First ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’ for award-winning Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is delighted to be awarded the inaugural ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’ for its services to the up-and-coming Danish destination. Fred. Olsen, which operates a fleet of four smaller, more intimate ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch – is offering a number of cruises from the UK to Aalborg, a port in Northern Jutland, Denmark, in 2014, and is one of the Port’s most loyal customers.

To celebrate and brand Aalborg – part of Baltic and Nordic Cruises – as the ‘Happy Hotdog Port’, the acknowledged local bronze artist, Lene Steffensen, has produced a number of limited-edition hotdogs out of the metal. These exclusive pieces, the so-called ‘Aalborg Hotdogs of Honour’, will be presented to key representatives of the cruise companies that visit Aalborg.

Ole Brøndum, Head of Sales and Marketing at Aalborg Harbour, said:

“Originally, it was meant as a creative and fun feature for the opening of Aalborg Royal Cruise Berth. We wanted to give guests a typical Danish experience to remember. But the welcoming gesture of serving hotdogs to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ guests was received with such excitement by Fred. Olsen’s Itinerary Planning Manager, Martin Lister, that we – along with VisitAalborg – have decided to make it a tradition.

“Therefore, all cruise ships coming to Aalborg are met by the traditional Danish hotdog stand, and served this delectable Danish speciality with ketchup, mustard, ‘remulade’ (a Danish relish), diced onions and pickled cucumbers – all for free. Along with honouring these key cruise contacts with this bronze ‘Hotdog of Honour’, we hope that they will be dignified and enthusiastic ambassadors for Aalborg as a cruise destination.”

Martin Lister, Itinerary Planning Manager for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“It is very special for us to be awarded the very first ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’. At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, we are proud to be able to offer our guests unique and different experiences in the hundreds of ports around the world that that we visit, and we are delighted that our colleagues at Aalborg Harbour have decided to recognise our commitment to them in this outstanding and humorous way!”

More than 10,000 free hotdogs have been handed out to cruise guests in Aalborg since the opening of the Aalborg Royal Cruise Berth in 2011. The tradition of serving hotdogs from a stand in Denmark dates back to the 1920s and developed up to the 70s, where it reached its highest total of 700 stands.

Fred. Olsen was proud to be voted ‘Best Affordable Cruise Line’ and runner-up ‘Best Cruise Line’ in the ‘Cruise International Awards 2013’, and ‘Best Value for Money’ in the Cruise Critic ‘Editors’ Picks UK Awards 2013’. Fred. Olsen’s Black Watch was also recently announced as the top winner in Cruise Critic’s ‘Cruisers' Choice 2014 Awards’ ‘Best Small Ship for Shore Excursions’.

Photo caption:

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Itinerary Planning Manager, Martin Lister (second from left), receives the first bronze ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’, flanked by the Viking Chef, Jesper Lynge, Helge Søgaard of VisitAalborg (far right), and Cruise Manager at the Port of Aalborg, Lars Bech (far left), at the launch of Fred. Olsen’s new 2015/16 cruise programme in London on 4th March 2014.