Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Unveils New Joint RNLI DVD on YouTube

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has unveiled an action-packed new promotional film on its own YouTube channel, produced in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), to highlight the amazing fundraising efforts of its guests on board its four cruise ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch –for this very worthy cause.

 The film can be viewed at:

 YouTube (under ‘FredOlsenCruises's Channel’)

 http://www.youtube.com/user/FredOlsenCruises

 Fred. Olsen’s guests have been raising funds for the RNLI on board its cruise ships since the 1960s, when an RNLI volunteer, Howard Bell (and his wife, Poppy), started the initiative to encourage fellow guests to help the charity to save lives at sea. The relationship has grown ever since, and Fred. Olsen is now the RNLI's longest-running corporate partner.

 Mike Rodwell, Managing Director of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

 “At Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, we are committed to providing a very personal service across our fleet, and fundraising for the RNLI has become an institution on board our four cruise ships. The film is promoted across our fleet, to show guests how much their donations on board help to make a difference to the RNLI, and we are tremendously proud of their ongoing generosity.”

 The film demonstrates how funds are raised on board through raffles, quizzes, church services, foreign coin collections and auctions. The film also contains interviews with the Master of Boudicca, Captain Jan Thommessen, and Matt Grimes – Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Director of Director, Planning, Ports & Logistics, who give an insight into the close links with this life-saving charity.

 During its long-running association with the RNLI, the generous donations of Fred. Olsen’s guests’ on board its ships have funded four inshore lifeboats – the last, B-774 Braemar, went on service in 2001 – three mobile training units, three seminar rooms at The Lifeboat College in Poole in Dorset, and the development and funding of three DODO (drive-on, drive-off) lifeboat launching trolleys at Mudeford, Cullercoats and Criccieth.

 In 2009, guests’ donations on board amounted to an amazing £91,000, which enabled Fred. Olsen to reach its target of £150,000 for a fourth inshore lifeboat – an Atlantic 85 – which will come into service.