By
Rebecca Gibson |
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch is to sail seven departures from the Port of Tyne, located in the city of Newcastle, UK, this summer.
Opening the season on 28 June, Black watch will cruise to various destinations in European and Baltic countries such as Spain, Portugal, Norway, Russia, Estonia and Sweden.
“The team at our award-winning International Passenger Terminal have been working hard to prepare for another busy cruise season and are ready to give Black Watch a welcome return,” said Steven Harrison, Port of Tyne's COO. “As the region's only passenger shipping gateway, the well-connected passenger terminal at North Shields provides a comfortable and hassle-free start to a holiday or, for those visiting the Port, a memorable day's excursion.”
Staring 2014 with a 15-night ‘Voyage Towards the North Pole’ roundtrip from Newcastle, the 804-guest Black Watch will sail to various Norwegian destinations including Kristiansun, Rørvik in Torghatten and Honningsvåg, the world’s most northernly village. The vessel will then cruise the North Cape and ‘Bear Island’, before continuing to Ny-Ålesund, which is located on the northwest coast of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. Longyearbyen in Svalbard will be the next port of call, before the ship heads to Tromsø, Leknes and Ålesund.
On 14 September, Black Watch will embark on a 14-night ‘Stockholm & St. Petersburg’ roundtrip stopping at Oslo, Norway, before spending a night in Stockholm, Sweden, to enable passengers to visit the Royal Palace, Drottningholm Palace and the Old Town. The ship will then call at Tallinn in Estonia, overnight in St Petersburg, Russia, and make a final call to the German port of Travemünde, for tours to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lübeck.
The ship’s 15-night ‘Canary Islands’ cruise departs Newcastle on 19 October and calls at Lisbon, Portugal, as well as the Spanish ports of Arrecife in Lanzarote, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz in Tenerife. Guests will also visit Funchal in Madeira and La Coruna in Spain, before returning to the Port of Tyne.
“We are proud to be offering our loyal Newcastle guests the chance to take an even wider selection of cruises from ‘right on their doorstep’ this year, with a choice of different holiday durations and destinations,” said Nathan Philpot, sales and marketing director for Fred. Olsen. “We have made a considerable investment in adding our unique Fred. Olsen branding to the Port of Tyne’s International Passenger Terminal and we are committed to our cruise programme in the North East. We will be offering an even greater number of cruise departures from Newcastle in 2015, with eight in total, and we are happy to be making our own contribution to the estimated £54 million that the cruise industry generates for the economy in the North East each year.”
Passengers can choose to upgrade to the line’s all-inclusive drinks package, for a special price of £10 per person per night, which includes selected wines, spirits beers and soft drinks. Premium-branded drinks will also be available at half price.
Fred. Olsen will also offer guests its exclusive Enjoyment Promise. As part of the initiative, the line will provide flights home and refund cruise fares for those passengers who do not enjoy their first Fred. Olsen trip. The promise is valid for bookings made at least 14 weeks in advance and does not apply to cruises of six nights or less, or with a duration greater than 35 nights.
In 2015, Fred. Olsen’s Boudicca will offer eight itineraries from the Port of Tyne between July and November. These include a seven-night ‘Glaciers, Fjords & Waterfalls of Norway’ cruise and a 27-night ‘Exploring the Arctic Circle’ trip.