Fred Olsen pushes back restart date to May 22

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has pushed back its restart date to May 22, from April 23.

The line’s first cruise will now be Borealis’s Sailing Around Iconic Ireland, departing from Liverpool.

Bolette will be the second of the Fred Olsen fleet to set sail, departing from Dover on May 29, 2021. This will be followed by Balmoral from Edinburgh (Rosyth) on June 9, 2021. Due to having its planned fly-cruise programme, Braemar will remain in lay-up until 2022.

Peter Deer, managing director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “When we announced our new ‘back in service’ plans in December, we had every confidence in these new dates based on the information available to us at the time.

“Since then, we have seen a third national lockdown imposed, and this must be taken into consideration for our plans in returning to service.

“Deferring Borealis’ return allows us a little more time to consider and understand the developments around Covid-19, including the roll-out of the vaccine, and how this will reflect how we operate.

“We were also conscious that guests on sailings in April and early May would be due to pay their final balances soon, which is why we have taken this decision now.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming our guests back on board with us in 2021, and I would like to stress that we will not do so until we are confident that the time is right.”