FRED. OLSEN'S BALMORAL BEGINS SECOND SEASON OF TYNE SAILINGS

Fred. Olsen's 43,000 ton flagship, Balmoral, has just begun its second season of Tyne based cruises with a five night sailing from Newcastle's Port of Tyne to the Norwegian Fjords, marking the start of a summer season that will see the ship sailing to the Baltic Capitals, the Fjords, and even as far south as Spain and Portugal. The ship, one of the most lauded and popular on the UK cruising circuit, has booked very heavily since her first venture to northern ports last year,

Balmoral is a ship with a very interesting history. She was built in 1988 in Germany as the Crown Odyssey, the flagship of the now long defunct Royal Cruise Line. From the start, she gained a reputation for refined, elegant luxury that persists to this day.

She was moved to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1996, renamed as the Norwegian Crown. Then, in 2000, the ship was transferred to Orient Lines, and regained her original name of Crown Odyssey, only to be returned to Norwegian in 2003 when Orient Lines was wound up, once again under the monicker of Norwegian Crown.

She was sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Line in 2008, and sent back to Germany for a radical overhaul, including the insertion of a new, purpose built mid section that incorporated new cabins, two restaurants, a second outdoor pool, and a pair of Jacuzzis. Thus lengthened, the ship joined the Fred Olsen fleet as the Balmoral. She has been the company's flagship ever since and, with a passenger capacity in excess of 1300, she is easily their most diverse vessel.

These days, the Balmoral sails on everything from full, epic circumnavigations of the globe to short, three night cruise jaunts across the English Channel to the ports of Northern Europe. She cruises to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and West Africa, and even crosses to Canada, the USA and the Caribbean from time to time during the long winter months. She is the perfect ship for these kind of longer, more extensive voyages.

Joining her on the Tyne this year will be the 46,000 ton Magellan, the flagship of the rival Cruise and Maritime Voyages fleet. A fine ship in her own right, she provides a striking contrast in looks and style to the more classically elegant Balmoral. For cruisers based in the northern half of the country, the presence of both these ships operating out of Port of Tyne provides a wider choice of cruises and cruising styles than has perhaps ever been the case before.