Cruise Ship Begins Dover Homeport Operations for the First Time

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A festive celebration marked the arrival of Fred. Olsen Cruise Linesโ€™ Borealis as the 1,400-guest ship operated her first turnaround cruise at the Port of Dover. A water cannon heralded the shipโ€™s entrance to the port on July 11, 2024, after she sailed past the famous White Cliffs.

Once docked, port officials welcomed Borealis with a traditional plaque exchange onboard the 61,849-gross ton ship.

โ€œIt was a pleasure to give the wonderful Borealis a special welcome as she sailed in for her first full turnaround day here. We have a fantastic relationship with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and are delighted to have their newest vessel based here for 10 calls throughout the 2024 and 2025 season,โ€ said Peter Wright, head of cruise at the Port of Dover.

Borealis Arriving in Dover
Borealis Arriving in Dover (Credit: Port of Dover)

Borealis is currently operating an 11-day โ€œWhales and Volcanic Landscapes of Icelandโ€ cruise, calling at Akureyri, Isafjordur, Reykjavik, and Heimaey Island, Iceland, and Shetland, Scotland. It is the first in a series of voyages the ship will sail through mid-August, when she will shift homeports and operate cruises from Southampton, Portsmouth, and Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Borealis will return to Dover in May 2025, offering cruises to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland, and the Azores.

The ship is not the first in the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines fleet to call at Dover. She is the seventh, and continues a longstanding relationship the line has had with the port for nearly 30 years.

The cruise line recently enhanced its ties with the port by becoming the lead sponsor of the 2024 Dover Regatta, a major fundraising event for the port that was held on July 6, 2024.

โ€œWe are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with the Port of Dover and for Borealis to be the seventh of our ships to homeport in the town in that time,โ€ said Samantha Stimpson, CEO of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

โ€œWe have a busy cruising schedule for both 2024 and 2025 with wonderful destinations including the Dalmatian coast, Norway, Iceland and the Azores. We look forward to many more years of delivering exceptional cruise experiences for guests embarking in Dover,โ€ added Stimpson.

Dover, in southeast England, is an hourโ€™s train ride from London. Its location on the English Channel makes it the fastest sea crossing to Europe. Cruise arrivals typically reach about 250,000 each year, as more than 20 cruise lines visit or operate turnaround voyages from the port. Other cruise lines scheduled to call in 2024 include AIDA Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Saga Cruises, Viking Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises. 

Azores, Norway Among Destinations Borealis Will Visit

Upcoming cruises that Borealis will operate from Dover include a 9-night โ€œScenic Landscapes and Wildlife of the British Islesโ€ voyage departing on July 22, 2024. The ship will call at destinations including St. Peter Port, Guernsey; Inishnabro and Killybegs, Ireland; and Stornoway and Kirkwall, Scotland.

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On July 31, 2024, Borealis will depart on a 14-night โ€œVolcanic Islands of the Azores and Madeiraโ€ cruise, with port calls scheduled for Lisbon and Funchal, Portugal; and Praia de Vitoria and Ponta Delgada, Azores, among others.

Her final cruise from Dover in 2024 will depart on August 14, 2024. The 8-night โ€œSummertime Norwegian Fjordsโ€ voyage will take guests to Eidfjord, Bergen, Flรฅm, and Olden, Norway, with scenic cruising featured in Maurangerfjord and Hardangerfjord.

Looking ahead to 2026, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines recently announced that Borealis will sail a 76-night South American Exploration cruise that will visit cosmopolitan cities along with the remote Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The cruise departs from Southampton on January 28, 2026.

Borealis joined the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines fleet in 2021, after her acquisition from Holland America Line, where she had operated for 22 years as Rotterdam. The ship entered service in 1997.

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Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney is a travel news/feature writer and editor with 20-plus years covering cruise news, luxury travel, and Europe and UK destinations. A former staffer at Travel Weekly and at the USAToday Network, she also was a luxury travel columnist at Travel Market Report, and a cruise columnist at Sherman's Travel.

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