BRAEMAR TO RETURN TO THE CARIBBEAN FOR WINTER 2017-18

Fred. Olsen's popular Braemar will return to the Caribbean this coming December for a winter long season of cruises from Barbados to the highlights of the Caribbean, in addition to the usual, once per season exploration of the Amazon river. The 24,000 ton ship- very much the 'baby' of the Fred. Olsen fleet- has slipped back into her once popular winter Caribbean role after a hiatus of several seasons, and it's a trend that seems set fair to continue.

Most of her cruises tend to come in at around fourteen nights, round trip from Barbados. The company flies in passengers on it's own, dedicated charter flights from mainly Manchester and London Gatwick, and arranges direct passenger transfers to and from the ship at the port of Bridgetown. Typically, the first night will be spent docked in Barbados, allowing passengers to rest and relax on board after a long days' travel.

A typical Caribbean cruise will swing through and around eleven islands in fourteen days, with banner ports such as St. Lucia, Antigua, Tortola and St. Kitts on the menu. New for this season will be a few overnight stays in the newly opened Cuban capital of Havana, which allows passengers the chance of an after dinner run ashore to sample some of the island's legendary, sizzling nightlife.

Part of the reason for Braemar's uniquley successful sailings is without doubt her small, intimate stlye; the ship looks tiny when berthed alongside the huge ships of P&O and Royal Caribbean that also compete for the ex-UK trade in the winter months. She thus has an intimate atmosphere, and can more easily slip into the smaller ports of call that her larger rivals cannot access. This alone gives her a unique marketing niche; one that her owners have never failed to exploit.

The Braemar is also tailored more exclusivley to the British market, with food, service and entertainment geared up to appeal to her usually older clientele. A 2009 lengthening extended the ship in terms of both size and facilities, and gifted her with several more balcony cabins than was previously the case.

Another big lure for potential cruisers is the large number of single cabins offered on board the ship, much more numerous as a percentage than on the much larger ships. All things considered, Braemar represents a sound, soild, well rounded product that delivers a prime cruise experience in the Caribbean at a very good price.