News - 29 February 2020 12:46

'Braemar' Caribbean - Latest Update

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines can confirm that chartered aircraft have been secured to be able to return guests currently on board Braemar back home to the UK.

Now that we have secured aircraft, we are continuing discussions with nearby Caribbean islands to confirm our next port of call, and acquiring the necessary permissions to land at the appropriate airports. These discussions are ongoing, and whilst we are unable to confirm final arrangements on when these flights will depart, and from which island, we are having positive discussions with the relevant authorities.

We are keeping guests both on board Braemar and those who are staying in hotels in the Dominican Republic regularly informed. We have also sent a team from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines UK Head Office over to the Dominican Republic to set up face-to-face liaison desks at hotels on the island.

On Thursday, Braemar left the Port of La Romana, Dominican Republic, after local authorities refused for debarkation operations to begin.

We believe that the refusal for us to commence debarkation operations in the Port of La Romana was the result of a very small number of influenza-like cases on board. No guests or crew are, or have been, displaying symptoms that are considered to be consistent with those of Coronavirus.

The safety and well-being of all our guests and crew is our number one priority and we are monitoring closely the developing COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus situation and taking the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and World Health Organisation, as well as Public Health England and CLIA.

As a precautionary measure, for some time Fred. Olsen has been operating a raised level of sanitisation across its fleet, in addition to health questionnaires and non-invasive screening measures for guests embarking and re-joining the ship from overland tours, and for ship visitors.

Fred. Olsen’s cruise ships meet, at all times, the highest safety, hygiene and health standards.

For regular media updates, please visit:

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For any media enquiries, please contact rachael.jackson@fredolsen.co.uk / + 44 (0)7917 323238 or ellis.barker@fredolsen.co.uk / +44 (0)7557 672265

Topics

Regions

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Contacts

Ellis Orchard

Press contact Public Relations Manager Public Relations ellis.orchard@fredolsen.co.uk 07557672265

Georgina May

Press contact Public Relations Executive Public Relations georgina.may@fredolsen.co.uk

Lauren Gardner

Press contact Public Relations Manager Public Relations lauren.gardner@fredolsen.co.uk 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