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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral becomes an internet sensation, after dramatic time-lapse footage of the ship being extended goes viral

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Balmoral becomes an internet sensation, after dramatic time-lapse footage of the ship being extended goes viral

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' 1,350-guest flagship, Balmoral, has become an internet sensation, after video footage of her dramatic 'stretch' by 30 metres at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany in 2008 was posted on popular websites for the BBC and 'Daily Mail', amongst others. The clip has now been seen and enjoyed by over 350,000 viewers online.

The incredible video footage was captured by production company MK Timelapse, and shows the long process of inserting the 3,500 tonnes, 30-metre mid-section - which took 70 days to complete - condensed into just minutes.

Balmoral was built in 1988 for Royal Cruise Line, and was originally named 'Crown Odyssey'. The vessel, which now weighs 43,537 GRT and is 218.18m in length, was purchased by Fred. Olsen in 2008, and was given a makeover shortly thereafter, to provide 186 guest cabins, 53 crew cabins and 60 balcony cabins and to create the new smaller, more intimate restaurants of the Spey and Avon, on Deck 10.

In a feat of engineering that defies belief, the ship is cut in half and extended by inserting the new mid-section, which had to match the existing fabric of the ship to absolute precision.

To see the incredible footage of Balmoral being stretched, watch the video below.


For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com


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

Contacts

Ellis Orchard

Ellis Orchard

Press contact Public Relations Manager Public Relations 07557672265
Georgina May

Georgina May

Press contact Public Relations Executive Public Releations

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has defined and redefined the cruise experience, and judging by the number of passengers that come back time and again, we seem to have styled it to perfection

The company originated in Hvitsten, a small town on Oslofjord in Norway, in 1848 when three Olsen brothers – Fredrik Christian, Petter and Andreas – bought their first ships and began an international shipping company.

Now into the fifth generation of the family, they operate companies skilled in various aspects of the cruise and passenger shipping trade as well as aviation, ships’ crewing, shipbuilding and offshore industries.
Aside from the transportation industries, the Fred. Olsen group also has interests in the luxury hotel sector, estate management, property development, and electronics companies.

Offices for the company are spread throughout the world, although the company headquarters remain firmly in the family’s hands in Oslo and Tenerife. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is based in Ipswich in Suffolk.

Company Reg. No: 2672435
Registered Name & Office: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Ltd, 2nd Floor, 64-65 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2NU.
Place of registration: England and Wales
VAT Number: 927 5336 08

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