Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has returned to Newcastle for a season of spring and summer sailings, offering departures from the city aboard flagship Bolette for the first time.

Smaller ship Bolettehas set sail on her inaugural cruise from Newcastle – ‘In Search of the Northern Lights in Nine Nights’ – with other voyages venturing to Norway, Iceland, Amsterdam, Latvia, Estonia, the Arctic and Sweden.

The milestone was marked with a plaque exchange from the Port of Tyne to Captain Mikael Degerlund prior to Bolette setting sail.

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“We have been offering sailings from Newcastle for many years, and so it is great to be back – this time with our beautiful flagship Bolette.

“Guests joining us from the city can look ahead to some wonderful adventures, including opportunities to witness Holland’s tulips in bloom on sailings to Amsterdam, explore many Nordic capitals including Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen, or venture off the beaten track on a 23-night adventure into the Arctic.

“Newcastle’s north-easterly location means we can offer some fantastic sailings in a much shorter time, including to northern Norway in nine-nights, and the beautiful scenic fjords in just five-nights.

“There’s a fantastic choice of sailings on offer, whether guests are looking for culture and history, wildlife and landscapes or to enjoy scenery and landscapes best viewed from the water.”

Phil Bedford, International Terminal Manager at the Port of Tyne, said:

“Cruise lines visiting North East England can always expect a warm welcome here at Port of Tyne. As a region, we firmly believe that we have the infrastructure to grow UK departures from the Port of Tyne, and world-class tourist attractions to grow the number of visiting cruise calls.

“Fred. Olsen is committed to serving regional ports around the UK and has been working with the Port of Tyne for over a decade. We enjoy a very loyal following in the North East, and we are pleased to be offering 19 calls from this convenient regional port during this Spring and Summer 2023 season.”

A selection of upcoming cruising highlights from Newcastle include:

Bolette’s 10-night T2307 ‘Uncrowded Iceland’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 27^th March 2023. Prices start from £1,699 per person.

• Witness the power of Gullfoss Waterfall from Reykjavik
• Join a whale-watching group on deck with ORCA
• This is the perfect time of year to search for the Northern Lights

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Reykjavík, Iceland (overnight stay) – Cruising Eyjafjörður, Iceland – Akureyri, Iceland (overnight stay) – Seyðisfjörður, Iceland – Tórshavn, Faroe Islands – Newcastle, England
For more details: Visit Bolette‘s T2307 ‘Uncrowded Iceland’ cruise.

Bolette’s 10-night T2309 ‘Exploring the Nordic Capitals’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 11^th April 2023. Prices start from £1,199 per person.

• Admire magnificent Royal palaces in Stockholm & Oslo
• Take a photo of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen
• Explore the fascinating Vigelund Sculpture park in Oslo

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Aarhus, Denmark – Helsinki, Finland – Nynashamn (for Stockholm), Sweden – Copenhagen, Denmark – Cruising by the Olsen Family Home, Norway – Cruising Oslofjord, Norway – Oslo, Norway – Newcastle, England
For more details: Visit Bolette‘s T2309 ‘Exploring the Nordic Capitals’ cruise.

Bolette’s 23-night T2316 ‘Exploring the Arctic’ cruise, departing from Newcastle 1^stJune 2023. Prices start from £2,499 per person.

• Discover remote destinations in Arctic Norway and experience the Midnight Sun
• Explore isolated Spitsbergen and sample Arctic life
• Seek out marine wildlife alongside ORCA’s Ocean Conservationists out on deck

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Ålesund, Norway – Cruising Torghatten, Norway – Cruising Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Tromsø, Norway – Honningsvåg, Norway – Cruise by Bear Island, Norway – Longyearbyen, Norway – Pyramiden, Norway – Cruise by Nordenskiöldbreen, Norway – Cruising by Tempelfjorden, Norway – Cruising by Jan Mayen Island, Norway – Akureyri, Iceland – Ísafjörður, Iceland – Reykjavík, Iceland – Qaqortoq, Greenland – Narsarsuaq, Greenland – Newcastle, England
For more details: Visit Bolette‘s T2316 ‘Exploring the Arctic’ cruise

Bolette’s 14-night T2318 ‘‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 1^st July 2023. Prices start from £1,899 per person.

• Discover the natural highlights of Finland and Sweden
• Go in search of fascinating wildlife and explore historic old towns
• Experience scenic cruising of the Gulf of Bothnia

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Turku, Finland – Cruising Turku Archipelago, Finland – Oulu, Finland – Kemi, Finland – Holmsund, Sweden – Sundsvall, Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden – Cruising Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden – Aarhus, Denmark – Newcastle, England
For more details: Visit Bolette‘s T2318 ‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’ cruise.