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& Cheryl Imboden'sEurope for Cruisers europeforcruisers.com |
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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
ABOVE: Fred. Olsen's Black Watch. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines traces its roots back to 1848, when three Norwegian brothers--Fredrik Christian, Petter, and Andreas Olsen--bought a handful of ships and launched an international shipping company. The family firm's headquarters is still in Oslo, although its passenger subsidiary--Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines--is based in Ipswich, England. The line focuses primarily on the British market but has overseas agents in countries as far away as the United States, South Africa, and Australia. Fred. Olsen currently has four cruise ships: the Black Watch and its sister ship Boudicca, the Black Prince, and the Braemar. All four vessels are small by today's standards, with 241 to 435 cabins and dimensions that are compact enough to allow mooring at downtown quays or in smaller ports. A fifth vessel, the Balmoral, will enter service in 2008. The company's European cruise itineraries are grouped under the headings of "Canaries, Iberia & Europe," "Mediterranean," and "Scandinavia & Baltic." Ports range from the obvious (Venice, St. Petersburg) to the offbeat (Albania and Greenland). Special-interest "themed cruises" are often available for fans of bridge, dance, music, watercolor painting, antiques, genealogy, naval and maritime history, wildlife, golf, and other topics. Cruise line's Web site:
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