Proving that big things do come in little packages, Fred Olsen Cruise Line recently re-introduced passengers to its smallest vessel, the 43,537-gross-ton Balmoral, for a 14-night Christmas voyage.
Following a two-week dry dock that began on December 1, 2024, at A&P Falmouth shipyard in England, up to 1,340 passengers were the first to get a peek at the vessel’s upgrades when they boarded the ship in Southampton, England, on December 22.
The refit for the British-based Balmoral offered substantial upgrades across several areas of the ship, including a technical overhaul of The Neptune Lounge Theatre.
This entertainment hub was revitalized with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems and a new £320K LED screen, alongside more comfortable seating and sightlines for performances.
In addition, numerous cabins and bathrooms throughout the ship were updated with modern fixtures and space-efficient yet elegant furnishings reflecting a contemporary and warm décor.
Further improvements extended to the ship’s Wi-Fi capabilities to enhance connectivity.
A centerpiece of the refurbishment was the complete redesign of Balmoral’s buffet venue, originally the Palms Café.
As the largest internal project of the dry dock, this area underwent a dramatic transformation, including the removal of the specialty Indian restaurant Vasco, to introduce a more intuitive layout to enhance flow and accessibility and reduce congestion during peak dining times.
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Updated seating options range from cozy booths to more spacious table settings suitable for groups, with buffet and drink stations also modernized to streamline service.
It now marks the return of the cruise line’s popular Thistle Restaurant, which last appeared in 2022 on Fred Olsen’s Braemar, now owned and operated by Villa Vie Residences and serving as the residential cruise liner Villa Vie Odyssey.
Said Samantha Stimpson, CEO of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, “This has been an incredibly successful dry dock program, allowing us to not only conduct important maintenance but also make some exciting enhancements for our guests – most notably our beautiful new buffet restaurant.”
The external maintenance included an ultra-high pressure water blast of the underwater hull and the application of antifouling silicone paint, aimed at improving fuel consumption, as well as the installation of new propellers, bow thrusters, stabilizers, and an engine gearbox to enhance navigational efficiency.
“The application of antifouling silicone paint to Balmoral’s hull will enable us to use less fuel, and teamed with other improvements we have made, including the upgrading of our propeller and stabilizers, will allow us to sail more efficiently and sustainably, whilst continuing to offer a comfortable and enjoyable experience on board,” Stimpson continued.
The retrofit at A&P Falmouth was the second time Balmoral has dry docked at the shipbuilder for the cruise line – the first being in May 2022 – and involved 350 Fred Olsen Cruise Line crew members and more than 300 team members from the shipyard.
Balmoral’s Winter Voyages
Balmoral is currently enjoying a Christmas Lights and Northern Lights sailing, spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at sea.
The ship arrives at its first port on December 26, in Mo I Rana, Norway, then continues to explore the country’s coastline and fjords. Additional calls include Alta, Ålesund, and a New Year’s Eve stop in Trondheim.
The ship will be at sea on the first day of 2025 and returns to Southampton on January 5, 2025.
Its next journey will travel south to visit multiple ports in Spain and Morocco before a follow-up Northern Lights itinerary and a Canary Islands cruise, all roundtrip from Southampton, through mid-February.
On February 15, 2025, Balmoral will transit across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea for visits to its islands and Central America coastlines through March.
