New cruises from Portsmouth

[18th June 2008]

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be offering cruise holidays from Portsmouth for the first time next year.

Portsmouth is the seventh port to be used by the cruise line, joining Dover, Southampton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leith and Greenock. Cruises from Portsmouth will be on the cruise ship Boudicca.

Fred. Olsen is also expanding its fly cruise programme, adding Aberdeen airport to its list of UK regional airports. This brings the total number of fly cruise airports to 19.

The other airports in the programme are Stansted, Newcastle, Doncaster Sheffield, Norwich, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newquay, Durham Tees Valley, and Humberside.

In February Fred. Olsen launched a new cruise ship, Balmoral, bringing its total fleet to five. Another ship, Braemar, has also undergone a major refit and lengthening to increase capacity.

Highlights of Fred. Olsen’s new brochure include three round the world cruises. Two will be on Balmoral and the other on Black Watch. Balmoral will also make long voyages to Canada and the USA. Black Watch will offer a cruise around South America.

Caribbean fly cruise programmes with a choice of home ports – Miami or Barbados – will be offered by Braemar and Boudicca. At the other end of the spectrum, a two-night mini cruise, “Irish Jig”, departs from Greenock on 21st June 2009 visiting Dublin and Liverpool.

People looking for a golf holiday with a difference are also catered for on the Flagship Golf programme. As well as golf lessons from a PGA professional and on board practice sessions, for a small extra fee golfers can enjoy games onshore.

Written by: Nick Purdom