By
Rebecca Gibson |
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral are due to enter drydock at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, this winter.
Marking the first time three ships have undergone refurbishment in such a short timeframe, the drydocks will include various engineering works, general refurbishment and interior and exterior painting to prepare the vessels for the 2015-2016 season.
Work has already started on the 804-guest Black Watch, which arrived at Blohm + Voss on 4 November. During the drydock, engineers will fit 27 cabins on Black Watch’s Lido Deck with balcony terraces that extend 1.2 metres from the ship’s bulkhead. This will provide guests with an increased choice of cost-effective balcony cabins with access to the outside. Following her refit, Black Watch will sail Fred. Olsen’s first-ever, 14-night Mystery Cruise, which departs from Tilbury, UK, on 15 November 2014.
Braemar will arrive in Hamburg on 12 November, before departing on a three-night France Mini-Cruise from Southampton, UK, on 20 November. Meanwhile Balmoral, which carries 1,350 guests, will sail into the Blohm + Voss yard on 9 December and will embark on a two-night pre-Christmas France Mini-Cruise from Southampton on 19 December 2014.
Following their drydocks, Balmoral and Braemar will feature Fred. Olsen’s popular Café Venus, which serves high-quality coffee and luxury chocolates. The new café will be fitted to Lounge Deck 7 on Balmoral, in the reconfigured library area, while Baremar’s café will be added to Lounge Deck 5 after engineers have reconfigured the library area and moved the Card Room to the Arts and Crafts Centre on Atlantic Deck 3.
“We experience extremely high demand for balcony cabins across our fleet, and in particular onboard the smaller-sized Black Watch, and our new Balcony Terrace cabins are an innovative response to this,” said Mike Rodwell, the cruise line’s managing director. “We are also looking forward to being able to give guests the experience of fine coffee and chocolates onboard Balmoral and Braemar, as they have already been enjoying on Boudicca and Black Watch. Balmoral and Braemar are both well-known to the Blohm + Voss shipyard, as they both underwent mid-section extensions in 2007 and 2008 respectively.”
In November 2007, Balmoral was extended by a section of 30.27 metres. Braemar followed in May 2008, being extended amidships by a section of 31.20 metres.