China on cruise map as Fred Olsen expands programme

Friday, 28 Jun, 2007 0

An expanded programme for 2008/09 has been released by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines as it introduced a fifth ship to its fleet.

Balmoral joins the line in January next year and will embark on a 104-night voyage from Dover on February 14.

The ship will visit Lisbon and Valletta before reaching Port Said in Egypt and transiting the Suez Canal.

Balmoral will visit Jordan and Oman, Goa in southern India, then Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Shanghai and Tianjin in China are fist time ports of call for the line before Balmoral sails to Yokahama in Japan, crosses the Pacific to Alaska before moving on to Vancouver and finally the western coast of the US visiting Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

The ship returns via Mexico and Guatemala, transits the Panama Canal then travels back through the Caribbean and the Azores.

Other highlights include a world cruise by Black Watch from Southampton, travelling in a westerly direction, from January 6, 2009 for 97 nights.

The voyage takes the vessel via the Canary Islands to the Caribbean and a transit of the Panama Canal, then on to French Polynesia and the islands of Tahiti, Tonga and Fiji en route to Australia. Ports here include Brisbane, Sydney, Tasmania and Perth then it’s on to Mauritius and Mozambique.

Black Watch calls at Cape Town in South Africa and also visits the African countries of Namibia and Ghana before returning via Cape Verde and the Canaries.

General sales manager Lol Nichols said: “The extension of our fleet has allowed us much more scope for innovative cruises and itineraries.

“We can offer more long cruises and a host of new ports of call with the increased capacity at our disposal.

“These, plus the increased list of regional airports in our fly/cruise programme make our 2008/09 brochure the most exciting ever.”

by Phil Davies

Phil Davies

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