United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Fred. Olsen axes 70 jobs
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has made a third of its head-office staff redundant, less than a month after purchasing two new cruise ships.
The operator warned in June that it would have to make redundancies. At the time cruise line employed around 220 staff at its head office but a spokeswoman confirmed to the East Anglian Daily Times the number was now closer to 150.
The confirmation of job losses comes less than a month after Fred. Olsen purchased two new ships from Holland America Line, which have been renamed Bolette and Borealis.
The company said the new purchases and the restructuring were not related.
Managing Director Peter Deer said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the cruise industry particularly hard. We still don’t know when we can sail again, with the government still advising against cruising.
"Sadly, this does mean that we have had to streamline our head office operations by around one third.
"We are supporting any of our team members who have been affected by this restructure, including support with CV writing and interview skills."
A spokeswoman for Fred. Olsen added: "The purchase of our two new ships is essential for the future of our business, and will help us to come out of this current situation stronger. These are two separate business decisions."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Exploring Brooklands Museum with Alex Patterson
Global Tourism Challenges and Upcoming Events: A Conversation with Don Welsh
Peebles Barbeque: A Legacy of Flavor and Tradition
Exploring Bok Tower Gardens with Erica Smith
Rue’s Living Water Boat Cruises: Exploring Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes
Durango and Silverton Railroad: A Timeless Journey Through History and Scenic Beauty
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
Qatar Airways adding Manchester flights
Royal Caribbean issues Legionnaires’ disease warning
Jet2 unveils Samos as new Greek destination for summer 2026
EU entry-exit system delayed again
ATC strike in Greece could disrupt flights this week