Fred. Olsen's Caribbean Fly-Cruise Programme

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operates a regular winter Caribbean fly-cruise programme, from October to April, on the 929-passenger Braemar.  Most of these cruises are based in Barbados, which is the ideal starting point for itineraries to both the east and west Caribbean resorts, as well as occasional journeys to the Amazon, or through the Panama Canal.  Mostly of 15 nights’ duration, these holidays provide the perfect chance to unwind and soak up some winter sun in a relaxed fashion.

Flights for these cruises depart from Gatwick and Manchester, with regional airports being used on selected cruises (although, from the 2010/2011 season, all fly-cruises will be from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham).  All are on exclusive Fred. Olsen aircraft, and on arrival in Barbados, passengers and luggage are transferred seamlessly from the plane straight to Braemar without having to go through immigration or customs.  When the cruise starts from another resort such as Costa Rica or Jamaica, transfers between airport-ship-airport are made as easy as possible.

Braemar’s compact size makes her the ideal ship for this area, as she is small enough to visit many islands and ports that are inaccessible to larger ships. Destinations include all the major resorts that are so popular with tourists, such as St John’s in Antigua, or Montego Bay in Jamaica, as well as tiny islands such as Bequia in the Grenadines. 

A cruise is the perfect introduction to the Caribbean in all its variety.  Typically, Braemar will travel between ports overnight, visiting up to nine or ten islands on a fortnight’s cruise, as well as three or four full days spent at sea, allowing plenty of time to enjoy all the facilities on board.

The cruise programme offers a wide choice of itineraries, so repeat customers are unlikely to visit the same islands twice.  A typical itinerary in autumn 2009 leaves Barbados and heads for Dominica and Tortola, and then spends two days in Havana, the capital city of Cuba, before moving on to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel in Mexico, then Jamaica and St Lucia before returning to Barbados.  Braemar’s Christmas and New Year cruise this year will depart from Barbados,  then spend time in St Vincent, Trinidad, Bonaire, two ports in Colombia, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, St Kitts, Martinique, and St Lucia before returning to Barbados and the flight back to the UK.  Christmas Day is spent cruising between Trinidad and Bonaire, and on New Year’s Eve the ship leaves very late from Montego Bay,  so all the festivities can be enjoyed in that vibrant Jamaican resort.

In addition to the winter fly-cruise season, Fred. Olsen also offers individual round-trip cruises to the Caribbean from the UK.  Black Watch has two such itineraries in October and December 2009, both 25 nights’ duration and both leaving from, and returning to, Southampton.  The December cruise includes Christmas and New Year, so in addition to the lovely sunshine on Christmas Day, there will also be all the traditional trappings of a British Christmas as well – there is even a pantomime on Boxing Day for all the family!

Next January, Boudicca has a 28-night cruise, also from Southampton, and of course the Caribbean will form part of some long voyage-type itineraries such as round the world, or around South America.

Many of these cruises feature two of Fred. Olsen’s optional add-on programmes,  The ArtsClub and Flagship Golf. 

There is full information on these Fred. Olsen Caribbean cruises, plus details of all the ships in the fleet, on the website:  http://www.fredolencruises.co.uk/

For bookings and information call Fred. Olsen on 01473 742424, visit the website or see  your ABTA travel agent.