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Fred Olsen’s Black Watch to be refurbished
Fred Olsen’s ship Black Watch is going into dry dock next month for a multi-million pound investment that will include the creation of several new public areas, guest facilities and cabin refurbishments.
Black Watch will leave Tilbury for the shipyard in Hamburg on November 18 and work will start two days later.
Managing director Mike Rodwell said: "Black Watch is one of Fred Olsen’s most popular cruise ships and it is important she always looks her best."
A key focus of Black Watch’s refurbishment will be upgrades to the 423 cabins across the ship, including the installation of interactive in-cabin TV, safes and mini-bars as well as refurbished bathrooms.
The Braemar Garden Café will be converted into a new restaurant, to be called Brigadoon; the Braemar Courtyard will be converted into a separate speciality dining area, called The Black Watch Room, and the existing Grill restaurant will be rebranded and redesigned, to offer a new Mediterranean-themed dining experience.
Black Watch’s main 340-guest restaurant, The Glentanar, will undergo extensive refurbishment, with a spacious new layout and new look, featuring new furniture, carpet and curtains.
The ship’s bars will also be refurbished and the Marina Cinema will be upgraded to 3D.
Similar refurbishments and upgrades are expected to the rest of the Fred. Olsen fleet – Balmoral, Braemar and Boudicca – in the coming years.
Following Black Watch’s dry dock, the ship will recommence its cruise season from Tilbury, with a seven-night German and Danish Christmas Markets cruise departing on December 15.
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.
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