Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Parent Bonheur | | |
Website | www.fredolsencruises.com |
---|
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a UK-based,
History
The company originated in Hvitsten, a small town on Oslofjord in Norway, in 1848 by three Olsen brothers, Fredrik Christian, Petter and Andras, who bought their first ships and began an international shipping company. The company is now into the fifth generation of the family and operates various companies skilled within the cruise and passenger shipping trade, as well as aviation, ships' crewing, ship building and offshore industries. The Fred. Olsen group also has business interests in the luxury hotel sector, estate management,[1] property development and electronics companies.[2]
In May 2006 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced the purchase of a new vessel,
In 2018 Fred. Olsen announced that a series of 600-passenger-newbuilts is planned and they are in negotiatings with shipyards, but those newbuilts were never ordered.[3]
In July 2020, Fred. Olsen bought the former
Fleet
Current fleet
Ship | Built | Entered service with Fred. Olsen |
Gross tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balmoral | 1988 | 2007 | 43,537 GT | Bahamas | former Odyssey;Royal Cruise Line | |
Brabant | 2006 | 2018 | Germany | First river cruise for Fred Olsen | ||
Borealis |
1997 | 2020 | 61,849 GT | Bahamas | former Rotterdam; Holland America Line | |
Bolette |
2000 | 2020 | 62,735 GT | Bahamas | former Amsterdam; Holland America Line |
Former fleet
Ship | Built | Years in service | Tonnage | Notes | Fate | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Prince |
1966 | 1966–2009 | 9,499 GRT 11,209 GT |
Built as a combination ferry/cruise ship/reefer ship. Rebuilt into a cruise ship in 1987. | Scrapped in October 2013 as Ola Esmeralda. | |
Blenheim | 1970 Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd | 1970–1981 | 10,427 GRT 12,244 GT |
Built as a larger version of Black Prince and Black Watch combination ferry/cruise ships. Sold to Scandinavia World Cruises 1981. Burnt out 1984. Rebuilt and continued as Discovery 1. | Scrapped in 1997. | |
Black Watch | 1972 | 1996–2020 | 28,613 GT | Retired in 2020, after Fred. Olsen bought the former Amsterdam and Rotterdam. | Scrapped in Alang, India in 2022. |
|
Boudicca | 1973 | 2005–2020 | 28,388 GT | Scrapped in Aliağa, Turkey in 2021. | ||
Braemar |
1993 | 2001–2024[7] | 24,344 GT | Retired in 2022,[8] sold to Villa Vie in 2024 |
Destinations and cruise holidays
For most of the year, the ships are based in UK ports. A winter Caribbean fly-cruise programme on Braemar operates from Barbados.
Destinations include
Operations
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operates smaller scale cruise ships, ranging in size from 24,000 to 62,000 GT (approx), currently a fleet of five cruise ships, the ambience on board is traditionally British.
References
- ^ "Home". fredolsen.co.uk.
- ^ "Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines".
- ^ "'Series' of new 600-passenger ships announced by Fred. Olsen Junior at launch of cruise line's 2019/20 brochure". 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ "Deep distress: Fred Olsen swoops for two Carnival ships funded by seller's finance | TradeWinds". 15 July 2020.
- ^ "ACQUISITION OF CRUISE VESSELS AND FLEET OPTIMIZATION". 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ "Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines confirms new ships Bolette and Borealis will take over from classic vessels Boudicca and Black Watch".
- ^ https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/03/villa-vie-takes-delivery-of-cruise-ship-for-residence-start-up/
- ^ "Fred. Olsen To Sell Braemar".
External links
- Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines official website
- (in Swedish) Fakta om Fartyg: Fred. Olsen (covers ships of all Fred. Olsen brands, past and present)
- Cruisepage.com Review
- Photos of Black Watch and other Fred Olsen cruise ships
- Photos of the current Fred. Olsen Cruises fleet