Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines extends a warm welcome to solo travellers with attractive offers in its 2014/15 ‘Solo Cruising’ campaign

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – voted as ‘the line most committed to keeping the solo traveller happy’ by cruise experts at influential consumer website Cruise Critic in its ‘Editors' Picks Awards 2011’ – has launched a new ‘Solo Cruising’ brochure, offering significant discounts to solo travellers on a selection of 38 exciting singles cruises in 2014/15, valid on bookings up to 28th February 2014.

As part of its new ‘Turn of Year’ sales promotion, Fred. Olsen’s special ‘twin-for-sole occupancy’ offer means that solo travellers can book a twin cabin on many departures in 2014/15, without having to pay any additional charges for solo occupancy. Furthermore, other selected Fred. Olsen cruises in 2014/15 have a discount, ranging from 50% to 75%, on selected cabin grades.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“We understand that it can be difficult to find suitable holidays as a solo traveller, especially without having to incur huge single supplements. The number of single people in the UK is increasing dramatically, with over 40% of over 55s being single, so Fred. Olsen’s new ‘Solo Cruising’ campaign offers great value single fares – from just £72 per person, per night – combined with a cruise product that is totally compatible with their needs, without being overwhelming or intimidating.”

The relatively small size of Fred. Olsen’s fleet of four cruise ships – from Black Watch, with a capacity of just 804 guests, to its flagship Balmaral, with 1,350 guests – and the relaxed and friendly ‘country house’ atmosphere on board help to make Fred. Olsen cruises especially attractive for those travelling alone.

Fred. Olsen’s new product range for the 2014/15 cruise programme includes the cruise line’s first-ever series of two-night cruises – ‘Introductory Cruises’ – making it even easier for solo travellers to try a cruise and see whether it is the kind of holiday for them, before embarking on a longer voyage.

Fred. Olsen has also unveiled its innovative ‘Fred.’s Enjoyment Promise’ – the biggest initiative of its kind ever to take place in the UK to encourage people to try cruising – whereby people who have never cruised with Fred. Olsen before will be able to try a Fred. Olsen cruise, and if they do not enjoy it, Fred. Olsen will fly them home and refund their cruise fare*. The new promise is valid for bookings made until 28th February 2014 only, for departures of more than 14 weeks ahead, and does not apply to cruises of six nights or less, or with a duration greater than 35 nights.

For those solo cruisers who prefer to occupy a single cabin, Fred. Olsen has a number of cabin options available on each of its four ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch – covering all grades, from ‘Single Inside’ and ‘Single Outside’ cabins, to ‘Single Balcony Suites’. Overall, the Fred. Olsen fleet has 190 single cabins; Braemar offers 40 such cabins, Black Watch and Boudicca each have 43, and Balmoral has 64.

Fred. Olsen is offering ‘twin-for-sole occupancy’ fares for solo travellers on a range of cruise itineraries in 2014/15, including (subject to availability):

Balmoral                                                                                                                                                              11-night L1404 ‘Waterfalls, Fjords & Glaciers’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 6th May 2014 – from £1,439 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘D’ Grade  Seven-night L1414 ‘The Seine & the Cities of France’ cruise, ex Southampton on 3rd October 2014 – from £839 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  10-night L1416 ‘Waterways & Cities of Europe’ cruise to Oslo, Amsterdam and Antwerp (all with overnight stops), ex Southampton on 24th October 2014 – from £989 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  Two-night L1418 ‘Pre-Christmas Mini Cruise to France’, ex Southampton on 19th December 2014 – from £239 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade

Braemar                                                                                                                                                              10-night M1412 ‘Sunshine, Shopping & Spring’ fly-cruise, ex Santa Cruz, Tenerife on 3rd May 2014 (returns to Harwich) – from £719 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade (cruise only fare)  Three-night M1430 ‘Paris City Break’, ex Southampton on 20th November 2014 – from £299 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  Nine-night M1431 ‘The Canaries from Air, Land & Sea’ fly-cruise, ex Southampton on 23rd November 2014 (ends in Santa Cruz, Tenerife) – from £669 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade (cruise only fare)  14-night M1432 ‘Cape Verde & Canary Islands’ fly-cruise, ex Santa Cruz, Tenerife on 2nd December 2014 – from £1,019 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade (cruise only fare)

Boudicca                                                                                                                                                             14-night D1406 ‘Canaries Landscapes & Seascapes’ cruise, ex Avonmouth on 27th April 2014 – from £1,369 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  15-night D1413 ‘Medieval Cities of Eastern Europe’ cruise, ex Liverpool on 2nd August 2014 – from £1,729 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  Eight-night D1415 ‘The Greatest Fjords of Norway’ cruise, ex Belfast on 29th August 2014 – from £859 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  14-night D1501 ‘Portuguese Cities & the Canaries’ cruise, ex Liverpool 5th January 2015 – from £1,089 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade

Black Watch                                                                                                                                                        Nine-night W1402 ‘Bright Lights & Overnights’ Rouen, Amsterdam and Hamburg cruise, ex Southampton on 8th May 2014 – from £939 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  Seven-night W1407 ‘Mountains, Rivers & Railways’ Norway cruise, ex Newcastle on 13th July 2014 – from £989 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  13-night W1410 ‘’Scandinavia’s Capitals & Palaces’ cruise, ex Rosyth on 10th August 2014 – from £1,599 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade  15-night W1416 ‘South to the Sunshine Islands’ Canaries cruise, ex Newcastle on 19th October 2014 – from £1,380 for an Outside Twin cabin, ‘E’ Grade

Once on board a Fred. Olsen cruise ship, solo travellers will find exclusive gatherings for them to get to know each other, and staff on board will seat them together for dinner, and arrange companions for solo travellers when going ashore, if required. There are also Gentleman Hosts and Dance Couples on board the ships to provide dancing partners for solo guests.

Fred. Olsen’s was voted the second-highest cruise line in the UK in Which?’s 2013 Holiday Survey, with a score of 86%. Fred. Olsen has also received over 5,600 genuine, independent guest reviews via leading consumer website Feefo, of which 95% have rated the cruise line 'Excellent' or 'Good'.