Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has welcomed its third ship back into service, with the return of Balmoral marking the start of a summer season of sailing from Newcastle and Rosyth.

Balmoral will split her summer sailings between the two ports, ahead of a programme of winter sailings from Southampton and Dover, with two new Captains, Captain Valentin Giuglea and Captain Steffan Ravneng, at the helm.

In the coming weeks, guests will have the chance to witness the phenomenal Midnight Sun and the rugged beauty of Arctic Norway, explore the historic towns and cities of Tallinn and Riga and experience the famous Golden Circle in Iceland. Balmoral will also be offering scenic sailings into the heart of the Norwegian fjords and along the River Seine in France, made possible by her smaller size.

These follow on from Balmoral’s inaugural voyage – the 16-night ‘Canary Islands with the Funchal Flower Parade’ cruise – which returned to Newcastle earlier today.

Peter Deer, Managing Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Welcoming our wonderful Balmoral back into service is a big milestone for us. Having three ships sailing means we can offer departures from even more regional ports, and we are so pleased to have Balmoral returning to offer sailings from Newcastle and Rosyth again this year.

“I would also like to congratulate our two new Captains, Captain Valentin Giuglea and Captain Steffan Ravneng, on their promotions after many years of working aboard our fleet as Officers.

“I look forward to exploring the world with our guests aboard Balmoral this year and beyond.”

Some highlights of Balmoral’s first season of sailing are:

Balmoral’s 15-night L2217 ‘Rugged & Remote Spitsbergen’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 22^nd June 2022. Prices start from £2,299 per person. Enjoy £200 per person to spend on board, or £400 per person when booking a suite, when booked before 31^st May 2022.

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Olden, Norway (overnight stay) – Cruising Nordfjord, Norway – Maloy, Norway – Cruising Nærøyfjord, Norway – Cruising Torghatten, Norway – Cruising Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Crossing the Arctic Circle, Norway – Cruising Trollfjord, Norway – Cruising by Djevelen Tanngard, Norway – Honningsvåg, Norway – Cruising North Cape, Norway – Pryamiden, Norway – Cruising by Nordenskiöldbreen, Norway – Cruising Tempelfjorden, Norway – Longyearbyen, Norway – Tromsø, Norway – Cruising by Black Glacier, Norway – Cruising Nordfjorden, Norway – Åndalsnes, Norway – Cruising Romsdalfjorden & Isfjorden,Norway – Newcastle, England