Cruise from Harwich with Fred. Olsen and discover the magic of Lapland and St. Petersburg

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be offering cruises from the port of Harwich in 2013, and one of the most exciting itineraries is Black Watch’s ‘Undiscovered Lapland & St. Petersburg’ cruise of 17 nights, that departs on 29^th May 2013.  This cruise takes in some of the most interesting and historic Baltic ports and, additionally, includes a daytime cruise of the Kiel Canal and an overnight stay in the jewel of the Baltic – Russia’s St. Petersburg.

On leaving Harwich, Black Watch calls first at Warnemünde, Germany, for tours to the magnificent city of Berlin, where she has a full day to explore, with a late night departure. Next is Sweden’s delightful, elegant capital, Stockholm; Black Watch docks at the small harbour town of Nynashamn, a pretty port in its own right, and a convenient access point for Stockholm.  The Old Town ‘Gamla Stan’ is full of narrow, cobbled streets and medieval houses, and is a delight to visit.

Three ports in Finland follow – they are among the less well-known ports on this cruise.  Mariehamn has a number of excellent museums and art galleries – one of these, the Pommen Museum, is set on board a beautiful, four-masted ship, while Vaasa is home to the Meteoric Sőderfjärden, the site of a previous asteroid impact. The lovely natural scenery makes this a popular place with artists and galleries abound. The third Finnish port, Kemi, boasts a former icebreaker ship, Sampo, in its docks. There is also a gallery of gem stones that includes a crown made for the King of Finland.

Black Watch‘s next port is the pretty Estonian capital, Tallinn, with its majestic domed churches and pretty cobbled streets. The next port is a key highlight of this exceptional cruise; the stunning city of St. Petersburg.  There is an overnight stay here, to allow guests more time to discover the  wealth of fine architecture, and the treasures of the great museums, in this truly unique city. In summer, St. Petersburg experiences ‘White Nights’ when the sun barely sets and guests can enjoy a magical evening concert at the Hermitage, home to one of the world’s finest art collections.

The final leg of the cruise visits Denmark. The first port here is Rønne (Bornholm), where the Old Town offers picturesque painted and cross-timbered houses and a museum with a fine nautical exhibition. Then Black Watch reaches her final port of call, the lovely Danish capital, Copenhagen.  A truly delightful port, Copenhagen is home to the charming Tivoli Gardens – blueprint for Disneyland – as well as the pretty waterfront district of Nyhavn and Stroeget, a superb shopping centre. 

Guests on board can enjoy a daylight transit of the Kiel Canal, en route back to Harwich. This is a very special experience, only possible in smaller ships, such as Black Watch, as it is too narrow for larger ships to navigate.

Prices for this stunning cruise start from £1,499 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board and port taxes.  There is currently an additional benefit of £100 onboard spending credit per cabin, applicable to outside cabins and higher grade cabins and suites.