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Press release -

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' guests experience record-breaking transit of historic Corinth Canal on largest-ever ship 'Braemar'

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ guests experienced a breath-taking transit of the 6.4-kilometre-long Corinth Canal in Greece this morning [Wednesday 9th October 2019], as 24,344-gross-tonnes, 195.82-metre-long, 22.52-metre-wide Braemar broke the existing record to become the largest ship ever to traverse this famous feat of engineering. The Canal is only 24 metres at its narrowest point.

929-guest Braemar is currently sailing on a sold-out 25-night M1925 ‘Corinth Canal & Greek Islands’ cruise, which set sail from Southampton, UK on 27th September 2019.

The Corinth Canal is a waterway that separates the Greek mainland from the Peloponnese, turning it into an island. It is an important navigational route, which once allowed ships to enter the Aegean Sea. Whilst the Canal is steeped in over two millennia of history, the structure that we now know was completed and used for the first time on 28th October 1893.

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“This is such an exciting sailing and tremendous milestone in Fred. Olsen’s 171-year history, and we are thrilled to have been able to share it with our guests. At Fred. Olsen, we strive to create memories that last a lifetime, and with guests on board Braemar able to get so close to the edges of the Corinth Canal that they could almost touch the sides, we know that this will be a holiday that they will never forget.

“We have already had exceptionally high interest in our second Corinth Canal cruise, in Spring 2021, and we can’t wait to do it all over again!”

Details of Fred. Olsen’s second sailing around the Greek islands in April 2021 are as follows:

Braemar’s 25-night M2109 ‘Greek Islands & Corinth Canal’ cruise, ex Southampton, UK, on 16th April 2021. Prices start from £4,399 per person.

Ports of call: Southampton, UK – Malaga, Andalusia, Spain – Valletta, Malta – Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece – Rhodes, Greece – Ermoupoli, Syros, Greece – Cruising Corinth Canal – Patras, Greece (overnight stay) – Katakolon, Greece – Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece – Cruising Strait of Messina – Cruising by Stromboli – Trapani, Sicily, Italy – Ibiza, Spain – Cartagena, Spain – Lisbon, Portugal – Southampton, UK

For further information: See 'Greek Islands & Corinth Canal' - M2109

The price shown is based on two adults sharing a twin-bedded Interior Room, and includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment, plus port taxes.

Fred. Olsen is proud to have been crowned ‘Best for Itineraries’ by Cruise Critic experts in the prestigious ‘UK Editors’ Picks Awards 2018’, for a record four years in a row.

You can view two videos of 'Braemar' sailing through the Corinth Canal at:

https://youtu.be/oPkrmTELao8

https://youtu.be/xVFpb2N4i_M

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent.

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Line operates in the UK with four intimately sized ships for a more personal cruising experience.

Contacts

Georgina May

Georgina May

Press contact Public Relations Executive Public Relations
Lauren Gardner

Lauren Gardner

Press contact Public Relations Manager Public Relations 07546807099

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines we are very proud of our smaller ships – Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral - and the imaginative and unusual itineraries they allow us to offer. Every cruise is hand-crafted from scratch by our team of in-house Journey Planners to make sure you are not only visiting the best destinations, but at the best time to experience them.

For us, it’s not just about where we go but how we take you there. We put as much time into planning scenic cruising as we do in choosing the destinations themselves. On board, our Signature Experiences showcase the history, culture, nature and flavours of the destinations you’ll visit – from Treats of the Region, where you can enjoy local delicacies, to our Sky at Sea star-gazing sessions where you can relax with a hot toddy out on deck while our astronomer talks you through the night sky.

Plus, with each ship carrying 1,300 guests or less, our ships are small enough for us to offer a warm, friendly and personal service where nothing is ever too much trouble, as we visit a host of exciting ports in every corner of the globe.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen House, White House Road
IP1 5LL Ipswich, Suffolk
United Kingdom