Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has today unveiled a brand new programme of cruising for summer 2023, offering a host of scenic sailings, cultural discoveries and calls that coincide with special events ashore.

The new sailings feature the chance to explore the Adriatic’s lesser-known cities of Durrës in Albania, Neum in Bosnia and Koper in Slovenia; witness the Midnight Sun in sailings to Arctic Norway and Spitsbergen; and sail the Amalfi Coast at sunrise and sunset.

Fred. Olsen is already developing an immersive programme of shore excursions for these new sailings, including opportunities to make Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon, the city from which they famously hail, and hike Bergen’s Mount Floyen with a local resident, away from the typical tourist vantage points.

Guests will be able to take advantage of up to £250 per person to spend on board, or up to £500 per person when booking a suite. In addition, on selected July and August 2023 cruises, there is the option to add a third guest from £199 when sharing with two others, plus a number of no single supplement offers for solo travellers too.

The new programme offers more than 40 sailings departing between June and October 2023, with regional departures available from Southampton, Dover, London Tilbury, Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth and Belfast.

Members of Fred. Olsen’s Oceans loyalty scheme can take advantage of an exclusive early booking period from today, ahead of the new itineraries going on general sale on Friday (18^th March) at 9am.

Martin Lister, Head of Itinerary Planning and Destination Experience at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Our new summer programme really showcases what makes us special, and we have hand-crafted each cruise to really celebrate our smaller ships and the opportunities they allow us to offer our guests. So much has been curated around the best time to visit, whether that’s to witness a destination at its seasonal best, or to coincide with a special event ashore.

“In July, Braemar will call into Fredericia, Denmark, in time for the annual 6^th July celebrations, for example, while in October Borealiswill venture to Canada in time for guests to witness the spectacular autumnal foliage.

“We know that our guests want to have real experiences when they travel with us, and so we are already curating our tours programme to show guests the very best in the destinations we visit, away from the mass market tours and the large crowds. With us, guests can learn the Flamenco in Seville, rather than simply watching a performance, or can visit the rice fields in Valencia and learn more about how the farmers here helped shape the flavours of the region.

“This is our first programme where we will have all four ships in our new-look fleet sailing, and we can’t wait to welcome guests, both new and returning, on board with us next summer.” Highlights of Fred. Olsen’s new Summer 2023 programme include:

Balmoral’s 17-night L2316 ‘Experience Spanish & Portuguese Traditions’ cruise, departing from Rosyth (Edinburgh) on 2^nd July 2023. Prices start from £2,599 per person, with £250 per person to spend on board.

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Leixões, Portugal – Malaga, Spain – Cartagena, Spain – Valencia, Spain – Mahon, Menorca – Cádiz, Spain – Cruising mouth of River Tagus – Lisbon, Portugal – Vigo, Spain – Rosyth, Scotland

For more details:Visit L2316 ‘Experience Spanish & Portuguese Traditions’

Braemar’s eight-night M2315 ‘Denmark with Fredericia Festivities’ cruise, departing from Dover on 2^nd July 2023.Prices start from £1,199 per person, with £250 per person to spend on board.

Itinerary: Dover, England – Cruising Kiel Canal, Germany – Copenhagen, Denmark – Fredericia, Denmark – Cruising Limfjord, Denmark – Aalborg, Denmark – Skagen, Denmark – Dover, England

For more details: Visit M2315 ‘Denmark with Fredericia Festivities’

Borealis’ 15-night S2312 ‘Exploring Northern Norway – the Land of the Midnight Sun’ cruise, departing from Liverpool on 4^th July 2023. Prices start from £2,499 per person, with £200 per person to spend on board.

Itinerary: Liverpool, England – Kristiansund, Norway – Cruising by Torghatten (Hat Mountain), Norway – Cruising by Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Crossing Arctic Circle, Norway – Tromsø, Norway – Alta, Norway – Honningsvåg, Norway – Cruising by North Cape and The Horn, Norway – Cruising by Devils Jaw, Norway – Bodø, Norway – Olden, Norway – Cruising by Hornelen at sunset – Cruising Nordfjord and Innvikfjord – Kirkwall, Orkney – Liverpool, England

For more details:Visit S2312 ‘Exploring Northern Norway – the Land of the Midnight Sun’

Bolette’s 26-night T2326 ‘Exploring the Balkans & Adriatic with Venice’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 18^th September 2023. Prices start from £4,099 per person, with £250 per person to spend on board.

Itinerary: Southampton, England – Malaga, Spain – Catania, Sicily, Italy – Dubrovnik, Croatia – Split, Croatia – Zadar, Croatia – Rijeka, Croatia – Venice, Italy (overnight stay) – Koper, Slovenia – Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Cruising Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, at sunrise – Kotor, Montenegro – Durres, Albania – Cruising Strait of Messina, Italy – Cruising by Stromboli, Italy, at sunset – Gibraltar – La Coruña, Spain – Cruising by Tower of Hercules Lighthouse, Spain – Southampton, England

For more details: Visit T2326 ‘Exploring the Balkans & Adriatic with Venice’

The summer programme comes ahead of the launch of Fred. Olsen’s full 2023/24 brochure, which is set to be released by the small-ship operator in late April 2022.