Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral makes maiden call at Haugesund, Norway

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral makes maiden call at Haugesund, Norway

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' 1,350-guest Balmoral has made her inaugural call at Haugesund, Norway, as part of a ten-night L1303 'Norwegian Experience' cruise. The town of Haugesund celebrated the opening of its new Cruise Terminal with the arrival of Fred. Olsen’s flagship.

With its proud Norwegian heritage, Balmoral’s ‘Norwegian Experience’ itinerary has special resonance for Fred. Olsen, which was established in the small Norwegian town of Hvitsten in 1848 by the three Olsen brothers, Fredrik Christian, Petter and Andreas.

En route to Haugesund, Balmoral also celebrated Norway's 'National Day', with an overnight call into Oslo on 17th May 2013, so that guests could share in the city's annual festivities.

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

“With our strong Norwegian background, it is always a pleasure to plan a cruise to our historical homeland. This call at Haugesund is particularly special, as it is Balmoral’s first, and we know that our guests are always looking for new experiences and destinations.

“We would like to thank the town and people of Haugesund for the support that they have shown to Fred. Olsen, and we very much appreciate the warm and enthusiastic welcome that they have given our guests.” 

Vigleik Dueland, Director of Cruise Development for the Port of Haugesund, said:

“Haugesund is an attractive cruise port, due to its very good access from the North Sea and the short pilotage required. It is only five nautical miles to go ashore. With three big cruise brands close to us – Stavanger, Hardangerfjord and Bergen – cruise visitors can see a lot of the south-western part of Norway in a short time.”

Whilst in Haugesund, guests were able to take in the town's historical past, with visits to the Viking farm, close to St. Olav's Church, which reconstructs the conditions of a Viking village, and also to the Nordvegen History Centre, providing a more detailed explanation of Haugesund's Viking background.

According to findings by the Passenger Shipping Association in 2012, Britons have developed a growing taste for the Norwegian fjords and Norway, which saw nearly 200,000 British cruise guests visiting the region last year, accounting for 44.5% of UK cruise bookings to Northern European destinations.

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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

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral makes maiden call at Haugesund, Norway
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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
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