Update: 12/08/2020
Cruises cancelled this week are the following:
Braemar up to 20th March 2021
Boudicca up to 5th November 2020
Black Watch up to 22nd December 2020
Balmoral up to 9th December 2020
Brabant up to 25th October 2020
Update: 08/04/20
We understand and appreciate that guests might be concerned about paying the balance of their cruise as the payment deadline approaches. We have had a number of conversations for requests to review our balance due dates for guests and we wish to recognise this.
- From 1st July onwards (or any 2020 cruise departing after July 1st where Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have not already received balance payment) we have reduced our balance due date from 90 days prior to departure to only 28 days. We trust this gives you greater flexibility and peace of mind. What this means is that the guests’ cruise is secured with a 15% deposit, until just four weeks before departure, at which time (for 2020 cruises) their final balance will be due.
This means that guests will not pay their balances to their agent until 28 days prior to their 2020 departure date.
- Once your balance is paid, if you are still unsure about travelling, we would like to let you know that your 2020 booking is covered with our new ‘Booking Reassurance Guarantee’. This means that you can transfer your entire booking – and any monies paid – with no fee at all to any other cruise currently on sale (including 2021 and 2022). All you would need to do is give us a minimum of 14 days notice before you are due to sail so we can make the necessary arrangements.
At the same time, we recognise that some guests may have little choice but to cancel their booking. We understand this and would like to reassure you and those guests that they would only lose their deposit at the point of cancellation – providing this is done no later than 28-days before sailing. Travel insurance will cover most loss arising from cancellation so it is still very important that all guests ensure they have adequate cover wherever possible.
Date: 08/04/2020
Source: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Booking Reassurance Guarantee UPDATE : 25/03/20
Our Booking Reassurance Guarantee has been expanded, we are focusing the guarantee on 2020 sailings and guest can now transfer to any other cruise on sale (202,2021 or 2022) cruise as long as you give a minimum of 14 days notice.
Applies to both new bookings AND all exisiting bookings regardless of date of booking.
T&C’s apply
Date 25/03/20
Source: Fred . Olsen Cruise Lines
MARCH – MAY 2020 CRUISES : IMPORTANT UPDATE
You will know that, along with many other cruise and travel companies, we are facing challenging and unprecedented times at the moment.
With the ongoing situation with COVID-19, multiple port closures and the recent government advisory for cruise travel, we believe it is currently impossible for us to offer our guests the holiday experience that we promise.
We have therefore taken the difficult decision to pause our ocean cruise operations until 23rd May.
Our priority now is to get all existing guests and crew home as safely and comfortably as possible. Any subsequent itineraries will not go ahead once the current cruises have come to an end.
For the time being our river ship Brabant is not affected by the pause in operations and our season will commence as planned on 6th April.
We are aware that if you are sailing with us, you will have many questions about what this means for you and we will be in touch as soon as we can.
We are likely to be very busy in our call centre over the next few days. Please bear with us, there is no rush for you to make a decision. We are working very hard for you and promise that we will deal with each and every one of your questions as soon as we possibly can.
In the meantime, we have collated a list of frequently asked questions and useful answers listed below.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly, so on behalf of everyone at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, both at our HQ in Ipswich and on our ships, we are sorry for this short break in sailings and we look forward to seeing you back cruising with us very soon.
Source : Fred Olsen
Date : 16/03/20