we have not yet made the full announcement, and we do not have a time scale for doing so at the current time
Just over a month ago I posted about an email I’d received from Fred. Olsen’s marketing department. It read:-
Hi All,
We just wanted to share with you the exciting news that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is making a significant investment across its fleet and moving in a different direction…
More details to follow on Monday 13th June 2016, so save a space!
Then on 13 June (which was supposed to be the big day) I received another email:
Thanks for all your interest in our ‘new investment’ e-mail last Friday.
Unfortunately, we are just finalising some last-minute details and will have to keep you in suspense a little while longer…
Apologies for the delay and any inconvenience caused, but rest assured that you will be the first to hear when we are in a position to make the full announcement.
Today I decided to follow this up and asked them if an announcement had ever been made, and pretty much immediately I received this reply:
No, we have not yet made the full announcement, and we do not have a time scale for doing so at the current time.
So it looks to me as if something major has gone wrong somewhere. Here’s a link to my original post on this topic. What’s also interesting is that I can’t find any rumours as to what the announcement might have been about. The Fred Olsen forum on Cruise Critic is completely silent about it, for example, and I can’t see anything on Facebook. That said, someone (Malcolm Oliver?) pointed out that their latest long-term brochure contains details of future itineraries for Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral but not for Boudicca. Could the announcement have been about a replacement?
That said, someone (Malcolm Oliver?) pointed out that their latest long-term brochure contains details of future itineraries for Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral but not for Boudicca. Could the announcement have been about a replacement?
Hi Tom, yes I did write that, but I believe that I might be wrong!
Anyone seen Boudicca’s long term itineraries ?
How about Fred Olsen river Cruises? That sounds very possible.
Malcolm
Reblogged this on Malcolm Oliver's Cruise Blog and commented:
I’m always happy to steal a little bit from Tom’s excellent Cruise blog:
Boudicca’s cruises have all now been published for winter 2017/18.
Thanks you for the comment, Mary
So we still wonder what it was all about….
Hi Tom, did you read that Olsen are moving into River cruising? There were also rumours about a new-build ocean ship.
Malcolm
Yes I did read about Fred’s move into river cruising; but I didn’t write about it because, er, it doesn’t interest me that much. Sorry!
New ship – now that would be noteworthy, and I note that chairman said in March that they had plans in the drawing board. But there’s a big step between that and placing an order. I note that all the new ‘smaller ships’ have been for significantly up-market lines, and I don’t think Fred quite fits that description. But maybe, maybe. Certainly P&O seem to be in a charge downmarket…..
Hi Tom, no problem – you do not have to be interested in everything!
In reality Fred. Olsen river cruises is likely to be the Amadeus product with Olsen branding and a few British tweaks. However Amadeus are VERY good.
As for an ocean newbuild – surely they would have to charge luxury fares to make it pay. That would be a different Olsen product to their normal one.
Are you falling out of love with P&O? 😉