Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Adds Three New UK Departure Ports for 2013 – Harwich, Liverpool and Belfast

Suffolk, United Kingdom, August 12, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has long been renowned for its range of cruises from convenient regional UK ports. By 2013, this reputation will be further cemented when the cruise line will be adding three new departure ports to its cruise programme: Harwich, to serve guests in the East of England; Liverpool, offering more cruise options from the North; and, for the first time in many years, Fred. Olsen will be offering cruises from Belfast, catering to its guests from Northern Ireland.

Fred. Olsen’s existing departure ports are Dover, Southampton and Portsmouth, in the South of England, Newcastle in the North, and Greenock (Glasgow) and Rosyth (Edinburgh) in Scotland. Cruises from all these ports are featured in the new Fred. Olsen brochure of "Worldwide Cruises" for 2013/14.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Harwich International Port has been on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ radar as a turnaround port for some time, following a series of successful transit calls in recent years. Its direct rail connections from London – whereby guests alight right next to the Cruise Terminal – make this an extremely easy port to access.”

The cruise season from Harwich, in spring and early summer 2013, will be operated by Black Watch. There will be three cruises from Harwich International Port in May 2013 – to the Baltic, Norway and Lapland, through the Gulf of Bothnia – and a mini-cruise in June 2013. The cruises will range in length from three to 17 nights.

Cruising from Liverpool with Fred. Olsen will now be even easier and more convenient, thanks to the UK Government’s announcement of its intention to lift the restrictions that had previously prevented Liverpool’s Pier Head Terminal from being used for turnaround calls – subject to the municipality's repayment of an £8.8 million UK Government grant.

Fred. Olsen cruise guests in Liverpool will be welcoming 880-guest ship Boudicca back to the city in spring/summer 2013. The cruise line is making a return to this popular departure port with 10 cruises, on a variety of exciting worldwide itineraries, between April and August 2013, of varying durations – from a 12-night Canary Islands cruise in April 2013 to a four-night mini-cruise in August 2013.

Boudicca will also be operating new cruises from Belfast, offering a 12-night Iberian cruise and a two-night mini cruise to Liverpool from Belfast in October 2013.