Fred. Olsen to commence 2018/19 cruise seasons from Newcastle and Liverpool

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be commencing its 2018/19 cruise seasons from the ports of Newcastle and Liverpool on Thursday 26^th April 2018. 1,350-guest flagship Balmoral will be setting sail from Newcastle on a seven-night ‘German Cities & the Kiel Canal’ cruise, and 804-guest Black Watch will be departing from Liverpool on an eight-night ‘Fjords, Mountains & Glaciers’ itinerary around Norway.

Balmoral will be setting sail on a record 15 voyages from the Port of Tyne, Newcastle in 2018 – an increase on the 13 departures offered in 2017 – giving holidaymakers in the North East the choice of a host of exciting and exotic destinations, including Norway, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Baltic. Balmoral’s ex-Newcastle cruise season will extend from April to May, from where the ship will reposition to Edinburgh (Rosyth), before returning to Newcastle from July to October.

Black Watch will be offering a record 18 departures from Liverpool between April and November 2018, ranging from a five-night ‘Scottish Lochs, Highlands & Islands’ sailing in July, to an epic 26-night ‘Canada in the Fall’ adventure in September.

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“The appealing combination of choice and value offered by Fred. Olsen has already seen many first-time cruisers and repeat customers from Newcastle and Liverpool make the decision to sail from their convenient local port.

“In fact, our bookings for 2018 have shown that, so far, Balmoral’s seven-night ‘Scenic Fjords of Norway’ adult-only sailing from Newcastle in May 2018, and Black Watch’s nine-night ‘A Taste of Iceland’ exploration from Liverpool in June 2018, are amongst our best-selling cruises overall.”

At the launch of its new 2019/20 cruise programme in March 2018, Fred. Olsen confirmed that it will be offering even more ex-Newcastle itineraries in 2019/20, with a total of 16 sailings between April 2019 and March 2020, on board Balmoral.

Liverpool will also be seeing a bumper number of Fred. Olsen cruise departures in 2019/20, with a total of 22 sailings between April 2019 and March 2020 on Black Watch.

Balmoral’s ex-Newcastle sailings in 2018 include:

- Seven-night L1823 ‘Scenic Fjords of Norway’ cruise, ex Newcastle on 5^th August 2018. Prices start from £849 per person, which includes ‘Summer Sale 2018’ savings of up to £150 per person!

Ports of call: Newcastle – Cruising Lysefjord– Bergen, Norway – Flåm, Norway – Cruising Naeroyfjord– Olden, Norway – Cruising Nordfjord– Cruising by Hornelen– Hellesylt, Norway – Cruising Geirangerfjord – Cruising past Seven Sisters Waterfall – Cruising Sunnylvsfjorden – Cruising Storfjorden – Cruising Hjørundfjord – Newcastle

For further information: See 'Scenic Fjords of Norway'

- Nine-night L1830 ‘Diamonds, Chocolates & Canals’ cruise, ex Newcastle on 16^th September 2018. Prices start from £799 per person, which includes ‘Summer Sale 2018’ savings of up to £350 per person!

Ports of call: Newcastle – Ghent, Belgium – Antwerp, Belgium (overnight stay) – Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Amsterdam, The Netherlands (overnight stay) – Newcastle

For further information: See 'Diamonds, Chocolates & Canals'

Black Watch’s ex-Liverpool sailings in 2018 include:

- Seven-night W1820 ‘Lochs of Scotland’ cruise, ex Liverpool on 15^th September 2018. Prices start from £999 per person, based on an Ocean View Room, which includes ‘Summer Sale 2018’ savings of up to £250 per person!

Ports of call: Liverpool – Cruising Sound of Canna – Cruising Loch Dunvegan– Kirkwall, Orkney Islands – Invergordon – Ullapool – Cruising Loch Broom– Tobermory, Isle of Mull – Cruising Sound of Mull– Cruising past Duart Castle– Greenock – Liverpool

For further information: See 'Lochs of Scotland'

- 14-night W1823 ‘Islands & Landscapes of the Canaries’ cruise, ex Liverpool on 27^th October 2018. Prices start from £849 per person. Included in the special ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’ offer!

Ports of call: Liverpool – Lisbon, Portugal – Arrecife, Spain – Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – Santa Cruz, La Palma, Spain – Funchal, Madeira – Oporto (from Leixões), Portugal – Liverpool

For further information: See 'Islands & Landscapes of the Canaries'

All prices are based on two adults sharing a twin-bedded Interior Room, unless stated otherwise, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

A number of ex-Newcastle and ex-Liverpool cruises are included in Fred. Olsen's attractive ‘Summer Sale 2018’ campaign, featuring over 40 ocean and river sailings, departing between from June to September 2018. Guests can save up £400 per person on selected cruises, on all new bookings made from 11^th April to 2^nd July 2018 inclusive.

Fred. Olsen is also offering a fantastic ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’ deal on a wide selection of sailings. Just book one selected cruise, departing between October and December 2018, along with anyother two Fred. Olsen cruises in 2018, 2019 or 2020, before 31^st May 2018, and the lowest-priced sailing is compliments of Fred. Olsen!

In 2018/19, the Fred. Olsen fleet will be visiting no fewer than 228 destinations in 73 countries around the globe, covering 91 areas of scenic cruising.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent.