Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offers guests new free ‘door-to-door’ transport service on longer 2014/15 cruises

As part of its new ‘Turn of Year’ sales campaign, award-winning Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests on longer-duration 2014/15 cruises a complimentary ‘door-to-door’ transport service. The initiative, which is available on bookings made up to 28th February 2014, will be applicable on a selection of 21 longer cruises with Fred. Olsen in 2014/15, for guests who live within 250 miles of the departure port*.

This enhanced service for Fred. Olsen guests will be operated by Dover Heritage Taxis for Dover departures and Door to Door Cars for Southampton departures. Computers Cabs (Liverpool) will be serving guests in the North West of the UK.

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

“This new complimentary ‘door-to-door’ transport service from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offers our longer cruisers the security and convenience of being picked up from on their doorstep and taken straight to the ship to begin their holiday, without the worry and hassle of getting to and from the port.

“Feedback from our customers and travel agent partners has shown that a major factor in booking a Fred. Olsen cruise is the opportunity of a door-to-door transport service, as this makes for a comfortable and stress-free start to any holiday – all you have to do is pack your bags and be ready to go!”

Cruise itineraries included in the new Fred. Olsen ‘Free Door-to-Door Transport’ offer are:

- Braemar’s 22-night ‘Venice & the Beauty of the Adriatic’ cruise, M1426, ex Southampton on 13th September 2014                                                                                                                                 Guests on this stunning cruise will stop first in Gibraltar, before moving onto Valletta (Malta), Bari (Italy), Split (Croatia), Venice (Italy), Ravenna (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Trapani (Italy), Cartagena (Spain) and Lisbon (Portugal), before returning to Southampton. Prices start from £1,799 per person.

- Boudicca’s 28-night ‘Empires of the Mediterranean & the Black Sea’ cruise, D1419, ex Liverpool on 11th October 2014                                                                                                                   Leaving Liverpool behind, guests will arrive in Tangier (Morocco), before cruising onto Valletta (Malta), Varna (Bulgaria), Odessa (Ukraine), Sevastopol (Ukraine), Istanbul (Turkey), Izmir (Turkey), Piraeus (for Athens, Greece), Thira (Santorini), Catania (Sicily), Almeria (Spain), and finally Gibraltar. Prices start from £2,285 per person.

Fred. Olsen’s new ‘Free Door-to-Door Transport’ enhancement is also available on a number of exotic fly-cruises. Itineraries include:

- Balmoral’s 119-night ‘Far East Grand Voyage’ cruise, L1501, ex Southampton on 4th January 2015                                                                                                                                            There will be an impressive 51 stops on Balmoral’s longest-ever ‘Grand Voyage’ in 2015, including: Galle (Sri Lanka), Ujang Pandang (‘Makassar’, Indonesia), Naha (Okinawa, Japan), Tokyo (Japan), Nagasaki (Japan), Jeju City (Jeju Island, South Korea), Dalian (China), Nha Trang (Vietnam), Nathon (Koh Samui, Thailand), Malacca (Malaysia), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Utheemu (North Thiladhunmathee Atoll, Maldives) and Uligamu (Ihavandhippolhu Atoll, Maldives). Prices start from £8,999 per person.

- Balmoral’s 33-night ‘Bombay, Burma & the Far East’ fly-cruise, L150135, ex Dubai, UAE on 28th January 2015                                                                                                                                   Flying from either London Gatwick or Manchester, guests will arrive in Dubai (UAE), where they will begin their cruise to Mumbai (India). The ship then calls at Cochin (India), Galle (Sri Lanka), Port Blair (India), Yangon (Myanmar), Port Klang (Malaysia), Semarang (Indonesia), Komodo (Indonesia), Ujung Pandang (Indonesia), Cebu, Naha (Japan) and Tokyo (Japan) - where guests will then pick up their return flight back to the UK. Prices start from £4,199 per person.

- Black Watch’s 20-night ‘Buenos Aires to Callao’ fly-cruise, W150123, ex Buenos Aires, Argentina on 30th January 2015                                                                                                           Guest will fly into Buenos Aires (Argentina), where they will begin their South American adventure. Cruising to Puerto Madryn (Argentina), Ushuaia (Argentina), Cape Horn, Punta Arenas (Chile), Puerto Chacabuco (Chile), Puerto Montt (Chile) Valparaiso (Chile), General San Martin (Peru) and Callao (Peru), guests will then make their return flight to either London Gatwick or Manchester. Prices start from £3,989 per person.

Prices for these cruises are based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. Prices listed for the fly-cruises include return flights to/from London or Manchester, transfers, and port/airport taxes.

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.

Fred. Olsen was delighted 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 was also 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'.

*See the website www.fredolsencruises.com for full Terms and Conditions.