Indulge in an antique lover’s dream cruise with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – awarded ‘Best Educational Cruise’ by readers of Cruise International magazine in 2011 – is offering three cruises in 2012 with ‘Antiques’ as the special topic, through its acclaimed onboard enrichment programme, Vistas. On each cruise, there will be celebrated experts from the world of antiques, sharing their knowledge and passion with like-minded guests. Each of these experts appears as an appraiser on the BBC’s celebrated and long-running ‘Antiques Roadshow.’

Antiques-collecting is one of the UK’s most popular pastimes; the popularity of antiques fairs and auctions continues unabated, with TV shows like 'Antiques Roadshow', ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Flog It!‘ going from strength to strength. So, what better way to indulge an interest in antiques than taking a cruise to some of Europe's most interesting cities, brimming with a wealth of art and antique collections, in the company of the most knowledgeable experts in the field?

The Fred. Olsen experts are:-

Lars Tharp
The Danish-born historian, lecturer and broadcaster is one of the longest-standing experts on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’. Lars originally trained as an archaeologist, and was a Director of Sotheby’s, where he specialised in European ceramics, Chinese ceramics and Oriental works of art. In 2008, Lars was appointed the Director of the Foundling Museum in London, and Visiting Professor at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Will Farmer
Will specialises in 20th Century decorative arts, covering ceramics, glass and furniture. He studied at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, undertaking a combined BA Honour degree in Silversmithing and Fine Art History. Will has featured as an expert on the ‘20th Century Roadshow’, and is now in his fourth season as an expert with the ‘Antiques Roadshow’.

Marc Allum
Marc has been a miscellaneous specialist on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ for 12 years. His interest in antiques began as a child, buying and collecting from an early age, and later becoming an auctioneer and Director of a London auction house; a career he pursued for 16 years. Marc has worked on many other television programmes, including ‘20th Century Roadshow’, ‘Going for a Song’, Bargain Hunt’, ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Moving Day’, in addition to appearing on Discovery Television, Channel Four News and various radio shows.

Clive Stewart-Lockhart
Clive joined Sotheby’s after leaving Marlborough College in 1973. Although his career at Sotheby’s was interrupted by periods at Bluett & Sons and Bonhams, he worked in the auction house’s Valuation Department for five years. Clive then joined the auctioneers Dreweatt Neate in 1982, and now heads their Fine Art Department. His specialties are pictures, works of art, and Oriental ceramics. On the ‘Antiques Roadshow’, his areas of expertise are books, miscellaneous, pictures and paintings.

Paul Viney
Paul is Chairman of Woolley & Wallis, the Salisbury-based fine art auctioneers. He began his career at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He then worked for the National Trust at Waddesdon Manor, the former Rothschild house near Aylesbury, before joining Phillips Auctioneers, where he was Vice President in New York for three years and European Director from 1986 until 1992. He is well known to Radio 2 listeners for his annual Children in Need auctions with Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, Ken Bruce and others. He has lectured extensively.

You can join these fascinating experts free of charge on the following Fred. Olsen cruises in 2012:

Black Watch, W1207, 13-night cruise to ‘The Baltic with Norway’
Departing from Dover on 24th June 2012, this cruise calls at Kiel (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Helsinki (Finland), Turku (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Kristiansand (Norway), before returning to Dover. 
Prices start from £1,699 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin’ Grade ‘E’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. The Vistas theme on this cruise is hosted by Lars Tharp and Clive Stewart-Lockhart.

Boudicca D1221, 12-night cruise to ‘Stockholm & St. Petersburg’ 
Departing from Newcastle (Port of Tyne) on 14th September 2012, this cruise calls first at Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship is at anchor, then Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia) for an overnight stay; Rønne (Bornholm, Denmark), and Kalundborg (Denmark), before returning to Newcastle.
Prices for this cruise start from £1,559 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. The antiques experts on this cruise are Marc Allum and Will Farmer.

Braemar M1223, 14-night cruise to ‘St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Stockholm’
Departing from Dover on 22nd September 2012, this cruise calls at Warnemünde (Germany) for tours to Berlin; Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship us at anchor; Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Rǿnne (Bornholm, Denmark), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway), and returns to Dover. 
Prices for this cruise start from £1,519 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. Hosting the Vistas ‘Antiques’ theme on this cruise are Lars Tharp and Paul Viney.

All three of these cruises form part of the ‘Captains’ Collection’ brochure of 73 specially-selected, ex-UK cruise deals. There are savings of up to £400 per cabin on cruises W1207 and D1221, and up to £500 per cabin on cruise M1223 (depending on cabin grade), if booked by 29th February 2012 inclusive. Fred. Olsen‘s ‘No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee’ also applies on all bookings made by 31st January 2012 inclusive, for departures from 1st January 2012 onwards, so value for money is guaranteed.