’

Following her Adriatic cruise, Boudicca’s next cruise from Portsmouth is on 26 October, a 13-night Mediterranean cruise. Sphere: Related Content

Venezuelan operator buys Fred Olsen’s Black Prince

One of the oldest cruise ships still in service, Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Prince, has been saved from the breaker yard following the vessel’s purchase by Venezuelan operator Servicios Acuaticos de Venezuela (SAVECA). The vessel is expected to be used for cruises along Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.

Black Prince, which started operations for Fred Olsen in October 1966 as a combined cruise ship/ferry, running between the UK and the Canary Islands and the UK and Norway, was expected to have been scrapped at the end of 2009 as she is not SOLAS 2010 compliant. However, as her new owners intend to use her for coastal, and not international voyages, she can remain in service. Black Prince will transfer to her new owner’s following her final cruise from Southampton on 16 October this year. Sphere: Related Content

Fred Olsen to sail from Rosyth in 2010

As part of the company’s move to offer more cruises ex-UK from regional ports, Fred Olsen Cruise Line is to undertake a series of cruises from the Scottish port of Rosyth in 2010. The cruises, in July, will be undertaken by the 839 passenger capacity Boudicca, to Spitsbergen, the Baltic and Norway Sphere: Related Content

Fred Olsen Statement on the "Balmoral incident in Gulf of Aden"

STATEMENT BY FRED. OLSEN

Further to press reports circulating today, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines wishes to clarify the situation regarding its vessel Balmoral’s recent transit of the Gulf of Aden.

As made clear in our own statements, at no time was the vessel ‘under attack’, and there were no visual sightings of ‘armed pirates’.

During the daytime sailing through the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday 3rd March 2009, only fishing boats were sighted showing no sign of alarming activities. At 19.45 hrs that evening, two suspicious craft were observed on radar travelling towards Balmoral. As a purely precautionary action, the ship’s Master implemented aggressive manoeuvring, contact was made with the EU Coalition Task Force, and passengers were requested to assemble in safe havens. At 20.45 hrs that evening the EU warship confirmed that the area around the vessel was clear, and the alert was stood down at 21.23 hrs. This was a ‘suspicious incident’ and not an ‘attack’.

During the incident, searchlights were directed at the approaching craft and flares used to indicate that it had been observed. It is possible that this was interpreted as gunfire, but Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines can state categorically that there was no gunfire, and that although the approaching vessel got to within 400m of Balmoral it left the area without incident, and because of the darkness it was not possible to identify the vessel or its occupants.  

The Master of Balmoral has reported that the mood on board was good throughout with no panic or adverse reaction from the passengers. The vessel is now continuing on its scheduled itinerary and is today in the port of Salalah in Oman.

- Ends –

5th March 2009

Further media information from:

Wendy Hooper-Greenhill Jill Channing
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Bugsgang & Associates 
Tel: 01473 292233 Tel: 01795 518200
E: wendy.hooper-greenhill@fredolsen.co.uk E: jill.channing@bugsgang.co.uk Sphere: Related Content

New Director, Hotel Operations at Fred Olsen Cruise Line

Ole Christensen has been appointed Director, Hotel Operations, at Fred Olsen Cruise Line. Before joining the UK operator Mr. Christensen worked for TUI Ski as Regional General Manager for its Crystal Club hotels in France, Switzerland and Andorra. Sphere: Related Content

Falmouth to get 30 cruise calls in 2009

The south west UK port of Falmouth will receive 30 cruise calls in 2009, with British operator Fred Olsen Cruises leading the way with five calls. Fred Olsen ships putting into Falmouth in 2009 include Balmoral, Black Prince and Black Watch. Other callers at Falmouth this year include: Saga Ruby (3), Grand Princess, Silver Cloud, Vistamar, Astor (2), AIDAcara (2), Oceana, Norwegian Jade, Delphin, Spirit of Adventure, Ocean Majesty, Europa, Prinsendam, Artemis, Mona Lisa, Princess Daphne, Albatros (2) and Delphin Voyager, Sphere: Related Content